Gengar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gengar
Pokémon character
Gengar artwork by Ken Sugimori
First gamePokémon Red and Blue (1996)
Created byKen Sugimori[1]
Designed byKen Sugimori[1]
James Turner (Gigantamax)[2]
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeGhost/Poison

Gengar (Japanese: ゲンガー, Hepburn: Gengā), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, since their initial appearance they have appeared in multiple games including Pokémon GO and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise related to the franchise. In Japanese, Gengar has been voiced by multiple actors which include Kiyonobu Suzuki, Kōichi Sakaguchi, Nobutoshi Canna and Yasuhiro Mamiya. Meanwhile, in English, the species was voiced by Ted Lewis and Marc Thompson.

Conception and development[edit]

Gengar's Capsule Monsters concept art. This scene would later be recreated as the intro sequence for Pokémon Red and Blue.[9]

Gengar is a species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy.[10] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution.[11] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokémon index (Pokédex), a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia,[12] by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[11]

Created by Ken Sugimori, Gengar was one of the earliest Pokémon designed during the planning stages of Red and Blue, back when the games were intended to be called Capsule Monsters, appearing on early concept art for the game.[1] As work on the game progressed a single color identity was chosen in order to work within the Super Game Boy's hardware limitations,[13] and once development was complete Sugimori re-drew the species along with the others in his own artstyle in order to give the game a unified look and finalize any design elements.[14] Sugimori has described Gengar as his favorite Pokémon, due to how it used few lines and was very easy to draw.[15] In another interview he elaborated further, stating that while it's designed to be a ghost and a little bit scary, it was also funny and had the necessary elements for a Pokemon, utilizing simple shapes and a "charming" grin he quite liked.[16]

Design[edit]

Standing 4 ft 1 in (150 cm) tall,[17] Gengar has a round purple body, short arms and legs, two red eyes, and a perpetual toothy grin. Along its back are multiple spikes, ending in a small tail. Early on, Gengar's design went through multiple designs, with its body changed to a solid color, while its teeth were changed from singular fangs to a long solid row of teeth. While the finalized in-game sprites depicted it with a more shaggy appearance, as the series has progressed, its body became smoother and rounder. These spikes were also diminished, while its face became more pronounced. These changes are often attributed to its appearances in the anime influencing its design, giving it a more "chibi" aesthetic.[18] It has a rarer, "shiny" version as well, which features a slightly de-saturated purple instead.[19] Classified as both a "Ghost" and "Poison" type species, Gengar is the third and final part of a three-stage evolution line, with the Pokémon consisting of Gastly and Haunter in order.[17]

In the sequel games Pokémon X and Y, Gengar can temporarily transform into a new form called Mega Gengar. In this form, it becomes significantly larger with his legs embedded into the ground, while its spikes become more pronounced. In addition its arms become longer, with the forearms more pronounced and also embedded into the ground. Lastly, a gold-colored third eye appears upon its forehead.[20] A second form, called Gigantamax Gengar, was added in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Created by then-lead Pokémon designer James Turner,[2] its body is also partially submerged into the ground, but its appearance is primarily unaltered save for its massive open mouth having a swirling vortex instead, while its lengthened arms jut from the ground on either side of it.[21] The shiny variants of both are completely different from the base Gengar's design, making their bodies appear mostly white while their eyes become black.[20][22]

Appearances[edit]

In video games[edit]

Gengar's Pokémon series debut was in Pokémon Red and Blue, where it is only obtainable by evolving Haunter by trading it.[23] Haunter later appeared in several sequels, including Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokémon Black and White, Pokémon X and Y, and Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. Notable trainers that use Gengar are Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four,[23][24] Morty, Gym Leader of Ecruteak City Gym,[25] and Fantina, Gym Leader of Hearthome City Gym.[26] Outside of the main series, Gengar has appeared in the Pokémon Ranger games. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Gengar is the main antagonist, and the leader of Team Meanies, which includes an Ekans and Medicham. Gengar spends much of the game causing trouble, even convincing the village to exile the hero, blaming him or her for the natural disasters. However, it is later revealed that Gengar is the cursed human that the plot mentions.[27] Gengar is an NPC in PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure and its sequel, PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond. In Pokémon X and Y, Gengar can become Mega Gengar, with its new unblinking third eye able to peer into other dimensions. Gengar is a playable character in Pokken Tournament.

