Pokémon is a franchise that’s home to hundreds of original creatures that kids and adults of varying ages have fallen in love and formed special relationships with. A lot of the pokémon over the years have tried to impress by looking really cool or intimidating, while others have built a following on being super adorable and/or cute.
There also happens to be a group of these animals that are downright hideous and often get overlooked. While focusing specifically on water-types, let’s look at the ugliest pokémon the franchise has to offer and rank them.
10 Magikarp
When you ask someone about their opinions on Magikarp, they will likely bring up how useless it is in battle but in the same breath will mention how cool its evolution Gyarados is. Both of these overshadow the fact that it is indeed an ugly pokémon. It sports giant eyes that house little tiny pupils which make it look like it’s having an existential crisis. Pair that with a gaping mouth and giant whiskers, and you have yourself an ugly fish that happens to be a pokémon. Like previously mentioned, it gets bonus points for turning into one of the coolest pokémon in existence.
9 Huntail
When trainers first come across Clamperl their heart likely starts to beat faster. The first assumption is that this is the cute version of the Shellder/Cloyster evolutionary line and it will turn into something beautiful and/or adorable. Well, while Gorebyss is slightly cute, the other possible evolution named Huntail is a sight for sore eyes.
This eel-like creature sports the coloring of a kid who really loves things to be blue and orange. It also happens to have a set of asymmetrical teeth and these odd chin fins that look like they have no real purpose.
8 Binacle
It was a real toss-up when deciding whether Binacle or its evolution, Barbaracle, should appear on this list. Both of them pair hideous coloring with nasty faces that are the least bit welcoming. It made sense to stick with Binacle considering it’s where the ugly inspiration began.
This pokémon sports a pair of heads that both look like the other head committed the vilest and unexpected betrayal against them. They’re in a constant state of pouting, which isn’t really cute when they happen to be tubes with claw-like hair jutting out of a lumpy rock.
7 Omastar
If you were to take a poll on whether Omastar was more ugly or scary, chances are that poll could go either way and even tie directly down the middle. The fact that this ancient shell pokémon is so ugly and weird is why it quickly becomes scary and off-putting.
It very much looks like an H.P. Lovecraft type creation with its numerous tentacles and gaping mouth that looks razor sharp and capable of devouring its victims whole—alright, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Omastar has to be the least friendly snail to ever exist in the history of snails. It might not be the ugliest though.
6 Quagsire
Quagsire is a pokémon most trainers hate running in to, not specifically because it’s ugly, but more so because its dual-typing of water and ground can be irritating to deal with. This thing, known as the Water Fish Pokémon, sports a pair of small beady eyes, that when played on its giant amorphous body makes it immediately look a little dumb. Its pre-evolution, Wooper, has a little bit of an “it’s so ugly it’s adorable” thing going on that Quagsire, unfortunately, doesn’t benefit from in any real meaningful way.
5 Palpitoad
As a kid, when you’re outside exploring and looking for bugs and other animals, you’ll sometimes stumble on things infected by parasites or diseases. You’ll then ask your parents why that creature had weird bumps or growths all over its body, and Palpitoad’s design is the pokémon equivalent of that, as it looks like it has weird growths all over its chubby tadpole body. Though you wouldn’t guess it based on initial impressions, Palpitoad has a long sticky tongue it uses to catch its prey.
4 Bibarel
Here’s the thing, Bibarel isn’t exactly the ugliest thing around, but, boy does it look dumb. This wannabe beaver pokémon is not the type of creature you want by your side when the going gets tough. One look at this thing’s ridiculous face and teeth will imbue laughter and mockery from your opponent when you’re looking to strike fear or intimidate. Also, at all costs keep this thing submerged in water. Not only can it help it hide from the world, but its movement speed in water is pretty impressive considering it moves like a Slowpoke on land.
3 Qwilfish
When kids first learn about porcupine fish, it often becomes a point of fascination for a week or two. Those animals go from being cute and adorable to dangerous and scary in an instant, and it’s that change that captures the attention of kids trying to learn about the world around them.
Qwilfish may be based on porcupine/pufferfish, but it decided to throw that cute form out the window. Its spikes can cause the victim to faint, so here’s hoping you never accidentally step on one when swimming, or you might draw your final breath while looking at this hideous thing underwater.
2 Barraskewda
As the newest pokémon on this list, it’s pretty impressive that Barraskewda managed to snag the #2 spot on this list. Its name suggests that the design of this thing is directly inspired by real-life barracuda fish, and it happens to be just as ugly and offputting as that exact inspiration.
At least this pokémon has a claim to the fastest creature underwater, but it will take a certain type of trainer to love something like Barraskewda. It’s rumored that this pokémon is a tasty delicacy in the Galar region, so maybe go fishing for them instead of throwing out a pokéball.
1 Feebas
When taking a look at all of the water-type pokémon in existence, it’s hard not to land on Feebas as the ugliest of the entire bunch. On top of having the same general design as another fish on this list, Magikarp, Feebas pairs that will a brown spotted tan body and deep sunken eyes.
Thankfully, trainers can turn their Feebas into something that isn’t just more useful, but also much easier to look at if they trade their Feebas while it’s holding a prism scale, or it’s leveled up with max beauty. Either way, you’ll want to move on from this cursed fish as soon as possible.
NEXT: Pokémon: 10 Pokémon We Saw In The Anime Before The Games
