Pokemon plushie finally reveals one of Pokemon’s longest-running mysteries

Pokemon fans have been pondering the mystery of what some ‘mons look like for years, yet one Gen 1 creature has had its face in the spotlight for decades without most people knowing about it.

Some Pokemon disguise their true appearance through various means. These include vines obscuring Tangela’s face, Mimikyu’s cloth shrouding its real form, and whatever’s contained within the foreboding darkness of Shedinja’s shell.

Cubone and Marowak are two Pokemon with mysterious faces, as they’re always hidden by skulls. These are designs from the darker days of the franchise when death was incorporated into the story rather than being something mentioned obliquely, if at all.

It turns out that Cubone’s true appearance has been known the whole time, albeit through merchandise rather than the games. This comes from a post on the Pokemon Reddit, which shows all of the products that revealed Cubone’s face, including a trading card, a picture book, and even an official plush with a removable skull.

We've had Cubone's real face this entire time, and hardly anyone knew about it
byu/Collector55 inpokemon

“It’s wild to think we’ve been wondering about this for so long, only to realize the answer was right in front of us!” one user wrote, while another said, “Looks like a Charmander who’s been in the sun too long lol.”

One grouchy user wasn’t having it and added, “I refuse to believe the plushies are canon because they look extremely stupid.”

“And it plays the flute?!” one user responded, referring to Cubone’s surprising musical abilities.

The picture book and card come from the ’90s, at a time when the details and direction of the Pokemon franchise were still being worked out. As such, it’s not unusual to see things like Cubone’s real face on an obscure piece of merch.

The Cubone plushies, on the other hand, are far more contemporary, launching in 2016 and 2018, respectively. This means that Cubone’s face is an open secret among the fans, with a design approved by The Pokemon Company, even if it never appears in the video games.