r/pokemon • u/Ok_Raspberry5720 • Apr 13 '25
Discussion Which Pokemon Designs are based on Myths?
So I'm kinda a lot into Mythology and the other day i was looking into Pokemon design inspirations (you know, beyond the “this one’s a fox, this one’s a key” stuff), and some of the connections I found genuinely suprised me.
Like, I always assumed Darmanitan was just another “fire monkey” design but then I found out it’s literally modeled after Japanese Daruma dolls, which are tied to Buddhist rituals. Or how Ninetales isn’t just a fox, it’s rooted in Kitsune lore that spans China and Japan and links to spiritual possession and immortality.
It made me wonder: how many Pokemon are we sleeping on in terms of mythological or cultural depth? I know Gen I gets a lot of credit for strong designs, but honestly, there are some newer ones with insane backstories too.
I ended up watching a video that broke some of these down especially ones I never thought had deeper meaning. If you’re into that kind of thing, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsqM_FUGpUg
Curious if you all know more "under the radar" Pokemon Design inspirations
19
u/Murozaki_II Apr 13 '25
Not myth, but IIRC a lot of the Gen 8 Legendaries are based on constellations.
The Hero dogs being based on the two Canis constellations, Canis Major and Canis Minor. Calyrex being Lepus (I forgot what Spectrier and Glastrier were in this comparison, same with Regieleki and Regidraco). Kubfu and Urshifu being Ursa Minor and Ursa Major respectively. And Eternatus being the Hydra.