With no less than 107 new Gen 9 Pokémon appearing in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it's no surprise that fans on social media have been divided over the new designs. In the starter trio and their quirky evolutions alone, the game signaled a willingness to do something different with designs this time out, and that's exactly what they've done.
Whether it's because they're cool like the legendary Koraidon, cute like Sprigatito, funny like Bellibolt, or just downright unique like Maushold, there's plenty to like about the distinctive new designs that make up Gen 9. Although it's a tough competition and there are plenty of great designs that also deserve consideration, these are the pocket monsters that stand out above the rest.
10 Charcadet
A humanoid Pokémon that formed from a piece of charcoal coming to life, Charcadet is a great blend of the strange and the recognizable. Though not everyone will find its slightly odd proportions appealing, there's no denying that Charcadet's compact design makes him surprisingly cute.
Compared to the really cutesy Pokémon designs in Scarlet and Violet like Fidough and Pawmi, however, it also oozes power and determination through its strong pose and menacing dark red color scheme. In Armarouge and Ceruledge, Charcadet boasts two of the coolest evolutions in the game that both build on its humanoid fire spirit concept.
9 Sprigatito
Depending on which side of the Pokémon community is asked, Sprigatito is either the best of the new starters or one of the most disappointing designs in Scarlet and Violet. Criticisms that the starter trio didn't do enough to stand out, and also that the Grass-type would inevitably leave behind its cat-like features for a humanoid evolution, mean there are plenty of Sprigatito doubters.
Despite that, Sprigatito is also immensely popular, consistently ranking highest in polls, and that's because the simplicity of its design is also its strength. Its cat-like traits inevitably make it adorable and the way Grass-type features were incorporated in its whiskers and the tuft on its chest are the perfect complements. Its upright posture and expression also immediately get across its capricious personality.
8 Quaxly
Though it is the least talked-about of the three Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters, it's fair to say Quaxly has a ton of fans online, and that's due in part to an inherently likable design. Duckling-like and boasting a unique coif-like crest, Quaxly has a style that's immediately memorable.
Whilst giving a Pokémon such a distinctive "hairstyle" and a tidy personality that means it's often adjusting its crest just like a real coif could have been too much, the fact these traits have been given to such an earnest and friendly-looking creature means it works ridiculously well.
7 Bellibolt
Bellibolt is the kind of Pokémon that draws intense dislike from some but a ton of love from others, and that's because it's certainly one of the more out-there designs of Gen 9. Colorful, frog-like, and marshmallow-shaped, it's hard not to laugh at Tadbulb's ridiculous evolution but, luckily, it's clearly not meant to be taken seriously.
The design is full of bold choices like the fact that neither the eyeball-shaped bulbs on the side of its head nor the dotted bump on the front of its belly are actually its eyes. Instead, it's the small yellow dots in the center of its face that are the eyes and, along with its goofy permanent smile, knowing that only makes it more hilarious to look at.
6 Skeledirge
Whereas the initial forms of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters are largely the best, Fuecoco is arguably the one exception where its final evolution is an improvement. That's because Skeledirge is both a unique concept and a well-executed one.
Though its bulky crocodilian appearance, Day of the Dead-styled skull aesthetic, and the wreath of flame around its head immediately show that Skeledirge is a force to be reckoned with, the design has some small but clever details that make it great. That includes the fiery bird that rests on its nose and works in tandem with the Pokémon for Torch Song.
5 Maushold
Maushold is far from the only Pokémon based on the multiplication of its previous evolutions, but the fact that it so perfectly works in the family theme makes it stand out. Tandemaus is itself a cool design, centered on a couple of cute mouse-like Pokémon, but Maushold and its two forms are a step up.
That's because it can evolve into either a Family of Three or a Family of Four form where it keeps the couple working in tandem but adds in a number of smaller versions. Always posed together as if for a family photo, it's hard to think of how they could have better executed the idea of a "Family Pokémon," and their cuteness is just a bonus.
4 Farigiraf
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet boasts a ton of great dual-type Pokémon, but few designs stand out more than that of Farigiraf. While Girafarig is already a neat concept, going beyond merely being a giraffe Pokémon by adding in a tail with its own head, Farigiraf turns that extra head into something resembling a scary costume for the now fully giraffe-esque Pokémon.
It makes Farigiraf look as powerful and mysterious as a fully-evolved Psychic dual-type should, especially thanks to the sharper spikes and strange head bobbles above, but it does so without losing the cuteness that makes Girafarig a popular design too. In general, the idea of two heads being stronger than one for psychic abilities also just makes sense.
3 Koraidon
Both of the Legendaries featured on the covers of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have awesome designs, but Koraidon slightly edges out Miraidon for being just slightly better executed. Legendary Pokémon demand extravagant designs to match their higher status, and both deliver on that with bright colors and attention-grabbing adornments.
However, whilst Miraidon falls slightly into the trap that a lot of Legendaries fall into of being a little too over-the-top that they become rather alien and indistinct, Koraidon is refined in a way that makes it memorable. Halfway between a grown-up feathered Cyclizar and a motorbike, Koraidon jumps out on the cover of Scarlet in just the right way.
2 Arboliva
Whilst its two previous evolutions and particularly the olive-like Smoliv beat it out for cuteness, Arboliva is the perfect final evolution for how it makes a potentially boring concept so visually appealing. There are a ton of amazing and distinctive Grass-type designs, but Arboliva is strange enough to stand out.
Olives aren't exactly the most inspired theme for a Pokémon, and the existence of Pokémon like Trevenant means no one can pretend the idea of an anthropomorphized tree is exactly innovative either, and yet, with its olive tree-silhouette and wise expression, Arboliva has a uniquely arresting appearance. Arboliva defies convention and still manages to look powerful and grand.
1 Tinkaton
Few Pokémon immediately capture the imagination like the diminutive Tinkaton and its giant hammer. The final form of the charmingly pathetic Tinkatink with its homemade hammer tranformed into a giant metal weapon, Tinkaton's growth is shown through its tool moreso than the creature itself.
Even so, it's not as if Tinkaton itself isn't distinctive. With its toothy smile and hair that's longer than its body is tall, it's obvious from just a glance that Tinkaton is on the cheekier side of Pokémon designs. Colorful and full of personality, Tinkaton encapsulates the best of the Gen 9 designs.
Source:gamerant.com