Palworld's Biggest Pokémon Clones Explained

"Palworld" has become an overnight sensation, selling millions of copies and garnering rave reviews for its mix of monster-catching and survival mechanics. Though it's proving to be much more than just "Pokémon with guns," "Palworld" is still having a hard time distancing itself from accusations of plagiarism. Simply put, the game's design aesthetic is highly reminiscent of the franchise that inspired it, and many "Pokémon' fans are crying foul.

There is a reason for these similarities, of course. "Palworld" developer Pocketpair has not hidden the fact that it has drawn inspiration from Nintendo and Game Freak's long-running "Pokémon" franchise. However, the devs and the game's fans have typically maintained that "Palworld" is a work of satire, rather than an attempt to rip off one of the world's biggest video game companies. Even so, critics maintain that some of the game's Pals look too close to the genuine article.

There are a handful of Pals that are nearly indistinguishable from real-world animals, so we won't be including those here, even if they also look like a recognizable Pokémon. Sure, Lamball may look a heck of a lot like the Pokémon Wooloo — but at the end of a day, a sheep is a sheep, right? With that caveat out of the way, here are some of the most frequent examples of Pals that "Pokémon" fans have called out as clones.

Okay, okay, so the Dark Mutant (as it's codenamed in the game's files) isn't technically in the game just yet, but that hasn't stopped it from being one of the most controversial copycats in "Palworld." This leaked Pal's character model was discovered by dataminer Brian Cozzens, at which point fans immediately noted its similarities to Mega Mewtwo Y. In particular, its swishy ponytail, three-fingered limbs, and jutting hips make it one of the closer dopplegängers in "Palworld." Some gamers have theorized that the character may have ultimately been cut from "Palworld" because it was too close to Mewtwo, but precise details about the Dark Mutant's purpose remain scarce.

Anubis' look is clearly inspired by its namesake, the dog-headed Egyptian guardian of the underworld. This can be seen in both its canine features and its pharaoh-style sash. However, Anubis also bears a bit more than a passing resemblance to the Legendary Pokémon/"Super Smash Bros." star, Lucario. Though Anubis certainly has more humanlike hands, the jewel in the center of the creature's chest and its angular canine head have been pointed out by suspicious "Pokémon' players as the most noticeable similarities between the two. Much like Lucario, Anubis also favors high-speed combat scenarios, with its "Guardian of the Desert" ability enabling it to quickly dodge enemy attacks. Some gamers have argued that Anubis' look has more in common with Lucario than many classic depictions of the Egyptian Anubis himself.

this is head of Anubis, as you can see there are multiple ways to go about it, but after all it's just a dude with a jackal head

interestingly enough, none of the below look verbatim to Lucario like the one from Palworld does pic.twitter.com/4UQTJmA9tO

— Kuba Przetakiewicz (he/him) (@kubaworks) January 25, 2024

Leafeon, the Grass Type evolution of Eevee, is a real favorite in the fan art community. Theres just something about a little fox with leaves for ears that makes even the most jaded "Pokémon" fans smile. That may be why the Pal called Lifmunk has seriously gotten on some players' nerves. This little creature is commonly seen in "Palworld" promo material with an automatic handgun in its mitts, which definitely helps to distract from its physical similarities to Leafeon. Namely, its shiny eyes, teensy little snout, leafy ears and overall color palette have made even some "Palworld" defenders take pause (even if the designs aren't exactly one-to-one).

I thought it when I saw Palworld for the first time.
They're weirdly too similar to Pokémon...
(I edited a little bit yesterday's one)#Palworld #lifmunk #leafeon pic.twitter.com/1ZkAVFnTKj

— Leight(らいと) (@kemo_leight) January 25, 2024

Tocotoco is a winged Pal with an explosive temper, as well as a design and color scheme remarkably similar to Xatu, a psychic Pokemon modeled after ancient totem poles. Despite Tocotoco's helmet of feathers and longer beak, this is another one that's pretty difficult for "Palworld" players to argue with. Some have even pointed out that it might make more sense to incorporate Tocotoco's exploding abilities into its design in some way. To this end, one fan on X replaced the markings on Tocotoco with a more armored look, making for a more medieval-looking Pal.

