With the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet only a few months away, fans have an exciting new world in the Paldea region to explore. New creatures have already been confirmed, but many more are still to come.
Thus far, the games have offered something for everyone. There are adorable Pokémon, incredibly cool Pokémon, some scary Pokémon, and even Pokémon that are just plain weird. The oddities are some of the best inclusions in the franchise. In fact, there is plenty of wonderful odd-looking Pokémon for each type.
Normal: Porygon Z
The duck-like Porygon line begins with the cubic Porygon and gradually gets smoother and more abstract as the computer data Pokémon evolves.
Normal types are usually anything but Normal. The type includes anything from creatures found in nature to abstract concepts like sound beasts and computer data ducks. The cyberspace beast Porygon Z claims the title over its counterparts, partially due to the strange disconnected tail and the two eerie irises around its cold blank eyes.
Ghost: Dusknoir
Dusknoir and Dusclops are the signature line of Phoebe, one of the best Ghost monotype trainers. Of the two, Dusclops is a bit stranger than its predecessor.
The single eye and detached hands make Dusknoir resemble some sort of video game boss like Bongo Bongo from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. To that end, the creature doesn't really resemble a Pokémon at all. Ghost types are pretty strange to begin with, but Dusknoir takes the cake.
Flying: Sigilyph
The Ghost/Flying-type Drifblim was recently heavily featured in the newest trailer for the Terastal mechanic. Drifblim would be a clear runaway for the weirdest Flying type if it weren't for it Sigilyph.
Sigilpyh has influences from multiple sources, including the Nazca featured in similar media like Yu-Gi-Oh! 5DS. The Pokémon's name is a reference to both the words "sigil" and "glyph." This is part of why Sigilyph is so strange, as it's animal-like without really being based on an animal.
Ice: Arctovish
With Sword & Shield came a series of fossil Pokémon with a common theme: they were all spliced together versions of four older Pokémon. Of these, Arctovish might be the weirdest.
Sword & Shield was very successful with the creation of a strange fish that was part ice. In fact, the design as a whole looks less like an amalgamation than its fellow Ice-type Arctozolt. However, Arctozolt's cluttered look is almost charming, while Arctovish's giant fish head is not.
Bug: Kricketune
Kricketune is a Bug-type that evolves from Kricketot. The Pokémon is made for the early game, with poor stats and a mediocre move pool pretty much across the board.
Kricketune scythe-like cricket arms mixed with the comical music conductor-inspired pattern on its body is one thing. However, even stranger is the mustache resting on the cricket's face. The idea of a cricket music conductor was unique, and the execution was equally unique.
Fire: Blacephalon
Sun & Moon introduced the Ultra Beasts, a series of Pokémon from another dimension. One of the strongest Ultra Beasts was the Fire/Ghost Blacephalon.
Blacephalon serves the role of the "clown Pokémon" without being as blatantly human as something like Mr. Mime. In fact, the inhumanness is part of what helps make Blacephalon so weird instead of just being flat-out creepy. Its disco ball-like head can even explode with its move Mind Blown, another odd quirk to the Ultra Beast.
Water: Barbaracle
Shell Smash is one of the most powerful moves in the game, and few Pokémon are as well known for using Shell Smash as the Water/Ground amalgamation Barbaracle.
Power aside, Barbaracle is disturbing for several reasons. Primarily, its head being a giant fist with a face makes the Pokémon unnerving to begin with. The lore behind the Pokémon is also quite bizarre; Barbaralce is actually seven different organisms functioning in one body.
Grass: Calyrex
Calyrex is one of the newest legendaries in the series, having been introduced in the Sword & Shield DLC along with the complementary Glastrier and Spectrier.
Clayrex's ability to ride Glastrier and Spectrier lets them merge into one unique form. These combined forms are very powerful, but Calyrex is both weak and bizarre on its own. Calyrex is fairly standard aside from the beads on its neck and its giant out-of-place Cranium, but those alone make Calyrex one strange goat.
