Could be on strength, type, color – and even how aesthetically pleasing they are. As a long-time Pokémon fan, I’ve been very vocal to my friends about which Pokémon are so horrible they should never have existed (and why). Now, I decided to put it down in writing and finally tell the world what the most horrendous Pokémon are… visually, anyway. Now sitting at just shy of 1,000 creatures, there are more than enough ugly monsters to go through. Some of these are the product of questionable execution, others are purposefully ugly – and most of them look as if Pokémon designer Ken Sugimori had a little too much to drink before working on them. Either way, let’s take a grimacing look at some of the ugliest Pokémon ever birthed.
20. Snubbull
Let’s start with one of the least offensively ugly Pokémon in this list – the ugly-cute Gen II Snubbull. Much like a pug in real life, Snubbull can be a lovely creature if you use your imagination and have a big heart. Still, that doesn’t take away from the fact that its design is just… c’mon! Not content with being a deformed pink bulldog, this little critter also has fur resembling an out-of-fashion dress with a half-assed polka dot design. Dogs are a trainer’s best friend, but I wouldn’t say I like this weird mutt.
19. Exeggcute
Of course, no amount of ugly dresses and weird color combinations will ever be worse than the horror that is Exeggcute. The Egg Pokémon from the original 151 has “cute” in its name. So I’m forced to assume Ken Sugimori meant for this walking egg carton (minus the carton) to be appealing, which makes me doubt the Pokémon designer’s sanity. I mean, one of them is broken! It’s nothing short of gore. And why does it evolve into a tree? Well, that last one has nothing to do with ugliness – but it’s still a good question.
18. Drowzee
Here’s one you were probably not expecting – the hypnotizing Pokémon, Drowzee. This disturbing dude from the original 151 is based on the Japanese legend of the Baku, a sort of tapir with a habit of eating people’s bad dreams. While the concept of a dream-eating tapir is weird enough, it’s Drowzee’s design that qualifies it for this ranking. Not only does it have the body type of a short and stubby old man, but its face looks like it’s always having some substance-induced spiritual awakening. Yikes! Considering it eats bad dreams, perhaps it’s that ugly to create a plentiful food supply. I’m guessing it’s a successful tactic.
17. Mr. Mime
Our Mimey friend has been a staple of the franchise ever since he was introduced in Red & Blue. Throughout the years, we’ve seen its many facets. Sometimes it’s a helpful critter in the Ketchum residence. Others, it’s a low-life criminal resisting an interrogation like in the Detective Pikachu movie. There’s even a Galarian variant! Still, ever since I saw those weirdly expressive eyes and its wrinkly, man-like face in Detective Pikachu, my vision of this humanoid creature has been tarnished forever. I wouldn’t let this mime near my house (or my children) under any circumstances.
16. Seismitoad
I’ve never been a fan of frogs or toads. And this Water/Ground-type does nothing to make me like it more. The concept behind Seismitoad is that each of the different lumps that line its body has a different power, such as paralyzing enemies or creating strong vibrations. The thing is, they look like horrible tumors, and it even has a couple on its head. What are those rascals doing up there? This pair of tormenting buds on its forehead make it look as if it’s in constant anguish. It looks just like me whenever I have a toothache.
15. Feebas
Since we’re peering into the Pokémon world from a limited perspective, there are some things we have to take at face value. While Feebas’ design doesn’t look especially ugly at a glance, it’s supposed to be one of Hoenn’s most hideous creatures, as is mentioned by Pokédex entries and NPCs in-game. This little critter is the protagonist of its very own Ugly Duckling story. Over time they may grow a Prism Scale on their body, which eventually gives them the power to evolve into Milotic – the single most beautiful Pokémon of gen 3. The ugliest part about this Water-type fish is how hard it used to be to catch a good one back when Ruby & Sapphire first came out.
14. Purugly
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And this odd cat/tiger Pokémon is a perfect example of that. They evolve from the classy Glameow after their owner spoils them beyond recognition. They’ll become bigger, fatter, and more foul-natured as time goes on. In that sense, it’s just like a real cat. Still, if you’re a cat lover, you know how cute a feline chubster can be – especially when it’s your own chubby cat. I’d love to have one of these grumpy fur-balls destroying my furniture and making my life a beautiful mess – though I’d have to move to a bigger home to house this large feline.
13. Muk
Muk is one of those things we prefer to ignore and even forget about if given the option. We don’t give it much thought, because if we did, it’d probably be the most horrifying Pokémon around. Have you ever been too disgusted to take out the trash? Perhaps you’ve thrown away an entire plastic container because whatever went bad inside was too terrible to witness? Well, this Poison-type from the original 151 is an amalgamation of all these terrible things. It’s literally born from decaying waste! Imagine seeing this guy hanging out by your trash can? Ash may look calm when his Muk “hugs” him in the anime… but that has to be a traumatizing experience every single time.
12. Barbaracle
Known as the Collective Pokémon, Barbaracle is more of a community than an individual. That is, in part, what makes it so ugly. This Rock/Water-type is a conglomeration of Binacle – seven, to be exact. Its extremities, torso, and even its head are simply individual Binacle focusing on different tasks. Another reason I find this gen 6 critter so ugly is that the eyes on its hands remind me of the Pale Man from Guillermo del Toro’s fantastic Pan’s Labyrinth. Sure, it may not be quite as menacing or scary – but it’s just as deformed. Also, its head is a hand too. It’s just very bizarre.
