The Origins of 17 Frog Pokemon & the Real Frogs Behind Them

Frogs are the first animal in the Pokedex. Bulbasaur is number one, and designer Ken Sugimori said in a Japanese interview that its line was inspired by frogs. Further down, tadpoles grow into frogs the way real ones do, and one frog turns into a ninja.

See all 17 frog Pokemon in one list.

Here's every frog Pokemon:

All 17 Frog Pokemon

#001

Bulbasaur

Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon, is based on a frog. Its short legs, stout body and the ear-like bumps on its head make it resemble horned frogs in particular, while the bulb on its back resembles a lily or an onion, which is not what we expected from the first Pokemon in the book.

While it is young, it uses the nutrients stored in the seed on its back in order to grow. It stands 0.7 m tall.

Its hidden ability, Chlorophyll, doubles its Speed in strong sunlight (a hidden ability is the rarer ability some Pokemon can have, and Speed decides who attacks first in a turn).

#002

Ivysaur

Ivysaur keeps the horned frog body of its line, with the same short legs, stout build and ear-like bumps. The bulb has opened into a bud that resembles a Rafflesia flower, and the leaves around it resemble palms.

Exposure to sunlight adds to its strength, and sunlight also makes the bud on its back grow larger. (We would like sunbathing to count as training in our lives too.)

It stands 1 m tall and weighs 13 kg. Its Overgrow ability makes its Grass moves deal 1.5× damage once its HP drops to a third or less (an ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle).

#003

Venusaur

Venusaur is the one with proof from the designer. Ken Sugimori said in a Japanese interview that Venusaur and its pre-evolutions were inspired by frogs. Its short legs, stout body and ear-like bumps, together with the Thick Fat ability of Mega Venusaur, make it resemble horned frogs. Unlike Bulbasaur's, its ears have hollows, which shows they are ears and not the glands many frogs and toads have there. The flower on its back resembles the Rafflesia arnoldii.

A bewitching aroma wafts from its flower, and the fragrance calms those engaged in a battle, which we would like to see work at a family dinner.

It stands 2 m tall and weighs 100 kg.

#060

Poliwag

Poliwag is the Tadpole Pokemon and is based on a tadpole. The spiral on its belly stands for the internal organs that can sometimes be seen through the clear belly skin of tadpoles and most glass frogs. It also looks like a hypnotic spiral, the likely reason Poliwag learns the move Hypnosis. In Pokemon Silver, the spiral turns a different way depending on which side of the equator it lives, which may allude to the Coriolis effect.

In rivers with fast-flowing water, it clings to a rock with its thick lips, which act like a suction cup, a trick we will not be trying.

#061

Poliwhirl

Poliwhirl may be based on a tadpole and a frog, and its evolution follows a tadpole's metamorphosis into a frog. It keeps Poliwag's see-through spiral and grows arms that appear to be based on gloves, possibly boxing gloves, given the Fighting type of its evolved form.

Its sweat is a slimy mucus, and when captured, Poliwhirl can slither from its enemies' grasp and escape, and we only have the sweating part down.

It is the branching point of its family. A Water Stone turns it into Poliwrath, while trading it while it holds a King's Rock turns it into Politoed. Both of its evolutions keep the spiral on the belly.

#062

Poliwrath

Poliwrath may come from amphibian neoteny, since it stays in tadpole form and never turns into a frog. Its brawny body and Fighting type could stand for the bulk and strength a grown frog has next to a tadpole, and it may also nod to swimming athletes.

Poliwrath is skilled at both swimming and martial arts, and it uses its well-trained arms to dish out powerful punches. (We respect a tadpole that skipped growing up and took up boxing.)

It stands 1.3 m tall and weighs 54 kg. Its Attack and Defense are both 95. Its Water Absorb ability heals it by a quarter of its HP when a Water move hits it, which makes it a safe pick against other swimmers.

#186

Politoed

Politoed is the Frog Pokemon. It rules over Poliwag and Poliwhirl as their king, and since it evolves from a Poliwhirl traded while holding a King's Rock, it may come from The Frog Prince, the story of a prince or king enchanted into a frog. Its hidden ability, Drizzle, likely alludes to frogs and rain in Japan. Japanese frogs come out of hibernation in the rainy season called tsuyu, an important time for farming, so they are seen as signs of rain and good fortune.

Drizzle summons rain that lasts indefinitely when Politoed enters battle. It stands 1.1 m tall.

The cry of a male is louder than a female's, and male Politoed with deep, menacing voices find more popularity with the opposite gender, which rules us out.

#453

Croagunk

Croagunk, the Toxic Mouth Pokemon, may have been based on the poison dart frog. The white markings around its middle resemble sarashi, a cloth wrap worn around the waist, and male and female Croagunk wear them in different places, matching the styles once worn by men and women.

It is a poison wielder with a dastardly personality, but it still enjoys a measure of popularity thanks to its peculiar cry and comical features. (We have been called worse than dastardly and funny-looking.)

Its Dry Skin ability heals it in rain and when Water moves hit it, but strong sunlight hurts it and Fire moves deal 1.25× damage. It stands 0.7 m tall.

#454

Toxicroak

Toxicroak may have been based on the poison dart frog as well, but its claws may come from the hairy frog, which defends itself by breaking its own toes and pushing sharpened bones out through its skin. It may also be based on a ninja, since the claws resemble the knives assassins wore on their wrists.

Its crimson claws contain a virulent toxin, which can be turned into a tonic by diluting it, mixing it with several types of wild grass and boiling it down over two days, though we will take the pharmacy instead.

