Pokemon players defend “horrifying” unused Gyarados design
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon players are defending the terrifying original design for Gyarados, which was planned to appear in Pokemon Red & Blue before being scrapped.
Over the past few years, the Pokemon series has been dogged by leaks, with early development copies making their way online, featuring Pokemon designs that were never meant to be seen by the general public.
The leaks hit the Gen 1 and Gen 2 games hard, with early versions of Pokemon Red & Green and Pokemon Gold & Silver showing drastically different visions for their worlds. The unused Pokemon designs are easily the most fascinating part of these leaks, offering a glimpse at what could have been.
A few unused Pokemon designs were revealed in 2018 as part of a Japanese TV show. These included unpolished versions of familiar Pokemon like Arcanine, Lapras, and Scyther and a few unrecognizable versions of iconic Pokemon.
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon players love Gyarados’ original sandworm design
A thread on the Pokemon Reddit showed the original design for Gyarados (alongside a fan-made recreation) from a time when it looked more like a lamprey than a sea serpent. While horrifying, this design quickly found supporters among the fans.
“Would absolutely train and love that diabolical monstrosity!” one user wrote, while another said, “I’d love for this dude to come back, we need more fierce eyeless Pogeys. Plus you can never go wrong with a good ol’ lamprey mouth.”
While some players loved this design, the general consensus is that it would have been too scary for a kids’ game. The original Gyarados was a bit too close to a leech-themed JRPG boss than a Pokemon, which is likely why it was cut in the first place.
This isn’t to say that the existing version of Gyarados is particularly cuddly or loveable, but at least it has eyes. And while the current Gyarados might have a big mouth, it doesn’t have a gaping abyss ringed with teeth.
How Magikarp was going to turn into this version of Gyarados is unclear. It’s possible it also had a different design at some point in development, but we may never know for sure. Fans can only speculate and wonder about a world where Gyarados looked like a slightly more hellish beast.