When it comes to making Pokemon, you might think the franchise’s designers have free reign to do what they wish. There are well over 800 Pokemon running around the universe, and fans are particularly attached to its starters. It isn’t shocking to hear those same fans are curious about how regions pick their starters, and an interview with one designer has already shed light on the topic.
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In the past, Ken Sugimori got honest about his work on Pokemon and how its monsters are created. The designer was asked specifically about the thought process behind each starter group, and the ultimate call comes down to the Pokemon’s role.
“We always divide the roles for the three Starter Pokemon, by which I mean we assign each of them a distinct personality,” Sugimori said.
According to lead Pokemon designer Ken Sugimori, his team adheres to several rules they’re creating Starter Pokemon.
One rule is that all 3 need unique personalities. For example, Sugimori says that in Gen 5, they made Tepig funny, Snivy cool, and Oshawott serious. pic.twitter.com/wzTfmnJwTX
— Dr. Lava’s Lost Pokemon (@DrLavaYT) September 16, 2019
“For example, we make a cool one, a serious one, and a funny one. When we agreed on the concepts for Tepig and Snivy, we decided Tepig would be the funny one, and Snivy would be the cool one. So we knew Oshawott would have to be the serious one, which is how he ended up with the facial expression you see in his final design. “
For one, this interview lets fans feel a bit better about Oshawott. Netizens have been worried about the starter’s emotional state ever since he debuted, but it turns out he is just being his usual serious self. The second note to take from Sugimori is that Pokemon has a recipe for success, and it can be seen in every generation.
Just, take a look a the first generation starters. There is no doubt Charmander played the cool role while Bulbasaur parented everyone with his serious care. This left Squirtle to make us laugh as the funny one, and this pattern is replicated with the upcoming eighth generation. Scorbunny and Grookey are duking it out for a cool title, but there is no doubt Sobble is the serious one. Now, fans can use this recipe to cook up ideas for generation nine starters and every era moving forward.
If you could make any Starter Pokemon, what would their defining trait be? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
