Most Original Pokemon Design?

I really like Tyranitar and Genesect, when looking at their designs. I still find them very original.

 

Depends on where I am in game. For my team in new gens I always look at design, and my favorites make the team. When I'm done and begin making teams the design takes a step back and stats take over. But I still try to use Pokémon that look good. On that note...

The eevee family are some of my favorite designs in game, they are so simple but adorable at the same time. The mudkip line also has sentimental value to me because I watch a cute mudkip (which I originally thought was a fish dog thing) become a powerful looking beast of a swampert. But my favorite design ever is probably Kyurem, Skarmory, Goodra, or mega Lopunny don't know why but i love em

 

I have to start this by ranting about how Klefki's design is very original. Its based on a myth that fairies would go around stealing people's keys. Thats the short version anyway. Seriously, I hate when people say a Pokémon isn't designed well when Game Freak goes through a long process making every Pokémon just like.

In my mind all Pokémon have original designs, one not more so than another. Game Freak has said that a Pokémon takes the entire course of a generation's creation to make, or about a year. Of course all the Pokémon are worked on at once but they constantly make changes to the Pokémon's designs throughout that time so that they are perfect. Poor Pokémon like Garbodor, Vanilluxe, and Klefki get all this needless hate when I personally love the designs, Garbodor being my 7th favorite Pokémon. But I guess that's just me.

 

I have always found Sneasel's design very interesting and pretty original. The concept is based on a kamaitachi which is basically a weasel with sickles as feet. They swiftly cut people, then disappear without being seen.

I also like Clefairy's design a lot. Actually, I like the whole evolution line's designs. Even though the concept is simple, I think their design is quite original.

 

In general I think most Pokémon are quite well made and original (or original interpretations of folklore creatures), and I don't really have a preference of older or newer species. Like how most people (myself included) beat up on Klefki for being kind of "...wut" and using its "...wut" -ness as a posterchild for unimaginative new species, I can still look at older species and say "really? come on." to some of them like Grimer (It's a blob of slime! With eyes and a mouth! That's a wrap, people!) and Doduo (It's a bird! But -- get this -- it has two heads! Am I a genius monster-maker or what!). There's a whole lot of good with a little bit of meh peppered throughout the entire series.

Spoiler: On Klefki

I can accept Klefki's origin story, but he is literally just a key ring, which you might recall as something invented specifically so keys won't get lost. It's kind of like having Smokey the Bear be a fire-type Pokémon. As a Pokémon, his design would imply he promotes the thing he's preventing, like a key ring that makes keys go missing. So how about this: instead of it just being an inanimate object plus eyes, why not make it something a bit more organic or inventive?

- Little gnome fella clutching his favorite key to his chest, kind of like a Farfetch'd or Oshawott?
- Flightless bird whose beak is somewhat key-shaped to camouflage with its prey?
- Housemouse with a key wrapped around his tail, trying to make off like a bandit?

imho literally any of those three ideas are better than Klefki's final design based on the same myth.

I will single out Arceus on being a fantastic and original design for what an omnipotent ultra-Pokémon would look like while staying within the creative trends of Pokémon. It seems appropriate, well-fitted, and deliberately crafted. Kudos to the people who made it (I only wish it was ???-type instead, and that there was a Normal-Plate added).

Contrary to Arceus well-fittedness, I think there's something weird about Haxorus. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty original and totally bamf, but it doesn't look like a Pokémon. Something in its eyes or shape. I'm sorry, but I don't like its design in the grand scheme.

 

Cubone design is the most interesting to be, because it's the only Pokémon that we wonder i the skull is really attached to it head or it's just putting it on or never taking it out. It's weird and creepy but really great.

 

Clearly every Pokémon goes through a lengthy design process with many influences, but that doesn't always mean the designs look good. Cryoganal looks interesting but it's just..ugly.
But I suppose you have to have your fair share of uglies, and as we've seen here there's always at least someone who appreciates them <:

 

I like Giratina's design! When I first saw it, it actually scared me but now it's my fave Pokémon. I love the origin forme.

 

I think there are some Pokémon that are more original than others, but they are all original to an extent.

Of course some designs are better than others, but originality and good design are not mutually exclusive imo.

 

probably zygarde tbh

it's design is awesome

 

Of course I think Jirachi has one of the most original designs. Maybe having a star-shaped head isn't so original, but I like how the two lower star points are instead flaps at the sides of his face, I also like how his arms seem to have sleeves, the little triangles under his eyes, and how the eye on his stomach looks like a pouch/pocket when it's closed.

Of course I'm probably biased, so I'll make another answer later maybe. XD

 

I'd probably vote Porygon for the most original Pokémon. It's a man-made, sentient piece of program coding, and its rough polyhedral makeup was pretty unique at the time. It's also the first inorganic Pokémon(?). It's really weird, but I think that's the entire reason that I love it. On the flipside, Klinklang is both original and unoriginal, maybe? It's unoriginal with it just being a sentient pile of gears, but original by Pokémon standards for the same reason. It's personally one of my favorites despite some of the hate that it gets.

 

I really enjoy Leavanny
The way the leaves are incorporated into the design while still being able to tell its a bug type just seems very elegent to me.

 

I believe every Pokémon has an original design. Mewtwo has a very great design, it doesn't look like Mew despite being it's clone.

 

Goomy has an amazing design, and I don't think anything can replace it. With it's honey goodness, it's kinda hard to believe that it's a dragon type.
But then again there's that Land-shark/dragon thing... XD

 

It really depends on what you mean by original tbh. If you're referring to the backstory behind a Pokémon's design, I'm not really sure. From what I've read, Klefki has a pretty original backstory.

However, if you're referring to the actual design of the Pokémon and not the concept behind it, there's not too many that are original, as most of them are based off of animals and objects we're familiar with. However, I do find Rotom's design to be pretty original. I think.

 

It looks like a duel monster more than a Pokémon. I do like it but its a weird combintation of color, sharpness and yes something in the eyes that gives it the look of not a Pokémon.

I don't think every Pokémon should be attractive or cute or even cool looking because that would break my suspension of disbelife anyway. Statistically some Pokémon should look ugly or weird and we shouldn't value them on that alone.

There is a theory I read somewhere, probably reddit, that suggests that Porygon is the first real Pokémon in a meta sense beacuse in game it started out as a sentient peice of coding and was made into this three dimension real but odd looking thing. and we kind of have been pushing poekmon in that direction. We want these to become more and more real. Its tripy to think about.

I know its pretty simple but I think Pumpkaboo is pretty original. Its based on a Jack-o-Lanturn But they didn't just make it one. Its a littly Spoopy bat/cat and the pumpkin part looks like high waisted pants! Guys its so cute too. I feel like Gourgeist could have been a bit more similar to Pumpkaboo and look less like a straight up pumpkin/gourd but its still pretty nice and it was a fun and clever way to make a ghost/grass type Pokémon.

 

One thing that I've thought about in surprise in regards to this is the cross-cultural concept of originality. Dunsparce, to us, is a rather exotic... thing, but to Japan, he's based on the local Loch Ness Monster. I'd argue that his originality depends on your familiarity with the cryptid in question.
Likewise, Farfetch'd and Stantler are examples of visual puns to Japanese audiences, but the joke is lost on us because the closest thing to a corresponding metaphor has nothing to do with them. I call for a Garbodor evolution based on the English expression 'one man's trash is another man's treasure'.

In terms of my favourite designs, I've a fondness for the feminine humanoids. Probably not the most original ones, though... although Lilligant is pretty interesting every time I take a close look at her design.