Ultra Beasts were inspired by past Pokemon designs rejected by Game Freak’s Ken Sugimori

Illustrator Yusuke Omura, a character designer at Game Freak, has revealed some interesting origins for the Ultra Beasts in Pokemon.

These creatures were first introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. They weren’t the typical kind of Pokemon we were used to seeing as they stem from a different, known as the Ultra Space. 

When Omura was coming up with the Ultra Beasts, they weren’t entirely new for him. That’s because they were inspired by previous Pokemon designs that Ken Sugimori rejected. Sugimori is Game Freak’s co-founder and has designed a ton of creatures for the series in the past.

Omura wrote on social media:

“I designed the Ultra Beasts by recalling some of the designs I made which were rejected by Mr. Sugimori, and I decided to deliberately use the very reasons for why they were rejected and base the artistic direction of the designs on them. So in some way, they’re like a manifestation of my own resentment – pretty scary. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I hate Mr. Sugimori or anything like that.”

Fans believe Ultra Beasts came from “a combination of unrealistic motifs,” “a complete removal from anything Pokemon-like” and “getting filled with a sense of dread at first glance.” Omura has confirmed that it was intended to create the feeling that “they aren’t actually Pokemon”.

Which Ultra Beast is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.