10 Times The Pokémon Manga Was Darker Than It Needed To Be
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In general, Pokémon is widely marketed towards younger audiences; however, the manga unabashedly details several dark moments.
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Following the overwhelming success of the Pokémon games, Red & Blue, Shogakukan Inc. released a manga adaption in 1997. The award-winning manga series is often praised for its faithfulness to its source material, including trainer names that directly correspond to the games. However, the manga deals with substantially darker elements than the anime and video game installments.
In general, Pokémon is widely marketed towards younger audiences; however, the manga unabashedly details several dark moments that would chill even the most mature readers. Forget what you know about innocent and adorable Pokémon because these are 10 times the Pokémon manga was darker than it needed to be.
10 Arbok is Brutally Severed In Half
Though the Pokémon anime rarely shows death, the manga is not afraid to illustrate it in graphic detail. In “The Awful Arbok!” Blue becomes controlled by a strange fog in Lavender Town’s Pokémon Tower. Thanks to Red, Blue is able to come to his senses; however, the pair soon comes into confrontation with Koga, a member of Team Rocket.
During their battle, Koga mistakenly assumes his Arbok has corroded Blue’s Charmeleon, which in itself is surprisingly disturbing. After the dust settles, a fully intact Charmeleon retaliates by slicing Arbok clean in half.
9 Sabrina, Saffron City’s Gym Leader, Had Her Soul Removed From Her Body
In “Haunting My Dreams,” a segment in The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Ash travels to Saffron City to face Sabrina, the town’s Gym Leader. Soon after Sabrina defeats Ash, it’s revealed that she was hospitalized while trying to save the townspeople from a mysterious “black fog” plaguing the city.
It turns out the fog is being caused by a Haunter, who can use Dream Eater to remove human souls. Though a terrifying prospect in itself, the plot becomes notably darker when Ash learns that Sabrina fell victim to Haunter’s attack and no longer has a soul.
8 Dragonair Is Ordered To Destroy Most of Vermilion City
Occasionally in the manga, Pokémon are forced to use their powers to destroy humans and cities alike. Readers get a taste of their truly devastating abilities as ruthless trainers coerce the Pokémon against their will. An especially tragic example of this occurs in the Pokémon Adventures segment “Breath of the Dragonair Part 2.”
The segment begins in a violent tone, as Lance orders his Dragonair to attack contestants during a surfing contest. In a further violent display of his intentions, Lance then commands his Dragonair to use its Hyper Beam attack, effectively destroying most of Vermilion City in a single blow, killing hundreds of innocent people in the process.
7 Agatha, a Member of the Elite Four, Alters Minds
Agatha, a member of the Elite Four, demonstrates her Pokémon’s psychic abilities by controlling the minds of unsuspecting teammates in the manga. She’s also famous for the frightening appearance of her ghost Pokémon, instilling terror into the hearts of her opponents.
In Pokémon Adventures, it’s revealed that Bruno, a prominent member of the Elite Four, did not actually join the team by choice. To force him to become one of the Elite Four, Agatha uses her ghost Pokémon to wipe his memory and control his mind, forcing him to join their ranks.
6 Team Rocket’s leader, Giovanni, Violently Murders Magmar
Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, is undeniably evil in nearly every Pokémon installment. He frequently demonstrates his ruthless determination to get what he wants, regardless of the potential consequences.
In “Make Way For Magmar!” Giovanni pushes the limit in a way that would even make Team Rocket shudder. In what basically amounts to Giovanni trying to make a point, he orders his Cloyster to attack a pair of frozen Magmar, causing them to shatter, literally murdering them in cold blood.
5 Victreebel’s Plan to Dissolve Red With Acid
There’s an alarming amount of instances in the manga involving Pokémon or trainers being nearly dissolved by acid. While venturing through the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, Red is captured by a Victreebel. The thought of being captured by a giant carnivorous plant is already terrifying, but the reason behind Red’s capture is even more disturbing.
In “A Hollow Victreebel,” it’s revealed Victreebel has captured several other victims as well, with the intention of dissolving them in acid and draining their nutrients. The nutrients are intended to be used as an “evolution” ritual for Bellsprout.
4 Brock’s Onix Explodes & Is Nearly Killed
The Pokémon manga adaptation has no problem displaying the gruesome death of a Pokémon. This is once again the case in Pokémon Adventures, during the memorable battle between Brock and Red.
During the heated match, Onix attacks Pikachu, who retaliates by electrocuting Onix, causing its rock body to explode. Though Onix ultimately survives, Brock is forced to witness the potential destruction of his favorite Pokémon, as Onix falls to pieces right before his eyes.
3 The Protagonists Were All Turned To Stone
In the manga, even the Pokémon trainers are exposed to mortal danger. An undeniable example of this occurs in the FireRed & LeafGreen segment “Phew for Mew.” In the segment, Sird, a member of Team Rocket, threatens the protagonists during a deadly confrontation.
Intending to capture Deoxys, Sird uses a petrification beam. As a result, Red, Blue, Green, Silver, and Yellow are all turned into stone statues. They are eventually freed in Emerald, but FireRed & LeafGreen end with their petrification, concluding on a bleak note.
2 Pryce Kidnapped Children Disguised as the Mask of Ice
Those familiar with the Pokémon anime and games undoubtedly recognize the ice-type gym leader, Pryce. In the manga, he puts on a shy, elderly facade, but it’s eventually revealed that he was responsible for kidnapping Silver and Green when they were children.
During part of the Pokémon Adventures manga, Mask of Ice, the main antagonist, is a mysterious villain who treats his Pokémon like tools rather than companions. Even more disturbingly, Mask of Ice, who turns out to be Pryce in disguise, influences children to become his devoted followers in place of a real family.
1 Lavender Town is Full of Pokémon Zombies
No matter how you slice it, Lavender Town seems like a terrifying place to live in the Pokémon universe. However, this is especially true in Pokémon Adventures, “Sigh for Psyduck.” After exploring the haunted and mysterious Pokémon Tower, Red is confronted by a Psyduck.
Upon closer examination, however, Red discovers that the Psyduck is not just a ghost but a decomposing corpse of a Psyduck. Red quickly uses his Venusaur to destroy the zombie Psyduck’s corpse, which is perhaps an equally disturbing image.
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