Pokémon has been part of our lives for nearly three decades. With over 1000 creatures introduced across multiple generations, there’s no denying the franchise’s creativity and evolution.
From elemental mice to literal gods, Pokémon has walked the line between fantasy and nature with finesse. Yet, fans have noticed a peculiar and often frustrating trend: the rise of bipedalism. And not just any bipedalism, Pokémon looking oddly humanoid, sometimes more so than their animalistic or mythical origins.
This isn’t about disliking two-legged Pokémon. Some of them are undeniably cool. Take the aura blasting Lucario for instance, with its canine features and martial artist vibe, it just works.
Gallade is another great example, blending knightly elegance with a psychic edge and an unbreakable stance. Even Blaziken toes the line well, standing tall with a fierce, bird-like warrior design. Besides, Blaziken's been bipedal since being a Torchic.
But for every well-balanced design, there are several Pokémon that leave players scratching their heads.
Why did Litten, a cute, quadrupedal fire cat, evolve into Incineroar, a bulky wrestling tiger with a championship belt? The design itself isn’t inherently bad, wrestling tiger is a bold concept, but it’s such a departure from the animalistic base that it feels forced.
Delphox, a Fire/Psychic fox inspired by a mage, is another example. Instead of resembling a natural evolution of Fennekin’s fox-like charm, it turns into a robed bipedal humanoid that looks like it belongs in a fantasy RPG.
Do all Delphoxes in the world carry the same stick? Do all Delphoxes in the world walk bipedally? This questioning is what happens when lore takes the stage too much and leaves no space for some biological logic.
This trend hints at a deeper design philosophy shift. In earlier generations, Pokémon were often inspired by animals, plants, or even objects. Think Bulbasaur, a frog with a plant bulb, or Magnemite, a floating magnet.
But in recent years, Pokémon seem to be based on personalities, tropes, or archetypes. Incineroar isn’t just a fire-type; it’s a wrestler. Rillaboom is a drummer. Toxtricity is a punk rocker.
These ideas are fun in theory, but often detach the designs from nature or biology, making them feel less like creatures and more like caricatures, thus having the need to be unnecessarily bipedal.
It’s not that humanoid or thematic designs are inherently flawed. The issue arises when these concepts override the natural essence that made Pokémon so endearing in the first place.
Not every creature needs to stand on two legs or reflect a human career path. When Meowscarada, the final evolution of Sprigatito, turned into a masked magician-like feline, many fans were disappointed to see yet another bipedal twist. The base design promised a sleek, quadrupedal cat, yet the end result felt like déjà vu.
Still, there’s hope. Pokémon like Ceruledge, a ghostly, armored swordsman, and Annihilape, the furious evolution of Primeape, show that bipedalism can still be executed with originality and flair.
These designs don’t feel like humans in costumes. They feel like fantastical creatures with depth and presence.
What fans truly crave is balance. Give us the mystery of the wild, the wonder of creatures that look like they belong in an ancient forest or a volcanic cave. Let Pokémon look like Pokémon and not mascots in cosplay.
The franchise has always thrived when it embraces creativity while honoring the natural roots that shaped its earliest designs.
And maybe, just maybe, the next starter evolution won’t be standing on two legs. We’ll be watching.