11. Alolan Persian
Persian is one of those kitties that’s one step away from being a regular, real-world animal. To correct this and add some spice into the mix, the Pokémon design team at Game Freak came up with an Alolan variation of the R/B/Y critter. However, their choice of changes are just… weird. This Dark-type feline has a face so round, it looks like a Meowth’s face had been stuck onto a Persian’s body. It’s also wholly disproportionate when compared to Persian’s body. Overall, it feels like Dr. Frankenstein got a job at Game Freak. Trust me, there are cuter Alolan monsters than this one.
10. Electivire
Some Pokémon come into this world to make it a little bit more terrifying. Such is the case of Electivire. Electabuzz was already kind of ugly. But its evolution introduced in Gen IV is much worse (aesthetically, anyway). It looks like some genetically-modified alien gorilla with an unhinged facial expression and disturbing probe-like tentacles coming out of its back. I’ve heard some people comparing Electivire to a bear of sorts, but come on! The thing has human-like teeth! There’s nothing ursine about this bizarre being. It’s gotta be the ugliest Electric-type by far.
9. Magmortar
From the same dark corner of Ken Sugimori’s mind comes Magmortar, the fiery Magby’s not-so-cute final evolution. Introduced in Gen IV, Magmortar shares the same weird, alien-like look of Electivire. Not only that, but it has shed Magmar’s duck-like facial features in favor of something that looks like an inappropriate, racist cartoon from the last century. There’s just so much anger and resentment in its gaze… That said, it’s a pretty strong Fire addition to your team that’ll pulverize most foes in the blink of an eye… so you may want to endure its ugly face. It isn’t known as the Blast Pokémon for nothing!
8. Alolan Raticate
Alola seems to be full of disturbing regional varieties of fan-favorite Pokémon. When we thought Raticate couldn’t get any stranger, Game Freak introduced us to Alolan Raticate in Gen VII. This chubby version of the (honestly kinda decent in gen 1) rat evolution looks like someone stuffed their mouth full of turkey before starting an argument during Thanksgiving dinner. The Dark/Normal-type Raticate is also colored like a common sewer rat, making it several times worse than the international variety. Can I just get a Kanto rat with Hyper Fang please?
7. Probopass
I’ve been talking about how terrible Nosepass looks ever since it was introduced in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. Imagine my surprise when Game Freak doubled down on this ugly Pokémon by giving it an even worse evolution in Gen 4. Probopass is a Rock/Steel-type with strong magnetic powers, as you can probably tell by the magnetized iron filings resembling a mustache under its most prominent “nose”. It’s like a walking science class experiment, except it’s downright head-shakingly ugly. I really don’t get this Pokémon. I mean, the nose hair? Moving on…
6. Bruxish
I’ve had to deal with bruxism (the tendency to gnash your teeth) ever since I was a teenager. It’s uncomfortable, it’s ugly, it’s unhealthy – and there’s a nightmarish Pokémon based on the phenomenon. Bruxish was introduced in Gen VII as one of the many fish species populating the bio-diverse waters of Alola. Why Game Freak decided to make this Water/Psychic-type so horrible is beyond me. Even if its headache-inducing teeth gnashing isn’t enough to drive you away, consider its oddly plump, human-like lips and sultry eyes. Is it supposed to look seductive? Because that would make it even worse. I mean really, who shot my couch from the 70s and plastered it over this guy?
5. Vullaby
Do I really have to explain why a deformed vulture with an eggshell diaper is ugly? Introduced in Gen V, this Dark/Flying-type mash-up of a human baby and a vulture is among the most nonsensical Pokémon ever. Sure, babies are cute. But remove the “tiny human” aspect from it, and anything wearing a diaper becomes deeply unappealing. I mean, you know they’re portable bathrooms, right? Its evolution, Mandibuzz, is marginally better – so evolve this critter ASAP!
4. Garbodor
Waste has to go through several locations and treatments before becoming the poisonous sludge Muk was born from – and there’s a Pokémon for every stage of the process. Known as the Trash Heap Pokémon, Garbodor is what happens when tons of solid waste gain sentience. Not only must it smell horrible, but this Poison-type monster looks like its life is pain. I mean, look at the anguish on its face! Pokémon’s fifth generation sure has some weird pocket monsters…
3. Gurdurr
Also from the bizarre collection of Gen 5 Pokémon comes the Fighting-type Gurdurr – a humanoid lump of vascular grey flesh that’s sure to give you nightmares. Some may argue that its evolution, Conkeldurr, is a much uglier creature – but at least it has some redeemable features. Gurdurr has no features other than a clown nose, a half-assed flesh afro, and popping veins all over his body. Game Freak should avoid any more muscular Pokémon for at least a couple generations.
2. Crabominable
The single most cursed being to come out of Ken Sugimori’s twisted mind since the beginning of the Pokémon franchise has to be Crabominable, the Woolly Crab Pokémon. This Fighting/Ice-type was introduced in Gen VII as Crabrawler’s evolution. Since it only evolves on the cold heights of Mount Lanakila, it makes sense to make it an Ice-type… but did they have to make it so ugly? Its design brings together the worst parts of a king crab and the Abominable Snowman. If a hairy egg with a dumb face and a fake six-pack isn’t ugly for you, I don’t know what is.
1. Jynx
You can’t make a list of ugly Pokémon without including Jynx, who has dominated the ranking ever since the series began in 1996. Other than being generally unappealing and even unsettling thanks to its “seductive” attitude, this Pokémon design has been heavily criticized for its unmistakable resemblance to blackface comedy and racist cartoons. Others think it’s making fun of Drag Queen culture – and the list goes on, none of it really being super flattering. Despite being slightly altered over the years to be less inflammatory, this blonde not-so-bombshell remains the ugliest Pokémon of them all.
