Wigglytuff
Pokémon series character
National Pokédex Jigglypuff - Wigglytuff (#040) - Zubat
First game	Pokémon Red and Blue
Designed by	Ken Sugimori

Wigglytuff, known in Japan as プクリン (Pukurin), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.

Concept and characteristics [edit]

Wigglytuff was one of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue.^[1][2] Originally called "Pukurin" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children.^[3] As a result it was renamed Wigglytuff, which IGN claims is a combination of the word "wiggly" and "tuff", the latter having a dual meaning of both "tough" and "tuft".^[4]

Wigglytuff, known as the singing rabbit Pokémon, is a relatively large pink balloon-like Pokémon with a white underbelly, large blue baby-like eyes, a pair of large rabbit ears, and a twisty tuft of pink hair on its forehead. It evolves from Jigglypuff through a Moon Stone. In fact, it's remarkably similar to its pre-evolved form, Jigglypuff, except the ears have grown larger and it now maintains an "oval" shape. Wigglytuff's eyes are always covered by a thin layer of tears, so that if any dust gets into Wigglytuff’s eyes, it is quickly cried away. In the games, Wigglytuff's fur is described to be "sublime", so much so that if two of them come into close contact with each other, they are difficult to separate.

Appearances [edit]

In the video games [edit]

Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and in its remakes Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. It evolves from Jigglypuff by use of a special evolutionary item called a Moon Stone. It was given an earlier form called Igglybuff in Pokémon Gold and Silver. It has since appeared in every main Pokémon title since. Outside of the main series, Wigglytuff appears in the Pokémon Pinball titles, Pokémon Trozei!, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon titles, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, and Pokémon Rumble. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, Wigglytuff is the guild master of the guild that the lead character is a member of.

In other media [edit]

Wigglytuff makes multiple appearances in the Pokémon anime; Wigglytuff acts in a film in one episode, while a Wigglytuff appears with a sinister smile in another. Its Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness video game version appears in an anime special based on the games. One also appears in a minor role in the film Pokémon: The First Movie. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, a Wigglytuff is owned by the character Green and is the evolution of her first Pokémon, Jigglypuff. A Wigglytuff is a recurring character in the Magical Pokémon Journey manga and lives in a mansion with her younger sister Jigglypuff. She later becomes the girlfriend of an Arbok.

Reception [edit]

An editor for IGN wrote that Wigglytuff was a "tough foe" due to its above-average attack and high amount of health, especially to Pokémon with low defense. The editor also wrote that its hair tuft resembles Elvis Presley's.^[4] IGN's Pokémon of the Day Guy wrote that Wigglytuff was both "soft and cuddly".^[5] IGN's Pokémon Chick called it a "perky pink Pokémon" and that while Jigglypuff's popularity was "mind-boggling", once it evolves into Wigglytuff, it "has a tendency to sort of slip into the background". She added that it was a "pity" because "this irritable, googly-eyed pastel mercenary is actually pretty cool".^[6] GamesRadar's Carolyn Gudmundson used Wigglytuff as an example of the "huggable pink blob" design, specifically the "big-eyed" variety.^[7] GamesRadar's Brett Elston called it a "bizarre bunny/balloon hybrid".^[8] Official Nintendo Magazine's Thomas East wrote that Wigglytuff's name was amusing and that it could have made his list of the five best Pokémon names.^[9] Den of Geek's Jenny Sanders however found Wigglytuff's name to be "dumb".^[10] Destructoid's Ashley Davis wrote that cute evolutions such as Wigglytuff do not become as useful as tougher looking ones.^[11] Author Joseph Jay Tobin wrote that Wigglytuff was popular among young girls.^[12] GamePro's Emily Balistrieri called the Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness incarnation of Wigglytuff a "weird, weird Pokémon".^[13]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Pokémon portal

• Wigglytuff on Bulbapedia
• Wigglytuff at the Internet Movie Database