The Origins of 8 Bat Pokemon & the Legends They Came From

Bats come into Pokemon mostly through vampire stories. The first of them was said to burn in sunlight, and the last may be a nod to Dracula, whose name comes from the Latin draco, meaning dragon. The real animals show up in the details, such as a Honduran white bat that sleeps curled up together under leaves.

See all 8 bat Pokemon in one list.

Here's every bat Pokemon:

All 8 Bat Pokemon

#041

Zubat

Zubat, the Bat Pokemon, is based on vampire bats, which bite other animals to feed on their blood. Its Poison type may come from the anticoagulant in vampire bat saliva or from the diseases bats are known for spreading, such as rabies. Its missing eyes may draw on the misconception that bats are blind because they navigate by echolocation, and the old claim that Zubat burns in sunlight may come from mythological vampires.

It makes its home in gloomy caves, and atrophied eyes have left it blind, so it scans its surroundings via sound waves it emits from its mouth as it flies. We navigate the house at night the same way, mostly by shouting.

#042

Golbat

Golbat keeps Zubat's vampire bat roots, and its gaping maw could be a caricature of mythological vampires. It sinks its sharp fangs into other creatures and slurps up their blood, and a closer look at the fangs reveals that they are hollow and akin to straws. (We are reusing our own straws and still feel bad about it.)

It stands 1.6 m tall and weighs 55 kg. Its Infiltrator ability lets its attacks bypass Light Screen, Reflect and Safeguard, the moves other Pokemon use to shield themselves.

#169

Crobat

Crobat is the vampire bat line at full speed. Its extra set of wings may come from the fact that a bat's front legs and hind legs are joined by a skin membrane called the patagium, which turns all four limbs into wing. Its very high Speed may be based on the Mexican free-tailed bat, which purportedly has the fastest horizontal flight speed of any animal.

Its hind limbs have become another set of wings, and Crobat maneuvers its four wings to dart through even the most confined caves without losing any speed. We would like to see the insurance on a Pokemon with four wings and no brakes.

#472

Gliscor

Gliscor, the Fang Scorpion Pokemon, is based on a combination of scorpions and vampires, which in turn share traits with bats. Its bat-like build and Ground type may also make it a gargoyle, and it may draw on the nobusuma, a vampiric yokai that glides through the sky and is often described as a monstrous bat.

It glides soundlessly on pitch-black wings, sinks sharp fangs into the throat of its prey, and takes on a look of satisfaction once it has entirely drained its prey of blood. We have the same face after the last slice of cake. Its apparent resistance to poison may refer to the immune system of bats, and its Poison Heal ability heals it each turn while poisoned instead of hurting it. It stands 2 m tall.

#527

Woobat

Woobat, the Bat Pokemon, is based on Honduran white bats, and its round shape resembles how these bats look when they're curled up together. Sunlight filtering through the leaves they sleep on makes their white fur look green during the day, which would mirror Woobat's Shiny form. Its nose may be a literal heart-nosed bat, and it resembles a rubber stamp, which suits its signature move, Heart Stamp.

It emits ultrasonic waves as it flutters about, searching for its prey, which is Bug Pokemon, a menu we avoid too, with a rolled-up magazine. It stands 0.4 m tall and weighs 2.1 kg. Its sharp central tooth also resembles a baby tooth, a possible nod to its low base stats.

#528

Swoobat

Swoobat, the Courting Pokemon, is based on a New World leaf-nosed bat, though its fur makes it look in particular like a Honduran white bat. It also resembles a horseshoe bat, and its prominent fangs may be inspired by vampire bats.

The auspicious shape of its nose apparently led some regions to consider Swoobat a symbol of good luck. (We got neither the heart on the face nor the luck.) Its Simple ability doubles its stat changes, which makes a single boost count twice.

#714

Noibat

Noibat, the Sound Wave Pokemon, is based on bats, with a mix of traits from various fruit bats and insect-eating bats, as well as wyverns, the two-legged dragons of heraldry. The design of its ears may be based on speakers.

No wavelength of sound is beyond Noibat's ability to produce, and the ultrasonic waves it generates can overcome much larger Pokemon. We have met toddlers who are small and very loud.

#715

Noivern

Noivern is based on a combination of a wyvern, a long-eared bat, a fruit bat or a leaf-nosed bat, and a loudspeaker or tweeter. Its design may also borrow from gargoyles. Its combination of bat-like and draconic traits could possibly be an allusion to Dracula, whose name ultimately stems from the Latin draco, meaning dragon.

It flies through the darkness and weakens enemies with ultrasonic waves that could crush stone, and its fangs finish the fight. We use the same plan on a bag of chips, minus the fangs. It weighs 85 kg in total.

Seven of the 8 Bat Pokemon Point Back to Vampires

Seven of the 8 bat Pokemon point back to vampires. Zubat, Golbat and Crobat come from vampire bats and from mythological vampires. Gliscor is part vampire and part scorpion, while Woobat's sharp tooth and Swoobat's fangs come from vampire bats. Noivern goes straight to Dracula through the Latin word for dragon.

Even the bat myths that have nothing to do with blood made it in. Zubat's missing eyes and the hair over Woobat's eyes may both come from the myth that bats are blind, a misconception that grew out of bats finding their way by echolocation.