The Origins of 5 Crow Pokemon & the Legends They Came From

Crows have a bad name, and Pokemon keeps it. Murkrow is widely shunned as a bearer of ill fortune. The rest of them draw on witches' familiars and the ravens kept at the Tower of London.

See all 5 crow Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 5 crow Pokemon:

All 5 Crow Pokemon

#198

Murkrow

Murkrow, the Darkness Pokemon, seems to be based on a crow, more specifically the carrion crow. Its crest can be read as a pointed hat, its beak as a hooked nose and its tail as the bristles of a broom, which gives it the look of a witch in flight. It may also be inspired by witches' familiars, which are often crows or ravens, and its ability to mimic voices refers to the way crows and ravens imitate other sounds.

Murkrow is widely shunned as a bearer of ill fortune, and anyone who crosses its path is told to chant a protective incantation asking bad luck not to come. We have a chant like that for Monday mornings, and it does not work either. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 2.1 kg. Its hidden ability, Prankster, gives its non-damaging moves priority, so they usually go first (a hidden ability is a rarer second ability some Pokemon can have).

#430

Honchkrow

Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokemon, is based on a crow or raven. It looks much more like a raven than Murkrow does, though its coloring resembles the hooded crow. Its look is reminiscent of a crime boss, and its crest even looks like a wide-brimmed fedora, a hat often tied to mobsters. That turns Murkrow into a gang member working under it. The witch theme stays too: its tail resembles a besom broom, and a crescent moon design surrounds its eye.

One cry from Honchkrow brings a murder of Murkrow flying, and at such times it would seem the curtain of night had fallen. We call for backup and the group chat leaves us on read. Its hidden ability, Moxie, raises its Attack one stage each time it knocks out a Pokemon (an ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle).

#717

Yveltal

Yveltal, the Destruction Pokemon, is shaped like the letter Y. It resembles birds such as the long-tailed widowbird, or carrion birds such as crows and vultures. It may also be based on the Celtic death goddess Morrigan, who often takes the form of a raven, or on Hræsvelgr, a figure of Norse myth that takes the form of an eagle and sits at the end of the world. It also bears a striking resemblance to a fungus known as devil's fingers.

When its life comes to an end, Yveltal absorbs the life energy of every living thing and turns into a cocoon once more. We also need a long nap after a big week, with less damage. It is legendary (a rare Pokemon tied to the game's big story), 5.8 m tall and 203 kg. Its Dark Aura ability powers up Dark moves to 1.33× for every Pokemon on the field.

#822

Corvisquire

Corvisquire is the Raven Pokemon, and its category suggests it is based on a raven. It may also be based on a jackdaw or a hooded crow, which are found in Britain and, like ravens, belong to the crow family. Its blue color may refer to jays, in particular the blue jay and Steller's jay, which are corvids too.

The lessons of many harsh battles have taught Corvisquire to judge an opponent's strength accurately. We have learned nothing from many harsh battles, mostly with furniture. It is a common pick for beating Milo, Galar's Grass-type Gym Leader.

#823

Corviknight

Corviknight, the Raven Pokemon, may be based on a raven, a carrion crow or the western jackdaw, all corvids commonly found in Great Britain. Its overall look may come from the black knight characters of medieval stories. It may also draw on the Ravens of the Tower of London, a group of at least six ravens kept at the Tower and believed to protect the Crown and the Tower. Corvids are linked with knights and warfare in several myths from the British Isles, which ties the whole design together.

With their great intellect and flying skills, Corviknight very successfully act as the Galar region's airborne taxi service. (A knight that drives a cab, and we would tip well.) Its hidden ability, Mirror Armor, bounces back any effect that would lower its stats.

3 of the 5 Crow Pokemon Belong to an Organization

Three of the five crow Pokemon belong to an organization. Murkrow works as a gang member under Honchkrow, its boss, and the same pair can read as a coven of witches' familiars with Honchkrow as its leader. Corviknight runs Galar's airborne taxi service and takes after the ravens kept at the Tower of London to protect the Crown.

Yveltal answers to no one. It absorbs the life energy of every living thing when its own life comes to an end.