Ever since the first inception of Pokemon designs, there are been critics who say that some Pokemon look silly. This has increased with every generation of Pokémon games, but a lot of designs are loved because of their cuteness, animal influence, or folklore inspiration.
Each generation has its own unique art-style and in Pokemon Sword & Shield there was a large British influence over the Pokemon designs. This was due to the Galar Region being inspired by the UK, and, like every Pokemon game, a lot of thought went into what makes something “British.” Many of them are great, but these are some of the best.
10 Polteageist
It doesn’t get more stereotypically British than drinking tea. It’s also as ghostly as they come, as Polteageist’s origin is that it infects teapots in hotels and cafes.
It’s certainly up there with some of the silliest Pokemon designs, but Polteageist’s connection to both British history and poltergeist behavior is both charming and clever. Its design also resembles that of a genie in a pot. When animated, Polteageist swirls around the exposed cracks and exits of the teapot, but remains trapped inside.
There have been ghostly inanimate objects before, but none as well depicted or animated as Polteageist.
9 Appletun
Appletun evolves from an Applin using a Sweet Apple and is one of two possible evolutions. It’s a Dragon-type that resembles both an apple-core or an apple pie. Besides its low-speed stat, it’s an essential dragon Pokemon to have on your team.
The apple pie’s place of origin is England and is another design that is cleverly thought-out to match the British influence over the Galar region. Its design is comical when you think about it being an apple, but the nectar around Appletun’s body is useful for absorbing attacks. Furthermore, Britain has many folklore stories about dragons, and Appletun compliments that history.
It also looks like an adorable apple, but it’s a Pokemon that has plenty of power and a challenging move-set.
8 Carkol
Carkol is a Rock/Fire-type Pokemon and evolves from Rolycoly. Even though the earliest documented use of coal is from China, the UK is heavily associated with coal, especially during the Industrial Revolution. The creation of new industry and the steam train made coal the most useful and valuable source of energy.
Carkol’s body resembles a minecart and has four wheel-like feet. It can be found in the wild, moving along the rails of the Galar Mine. As far as Fire Pokemon designs go, the maneuverability of Carkol makes it creative and appealing. You can visualize how Carkol would have been used in the Galar Mine to transport coal.
7 Dubwool
Dubwool evolves from Wooloo, which can be found early on in Sword & Shield. Its design is one of the most realistic when compared to the Jacob sheep it is based on. The Jacob sheep are native to Britain and were an obvious choice for animal inspiration in a British-inspired game.
From its large horns to its fluffy black and white woolen body, Dubwool doesn’t stray too far from the actual Jacob Sheep design. Its Pokedex entries even compliment the similarities to the Jacob sheep, saying they have springy wool and their horns are to impress other Dubwool. If you wanted to recreate a sheep in Pokemon, Dubwool ticks all the boxes.
6 Thievul
Thievul, which evolves from Nickit, is one of the most common Pokemon in Sword & Shield. Its design has a huge British influence, from the common red fox mixed to the mustache and eye mask of the gentleman thief.
Its black paws look to imitate gloves worn by thieves and its general image matches its name perfectly. Thievul appears to be sneaky, and its eyes look to be cunning like both a fox and a thief. Foxes are well known to be common thieves of livestock in the UK and were an easy choice of Pokemon to fit the country’s inspiration.
One of the finest qualities of Pokemon naming is making a Pokemon sound like it looks, and Thievul is a perfect example.
5 Corviknight
This Steel/FLying-type bird looks like it is wearing protective armor and Corviknight by name and nature is a connection to that of history and the monarchy. Corviknight looks like it is based on the corvid species of raven who guard the Tower of London. Its Steel-type and armor-like body are reminiscent of Britain’s armor history.
Its armor-body, sinister color, and facial depiction make it one of the most striking bird Pokemon designs. A lot of detail and history has gone into making Corviknight look how it does and captures the eerie folklore placed on the Tower of London ravens.
4 Cursola
Cursola evolves from the Galarian version of Corsola and is a Ghost-type Pokemon. It resembles bleached coral, which can occur from rising water temperatures; a knock-on effect from the industrial Galar Region?
As far as Ghost-types go, Cursola’s transparent and skeletal structure and permanent solemn face make it one of the saddest ghost Pokemon depictions. Just looking at Cursola makes you feel uneasy. Its color-scheme feels like all of the bright and striking colors of a regular Corsola have vanished.
Cursola stands out when compared to previous ghostly Pokemon that are usually depicted after spirits or Halloween objects. This is due to giving the ghostly-look to something that was once full of life.
3 Copperajah
Elephant Pokemon are not common in Pokemon’s history of animal designs. Copperajah evolves from Cufant, which is found in the Wild Area. You can take one look at Copperajah and think elephants aren’t British, but Copperajah originates from the British-Indian connection.
A lot of thought has gone into Copperajah and looks to be based on the Asian elephant and copper elephant statues, which were popular in Indian art. Copperajah has a beautiful art-style of copper orange and a mixture of greens that depict the tarnishing of copper over time.
The historical, scientific, and industrial concepts that have gone into Copperajah to make it one of the most interesting Pokemon designs to look at and learn about.
2 Morpeko
Every Pokemon game has its own Pikachu clone, but Morpeko’s design and abilities make it stand out more than others. Morpeko may look cute in its standard form, but its ability to change form with a complete makeover is what makes it one of the most interesting designs.
Morpeko’s Full Belly Form design is yellow with brown and black, but it also has a Hangry Mode. This version of Morpeko is purple, black and has angry red eyes. Its Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-like ability and full image transformation make it one of the most creative Pokemon designs of any generation.
1 Stonjourner
Stonjourner is a Pokemon of mystery, just like the actual Stonehenge. In both design and lore, it’s a Pokémon that stays true to the culture and area it is set in.
The Pokedex entry in Shield says that one day out of the year Stonjourner gather and form a circle. This is a connection to the Summer solstice and astrology and shows how a lot of thought went into creating Stonjourner and its general behavior.
The legs and head of its body resemble that of the Stonehenge monument, and the fact it has one of the slowest speed stats in the game depicts a slow-moving rock. The concept of Stonjourner plays into the mystery of how Stonehenge came to be and makes for one of the best historical Pokemon designs.
NEXT: 10 Mistakes Everyone Makes Whilst Playing Sword & Shield