A Gengar-themed mini-CD-ROM was released by Mattel Interactive in 2000.[28]

In anime[edit]

In the anime, Gengar made its first appearance in the opening of the first episode, "Pokémon, I Choose You!", where it and a Nidorino battled in a Colosseum on television, a scene that mimicked the intro of Pokémon Blue.[29] Ash first saw a Gengar in person in Lavender Town in "The Tower of Terror" while searching for a Ghost-type Pokémon with which to fight Sabrina, the Saffron City gym leader specializing in Psychic-types. Due to a close call, Ash spent some unexpected time with the ghostly trio, Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. It, along with Haunter, seemed to have a fondness for Japanese stand-up, and unsuccessfully attempted to amuse Ash by acting as a pair of performers.[30] In "The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis", a giant Gengar was awakened where it battled an equally large Alakazam.[31] Drake of the Orange Islands used a Gengar in his battle with Ash in "Hello, Pummelo!" and "Enter The Dragonite."[32][33] A Gengar appeared under the ownership of Ecruteak City Gym Leader Morty in "A Ghost Of A Chance", "From Ghost to Ghost", and "For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!".[34][35][36] Agatha used a Gengar to battle Ash's Pikachu in "The Scheme Team"; her Gengar actually defeated the electric mouse Pokémon.[37] Gengar also appeared in "Best Friend Worst Nightmare". He was blown away when Yamper used spark. Then that Gengar appeared again in "A Chilling Curse" when Ash and Goh tried to catch it. Ash and Gengar battled Team Rocket and won. Gengar let Ash catch himself. Gengar fights Visquez's Raichu and wins. However he loses to her Electrode. Then he appears battling Korrina and loses to Lucario. Then, he appears battling a Gigantamax Coalossal with Leon"s Dragapult and wins.

Promotion and reception[edit]

Gengar's unique traits have led to creative uses in merchandise and promotions for the franchise.[38]

Frequently used in Halloween-themed promotions related to the franchise,[39] Gengar has been featured on multiple items of Pokémon merchandise and media since their introduction, such as a Squishmallow plush.[40] A Gengar-themed limited edition set of chocolate chip Eggo Waffles were made in a partnership between Nintendo and Kellogg's.[41] A Gengar-themed bed, produced by Bandai, utilized the species' extra long tongue and wide mouth as cushioning. Preorders for the bed sold out in less than two hours after its announcement.[38]

Described as "the most famous of the Ghost-type Pokémon" by GamesRadar+,[42] since their introduction Gengar has been well received, placing 10th on The Pokémon Company's Pokémon of the Year poll which featured all Pokémon from throughout the franchise.[43] In 2023, Centennial Media's The Ultimate Guide to Pokémon noted that after compiling monthly search histories of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Bing, Gengar was the fifth highest searched Pokémon among internet users with an approximate total of 113,500 average searches per month.[44] The book Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon noted the species was particularly popular with older male children who tend to be drawn to "tough or scary" characters.[45] Cian Maher in an article for USA Today further described it as an instantly recognizable symbol of the franchise, and further "one of those precious few ‘mons that is unanimously loved by Nintendo and fans alike".[46]

Robert Grosso of TechRaptor praised their "sinister" design as one of the best of the original Pokémon games, feeling its Cheshire Cat-like grin and red eyes embodied the series more "malign nature". He further called it "simple done right", noting their resemblance to a human shadow and iconic face helped fit what he saw as a doppelganger design philosophy for their character, and added "Gengar is just simply well-designed from every facet of its being".[47] Zack Zwiezen of Kotaku described Gengar as a great design, elaborating "It's simple, yet not boring or generic. Gengar is one of my favorite gen 1 designs." He further noted however that while he appreciated this aspect, its in-game Pokédex descriptions were often extremely unsettling in contrast to their described "prankster" nature,[48] a sentiment reiterated by Alyse Stanley and Jhaan Elker for The Washington Post in their own analysis of the entries in contrast to the franchise's normally upbeat atmosphere.[49] USgamer's Kat Bailey described it as the "Joker of the Pokemon universe: apt to turn on you at any moment", noting while its simplistic design and smile promised mischief, its Pokédex entries hinted at darker intentions.[50] Polygon's Nicole Carpenter on the other hand acknowledged while aspects of the games could be dark, the descriptions given to Gengar left her conflicted with their cute appearance due to their short legs and round body, adding "I want to squeeze him and hug him but I’m also terrified by him. There is something sinister hiding behind his smile."[21] The duality of their character has impacted projects such as the film Detective Pikachu, leaning into the "slightly scary" nature presented by their description while also presenting it as mischievous.[51]

Kotaku's Kenneth Shephard noted that while it was not a personal favorite of his he acknowledged the impact the species had on the series, with Gengar serving as the blueprint for Ghost-type Pokémon that would be added later to the franchise and adding that while it had never appeared on the box art of any of the games, "Gengar’s arguably one of the most iconic Pokémon in the series’ long history."[52] Meanwhile, The Gamer's editor in chief Stacey Henley described it as "wonderfully expressive", arguing that the species was charismatic and had enough personality to be able to be the star of their own standalone game. Citing their portrayal in New Pokémon Snap, where the species was demonstrated with more depth and allowed to play the role of a prankster with their powers, she felt it would be well suited for "the darker, gothic settings" not seen enough in the franchise. She added that while many Pokémon would shine with a proper focus from Nintendo, "few of them have the ingredients lined up as perfectly as Gengar does".[53]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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