Unown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Unown |
|
|---|---|
| Pokémon series character | |
|
|
| First game | Pokémon Gold and Silver |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori |
Unown (アンノーン, Annōn, "Un-noun") is a special type of Pokémon species from the popular Pokémon games and shows. These games are made by Nintendo and Game Freak. Unown was created by Ken Sugimori.
Unown first appeared in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. Since then, they have been in many other games, toys, and animated shows. Unlike most Pokémon, Unown don't have one voice actor. Instead, many voices speak for them at the same time.
People often call Unown the "Symbol Pokémon." They look like ancient hieroglyphs, which are old picture writings. Unown are thin, black, and are usually found on walls. There are 28 different forms of Unown. Each form looks like a letter of the English alphabet. There are also two special forms: one looks like a question mark and the other like an exclamation point.
Unown were the main characters, acting as antagonists, in Spell of the Unown. This was the third Pokémon movie. Unown have also shown up in the fighting game Super Smash Bros. Melee and the Pokémon Adventures manga comics. Unown do not evolve into other Pokémon. Each Unown weighs about 11 pounds. Its name is pronounced "un-OWN," even though many people say it like the word "unknown."
Contents
Discovering Unown: Design and Powers
Unown were designed by Ken Sugimori for the 1999 Game Boy games, Pokémon Gold and Silver. At first, Unown were thought of as an alien-like Pokémon. But as artists drew them, they started to look like letters. Because of this, Unown became a Psychic-type Pokémon.
Unown are thin, black symbols that look like hieroglyphs. They are often found on walls. When they first appeared in Pokémon Gold and Silver, there were 26 forms, one for each letter of the Latin alphabet. The two punctuation mark forms (question mark and exclamation point) were added later in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. However, you could not find them until Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
The Unown that look like letters have their eyes wide open. But the punctuation Unown have their eyes half-closed. This might show that they are like the end of a sentence. In the Pokémon world, people say that each Unown form has different powers. No one knows if Unown came first or if the letters they look like came first.
The Pokédex, which is like an encyclopedia in the game, says that Unown can talk to other beings using their minds. This is called telepathy. If many Unown gather together, their power grows stronger. This was shown in Pokémon 3: The Movie, where a big group of Unown could change reality itself!
In battles, the only move Unown knows is "Hidden Power." This attack's type changes depending on the Unown's special stats. While many Pokémon can learn "Hidden Power" using a special item, Unown is one of the few that learns it naturally. In the movie, Professor Oak studies new Unown that look like letters from the Cyrillic alphabet.
Unown's Adventures: Where They Appear
In Video Games
Unown first appeared in the Pokémon series in Pokémon Gold and Silver. In these games, you can find them in the Ruins of Alph in the Johto region. They appear after you solve puzzles in the caves there. Unown were also used as a kind of writing based on their shapes in Pokémon Crystal.
Unown showed up again in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Here, you could find them in the Tanoby Chambers in the Sevii Islands. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Unown are in a cave near Solaceon Town in the Sinnoh region. You can also see writings made of Unown letters on the top floor of that cave.
In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, something amazing happens. When the powerful Arceus calls upon other legendary Pokémon like Palkia, Dialga, or Giratina, swarms of Unown fly around the player, Cynthia, and Arceus.
Unown also appear in Super Smash Bros. Melee. When released from a Poké Ball, they fly off the screen. Then, they return in a big swarm, similar to how Beedrill attacks in the original Super Smash Bros. The difference is that Unown can attack from any direction, not just left or right. Opponents caught in the swarm get hurt.
Unown can also be seen on the Pokéfloat stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee. They fly across the screen, and towards the end of the stage's cycle, you have to hop between them to stay on the stage. Unown can also be collected as a trophy in the game. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Unown appears as a collectible spirit in its "F" form.
In Pokémon GO, Unown are very rare to find in the wild. However, they appear more often in special events like Safari Zone events and the yearly Go Fest. During these events, Unown usually spell out a word related to the event. Players can collect all the different forms of Unown, including their shiny versions. Shiny Unown first appeared in Pokémon GO on July 25, 2020, during the Go Fest 2020 event, where "G" and "O" forms were released as shiny.
In Other Media
The Unown are the main characters, acting as antagonists, in Spell of the Unown. In this movie, the Unown take Professor Hale into their own dimension. Later, Molly Hale, Professor Hale's daughter, accidentally releases the Unown from their dimension. The Unown read Molly's thoughts and make her wishes come true. This includes turning the town of Greenfield into crystal and creating the Entei to be Molly's new dad.
Because Molly also wants a mother, Entei kidnaps Ash Ketchum's mom. Eventually, Molly realizes that what she is doing is wrong and wants to stop. But the Unown's power is out of control. Entei then bravely destroys the energy shield around the Unown, sacrificing himself. The Unown are sent back into their dimension, and Professor Hale is released. Unown also make a quick appearance in the tenth Pokémon movie, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai. They are seen floating around when Dialga and Palkia are fighting in space, and some are blown away by their attacks.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga comics, Unown first appear in Volume 8. This happens when Gold and Bugsy are in the Ruins of Alph. Gold uses his Sunkern to blind Team Rocket, but this accidentally wakes up the Unown. Bugsy later returns to study the Ruins more in Volume 11 and catches a "G"-shaped Unown.
Unown appear again in Volume 24. They are awakened by a character named Sird from the Tanoby Ruins. She uses them to distract others while she fights Lorelei. The Unown continue to appear throughout that volume, used by Team Rocket as living security cameras to stop Red, Blue, and Green. They also show up in the DP saga when Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum visit Solaceon Town. Diamond and Pearl even become friends with two Unown, "D" and "P," who act like them!
Images for kids
-
The twenty-eight different forms of Unown.
See also
In Spanish: Unown para niños
