The Origins of 4 Otter Pokemon & the Sea Otters Behind Them

Otters are a short list in Pokemon, and all of them come from the sea otter. Sea otters are known for using tools, including clam shells, and the designers built two lines around that, a weasel that carries a pool toy's gear and a samurai with a shell on its belly. Only Oshawott is filed as a sea otter in the Pokedex.

See all 4 otter Pokemon in one list.

Here's every otter Pokemon:

All 4 Otter Pokemon

#418

Buizel

Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokemon, is based on a weasel as well as a sea otter. Its design also borrows from flotation devices such as swim rings and inflatable armbands, and its two tails can rotate like a screw, the way boats use propellers to move by pushing water. Buizel moves freely in the water by spinning its forked tail for propulsion, and the resemblance to the screw of a steamboat is coincidental. (We also look like our dad by coincidence.)

It stands 0.7 m tall and weighs 29.5 kg. Its Swift Swim ability doubles its Speed during rain. An ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle.

#419

Floatzel

Floatzel keeps the weasel and sea otter base and adds more gear: inflatable armbands, a life jacket and a life raft. Its tails still rotate like a screw. It has a long, rather splendid flotation sac, which prevents it from drowning even in stormy seas, and one might glimpse it around fishing hamlets from time to time. We would settle for a life jacket with a whistle. It stands 1.1 m tall.

#501

Oshawott

Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokemon, is based on a sea otter pup and a samurai. Sea otters are known for using tools, including clam shells, and the scalchop on Oshawott's belly is reminiscent of the way a sea otter looks when cracking open its prey against the tool on its stomach. The scalchop also holds similarities with Japanese war fans, which samurai often used for defensive purposes.

It uses the shell on its belly as a weapon to cut down its foes.

It stands 0.5 m tall and weighs 5.9 kg. Its hidden ability, a rarer second ability, is Shell Armor, which protects it against critical hits (random hits that deal extra damage).

#502

Dewott

Dewott, the Discipline Pokemon, is a sea otter and a samurai with two scalchops. Fighting with both shells may be based on Tessenjutsu, a type of martial arts involving the Japanese war fan. Its exquisite double-scalchop technique is likely the result of daily training, and it can send even masters of the blade fleeing in defeat. We have heard of daily training, though we have never tried it.

It stands 0.8 m tall and weighs 24.5 kg. Its Torrent ability makes its Water moves deal 1.5× damage once its HP drops to a third or less.

All Four Otter Pokemon Carry Their Own Gear

Real sea otters are known for using tools, and the Pokemon built on them took that literally. Oshawott and Dewott carry the shells they fight with, placed where a sea otter cracks its prey against the tool on its stomach. Buizel and Floatzel carry flotation devices instead: swim rings and armbands on Buizel, and on Floatzel a flotation sac that keeps it from drowning even in stormy seas.