Pokemon Sword and Shield's Weirdest Pokemon Has the Most Epic Move Animation

One of Pokemon Sword and Shield's weirder Pokemon had its signature move ripped straight from the movie 300. Pokemon Sword and Shield players will likely discover the odd Pokemon Falinks during their journey across the Galar region. This collective of tiny Pokemon is a Fighting-type Pokemon inspired by the phalanx, a fighting formation in which a group of soldiers lock their shields together while others use long polearms to repel attackers. Not only is the Pokemon's name a clear reference to the phalanx, Falinks also carries several shields that it carries on its front and sides.

As the Pokemon appears in a set of archeological ruins and wears a distinctive helmet, Falinks was likely inspired by the Roman occupation of England, which produced many spectacular ruins. However, the Pokemon's special move was clearly inspired by the Zach Snyder movie 300. When Falinks uses the move "No Retreat," the Pokemon suddenly appears on a rainy cliff flanked by torches. As waves swell up around it, Falinks shouts to the heavens as if to shout "This. Is. GALAR!" You can check out a still of the animation below:

"No Retreat" boosts all of Falinks stats, but makes it unable to retreat or be switched out. The move can only be used by Falinks and should help make the Pokemon a lot more viable competitively. When coupled with its Battle Armor ability (which negates Critical Hits) and its Defiant Hidden Ability (which boosts its Attack stat whenever one of its other stats are lowered), Falinks is actually a pretty powerful Pokemon that can cause headaches for a lot of opponents.

Given the controversy surrounding Pokemon Sword and Shield's move animations, we have to commend Game Freak for placing such a delightful move in the game. You can find Falinks at Route 8 or at the Lake of Outrage in the Wild Area.

What do you think of Falinks? Let us know in the comment section or find me on Twitter at @CHofferCBus to chat all things Pokemon.