The Origins of 4 Octopus Pokemon & the Real Animals Behind Them

Octopus Pokemon are rare, and the group needs a stretch to reach four. Only three of the four are octopuses at all. The fourth is an ammonite, a prehistoric relative of the octopus.

See all 4 octopus Pokemon in one list.

Here's every octopus Pokemon:

All 4 Octopus Pokemon

#139

Omastar

Omastar, the Spiral Pokemon, is based on an ammonite, a group of prehistoric mollusks related to the present-day squid and octopus that lived between the Devonian period and the Cretaceous period. Its way of grabbing prey and cracking their shells with a ring-shaped mouth may come from Anomalocaris, and it may also draw on the nautilus, a shelled mollusk often called a living fossil because it has changed very little over hundreds of millions of years.

Its sharp fangs could crush rock, but it can attack only the prey that come within reach of its tentacles. We know the feeling of a reach problem at the top shelf. Its Swift Swim ability doubles its Speed during rain. An ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle.

#224

Octillery

Octillery, the Jet Pokemon, is based on an octopus, with some basis on a tank or a wheeled cannon. It evolves from Remoraid, a fish, and the pair share a firearm theme along with the trait of being based on aquatic animals with suction cups.

It still shoots water from its mouth, but the drastic anatomical difference between it and Remoraid meant that for a long time, no one believed the former evolved from the latter. (We would not have believed it either, and we still check twice.) It measures 0.9 m and weighs 28.5 kg. and its Suction Cups ability prevents it from being forced out of battle by other Pokemon's moves.

#852

Clobbopus

Clobbopus, the Tantrum Pokemon, is based on an octopus and a boxer, and the orange markings on its head resemble the patterns on wrestling masks. Its Fighting type may be a visual pun on takonaguri (hitting endlessly), an expression that means octopus beating if taken literally. Its low intelligence and tentacles that cannot grasp onto things may be a reversal of real octopuses, which are intelligent and can grasp with their tentacles.

Its tentacles tear off easily, but it is not alarmed when that happens because it knows they will grow back. It is about as smart as a three-year-old. We have met a few toddlers who behave as if they wore boxing gloves. It stands 0.6 m tall and weighs 4 kg. Its hidden ability, Technician, powers up moves of 60 base power or less to 1.5× (base power is how strong a move is before anything else is counted).

#853

Grapploct

Grapploct, the Jujitsu Pokemon, is based on an octopus with jujutsu fighter motifs. Its face design is based on a wrestling mask, while the arm around its waist resembles a martial artist's belt. It may also be a pun on octopus wrestling, popular on the West Coast of the United States during the 1960s, in which a diver grappled with a large octopus in shallow water and dragged it to the surface. Its blue and white colors may refer to the most common colors of gi worn in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

It emerges onto land searching for an opponent to test its skills against, and once the battle is over, it returns to the sea. We commute for far less than a good fight. Its Limber ability prevents paralysis.

The Octopus Pokemon Are Fighters and Weapons

Two of the four octopus Pokemon are Fighting types, and the third is shaped like a weapon. Octillery comes from a tank or a wheeled cannon, Clobbopus from a boxer, and Grapploct from jujutsu and the octopus wrestling of the 1960s, where the octopus was the opponent.

Clobbopus even turns the real animal's best traits upside down. Real octopuses are intelligent and can grasp onto things, and Clobbopus has low intelligence and tentacles that cannot grasp. The designers gave it a pair of boxing gloves instead.