With Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, gamers will get to discover plenty of new monsters, a few of which have been revealed already. This includes the three starter Pokemon, as well as the two cover legendaries, which players will use to get around Paldea. The upcoming games will also introduce a new crab Pokemon, but it certainly will not be unique as there have been plenty of crab and crustacean monsters in prior Pokemon games.
RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Need to Address Paradox Pokemon Sooner Rather Than Later
Klawf
For gamers who love crustaceans, they can look forward to Klawf, a crab-like monster with powerful claws and protruding eyeballs. Klawf will also introduce a new signature ability to Pokemon called Anger Shell, which causes it to lower its own Defense and Special Defense, but raise its Speed, Attack, and Special Attack when its HP drops below half. It is not yet known whether Klawf has any evolutionary forms. It appears that its design draws inspiration from the velvet crab, which also has hair-like bristles on its body.
Crabrawler and Crabominable
Crabrawler isn’t the most handsome Pokemon, but it does pack a powerful punch. It is a Fighting Type that was introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon, and it can be easily identified by its purple exoskeleton and large, blue claws. Gamers looking to evolve their Crabrawler have to level it up at Mount Lanakila, which is the tallest mountain in the Alola region. In these circumstances, Crabrawler evolves into Crabominable, a Fighting/Ice Dual-Type Pokemon. Its body is covered by white fur, allowing it to thrive in frosty areas.
Crabrawler’s name is a combination of the words “crab” and “brawler,” which hints at its love for throwing punches. Some fans have theorized that the Pokemon is based on coconut crabs, which can have bluish pincers that are some of the most powerful in the animal kingdom. Crabominable is a play on the words “crab” and “abominable snowman,” which suggests that the Pokemon could have been inspired by the yeti crab, which also has a hairy appearance.
Clauncher and Clawitzer
Introduced in Pokemon X and Y, Clauncher is a small, blue Water-Type Pokemon that resembles a shrimp, though it still has lobster-like elements thanks to its claws. It has yellow eyes and eventually evolves into Clawitzer, which is also a Water-Type monster. Like Clauncher, Clawitzer is blue and looks like a shrimp, but it has a huge right claw that is almost as big as its body. Clawitzer’s name alludes to the howitzer, which is a real-life cannon-like weapon. Both Clauncher and Clawitzer are likely based on pistol shrimps, which have specialized claws capable of shooting jets of water at their prey, though lobster traits are also visible in their designs.
RELATED: What Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Tera Raid Battles Should Learn from Sword and Shield’s Dynamax Adventures
Corphish and Crawdaunt
Corphish is a small, Water-Type Pokemon that resembles a crustacean. It has large eyes, an orange exoskeleton, and two snapping claws. It does not do much to make itself stand out from most other Water Types, though it is admittedly quite cute. When sufficiently leveled up, Corphish evolves into Crawdaunt, which is larger and sports a five-pointed gold star on its head. It is a Water/Dark Typing, which is a combination it shares with Pokemon such as Greninja and Sharpedo. Because they share the same Typing, and they both have a star on their head, it has been theorized that Sharpedo and Crawdaunt may have some evolutionary relationship, or that Crawdaunt may be exhibiting some form of mimicry.
Kabuto and Kabutops
Kabuto is a prehistoric monster that is resurrected from a Dome Fossil in the Pokemon universe. It is a Rock/Water Type that has a brown shell and eyes that glow red. Kabuto resembles a horseshoe crab, though its design incorporates elements from trilobites, which are extinct marine arthropods. Kabuto eventually evolves into Kabutops, which is a bipedal Pokemon that is much larger and wields two long scythes at the end of its arms. It appears that Kabutops may be based on eurypterids, which are prehistoric arthropods related to modern horseshoe crabs.
Paras and Parasect
Paras technically isn’t a crab, as it is based on a cicada nymph. However, it has enough of a crab-like appearance to fool most. It is a Bug/Grass-Type Pokemon, and it made its first appearance in Pokemon Red and Blue. Paras can be identified by its orange skin, the mushrooms that grow on its back, and its two small claws. It evolves into Parasect, which is also a Bug/Grass-Type Pokemon. Like Paras, Parasect has small claws, but it also has a large mushroom on its back that makes it look like a hermit crab. Its mushroom is a parasitic organism that has taken control of it, which is made evident by Parasect’s blank eyes.
Dwebble and Crustle
Dwebble is a Bug/Rock Pokemon that first appeared in Generation Five. It carries a gray rock on its back, which makes it look like a hermit crab. Dwebble eventually evolves into Crustle, whose name is a mix of the words “castle” and “crustacean.” Its body is bigger than Dwebble’s, and it has larger claws, too. Crustle looks like a far more formidable Pokemon due to the huge, cube-shaped rock it carries on its back. Any Pokemon capable of carrying that weight all the time has to be very strong.
Krabby and Kingler
Krabby is easily the Pokemon that most resembles a crab. It has large, orange claws, and can be found around water, which is to be expected for a Water-Type. Fans of the Pokemon anime are also familiar with Krabby, as it becomes part of Ash Ketchum’s team in the first season. With enough leveling up, Krabby will eventually evolve into Kingler, which looks quite similar to Krabby, except it is slightly larger and has tall, thin spikes on its head that resemble a crown. Kingler’s name may allude to the king crab, making its crown-like spikes a visual pun. Though Kingler is a Generation One monster, Game Freak has not forgotten about it, as it received a Gigantamax form in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
It’s possible that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will bring a few new crab and lobster monsters in addition to Klawf, and if they are anything like the crustaceans of prior generations, they could feature some pretty clever designs. With their big claws, crustacean Pokemon have the potential to look quite intimidating, although Game Freak has also managed to squeeze out a few cute Pokemon designs. Players could also see Paldean regional variations of past crab monsters, which could lead to some interesting redesigns.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release on November 18 for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Brassius Shows the Surprise Value of Terastal
