Summary
Despite the controversy surroundingPalworldand its use of creature designs that look remarkably similar to iconic Pokemon, the game has exploded in popularity since it launched in early access. It’s hard not to compare some of the Pals ofPalworldto critters from thePokemonfranchise, given how the game was often likened to “Pokemonwith guns” leading up to its release, but a lot of the game’s Pals are a little too on the nose when it comes to theirPokemoninspirations. The Pals of the Electric element are no exception, with several of these Pals having clearPokemoncounterparts.
There are a lot of aspects of thePokemonfranchise that can be seen inPalworld’s design, such as the game’s use of Pals for automating menial tasks, functioning similarly toPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Let’s Go! mechanic. While survival and crafting are the core mechanics ofPalworldthat separate it fromPokemonand other monster-taming games, the similarities in the designs of Pals to certain Pokemon overshadow these differences in the eyes of many players. As such, some players might recognize design elements from specific Pokemon when they encounter these Pals for the first time.
Orserk
Zekrom
Most of the Electric element Pals inPalworldhave an Electric-typePokemoncounterpart, and this becomes even more true when considering only the base forms of Pals and not their subspecies that can be obtained throughPal breeding. The Electric type is important to thePokemonseries since its mascot, Pikachu, is an Electric type. However,Palworldplaces less emphasis on Electric element Pals, and they tend to focus on the Generating Electricity Work Ability, which doesn’t become as relevant until later in the game when players unlock the ability to build Power Generators for their base.
Sparkit is the Raichu of Palworld
AlthoughPalworldfeatures Pals like Lifmunk and Grizzbolt as more obvious mascots, Sparkit’s design is clearly based onPokemon’s mascot,Pikachu, and its evolution, Raichu. Like Pikachu and Raichu, Sparkit is a Pal that is available inPalworld’s early game and is appropriately listed early in the Paldeck. The most apparent similarities between Sparkit and Raichu are in their tails, with both creatures sharing a lightning bolt shape on the ends of their tails, but Sparkit’s black and yellow color palette is closer to Pikachu’s than Raichu’s.
Grizzbolt is the Electabuzz of Palworld
Grizzbolt isPalworld’s version ofPokemon’s Electabuzz and has been heavily featured among marketing materials forPalworldas one of the game’s main mascots. Players will likely encounter Grizzbolt early in the game as it’s featured as the game’s first real boss alongsideRayne Syndicate’s Zoe. Like Electabuzz and many of the Electric element Pals inPalworld, Grizzbolt has a black and yellow color palette and a large, burly body type that gives it an imposing presence and makes it the perfect Pal for the game’s first boss fight.
Orserk is the Zekrom of Palworld
Orserk is a monstrous Pal that players likely won’t encounter until late in the game, as it is another boss who battles alongside its Tamer, Axel, making it the perfect counterpart toPokemon Black and White’s Legendary Zekrom. While Zekrom’s color palette is mostly black, Orserk’s is composed of black, yellow, and white, but both creatures share the dual Electric/Dragon typing. In addition to this similar typing, Zekrom and Orserk have similar body shapes, both being bipedal dragons with long arms and wing-like appendages on their backs, which solidify the clear similarities between these two creatures.
