Ground-type Pokémon are known for being bulky, tanky units. They often have designs that focus on their solid stance and heavy weight. Pokémon like Groudon, Rhydon, and Golem are perfect examples of this. Each one is heavy-looking, solid, and hefty. There are Ground-type Pokémon that don’t match this aesthetic, of course, but they’re few and far between.
Even though this template works for most Ground-types, some are just not nice to look at. In every generation, there are some Pokémon that are hated by fans for how they look. It’s not always that they’re bad designs, rather, they’re just not great on the eyes. They’re just ugly. Here are some of the Ground-types that fit this category.
10 Dugtrio
This Ground-type has long been a joke Pokémon to many. Its strange design and literal translation from pre-evolution to final stage is comical and bad. Introduced in Generation I, Dugtrio is not a great-looking Pokémon. In terms of aesthetic value, its pre-evolution Diglett isn’t great, to begin with. But, it’s at least kind of cute and clever.
Dugtrio is neither of these things. In fact, it’s the opposite. They just took three Digletts put together. Endless memes aside, it’s not a great design for a Pokémon. Alolan Dugtrio is great, though. They took the joke of this Pokémon and ran with it.
9 Quagsire
Another Pokémon that becomes worse after evolution is Quagsire. Wooper is a cute and well-designed little Axolotl-like Pokémon. It fits the design for a Ground/Water-type perfectly and is a great addition to Generation II.
Quagsire, on the other hand, is like a Wooper that was taken and pressed through a Play-Doh mold. It’s a formless blob with a cold, dead stare and two slappy flippers. When it opens its mouth, it turns into a strange and unsettling screaming monster.
8 Hippowdown
Hippowdon is a counter to the two previous entries on this list. It isn’t a bad design, it’s actually a great design. It’s just ugly. This hippo Pokémon was introduced in Generation IV and evolves from Hippopotas, which is almost just as ugly.
This thing comes with two forms, one for each gender. Both are equally bad, with the males being brown and yellow and female being two shades of grey. The terrifyingly-large mouths, the red eyes, and the sand pouring out of the trypophobia-inducing holes are all terrible to look at.
7 Baltoy/Claydol
This entry on the list could have easily gone to Claydol or its pre-evolution Baltoy. Both are strange, ugly beings that are pretty bad to look at. These Psychic/Ground-types are meant to look like tops or clay figurines, but they’re much uglier than collective decor or toys.
Baltoy’s strange digit-less arms and closed eyes make it unsettling and impersonal. Baltoy’s multiple eyes and “beaks” are downright scary-looking, and its color-scheme isn’t great either. Claydol’s eyes actually get much scarier in its shiny-form, where they’re yellow.
6 Stunfisk
Poor Stunfisk. This terrible fish is hideous, but it’s probably supposed to be. It’s a flat fish with a dumb face and horrible coloring. Being Ground/Electric, the brown and yellow do have a purpose. But, they’re not a nice combination together.
According to Mana Ibe, this Pokémon’s designer, apparently wanted it to be the flattest Pokémon ever, according to Ken Sugimori. That attempt was obviously successful, and the world is cursed with this terrible pancake with a face. It looks like it was stepped on by someone with a large boot.
5 Nincada
Many people might forget that this Bug-type is actually Ground-type as well. Nincada is a strange entry into the Pokédex. When it evolves, it sheds its shell and becomes a Ninjask. The discarded husk becomes possessed and turns into Shedinja, a gimmick Pokémon that has no right existing in this mortal plane.
Regardless of what happens after it evolves, Nincada is ugly to start with. Why are its legs all weird? It seems to be based on a young cicada, but cicada’s legs match. Its skull-shaped head, stubby pathetic wings, and unsettling eyes don’t help its case, either.
4 Rhyperior
Did Rhydon really need an evolution? This giant rocky rhinoceros was introduced in Generation IV as an evolution to the already well-established and well-designed Rhydon. Throw that weird Protector item on its head and voila, a Rhyperior. It’s not as good a Pokémon aesthetically as its pre-evolution, and it’s actually quite ugly.
Rhyperior is weirdly squat with no neck and no joints. It’s just a round ball of rock with some red patches all over it. Rhydon looks much more natural, while Rhyperior looks like it would be in constant pain and stiff.
3 Galarian Stunfisk
Yes, Stunfisk is so ugly it made it onto this list twice. This ugly flat fish was given a regional form in Sword and Shield, where it resembles a bear trap and loses its Electric-typing in favor of Steel.
The neon green footprints seem like a strange choice, considering this thing hides underground as a trap. Won’t those give it away? It also lost its fins in favor of a spiky mouth and tail and two paddles. It’s just a terrible design that screams “please kill me.”
2 Diggersby
Diggersby has to be one of the more hated Pokémon among fans. It’s a terribly ugly thing, with its Homer Simpson-esque bearded face, weird-looking devious eyes, and terrible coloring of (again) brown, yellow, and grey.
The white-gloved hands are, of course, meant to look like a bunny. But, they’re weird on this thing. Also, its ears are also hands, but it has hands already? It’s a strange choice. The big ring of fur around its mid-section just make it rotund and weirdly-proportioned, and the whole thing is just terrible.
1 Seismitoad
When you catch a Tympole, you might think “wow this little face is terrifying and unsettling. I hope it’ll be better when it evolves.” You’d be wrong. Tympole gets worse with each stage of its evolution. Palpitoad is also creepy and the giant lumps on its head and ears are weird.
But, neither is as bad as the final stage, Seismitoad. If you like the idea of a giant blue frog with pustules on its face and arms, tiny weird feet, and red eyes that make it look like it’s been dabbling in illegal substances, then you might be happy your terrifyingly-creepy Tympole evolved. If you don’t like that idea, then you’re better off avoiding this ugly thing.
NEXT: 10 Of The Smallest Pokémon In The Series, Ranked
