With hundreds upon hundreds of Pokémon filling the enormous Pokédex, surely not all of their designs could realistically be created equal. While fans like to rag on the Unova region for producing some particularly unappealing Pokémon, there are plenty of ugly ducklings spread throughout the eight major regions.
Many players may go through their adventure only throwing their Poké Balls at whichever visually appealing Pokémon they come across, but there are some diamonds hidden in the rough with the potential for winning battle after battle.
10 Coalossal
Coalossal may be a refreshing change of pace when compared to other boulder-like monsters such as Golem and Gigalith, but its unique qualities won’t save it from being the ugliest heap of coal in the Galar region.
When you really get down to it, it’s pretty difficult to not have a Pokémon based on a heap of carbon not be a terrifyingly ugly sight, so trainers really can’t hold it against him. It simply puts all of its effort into battling rather than being the prettiest pile of rocks on the block, making a great defensive powerhouse.
9 Sigilyph
Anyone roaming the Unova deserts in search of only the most rad-looking Pokémon likely ran into this thing at some point, only to exclaim “what am I even looking at, GameFreak?” It’s difficult to even begin figuring out what this hieroglyphic bird-thing is all about.
According to the Black & White Pokédex entries, they were used to protect ancient cities from invaders, and with how offputting and unappealing these things are, they likely got the job done just fine. With an amazing ability in the form of Magic Guard and moves like Psychic, Roost, and Air Slash, Sigilyph is not to be underestimated.
8 Barbaracle
Barbaracle is no exception to the seemingly standing rule concerning Rock-Pokémon coming up lacking in the aesthetics department. While its design is pretty unique, that doesn’t make it any less of an abomination.
Judging it solely on its looks would be a mistake, however, as it has the potential to take down your Pokémon in the blink of an eye. With Tough Claws boosting contact moves by 1.3x damage, attacks like Shell Smash and Rock Edge hit like a truck.
7 Seismitoad
Catching a Tympole may lead you to believe that you’re in for quite the cute evolution, but that’s far from the case. The middle evolution, Palpitoad, is arguably even uglier than Seismitoad, which is really saying something.
While this lumpy toad won’t be winning any beauty contests, it’s quite a potent battler. With Swift Swim, Seismitoad is extremely dangerous in the rain, as it’s able to either set up Stealth Rocks or throw out attacks like Hydro Pump or Focus Blast faster than most other Pokémon.
6 Rhyperior
Yes, again with the Rock-Pokémon. But Rhyperior can’t avoid the crossfire with how ugly it is. Although it almost falls into the “so ugly it’s cute” category, so it shouldn’t take it too harshly.
As you can clearly tell, this hulking, armored fellow has an absolute ton of HP and Defense, where it really shines as a Stealth Rock-user and potent attacker with a base 140 Attack.
5 Exploud
Exploud is a Pokémon that immediately comes to mind for many when thinking about ugly Pokémon, because everything about it just seems to fit the bill. Its purple and yellow coloring, the strange appendages all over its body, and a face that only Nurse Joy could love definitely fail to tie the whole picture together in a pleasing way.
But its intimidating glare gives off a dangerous aura, and it has the potential to be a fierce battler. It’s able to hit Ghost-types with Normal and Fighting moves due to its ability, and its solid all-around stats and versatile movepool make it fit pretty well on a variety of teams.
4 Conkeldurr
Conkeldurr appears to be a cross between a clown, a construction worker, and that Spongebob episode where he gets the inflatable muscles, making it a truly awful sight to behold and a prime example of why Unova Pokémon get so much hate.
Looking past its appearance reveals one of the best Fighting-type Pokémon around with a monstrous 140 base Attack, one of the best abilities in the game in the form of Guts, and a ton of hard-hitting moves to take down just about anything.
3 Ferrothorn
Running into one of these in real-life would be an absolute nightmare for a multitude of reasons. It looks like it belongs more in a demonology book than in a Pokémon game, and would fit right into the highly anticipated Shin Megami Tensei V.
Aside from being one of the most agreed upon ugly Pokémon in the series, it has served as a top-threat in competitive Pokémon ever since its debut. With exceptionally high defensive potential, a great ability, and a multitude of hazard and status moves, Ferrothorn is the most annoying thorn in the side of any opponent.
2 Hippowdon
Featuring possibly the grossest shade of yellow that GameFreak could have given to a Pokémon, Hippowdon’s intimidating face and bizarre anatomy don’t give it much to work with in the beauty department.
However, Hippowdon is one of the very best Pokémon in the current competitive meta and can be seen on an absolute ton of teams by top players. With insane bulk and Attack, Hippowdon can sweep with Earthquake, set hazards with Stealth Rock, poison foes with Toxic, and it even has access to a healing move in the form of Slack Off.
1 Volcanion
Volcanion has perhaps the most perplexing design in the entire Pokédex. It’s listed as the “Steam Pokémon” since it’s a Fire/Water-type, but there’s just so much going on that it’s difficult to look at, not to mention the assortment of primary colors that make it truly ugly.
It has excellent stats, being a legendary and all, and plays some pretty interesting roles that other Pokémon simply aren’t able to. Taking down this bulky monster can be extremely difficult, and its signature move, Steam Eruption, acts as a better Scald that will leave opponents with more than a few burns.
NEXT: 10 Beta Pokémon That We Were Robbed Of
