A lot of Pokémon look just like the type they are. For instance, Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon and, well, it looks like one. Pikachu is bright yellow with a lightning bolt-shaped tail and looks exactly like we might expect an Electric-type Pokémon to look.
While Pikachu looks exactly like we would expect an Electric-type Pokémon to look, there are also a lot of Pokémon that look nothing like their type. Although looking at a Pokémon can often tell you what type it's going to be, there are some that have a pretty distinct look to them and then... are not the type that they seem like they'd be.
To see 10 Pokémon that look nothing like their type, keep reading!
Updated January 21st, 2020: To date, there are almost 900 Pokémon in the Pokédex! Although they may not all have made it into Pokémon Sword & Shield, the release of this new generation of Pokémon has us thinking about some of our favorites that have been added to the franchise. There are so many of them that look like they should be a different type that we decided to come back and add a few more!
15 Mega Charizard X
Charizard is a Pokémon that was introduced in the first generation of the Pokémon franchise. It's the final evolutionary phase of Charmander, one of the three starter Pokémon that appeared in the Kanto region. Although Charizard doesn't evolve again, it can Mega Evolve with the use of different Charizardite Mega Stones.
If a player uses a Charizardite X on their Charizard, it will evolve up into Mega Charizard X. Mega Evolving increases its stats and makes it even more powerful, but it also makes it blue and black. However, it remains a Fire/Flying-type Pokémon. With its dragon-like appearance and blue accents, this Pokémon definitely looks more like it should be an Ice/Dragon-type Pokémon.
14 Nihilego
Nihilego is a dual-type Rock/Poison Pokémon that was introduced in Generation VII of the Pokémon franchise. It's one of the Ultra Beasts and goes by the code name UB-01 Symbiont.
Despite the fact that this Pokémon is a Rock/Poison-type, it definitely doesn't look like it. This Pokémon looks more like an ethereal jellyfish-like creature from outerspace. The Ultra Beasts are really unique, so the fact that it doesn't look like its type makes sense. Still, Nihilego looks a lot more like it should be a Fairy/Water-type Pokémon.
13 Zygarde (50%)
Zygarde is a unique Pokémon because of the fact that it has a few different Formes. Despite the Forme that Zygarde takes on, this Legendary Pokémon remains a Dragon/Ground-type.
This Pokémon was originally introduced in Generation VI, but Pokémon Sun & Moon got two additional Formes of Zygarde in the game. This Legendary Pokémon has a black and lime green body and a snake-like body. Because of this Pokémon's coloring and snake-like appearance, it definitely looks a lot more like a Dark/Poison-type Pokémon.
12 Solrock
Solrock is a dual-type Rock/Psychic Pokémon that was introduced in Generation III of the Pokémon franchise. This Pokémon looks pretty similar to the sun with its orange, round body and the yellow ray-like appendages that come out from around its entire body.
This Pokémon is a counterpart to Lunatone, another Rock/Psychic Pokémon that looks a lot like the moon. Considering the fact that Solrock and Lunatone are clearly designed to look like the sun and moon, it's pretty unusual that they're both just Rock/Psychic Pokémon. Solrock would make way more sense as a Rock/Fire-type Pokémon.
11 Lugia
Lugia is a Psychic/Flying-type Legendary Pokémon that was introduced in Generation II of the Pokémon franchise. This Pokémon is one half of the Tower Duo alongside Ho-Oh. Although the Flying-type part of this Pokémon is clear since it has large wings and is a bird, the Psychic-type half is what looks out of place.
Considering the Pokémon franchise's lore refers to Lugia as the "guardian of the seas" while Ho-Oh is the "guardian of the skies," having Lugia not be a Water-type seems so out of place.
10 Charizard
Charizard is one Pokémon that almost looks like the type it is. Charizard is the final evolution of Charmander, one of the three starter Pokémon from Generation I of the Pokémon franchise. It's obvious from this Pokémon's bright orange color and flaming tail that it's a Fire-type Pokémon, right?
And based on the rest of its appearance, someone who isn't familiar with this Pokémon would likely assume that it's also a Dragon-type Pokémon, right? It has those big wings, the long claws, and just generally looks like a dragon. But nope! Charizard is a dual-type Fire/Flying Pokémon and is somehow not a Dragon-type.
9 Stunfisk
Stunfisk is a Pokémon that is based on a type of fish known as the Stargazer. These fish are known for laying in the sea floor, hiding in the sand, and attacking their prey from below. Stunfisk looks exactly like one with its semi-flat body and eyes and mouth that are on the top of its head.
