Summary
Even during an unusually long gap between newPokemontitle releases, fan art is one thing that’s never in short supply among the franchise’s community, with one fan recently showing off a neat collection of custom Magikarp designs. Magikarp is one of the most popular and well-known creatures in the world ofPokemon, though it has never received any official new forms, regional variants, or the like.
Asone of the original 151 Pokemonthat can be encountered and caught in the Gen 1Pokemontitles,Pokemon Red and Blue, Magikarp has been familiar to fans since the beginning of the franchise. Despite its popularity, Magikarp is actually one of the weakest Pokemon of them all, carrying with it a base stat total of just 200. Though it can be encountered in most regions throughout thePokemonseries, Magikarp is far from useless, rather quickly evolving into the significantly more powerful Gyarados.
Pretty much everyPokemonfan who’s played through at least one title in the series knows the deal with Magikarp, but its pitiful battle capabilities don’t stop fans from loving it. In fact,Magikarp frequently shows up in fan-made artworksuch as this collection of designs that imagine new variants for the Fish Pokemon based on some of the other popular Water-types throughout the series. This artwork was created and shared online by the fan known as MunchyKu and includes designs based on Gyarados, Milotic, Bruxish, Tentacruel, Lapras, Vaporeon, Wishiwashi, Empoleon, and even the legendary Pokemon Palkia.
These Magikarp Designs Take Inspiration From Nine Different Water Pokemon
A wide variety of Pokemon, both popular and niche, have received all sorts of new forms over the last several years, particularly since the introduction ofregional variants in the Gen 7Pokemongames.Pokemon Scarlet and Violetwent further by introducing Paradox Pokemon and convergent Pokemon - not quite regional variants, but each breathing some new life into existing Pokemon in new and creative ways.
Regional variant Pokemon have remained incredibly popular among fans since Gen 7, becoming all the more beloved afterPokemon Legends: Arceusdemonstrated how the concept of regional variants can effectively bring about a fresh perspective on a classic region - Sinnoh. Many fans are keeping their eyes peeled for any new scraps ofinformation regarding next year’sPokemon Legends: Z-A, and while a lot ofPokemonenthusiasts are hoping to see new Kalosian regional variants introduced with the game, it’s ultimately not too likely that Magikarp will be counted among them.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
