Pokémon: 10 Water-Types Who Totally Belong In A Different Type - Screen Rant

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As the most common type in the Pokémon world, Water has an undeniable dominance in every region. Water-types are usually straightforward and simple. Most are fish, but Pokémon continues to explore and introduce new designs, exhausting every possible species available in the sea.

Unlike Dark or Psychic Pokémon, which could easily belong to other types, Water creatures can't possibly be confused. They almost always live in the sea and have distinctively aquatic qualities. Still, out of the 144 Water-type Pokémon that currently exist, some do seem a bit out of place. And next to the distinctively marine Pokémon, it's obvious these creatures would be better in a different type.

10 Bibarel

Angry-looking Bibarel wearing a bandana in the Pokémon anime

The Sinnoh region infamously needs a lot of HMs. Fortunately for players, Bibarel is there to ease the burden. With the unique ability to learn six of the requisite eight HMs to traverse the region, Bibarel becomes the undisputed HM mule in the Sinnoh games.

Bibarel's inspiration is a beaver, which explains why it has the secondary Water-type. Still, a few aquatic elements in its design could go a long way to make this funny fellow a lot more watery. As it is, it sticks out like a sore thumb in the sea of distinctively sea-dwelling Pokémon.

9 Urshifu

Introduced in the Isle of Armor DLC, Urshifu is a strange Pokémon as it has two different forms which changes its type to either fighting/dark or fighting/water. Its appeal is divisive, and while it wouldn't be fair to call the Isle of Armor one of the worst DLCs of 2020, it certainly isn't the best or most memorable one.

Regardless, nothing about Urshifu's design says "Water-type." It's a bear in a fighting position. And while it does have Fighting as a primary type, Normal would be a better fit for this creature. At least its Gigantamax form has some blue elements that reinforce its Water-typing.

8 Gyarados

It's not that Gyarados doesn't resemble a Water-type it's just that it looks so much more like a Dragon. It literally looks like a floating Dragon, which begs the question: why isn't it a Dragon/Flying-type? There's also a case about why it should be Dragon/Dark, considering its raging and violent nature.

The Kanto region could use some more Dragon, as Dragonite and its pre-evolutions are the only representations of the type in the Generation I games. Perhaps Game Freak wanted to preserve the type's mystery, considering it used to be the most powerful.

7 Poliwrath

Thanks to its gloves, pose, and angry-looking eyes, Poliwrath fits its secondary Fighting-type to the tee. It even has "wrath" on its name, which could also make it a prime candidate for the Dark-type. It didn't yet exist when Poliwrath first debuted, back in Generation I, which explains why it doesn't have it.

Although Poliwrath's evolutions are clearly Water-types, Poliwrath itself is the least watery of the three. The Fighting concept is just so overwhelming that it would perhaps be more exceptional as a sole fighter rather than a dual-type frog-boxer hybrid.

6 Politoed

And speaking of Poliwag's evolutions, Poliwhirl evolves into Politoed when traded while holding a King's Rock. Politoed is one of the few green Water-Pokémon, which does a lot to make it seem out of place. Color schemes are vital in the Pokémon world, and green belongs to Grass-types.

If someone who's just a casual Pokémon fan, or not even a fan at all, looks at Politoed, they might guess it's a Grass-type. And who could blame them? The fact that Politoed is a frog isn't that important, as there are other Grass-type frogs, like Bulbasaur.

5 Ludicolo

Speaking of green-colored Water-types, Ludicolo is another one. Except that in Ludicolo's case, it actually is a Grass-type. A dual-type Water/Grass Pokémon, Ludicolo's design seems to be a cross between a lily pad and a (very) stereotypical Mexican mariachi.

Lily pads are water flowers, so the dual Water/Grass-type makes sense in theory. In practice, though, the combination falls short because of how dominant the Grass elements are. The fact that it learns so few Water moves just reinforces the notion that it should be pure Grass.

4 Kabutops

Most fossil Pokémon have Rock as a primary type. Kabutops, along with its fellow Generation I fossil Omastar, have Water as a secondary type. Unlike Omastar, Kabutops doesn't really look like a water-dwelling creature, though.

Looking at it, Kabutops resembles a Rock/Steel-type, thanks to its long and menacing scythes. The games do explain why it seems less aquatic than other Pokémon. Before it went extinct, it was in the process of becoming a land-dweller. Pokémon researchers believe this change was due to its prey moving onto land as well.

3 Volcanion

Fire/Water is one of the most fascinating and inspired type combinations in the entire Pokémon franchise. So far, only one Pokémon has it, and it's, of course, a Mythical. Introduced in Generation VI, Volcanion mostly remains a mystery, thanks, in part, to how little it featured in its own generation.

Volcanion takes inspiration from geysers, which explains its unique typing. Its robotic physical appearance, however, makes it look more like a Fire/Steel-type. It even has cannons for arms. When the franchise eventually tries the Fire/Water-type again, they should work harder to display a more balanced and harmonious combination of the two.

2 Tapu Fini

The Alolan island deities have to be some of the most original designs in the entire franchise. Tapu Fini serves as the guardian deity for Poni Island. Its shell vaguely resembles a swordfish and its body resembles that of a mermaid. Looking at it closely, its design does seem to fit its Water-typing.

Looking at it from afar, however, it seems objectively ghostly. Colors are crucial when it comes to Pokémon types, and purple is a trademark of Ghost and Poison. And despite Tapu Fini's many marine elements, the purple is so dominant that it makes it seem like a Ghost/Fairy Legendary, which is honestly a more interesting combination than Water/Fairy.

1 Palkia

The Sinnoh Legendaries rank as some of the greatest in all of Pokémon. Both Dialga and Giratina have impressive designs and lore behind them, rendering them instantly memorable. Palkia is just as good as them, but its typing remains confusing.

Nothing in its dinosaur-like appearance indicates water. Its lore also doesn't fit a dual-type Water/Dragon-type. It represents space and can travel to and even create alternate realities. Why isn't it Psychic/Dragon? If the whole Pearl idea is the main reason why Palkia is a Water-type, then it honestly isn't enough.

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David Caballero (245 Articles Published)

David is a twenty-eight-year-old Mexican writer and reader. Having studied Marketng in school, he spent three years working a nine-to-five desk job before deciding to pursue a writing career. He now works as a List Writer in ScreenRant and does some more freelancing job, talking about the entertainment business he so loves. Currently, he's also writing his second novel while actively working to get his first one published.