Stunfisk looks exactly like a real-life fish and is typically found buried in the sea shores around the Pokémon world, so it's definitely a Water-type, right? Nope. Despite being a fish, this Pokémon is a dual-type Ground/Electric Pokémon.
8 Sudowoodo
Sudowoodo is a Pokémon that was introduced in Generation II. This Pokémon evolves up from Bonsly and looks just like a tree with two branches for arms. Considering this Pokémon's appearance, there's no way it's anything but a Ground-type or Grass-type Pokémon, right? Maybe it has some Fairy-type or Psychic-type in there to account for how unique looking it is?
Wrong. This Pokémon, despite looking just like a tree, is a pure Rock-type Pokémon. Its name is kind of a pun. Sudowoodo sounds similar to "psuedo wood" which is fitting since it looks like it should be made of wood and then it isn't.
7 Luxray
Luxray is another Pokémon that looks sort of like its type, but then sort of doesn't. Just looking at this Pokémon's bright yellow patches and spiky fur and tail gives away the fact that it's an Electric-type Pokémon, right? But then the black fur all over definitely looks like this Pokémon should be a dual-type Dark/Electric Pokémon.
If that black fur fooled you into thinking this Pokémon is a Dark/Electric dual-type Pokémon, then you're wrong. This Pokémon is purely Electric-type, despite looking just like many of our favorite Dark-type Pokémon.
6 Florges
Florges is a Pokémon that was introduced in Generation VI. It can come in a variety of different colors, depending on the color of flower that Flabébé has or the color of meadow that it's found in.
This Pokémon is one that looks just like a freshly picked wildflower somewhere. Because of that, this Pokémon is definitely one that has to be a Grass-type, right? Sorry but no. This Pokémon may look like a Grass-type Pokémon or maybe a dual-type Grass/Fairy Pokémon, but it's purely a Fairy-type.
5 Gyarados
Gyarados is a Pokémon that was introduced in Generation I of the Pokémon franchise and evolves up from Magikarp. This Pokémon is absolutely massive and pretty terrifying because of its speed and size. It looks exactly like a traditional Chinese dragon and seems like it would probably be a dual-type Dragon/Water Pokémon, right?
Even though this massive Pokémon may look like all the traditional art we've seen of dragons from Chinese mythology, it's not a Dragon-type at all. This Pokémon is a dual-type Water/Flying Pokémon instead.
4 Flygon
With Flygon's green body, massive wings, and generally insect-like appearance, there's no way that anyone could be confused about what type this Pokémon is. The only thing that has us torn is deciding which two types it could be. Flying/Grass? Bug/Dragon? The choices are endless, but it's clearly some combination of those.
...Or is it? Despite looking like a giant, flying insect, Flygon is actually not a Bug-type Pokémon at all. But it's green, so it's still a Grass-type, right? Nope. Instead, this Pokémon is a dual-type Ground/Dragon Pokémon.
3 Dhelmise
Dhelmise is an example of some of the more unusual and unique Pokémon that have been added to the franchise in recent years. This Pokémon was introduced in Generation VII and looks just like an anchor - and an ancient one, with all the seaweed stuck to it and the cracks in its body.
Since it's an anchor, this Pokémon is definitely a Water-type, right? And since it's an inanimate object, we can guess it's probably also a Ghost-type. If that sounds right to you, you'd be half correct. But, instead of being a Ghost/Water Pokémon, Dhelmise is a dual-type Ghost/Grass Pokémon. We're totally on board with the Ghost-type part, but the Grass-type is throwing us off.
2 Psyduck
In the Pokémon anime series, Psyduck is shown to be... Well, somewhat useless. Sorry, Psyduck, but it's true. This Pokémon constantly has a headache and never stops grabbing onto its head because of that!
Since this Pokémon looks like a duck, it's obvious that it's going to be a Water-type Pokémon. But, the stance that it constantly has with its hands on its head and its constant headaches makes it seem like this Pokémon is also going to be a Psychic-type Pokémon, right? Nope. This Pokémon is a pure Water-type, despite its heavy focus on its head.
1 Turtonator
Turtonator was introduced in Generation VII and is a Pokémon that looks just like a really cool turtle. Even its name is similar to the word "turtle" with the "turt" in the beginning. This Pokémonhas a hard shell with black, yellow, and red details on it that match the rest of its body. It's obvious that this Pokémon is a Fire-type Pokémon, but it's hard to decide what type best fits the turtle part of this Pokémon's appearance.
Rock, Water, or Ground would all fit really well. Rock-type because of its solid shell, Water-type because turtles live in the water, or Ground-type because some turtles spend a lot of time out of water as well. So, which one is Turtonator? None. Somehow, this Pokémon is actually a dual-type Fire/Dragon Pokémon.