Pokemon That Look Like Dragons But Are Not Dragon Type

Key Takeaways

• Charizard isn’t a Dragon-type due to game balancing and its mythological inspiration.
• Gyarados resembles a dragon but is only Water and Flying-type for balance and design reasons.
• Aerodactyl’s wyvern-like appearance hints at Dragon-type, but it’s Rock and Flying due to its status as a Fossil Pokemon.

Dragon is definitely one of the most prestigious types in the Pokemon franchise, since it’s usually only reserved for the most powerful and/or mysterious creatures in this fictional world. Because of this, there are several Pokemon that look and feel like dragons, but they are not actually part of the Dragon Type family.

This may be for one reason or another, whether it’s because their design is inspired by something that isn’t actually a dragon or for game balancing reasons, seeing as Dragon is one of the strongest types in the Pokemon games. The following Pokemon are some of the most egregious examples of this phenomenon.

8 Charizard

The Most Recognizable Non-Dragon Type Dragon In The Franchise

This is likely the first thing that comes to people’s minds whenever they think of a non-Dragon-type Pokemon that should have been one. They can’t be blamed, because Charizard does look like the quintessential fantasy dragon, complete with two large wings that let it fly and the ability to breathe fire. However, there are two good reasons as to why Charizard was not part of this prestigious type.

Firstly, the Dragon-type was extremely overpowered back in Generation One, so giving it to Charizard would’ve completely broken the balance between itself and the other two starters: Venusaur and Blastoise. Secondly, the entire Charmander family is partially based off of the mythical interpretations of salamanders, not dragons. It’s important to note that Mega Charizard X does change its Flying-type for the Dragon-type, but Mega Evolutions have not been available in the Pokemon games since Generation Seven.

7 Gyarados

It’s Infamous For Its Destructive Nature

Gyarados has all the makings of a typical eastern dragon, and it even looks surprisingly similar to one of the few Dragon-types introduced in Generation One, Dragonair. However, and much to the player’s disappointment, the Atrocious Pokemon is only Water and Flying-type.

Like Charizard, this could have been done for balancing reasons, since being able to train a Level 20 Dragon-type Pokemon back in Generation One would’ve been downright broken. But Gyarados’ origins also shed some light on the situation: While it is partially inspired by the legend of carps that transform into dragons when they leap over waterfalls, Gyarados’ design is also based off of Japanese kites known as Koinobori, which means that the Flying-type fits it perfectly.

6 Aerodactyl

A Prehistoric Flying Reptile

Aerodactyl undoubtedly looks a lot like a draconic creature, specifically a wyvern. This is because it is obviously based off of a Pterodactyl, prehistoric flying reptiles that were the closest thing to dragons that ever existed in the real world. Nevertheless, it seems that it is partially Rock-type because all the Fossil Pokemon in Generation One had that as one of their types as well.

While this is a logical explanation, it can’t be denied that it still feels like Aerodactyl could’ve been a Dragon-type. As a result of this resemblance, Aerodactyl – alongside Charizard and Gyarados – is part of an infamous trio of Flying-type Pokemon that look so much like dragons that they were all part of Lance’s team, a Pokemon champion and a master of the Dragon-type at one point.

5 Tyranitar

One Of The Few Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon Who Is Not A Dragon Type

Eight out of ten Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon are partially Dragon-types, which makes sense, considering how incredibly powerful they usually are. And while nobody would expect Metagross to be a Dragon-type, it’s kind of weird that Tyranitar isn’t one. After all, it’s partially based off of Godzilla, one of the most iconic reptilian monsters in all media.

On top of that, Baxcalibur is another Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon that’s based off of Godzilla, and it actually is part Dragon-type. Nevertheless, neither Tyranitar nor Mega Tyranitar is part of this exclusive type, and it’s not exactly clear why it’s a Rock and Dark-type instead. At the end of the day, this is the only Pokemon with this unique combination, which may be why Game Freak decided to never change it.

4 Sceptile

Another Reptilian Starter Pokemon That Could’ve Been Part Dragon

Even though the Dragon-type was much more manageable in Generation Three, giving it to a Starter Pokemon would’ve still created unbalancing issues among its trio. This is why Sceptile is only a Grass-type, since Dragon-type would’ve made it resist Water-type attacks from Swampert and receive neutral damage from Blaziken’s Fire-type moves.

Sceptile is seemingly based off of several reptiles, from regular lizards like geckos and anoles to carnivorous dinosaurs like the Velociraptor or the Dilophosaurus. It’s basically a wingless dragon, so the Dragon-type would have fit it quite well. It’s evident that Game Freak was aware of this, and that’s why Mega Sceptile gained the Dragon-type, although it has unfortunately disappeared from the games like all the other Mega Evolutions.

3 Milotic

A Beautiful Serpentine Creature

Dragons are not always about destruction and mayhem, seeing as some interpretations of eastern dragons portray them as majestic and wise creatures who assist humans. Because of this and its beautiful serpentine appearance, Milotic feels like it could have been a Water and Dragon-type Pokemon.

This type was much more balanced in Generation Three, to the point that the Hoenn Region even featured several less powerful Dragon-types, like Altaria or Flygon, so there’s not a good reason as to why Milotic was deprived of the type. What makes things worse is that this is the signature Pokemon of Wallace, the final Gym Leader in Ruby and Sapphire, and the Champion in Emerald, so having him master a powerful Water and Dragon Pokemon wouldn’t have felt out of place at all.

2 Thundurus (Therian Forme)

It’s Literally A Legendary Dragon That Can Control The Weather

The Forces of Nature is a group of Legendary Pokemon that are all based off Japanese deities, with Thundurus seemingly being the stand-in for Raijin, the god of thunder and lightning. When taking that into consideration, its initial typing does make a lot of sense, but the same can’t be said for its alternate form.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 introduced the Forces of Nature’s Therian Formes, and Thundurus arguably looks much better with it. With its prominent whiskers, its long tail, and its blue hue, it looks like the legendary Azure Dragon. However, it still kept its Electric and Flying-type, most likely due to the fact that none of the other members of the Forces of Nature change their types upon switching forms, nor would it have made sense for them to do so.

1 Scovillain

There Already Are Too Many Dragon-Type Hydras In The Franchise

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced Scovillain, the Spicy Pepper Pokemon, which is based off of a chili pepper plant. Players immediately gravitated towards this new creature, not only because of its unique design but also because it’s the first Grass and Fire-type Pokemon in the franchise, a type combination that people have been hoping to see for years.

However, some fans began questioning why Scovillain isn’t a Dragon-type, since it’s partially inspired by the classic multi-headed Hydra. The truth is that this would’ve been extremely redundant. First of all, there’s Hydreigon, a Generation Five Pokemon that is already a Dragon-type Pokemon, that is partially based off of the Hydra. Secondly, The Indigo Disk DLC later introduced Hydrapple, a Grass and Dragon Pokemon that was explicitly inspired by the same mythological monster.