The Origins of 4 Elephant Pokemon & the Real Elephants Behind Them

Elephants are rare in Pokemon, and the Pokedex never calls any of them an elephant. Phanpy is the Long Nose Pokemon, and Cufant and Copperajah are Copperderm Pokemon. The designs fill the gap with machines. Donphan has the tire treads of off-road vehicles on its back, and Copperajah's trunk is a backhoe bucket.

See all 4 elephant Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 4 elephant Pokemon:

All 4 Elephant Pokemon

#231

Phanpy

Phanpy is based on an elephant calf, and its bright colors resemble modern children's toys. The red pads on its snout and ears may be inspired by the fabrics and jewelry used to adorn elephants during celebrations in India. Its Ground type likely comes from the way elephants wallow in mud and take sand baths to protect their skin and keep their temperature in check.

Phanpy uses its long nose to shower itself, and when others gather around, they thoroughly douse each other with water. Afterwards they can be seen drying their soaking-wet bodies at the edge of the water. (We have been to worse office parties.)

It stands 0.5 m tall.

#232

Donphan

Donphan is based on an adult elephant, possibly the pygmy elephant or the extinct dwarf elephant, due to its small size. Its hardened hide and its category, the Armor Pokemon, may also hint at an armored war elephant. The ridges on its dark gray back are similar to the tire treads on heavy equipment and off-road vehicles, the treads of paddle tires most of all, and when it performs its rolling attacks, it looks like a spinning wheel.

If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed, and it uses its massive strength to help clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails. We admire that range of work.

Its Attack and Defense are both 120. Its Sturdy ability leaves it on 1 HP when a hit from full HP would knock it out, and an ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle. Great Tusk, a Paradox Pokemon from the ninth generation, is based on Donphan.

#878

Cufant

Cufant, the Copperderm Pokemon, resembles an Indian elephant calf with a spade for a trunk. It may also be based on the elephant statues common in Indian art and Thai art. The way its copper body tarnishes in the rain may be inspired by how metallic copper oxidizes into cupric oxide when exposed to the environment.

If a job requires serious strength, this Pokemon will excel at it, and its copper body tarnishes in the rain, turning a vibrant green color. Our hair also reacts badly to rain, and nobody has called it vibrant. It stands 1.2 m tall and weighs 100 kg.

Its Sheer Force ability raises the power of moves that have extra effects, such as a chance to lower a stat, to 1.3×, and removes those effects in exchange.

#879

Copperajah

Copperajah may be based on an Indian elephant with the digging bucket of a backhoe for a trunk, given Asia's history with Britain and the use of captive elephants as working animals. It may also be inspired by elephant statues often made of copper or bronze. In FireRed and Sun, Raichu's electric charges can knock out an Indian elephant, and in Legends: Arceus that elephant became Copperajah.

These Pokemon live in herds, and their trunks have incredible grip strength, strong enough to crush giant rocks into powder. We struggle with jar lids, so we will not be shaking hands with one. It stands 3 m tall and weighs 650 kg.

All 4 Elephant Pokemon Are Ground or Steel Type

Phanpy and Donphan are Ground, and Cufant and Copperajah are Steel. Phanpy's and Donphan's typing likely comes from elephants wallowing in mud, and Donphan's may also come from the way heavy equipment tires are adapted to muddy and sandy terrain. Cufant carries a spade for a trunk and Copperajah a backhoe bucket, which ties back to captive elephants used as working animals.