Game Freak Designer Finally Reveals the Pokémon’s Ultra Beasts Origins

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Nintendo’s Pokémon series, which has been around for almost 30 years, is famous for its incredibly popular creature designs. These range from the classic Pikachu, the electric mouse everyone knows, to newer creatures like Skeledirge, a fiery, crocodile-like Pokémon.

Some Pokémon designs aren’t popular with everyone. This is often because they’re unusual or have simple ideas behind them, like the ice cream-themed Vanillite line or the strangely shaped Bruxish.

Among the strangest Pokémon designs are the Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun and Moon. These extradimensional creatures emerge from Ultra Wormholes, traveling from a place called Ultra Space. They sometimes cause trouble in the Alola region, and the Aether Foundation attempts to control them.

As Sun and Moon approaches its 10th anniversary, developers at Game Freak are sharing behind-the-scenes stories about the game’s creation, including the inspiration behind the enigmatic Ultra Beasts.

The Origin of Ultra Beasts

You first encounter Ultra Beasts about halfway through the main story of Pokémon Sun and Moon, at the Aether Foundation. The first one you meet is Nihilego, a Rock and Poison-type Ultra Beast.

Following this event, the Alola region saw a growing number of strange creatures, known as Ultra Beasts, emerging from mysterious portals called Ultra Wormholes. These creatures were increasingly unusual, and included:

  • Buzzwole
  • Pheromosa
  • Xurkitree
  • Celesteela
  • Kartana
  • Guzzlord
  • Poipole
  • Naganadel
  • Stakataka
  • Blacephalon

Ultra Beasts often look different than you’d expect based on their official type – for example, Blacephalon, which resembles a clown, is actually Fire and Ghost type. This was intentional; veteran Pokémon designer Ken Sugimori suggested giving them conflicting traits to make UBs stand out from regular Pokémon.

Ultra Beasts haven’t been available in a mainline Pokémon game since Sword and Shield…

Pokémon designer Yusuke Ohmura recently shared on X that the Ultra Beasts’ designs actually came from early Pokémon concepts that Sugimori didn’t approve. He jokingly added that they were, “in a way, a manifestation of my frustrations,” which he found a bit unsettling.

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Ohmura has designed several popular Pokémon, including Piplup, Oshawott, and Froakie. They also created the legendary Pokémon that served as mascots for the Pokémon X and Y and Pokémon Sword and Shield games: Xerneas, Yveltal, Zacian, and Zamazenta.

It’s been a while since Ultra Beasts were featured in a main Pokémon game – the last time was in Sword and Shield. However, they’ve continued to appear in other Pokémon games like Pokémon Go and Pokémon Unite.

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2026-02-04 19:09