Yusuke Ohmura, the lead Pokémon designer for *Pokémon Sun & Moon* and a talented graphic designer and illustrator, dropped a bombshell on X (formerly Twitter) on February 4th. He shared insights into the design process and ideas behind the "Ultra Beasts" (UBs) from the *Pokémon* series. Ohmura revealed that the unique looks of these Ultra Beasts actually came from design concepts that were previously rejected by Game Freak's legendary Ken Sugimori! He essentially took the very reasons his past Pokémon designs were shot down and flipped them into the core aesthetic for the UBs, sparking a huge buzz among fans.
When the "Ultra Beasts" first debuted in *Pokémon Sun & Moon*, their radically different design style from traditional Pokémon sent shockwaves through the fandom. Fans were quick to question, "Are these even Pokémon?" and "This isn't the Pokémon I know!"
▼ Just look at the comments from back then – it was a storm of criticism!
Interestingly, official websites and special features often deliberately avoided calling Ultra Beasts "Pokémon" directly. Yet, they were eventually registered in the Pokédex, solidifying their status as bona fide Pokémon. In *Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon*, released in 2017, the Pokédex even noted: "In their original world, they appear to be common creatures."
Against this backdrop, Yusuke Ohmura, who was part of the development team, revealed that the Ultra Beast designs were born from taking the very reasons Ken Sugimori of Game Freak rejected his previous Pokémon concepts and using them as the guiding principle.
Ken Sugimori is a legendary figure, having designed Pokémon since the very first *Red & Green* games. Once you understand his aesthetic and design principles, it makes perfect sense that designs deliberately created by going "against the grain" would be labeled "un-Pokémon-like."
Ohmura's post stated: "For the Ultra Beast designs, I recalled all those past designs that Sugimori-sensei shot down, then took the reasons for their rejection and flipped them to guide the overall direction. So, in a way, they're a collection of my personal grudges (laughs). It's a bit scary to think about, but please don't misunderstand—I don't actually hold a grudge against Sugimori-sensei!"
Despite their rocky start, Ultra Beasts have gradually become accepted as part of the Pokémon family. In games where players can interact with them, they've even shown surprisingly cute sides! Ohmura admitted, "If they were too terrifying, players wouldn't be able to bond with them as partners. That balance is incredibly tricky to strike."
And of course, with the later release of *Pokémon Scarlet & Violet*, we saw the introduction of "Paradox Pokémon," a new group that, in some ways, is even more bizarre than the Ultra Beasts! It just goes to show that the incredible world of Pokémon, filled with its mysterious creatures, continues to expand and evolve even today.