Pokémon Dev Officially Explains Ultra Beast Origins After 10 Years

Pokémon Sun and Moon had fans pretty split when the Gen 7 games first released, but as the games near their 10-year anniversary, the Alola region has proven to be a pretty memorable location with a fairly iconic Pokédex. While most people seem to agree on Sun and Moon‘s Starters, the games’ Ultra Beasts designs have divided the fanbase for a decade.

Ultra Beasts are encountered about midway through Pokémon Sun and Moon, but despite not appearing until later, they leave a pretty big impression. These bizarre-looking Pokémon include a jellyfish-like creature called Nihilego and a humanoid wearing jester attire called Blacephalon. We also have Ultra Beasts to thank for Buzzwole, a body-building insect. Honestly, the designs start off weird and just get weirder.

So What Are Ultra Beasts In Pokémon?

Six Ultra Beasts in Ultraspace: Buzzwole, Nihilego, Xurkitree, Guzzlord, Naganadel, and Kartana

Pokémon designer Yusuke Ohmura, who’s credited with creating some fan-favorite Water-types like Piplup and Froakie, as well as the cover Legendaries for Pokémon Sword and Shield and X and Y, has revealed where the Ultra Beasts’ designs originated. Ohmura stated that Ultra Beasts were rejected conceptual designs.

Apparently, all the Ultra Beasts in Pokémon Sun and Moon were conceptualized earlier and rejected by Ken Sugimori, the lead character and Pokémon designed for the franchise and co-founder of Game Freak. Ohmura said that, “in a way, they also have the aspect of being a collective manifestation of my grudges/resentment.”

So, yes, Ultra Beasts’ designs look so bizarre because they’re literal rejects that were brought into the series in Gen 7. Because they come from another dimension, it kind of helps explain in-game why they have such strange appearances. And as divisive as the Ultra Beasts designs have been, Ohmura’s explanation is still a pretty cool one about their origins.

We Finally Know A Bit More About These Mysterious Creatures

Buzzwole Encounter After Ultra Beast Raid in Pokémon GO

As more time passes between now and Sun and Moon‘s launch, it seems like some fans have at least come around to Ultra Beasts’ designs. The mysterious Pokémon have been featured in Pokémon GO and Pokémon Unite lately, but have so far been missing from the recent mainline series.

If you hate Ultra Beasts already, then you probably won’t be surprised to hear they were rejected Pokémon designs. If anything, it only adds more fuel to the fire that they don’t belong in Pokémon at all. Personally, I think it’s cool that designers found a way to incorporate these creatures into the games, and Ultra Beasts can become some of the strongest Pokémon in Sun and Moon.

At the very least, it’s cool learning about Ultra Beasts’ origins from the people who created them. As Pokémon Sun and Moon hit their 10th anniversary this November, we’ll hopefully get some more behind-the-scenes stories like this one.