5 clever movie references hidden in Pokemon cries

The Pokemon franchise has borrowed heavily from movies and TV shows, most notably franchises like Godzilla and Ultraman. This goes even deeper in the English localizations, adding many little references to movie scenes through trainer names or their loss quotes. 

Still, there are times when the movie references are a bit more subtle, and that’s because they’re tied to the cries used by Pokemon. In the anime, most Pokemon can only say their name, but the other forms of Pokemon media don’t have to follow that rule. 

Those with a love for film and an appreciation for Pokemon yells have found connections between various franchises. Some of the most epic Pokemon of all time have been made even more imposing with the help of some familiar sounds.

5. Brambiln’s cry sounds like a classic western

Produzioni Europee Associati/The Pokemon Company

Poor Bramblin never got a chance to win over the hearts of Pokemon fans, as it was the latest in a long line of “Pokemon that are just real things.” In the case of Bramblin, it’s just a ball of tumbleweed with eyes, which instantly draws the ire of fans for not being a ‘real’ Pokemon.

Those who ignored Bramblin due to the circumstances of its creation will have missed out on a clever movie reference hidden in its cry. If you meet a wild Bramblin, you’ll be treated to its whistling cry, as heard on the Slonk YouTube channel. 

Fans of classic westerns will instantly recognize Bramblin’s cry, as it’s eerily similar to the title theme from “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,”, one of the best Western movies all time, composed by Ennio Morricone, as heard below on the HD Film Tributes YouTube channel. 

This isn’t a coincidence, as tumbleweeds are often associated with Westerns, often being seen blown across the ground in empty frontier towns or during shootouts. It’s just a shame that the Bramblin haters won’t get a chance to experience this nod to cowboy movies.

4. Giratina sounds like a famous movie monster

The Pokemon Company/Toho

When it comes to the anime, the Legendary Pokemon usually sound a little different from their regular counterparts. After all, Mewtwo wouldn’t have sounded as impressive if his voice was just Dan Green shouting, “Mewtwo, Mewtwo!” repeatedly.

Not only do some Legendary Pokemon talk (like Mewtwo and Diancie), but some have imposing roars, the kind used by Kaiju in many famous Japanese movies. 

In the case of Giratina, it has a cry that will be extremely familiar to Kaiju fans. As pointed out in a video on The Fuzzlies YouTube channel, Giratina sounds like one of Godzilla’s famous allies/enemies. 

That’s right, Giratina uses an extremely similar cry to the 1985 iteration of Mothra. This is clearly not an accident, knowing how much the Pokemon series has been inspired by Kaiju flicks and Godzilla movies.

3. Staryu/Starmie’s cry is an obscure Japanese TV show reference

Tsuburaya Productions,/The Pokemon Company

On the surface, Staryu and Starmie are Pokemon inspired by starfish and nothing else. It’s easy to think that their designer just threw a gem on a starfish and called it a day.

It turns out that there’s more to Staryu/Starmie’s design than meets the eye. The reason they have the gem on their chest is because it’s a reference to the Color Timer from the Ultraman series, which is a gem that shows how much power the titular hero has left. When he starts running out, the Color Timer flashes.

Not only that, but the grunts made by Staryu/Starmie are the same battle noises Ultraman makes when he fights. This is why these Pokemon make those noises instead of saying their names and why a generation of Pokemon fans were left confused by their odd behavior.

2. Sawk sounds like the most famous martial arts action hero of all time

Miramax/The Pokemon Company

Pokemon has also been inspired by martial arts, with some original 151 being named after real-life fighters. The Pokemon we know as Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are named Ebiwalar and Sawamular in Japanese, a play on the boxer Hiroyuki Ebihara and kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura. 

Unfortunately, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee had to contend with the limited hardware of the Game Boy, which meant that their cries were little more than 8-bit garbled noises. 

However, the same isn’t true of Sawk, which was introduced in Pokemon Black & White, giving it the Nintendo DS’s hardware to call upon. This meant that Sawk could have a more distinctive yell, as heard on the Pokemon Cries YouTube channel.

Sawk’s cry evokes the epic noises Bruce Lee used to make in his movies. If you need a ten-minute fix on them, then the ErikNicol YouTube channel has combined many of them. 

As a new martial arts-themed Pokemon for its era, it’s fitting that Sawk be given the epic roar that rightfully should have belonged to one of the Gen 1 Fighting-types, if only they hadn’t been held back by technology. 

1. Palkia sounds like Obi-Wan’s ride in Star Wars

Lucasfilm/The Pokemon Company

You know, Star Wars had to get in here somewhere. A series full of fantastical aliens surely played a role in inspiring the Pokemon franchise. 

In this case, it’s a Legendary Pokemon using the same cry as a creature from the Star Wars movies. The Legendary Pokemon is Palkia from Gen 4, one of the most well-known ‘mons of its era, so it’s fitting that it would have a familiar voice.

…Or does it? See, Palkia has the same cry as a relatively obscure Star Wars creature. The alien in question is Boga, the big parrot/lizard that Obi-Wan used as a mount to chase General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith. A comparison of the cries can be heard on the KnightSpartan YouTube channel.

Palkia might be one of the strongest Pokemon in the franchise, so it could at least have had a cry from something fans know. Then again, if Palkia sounded like Chewbacca, all the Spatial Rend attacks in the world wouldn’t save it from a lawsuit.