The world of Pokémon is home to such a large and varied collection of creatures that were created and inspired by many of the animals that currently or once called Earth home. There are a number of these Pokémon that strongly resemble the ancient and extinct reptiles that used to roam the Earth, commonly referred to as dinosaurs.
Though there's a number of them there still isn't an actual dinosaur-type and they're stuck being labeled as something else. Let's now look at 10 pokémon that proves there needs to be a dinosaur-typing.
Updated by Brianna Albert on October 26th, 2020: Ever since Pokémon began almost two decades ago, there have been plenty on designs that have been reminiscent of real-life and fantastical creatures. Although there are many types, such as grass, dragon, and the recently added fairy-type, there is no sign of any other types being added. However, one things fans have noticed is how many Pokémon can be other thingsーsuch as a dinosaur.
From dragon-type Pokémon that appear exactly like them to even some of the newest ones added in the Sword and Shield DLC Crown Tundra, here are some Pokémon that prove there should be a dinosaur-type added to the franchise.
15 Volcanion
Volcanion is one of the newest Pokémon on the digital block and was added in Generation VI, in the games Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.
This is a dual-type fire-water Pokémon, and it also had a big role in the movie, Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel where it harbored hatred for humankind. This Pokémon may not appear as dinosaur-like as other counterparts at first glance, but without caring too much about the round part on its back, it has the potential to look like one.
14 Garchomp
Garchomp at first was thought to be a legendary Pokémon, but this was debunked. Standing at 6'3, this tower of a Pokémon appears to have merged both dragon and dinosaur attributes. Needless to say, the design certainly has some prehistoric vibes.
13 Nidoking/Nidoqueen
Nidoran (and Nidorino for that matter) certainly do not appear like dinosaurs at first glance. However, after they've evolved into either Nidoking or Nidoqueen, they make a fairly striking case for the classification.
From the sharp toxic horns on its back from the large tale it has, Nidoking or Nidoqueen can both fit the bill for a dinosaur-type perfectly.
12 Dracozolt
Dracozolt was also a new Pokémon introduced in Generation VIII, and in the Pokémon Sword and Shield Crown Tundra DLC as a new legendary in the franchise.
It is known as a "fossil Pokémon" that is a dual-type of electric and dragon. This Pokémon clearly takes inspiration from dinosaurs, as it has the signature tiny T-Rex hands, large feet, and long tail to prove it. Not to mention that it's literally a "fossil" Pokémon — that's all the evidence needed, really!
11 Carracosta
No one would have expected Tirtouga to evolve into Carracosta, purely on how non-threatening the tiny turtle Pokémon appeared.
Carracosta is water and rock-type that has details reminiscent of a dinosaur ー and a turtle, which it is mainly based upon. However, it was shown that some dinosaurs indeed looked like turtles ー or vice-versa ー such as a Carbonemys.
10 Lapras
Lapras, one of the Kanto region's most lovable and cherished pokémon, is an obvious shoutout to the animal legend known as the Loch Ness Monster. That mythical mystery is believed to be the last living Plesiosaurus, a water-dwelling dinosaur that resembled the Brachiosaurus in many ways.
The cool thing about Lapras is that it stayed true to what a Plesiosaurus is, but added a neat turtle shell that acts as a natural saddle for the trainers and/or passengers it ferries across the lakes, oceans, and rivers.
9 Rampardos
Rampardos happens to be a hard-headed pokémon by every form of the definition and uses its head with reckless abandon. Its design and personality are not too different than the most popular of the thick-skulled dinosaur species which go by the very long name of Pachycephalosaurus.
They're often referred to as 'Friar Tuck' as the bald head and circling spikes resemble that of the typical friar haircut. Rampardos have such thick skulls that it impedes their brain growth which results in their adolescent behaviors into adulthood.
8 Haxorus
Haxorus will likely be the most unlike any dinosaur we currently know about, but in many ways, it exudes strong dinosaur and ancient reptilian energy. This thing is pretty passive and kind, but like most wild creatures it will defend its territory relentlessly.
The mandibles protruding from its face serve as tusks and are similar to the rest of the tough armor surrounding the rest of its body. Its two previous forms are much more dinosaur-like and it happens to be the one that makes it feel more like a pokémon and less like an actual creature.
7 Aurorus
Aurorus often referred to as the Tundra Pokémon, is an ice and rock dual-typed pokémon most notably known for the frills on its head and diamond-like markings along its body. This creature is pretty fantastical in design, but if it were to be directly inspired by any real-world dinosaur the likeliest candidate would be the Camarasaurus.
Unlike the Brachiosaurus, the Camarasaurus had shorter necks. Though most people refer to Brachiosaurus as the go-to quadrupedal herbivore of the dinosaur kingdom, the Camarasaurus was actual the most common one to be found in North America.
6 Bastiodon
Most people would assume that Bastiodon is simply a triceratops with a shield-like head thrown in to make it feel more like a pokémon. The truth of the matter is that there's a distant cousin of the triceratops that sported a shield-like skull.
The name of this dinosaur was the Spiclypeus and the top of its head was long and box-like which made its entire skull appear like a shield. It was discovered in the state of Montana and was recently given an identifiable name a couple of years ago despite it being discovered well before that.
5 Archeops
Humans are currently trying to adjust to the realization that most dinosaurs likely had feathers. Archeops is the living embodiment of this as a pokémon and the closest real-life dinosaur that the creators likely took inspiration from was the Caihong juji.
It was a bird-like dinosaur that sporting iridescent feathers that were bright and colorful. Archeops are a lot more colorful throughout its entire body but the similarities are there. It's not the most graceful of flyers as it must use a running start to take flight.
4 Tropius
Imagine seeing a brachiosaurus that could fly. Yes, though Tropius is often forgotten about in the Pokémon fandom, this long-neck herbivore sports a dual-typing of grass and flying. The giant leaves protruding from its back make it capable of flight.
Those leaves are just that, they're not wings at all. Tropius can flap them with such force that they can lift it in the air and act as wings. This thing looks like a cross between a Brachiosaurus and a banana tree as the fruit grows out from its neck twice a year.
3 Feraligatr
If you've seen the movie Jurassic World then you're likely familiar with the Mosasaurus, which was the giant alligator-like creature that leaped out of the water during the movie's climactic third act.
Feraligatr has legs and walks on land as a water-type pokémon, but its primal design and intimidating stature make it feel as if it and the Mosasaurus are at least distant cousins. It has trouble supporting its weight out of water according to the PokéDex which makes it sound like this guy belongs in the water.
2 Aerodactyl
So, not only is Aerodactyl known as the Fossil Pokémon, but it also happens to be an obvious pokémon version of the Pterodactyl. These were the flying giant predators that roamed the skies and preyed on anything that happened to land in its line of sight.
Aerodactyl went extinct and was only brought back to life thanks to scientific technology that was capable of resurrecting it from DNA found in old amber. It seems that this guy was entirely inspired by the classic dinosaur movie Jurassic Park.
1 Tyrantrum
Tyrantrum is a pokémon that's been inspired by and designed using the template of what scientists in the real world believed the Tyrannosaurus Rex looked like. The coolest part of Tyrantrum's design is that the idea of the T-Rex being the ruler of the dinosaur kingdom was injected in a tangible and obvious way.
It not only sports a regal white collar around its neck but its head sports a set of golden spikes that intentionally resemble the look of a king's crown. It may currently be rock/dragon dual-typed, but the world of Pokémon needs to give this thing a dinosaur-typing.