I redesigned #tocotoco from #Palworld to have an explosive motif since it's whole thing is it explodes but it looks a lot like xatu with no explosive motif #PalworldArt I based it off of hornbills, grenades, explosions, bazookas and land mines pic.twitter.com/SKObxWROkR

— Chook/Lily (@CParrotLady) January 28, 2024

Electabuzz is tough enough to have served in the Great Pokémon War (in theory), so it makes sense that "Palworld" would have its own beastly analogue in Grizzbolt. Both creatures pack an electrical punch, hitting enemies with lightning and claws. The black zigzag markings on the two creatures' yellow bodies also draw immediate comparisons between this Pal and Lt. Surge's biggest bruiser. As an amusing aside, a number of fans have also found parallels between Grizzbolt's design and that of Studio Ghibli's beloved children's character, Totoro. As one might expect, this has made Grizzbolt an early go-to character for "Palworld" fan art.

Couldn't resist making some Palworld fanart, and ofcourse it had to be this iconic scene.. because Grizzbolt does look a little like Totoro after all! #Palworld #Palworld募集 #PalworldGame pic.twitter.com/suNjxqgfFC

— -`ˏ Meijro ˎ´- (art moots welcome!) (@Meijro) January 25, 2024

There's something quite elegant about Broncherry, from its piercing blue eyes to its pink eyelashes and flowery collar. Even the way it carries itself, with its long neck and snout usually pointing skyward, suggests that this is one fancy Pal. Unfortunately, some "Pokémon" fans have argued that Broncherry might have gotten its finest features from Gen 2's Meganium and Gen 5's Serperior. Namely, the aforementioned floral accents and the Pal's serpentine head and neck feel quite reminiscent the two evolved Grass Type Starters.

Jormuntide is a serpentine dragon Pal that rises from the deep and scares the devil out of passersby. It also boasts shockingly blue scales and a white segmented underbelly. Toss in red eyes and some long whisker-like antenna and you have a sea dragon that's highly reminiscent of Gyarados. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that there's an all-red variant of this Pal called Jormuntide Ignis — which will no doubt remind Gen 2 "Pokémon" fans of the Shiny Red Gyarados encountered in those games.

LMFAO. Red Gyarados... pic.twitter.com/d47MPVZ9ZI

— Kougeru 🐉⛩️ (@Kougeru) January 27, 2024

Grintale was one of the first Pals to raise a commotion when "Palworld" was nearing launch. Though possibly inspired by the Cheshire Cat from "Alice in Wonderland," "Pokémon" fans have also noted that it shares a few obvious characteristics with the Galarian version of Meowth introduced in "Pokémon Sword" and "Shield." In fact, some have outright accused the developers of yoinking the face off of Meowth and transplanting it onto Grintale. Meanwhile, fans of "Palworld" have pointed out another possible Studio Ghibli inspiration for Grintale: The eerily adorable Catbus from "My Neighbor Totoro." The Pal's glowing eyes and toothy grin certainly do give off a similar vibe.

Cinderace's sporty "attire" and fiery attitude has earned it quite an online following, with some pointing to the Scorbunny-to-Cinderace evolutionary line as one of the best Starters in the series. That's probably why Verdash is a particularly infuriating Pal in the eyes of "Pokémon" fans. Its rabbitlike silhouette and cuffed "pants" make it look like a Grass Type ringer for the beloved fire Pokémon, which fans have argued doesn't make a whole lot of sense. After all, Cinderace's design and moves are based around a distinct sports aesthetic, whereas nothing about Verdash's attacks or Paldeck entry suggest a connection to soccer or any other pastime. 

On the other hand, a number of "Palworld" defenders have argued that the biggest point of comparison here is simply the fact that both characters look like rabbits. To this, one annoyed "Pokémon" fan on X remarked, "Gamefreak [sic] doesnt own rabbits. But they sure as hell own Cinderace's design."