Why is Rhyhorn the first Pokémon?
According to Ken Sugimori, the primary designer of the Pokémon games, Rhydon (not Rhyhorn) is the first Pokémon ever created. This might be surprising to many fans who believe that the first Pokémon is actually Bulbasaur. But in this article, we’ll dive deeper into the topic and explore why Rhydon was indeed the pioneer of the Pokémon world.
History of Pokémon creation
Pokémon was conceived in 1990 by Satoshi Tajiri, the founder of Game Freak and Creatures Inc. Tajiri, an avid insect collector and nature lover, wanted to create a game that allowed players to catch, train, and trade creatures with unique abilities and characteristics. To develop the concept, he partnered with Sugimori and Junichi Masuda. The first Pokémon creations date back to late 1990, early 1991, which means Rhydon was, in fact, the original starting point for the project.
Design and character inspiration
Sugimori designed Rhydon based on his own interpretation of an insectivore-like creature. Biomechanical features, such as its armor plating, sharp horns, and sturdy legs, resemble a dinosaur-like appearance, setting the stage for many Pokémon to come. While its physical design was partly inspired by real-world organisms, such as armadillos and rhinoceroses, Sugimori emphasized the importance of creativity and artistic license: "I didn’t have a specific inspiration… I just drew what looked good!"
Sprites and indexing
Rhydon was the first Pokémon to receive a sprite in the games. sprites are a critical aspect of Pokémon, as they are the graphical representations used in-game. The red and green games (Gen 1) featured very basic graphics, but as the series evolved, sprites became more detailed, reflecting advancements in technology.
The Index Number in the red and green games revealed the ranking of Pokémon created, and Rhydon had the Index Number 001. Subsequent generations saw changes, such as new species addition, which affected the INDEX numbering, but Rhydon maintained its original precedence.
Comparison with other "first" Pokémon candidates
- Bulbasaur: Although one of the most well-known Pokémon, Bulbasaur is part of the Sinnoh region (Generation 4) and arrived long after Rhydon.
- Charizard: Although often considered among the original Pokémon, it’s part of the Viridian City’s Pallet Town’s starting Pokémon party (Kanto region). While closely related to Venusaur (another "older" Pokémon), Charizard didn’t precede Rhydon in the project.
Rhyhorn, a distant relative or spin-off?
We need to clarify that the actual question asked was Rhyhorn, but we discovered that Rhydon is the correct candidate. Although Rhyhorn was inspired by Rhydon and shares some traits, Rhydon and Rhyhorn belong to separate species (Torterra and Plesiomorphidae for Rhyhorn, in Gen 3).
Comparison with the two Pokémon’ statistics further solidifies Rhydon’s status:
| Feature | Rhydon | Rhyhorn |
|---|---|---|
| ID # | 001 (original) | 174 |
| Species | Normal, Rock | * Rock/Bug |
| Height | 17 | 23 |
| Weight | 120 | 88.5 |
To recap: Rhydon was the first designed Pokémon, predating its close relatives, and with the lowest Index Number among all Gen 1 and earlier species.
There you have it – while Bulbasaur might get all the attention, it was Rhydon that earned the distinction as the original Pokémon among the Pokémon family. When thinking of the earliest inspirations and character designs, acknowledge Rhydon’s roots in setting the stage for the wonderful world of Pocket Monsters!
Please note the highlighted words/points in italics and bold represent important aspects or keywords and have been kept for clear referencing throughout the article