Its hidden ability, Poison Touch, gives its contact moves a 30% chance to poison the target.

#535

Tympole

Tympole, the Tadpole Pokemon, appears to be a toad tadpole crossed with a loudspeaker. The round bumps on its head resemble headphones and were probably inspired by a toad's warts, the parotoid glands, or by the tympanum, the eardrum-like part a real toad uses to hear. Its eyebrows resemble musical notes, specifically the quarter note.

Tympole uses sound waves to communicate with others of its kind, and people and other Pokemon can't hear its cries of warning, which describes our group chat too.

It stands 0.5 m tall. Its Swift Swim ability doubles its Speed in rain.

#536

Palpitoad

Palpitoad, the Vibration Pokemon, is based on a toad tadpole. Its lumps may mix toad warts with loudspeaker drivers, a link that may come from male frogs croaking to attract mates. It may also be inspired by the common Surinam toad, an aquatic amphibian whose back is covered in pockets that hold its eggs.

On occasion, its cries are sublimely pleasing to the ear, and Palpitoad with larger lumps can sing with a wider range of sounds, a point we will not be raising at choir.

It stands 0.8 m tall. Its Hydration ability cures a status problem such as poison or paralysis at the end of a turn in the rain.

#537

Seismitoad

Seismitoad keeps the loudspeaker lumps and the Surinam toad of its line. The paralyzing liquid it can secrete from the bumps on its head may come from the Cuyaba dwarf frog, which has large bumps like eyes on its rear that can give off poison when threatened. Its use of vibrations to power its punches and shake the ground may refer to resonance.

Seismitoad is popular among the elderly, who say the vibrations of its lumps are great for massages. (We would like a toad that doubles as a massage chair in the office.)

Its Poison Touch ability gives its contact moves a 30% chance to poison the target.

#656

Froakie

Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokemon, is based on a frog. Its white foam refers to the foam nests that some frogs, like the Tungara frog and the grey foam-nest tree frog, build to protect their eggs. The foam also looks like a backpack, and in the anime it doubles as a hood, which may refer to dorobō, the thieves of Japanese folklore who carry stolen goods in furoshiki cloth bags. Given its evolutions, it may also be based on a ninja.

Froakie protects its skin by covering its body in delicate bubbles, and beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings, and we know the type.

It stands 0.3 m tall. Its hidden ability, Protean, changes its type to match each move it uses.

#657

Frogadier

Frogadier may be inspired by the horned frogs of the genera Megophrys and Ceratophrys, given the spiked bumps above its eyes. Its crouched pose, dark blue hooded face and scarf of foam make it a ninja as well. In the anime, it runs on the surface of water, which may refer to ninjas supposedly walking on water with mizugumo.

Its swiftness is unparalleled, and it can scale a tower of more than 2,000 feet in a minute's time, while we take the lift to the second floor.

#658

Greninja

Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon, may have been inspired by the same horned frogs as Frogadier, while its color and body shape are similar to the splendid leaf frog. Japanese culture links frogs and toads with ninjas through the folk story The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya, about a ninja who can shapeshift into a large toad. The bumps on its body may be a toad's parotoid glands, possibly a nod to the old myth that toads cause warts.

Greninja appears and vanishes with a ninja's grace, and it slices its enemies with throwing stars of sharpest water, and we can barely throw a frisbee.

#938

Tadbulb

Tadbulb, the EleTadpole Pokemon, is based on a tadpole and a light bulb.

Tadbulb floats using the electricity stored in its body, and Tadbulb will float higher off the ground when thunderclouds are around, while we stay indoors.

It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 0.4 kg. Its Static ability has a 30% chance to paralyze a Pokemon that touches it, which slows the attacker down and can stop it from moving on a turn.

#939

Bellibolt

Bellibolt, the EleFrog Pokemon, may be based on the Cuyaba dwarf frog, which has large false eyes on its rear that can give off poison when threatened. Its round shape and stubby limbs also point to South American horned frogs, and its normal and Shiny colors look like the green and albino forms of that frog. The link between frogs and electricity may come from Galvanism, the old experiments that ran electricity through frog legs and led to the frog galvanoscope and frog batteries.

What appear to be eyeballs are organs for discharging the electricity made by its belly-button dynamo, and we needed a minute with that.

It stands 1.2 m tall and weighs 113 kg. Its Electromorphosis ability doubles the power of its next Electric move after an attack hits it.

15 of the 17 Frog Pokemon Are Water or Poison Types

Ten of the 17 are Water types and five are Poison types, and none has both. Poison fits the poison dart frog behind Croagunk and Toxicroak, and the Bulbasaur line carries it next to Grass. The only two frogs with neither type are Tadbulb and Bellibolt, which are Electric, a type that may come from Galvanism, the old experiments that ran electricity through frog legs.

Frog Pokemon FAQ

How many frog Pokemon are there?

There are 17 frog Pokemon, toads or tadpoles. They come from six evolution families, and nine of them have a frog word in their category.

Is Bulbasaur a frog?

Yes. Bulbasaur is based on a frog, horned frogs in particular, and Ken Sugimori said its line was inspired by frogs.

Is Greninja a frog?

Yes. It may be inspired by horned frogs and the splendid leaf frog, though the bumps on its body may come from a toad's glands.

What is the strongest frog Pokemon?

Greninja, with a base stat total of 530, followed by Venusaur at 525.

Which Pokemon are tadpoles?

Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath and Tympole are all the Tadpole Pokemon, and Tadbulb is the EleTadpole Pokemon.