Fighting: Falinks
Sword & Shield introduced many interesting Pokémon inspired by the UK and its history. Some Pokémon were even inspired by medieval times, like Falinks.
Pokémon like Barbaracle and Dugtrio, which are multiple Pokémon in one, are often weird. Pokémon based on humans like Jynx and Machamp can also be weird. However, a Pokémon based on multiple tiny knights combined into a centipede-like creature has to be one of the strangest entries in the franchise.
Psychic: Reuniclus
Reuniclus is part of a long legacy of hard-hitting three-stage Psychic-types with varying levels of human features. The continuous line features all-time classics like Alakazam and Gardevoir.
Of all the themes to go with, a clump of cells that divide into a psychic fetus was certainly unique. While many Pokémon in the Psychic line are almost strictly human, Reuniclus gives a bit of uncanny valley. This makes sense, considering that part of its name references the word "homunculus."
Electric: Regieleki
Regieleki is part of an expansion to the Regi trio that was introduced in Ruby & Sapphire. It has the highest base speed in the game at a staggering 200.
All the Regis have an odd look to them, but Regieleki has maybe the strangest name and strangest design of all of them. The way the Pokémon bounces around so rapidly on the two tiny thunderbolts that make up its legs is a bit unnerving, as are its arms that are ten times bigger than its legs.
Ground: Claydol
The Ground/Psychic type Baltoy is a spinning top-inspired Pokémon that's actually pretty cute, but the same can't be said about its evolution Claydol.
It turns out that when anything gets three to four times the number of eyes it originally had, anything can become unnerving to look at. Claydol's markings and gourd-like arms add to the oddity of the Pokémon. To make it even weirder, half the eyes are asleep while half are awake.
Poison: Galarian Weezing
Most Pokémon either become cuter or cooler when they evolve. Sadly, poor Koffing just grows a second disgruntled head. At least in Galar, it gains an additional typing in Fairy.
While Galarian Weezing may be a powerful utility Pokémon with a powerful ability in Neutralizing Gas, it's one of the strangest creatures in the entire game. The original Weezing was a floating pollution monster, but Galar somehow made it even stranger by giving it a pair of top hats and cloud facial hair.
Rock: Probopass
Ruby & Sapphire introduced a beloved first gym leader, Roxanne, and her ace Pokémon Nosepass. Years later, the Rock type got a Rock/Steel evolution named Probopass.
Nosepass was already bizarre to start with, but its evolution takes the already giant nose of the Stonehenge-inspired Pokémon and multiplies it. Aside from the giant nose, Probopasses' magnet hat and mustache make it more unnerving than its original form.
Fairy: Enamorus Therian
Enamorus is the newest genie, introduced in Legends Arceus. Enemorus's cousin, Landorus Therian, is one of the most popular competitive Pokémon in the game.
However, Enamorus isn't as powerful or as cool as its earthen counterpart. The Fairy genie's base form looks strange enough with the heart-covered snake surrounding it. However, its tortoise-like Therian form with what seems to be a mustache really sets the creature apart.
Steel: G-Max Melmetal
Melmetal and its pre-evolution Meltan were the first and currently only Pokémon introduced to the series through Pokémon GO. However, Sword & Shield introduced Melmetal's new Gigantamax form.
Gigantamax Melmetal takes the stocky Melmetal and expands its features. The look of warped and stretched steel looks off on a titan like Melmetal. Melmetal was already odd to begin with, but its Gigantamax form makes it one of the weirdest in the game.
Dark & Dragon: Guzzlord
Dark and Dragon were types that were already filled with some pretty unconventional Pokémon. However, it wasn't until Sun & Moon that they received Guzzlord.
Guzzlord is an enormous Ultra Beast with two giant arms coming out of its mouth and two very small arms coming out of its torso. It also has two pairs of eyes and a mouth unlike anything the world of Pokémon has ever seen. Even among the bizarre Ultra Beasts, Guzzlord may be the weirdest.