10 Pokémon With The Most DISTURBING Backstories

Wo-Chien

Introduced in “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Violet,” this legendary Grass/Dark type appears to be a slug made of leaves and wood. While the Pokédex entry from “Violet” states Wo-Chien’s power, able to cause forests to wither and fields to turn barren by draining their life-force, the entry from “Scarlet” tells us the creature’s origin. It was born from a grudge held by a person who was punished for documenting the deeds of an evil king on wooden tablets, the very ones that form its shell. We don’t know how this person was punished. But if it led to a grudge powerful enough to embody a legendary Pokémon who brings decay to the land around it, it must have been pretty bad.

Mimikyu

There are several Pokémon you just know have disturbing backstories simply by looking at them, and Mimikyu is one of them. The Ghost/Fairy type is actually quite lonely, and wears a creepy Pikachu costume in the hopes that it will make it more popular. And while lots of players do seem to like Mimikyu, its Pokédex entries are… concerning. No one knows what Mimikyu really looks like, though it isn’t for a lack of trying. The “Pokémon Sun” data states a scholar once snuck a peak, but was so horrified at what they saw, they died of shock. The “Ultra Moon” entry claims a Trainer once saw its true form when a gust of wind blew up its costume, and they died painfully that same night. In “Pokémon Shield” we learned a scientist also tried to get a look, and later died of a mysterious disease. Clearly, some things are better off remaining secret.

Palossand

The Ghost/Ground type, Sandygast, is said to embody the grudges of the dead, and possesses anyone who places their hand in its mouth to grow in size and power. After claiming enough victims, it evolves into Palossand, and details grow even more disturbing. Its Pokédex entry in “Moon” claims Palossand hides mounds of bones buried beneath it. “Ultra Sun” gets a bit more specific, stating that each grain of sand has its own willpower, and that it pulls prey inside it, sucking the life from them while they’re still alive. Considering it looks completely like a sand castle, emblematic of carefree youth, it’s pretty unsettling to think about how many victims Palossand has claimed.

Cubone

Unlike most Pokémon on our list, Cubone doesn’t have a backstory that makes us want to stay far away from it. Instead, it’s just deeply messed up. It shares a few details with Mimikyu; Cubone is literally called the Lonely Pokémon, and it’s believed that no one knows what its true face looks like. That’s because every single Cubone wears the skull of its dead mother, as well as uses a bone from her remains as a weapon. Several Pokédex entries detail its tendency to cry during the full moon, which echoes within the skull to produce a sad melody. Debuting way back in the first generation, the Pokemon team have still yet to come up with another backstory as tragic as this.

Lampent

Understandably, you’ll find a lot of Ghost types on our list. Also classified as a Fire type, Lampent may look like a simple, sentient source of light, but it’s far more sinister. It searches for spirits to absorb, which fuel the flame at its core. While its pre-evolved form, Litwick, and its evolved form, Chandelure, also do this, Lampent’s methods and nature from its Pokédex entries are a bit more unnerving. It can seemingly tell when people are about to pass on. It either disguises itself as a lamp until it sees someone close to death and follows them, or bides its time outside of hospitals, waiting to absorb a new spirit. The “Pokémon Sword” dex entry claims most people fear it as an emissary of death. Go figure.

Yamask

Introduced in the fifth generation, the Ghost type Yamask is both tragic and terrifying. It carries around a mask that was once its face when it was human, which it will often look at and cry. It’s born from the graves of those who died long ago, yet the memories of its human life remain with it. And if anyone wears its mask, the Pokémon will possess them. Yamask’s evolutionary paths are also disturbing. There’s the standard one, Cofagrigus, which resembles a sarcophagus, doesn’t remember its humanity, and likes to trap unsuspecting victims inside, turning them into mummies. The Galarian version of Yamask carries a cursed clay slab instead of a mask, said to have been attracted to a vengeful spirit, and evolves into Runerigus. This evolution is a moving, hexed painting, which will show you the terrible memories behind its picture should you touch it.

Drifloon

Silly looking? Yes. Absolutely horrifying? Also yes. Drifloon is a Ghost/Flying type that resembles a balloon. And any child that mistakes it for such and grabs hold can wind up going missing. It’s light enough that many children will play with it, tugging on Drifloon roughly and causing it to flee. But since the Pokédex tells us Drifloon is a collection of spirits both Pokémon and human, it’s safe to say that, should a child wander away with it, inside its ever-expanding body is where those children will end up. Future dex entries would also claim that, if Drifloon’s body bursts, the souls it has amassed will all be unleashed and accompanied by a scream. The developers really do go hard on the Ghost types.

Banette

Not only is Banette one of the freakiest looking Pokémon, it also pays homage to one of the most famous tropes in Horror: the cursed doll. Banette is born from discarded plushes, embodying the grudge of a once-loved toy after being thrown away. After turning into a Pokémon, it wanders in search of the child who abandoned it, seeking vengeance. That’s already pretty grim in a series aimed mostly at kids. But it also sticks pins in its own body to generate curses, and keeps a zipper closed across its mouth to keep the cursed energy inside its body from escaping. That’s actually what happens when it Mega Evolves, gaining so much power that it can’t stop from cursing its own trainer.

Phantump

As we’ve seen, the souls of humans can sometimes lead to Pokémon. And it doesn’t get much more disturbing than those souls being children. Phantump is a Ghost/Grass type, created when kids go missing in forests and die, and whose wandering souls then possess tree stumps. Clearly, parents need to be more careful when letting their children wander into the woods. Phantump retains a childlike sense of playfulness, too, which actually makes things creepier. In search of friends, it can often lure others into getting lost by mimicking the voice of a child. If those that it lures happen to be children, we imagine they just make the community grow larger.

Gourgeist

Don’t let its whimsical, Jack-o-Lantern design fool you; Gourgeist is one sick and twisted Pokémon. When it debuted in Generation VI, the Pokedex stated it likes to wander towns on the night of a new moon, singing eerily and cursing all who hear it. Whenever it ensnares prey, it will also sing joyfully as it watches it suffer. Then came “Sword” and “Shield,” which gave us new details based on the different sizes of Gourgeist. Small ones will disguise themselves as children to lure in adults, large ones disguise themselves as adults to trick children, and supersized ones will grab anyone they can get, forcefully spiriting away all victims to the afterlife. Also, late at night, you can hear cries coming from inside its body, said to be agonized spirits from the beyond. Gourgeist seems to take great pleasure in the suffering of others, making it one of the most chilling Pokémon ever created.

Of course, there are plenty of other Pokémon with disturbing backstories. So, if we left off one of your favorites, head to the comments and share those dark tales with us. And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!