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Donphan (JP) is a species of Pokémon in the series of the same name. It is a Ground-type Pokémon that made its first appearance in Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, the first movie of the Pokémon series before debuting in the second generation games Gold and Silver. It evolves from Phanpy starting at level 25. Its Paradox counterparts are Great Tusk and Iron Treads.
Donphan was officially revealed in the May 1997 issue of CoroCoro, along with Slowking and Ampharos.
Physiology and Behavior[]
Donphan is a gray, elephant-like Pokémon with a thick, black band of hide running down the length of its back and extending to the tip of its long trunk. When this Pokémon curls up, the band resembles a car tire. This tough hide prevents regular attacks from inflicting even a scratch. A pair of white tusks, which are smaller on the female, extend from the corners of its mouth. It has thin, elongated ears held out almost perpendicular to its body. Its four short legs are each encircled with a broken, black band and have three toes.
Donphan has the ability to curl up into a ball and violently roll around like a wheel. These rolling tackles are strong enough to knock down a house. While normally calm, Donphan can become enraged and start a rampage. Once it starts its rampage, it will be almost unstoppable. Donphan will chase after anyone who angers it. The anime shows that this ability is further used as a form of courtship. The male Donphan have rolling competitions to demonstrate their toughness to the females. A Donphan's tough hide is so strong, not even a car can scratch it. Despite this, the armor is extremely vulnerable to rain.
It has been demonstrated that Donphan has a keen sense of smell, capable of sniffing out a gem known as amberite (Agate in the Japanese version). Donphan travels in herds with a ranking system. The larger its tusks, the higher its rank in the herd. It lives in rough, mountainous terrain.
Appearances[]
Main Pokémon games[]
Other Pokémon games[]
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Trophy descriptions[]
In the anime[]
Donphan debuted briefly at the beginning of Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, under the ownership of Raymond. It battled Ash Ketchum's Bulbasaur and managed to land two successive hits with Rollout, only to then be defeated by Bulbasaur's Solar Beam. At the time, Donphan was an unknown Pokémon. In the film's remake, Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back-Evolution, it played the same role. Donphan is one of the Generation II Pokémon to debut in the anime before its debut generation.
In Reversing the Charges, Ash's Phanpy evolved into a Donphan. It proved to be an excellent member of his team, showing its strength in every battle.
Origin and inspiration[]
Donphan seems to be based on an adult elephant, possibly the pygmy elephant or the extinct dwarf elephant due to its relatively small size (if compared to Copperajah). The ridges on its dark gray backside are similar to tire treads, causing it to resemble a spinning car tire when using its Rollout attack. Its armored body may be a reference to war elephants that were trained by humans for combat. Donphan's Ground type may come from the fact that elephants like to play in mud or that tyres always stick to the ground and are made out of rubber which is known as a great insulator fitting the Electric-type immunity.
In-game information[]
Pokédex entries[]
| Title | Entry |
|---|---|
| Second Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Gold | It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its Tackle is strong enough to knock down a house. |
| Pokémon Silver | The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take long to grow. |
| Pokémon Crystal | Because this Pokémon's skin is so tough, a normal attack won't even leave a scratch on it. |
| Third Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Ruby | Donphan's favorite attack is curling its body into a ball, then charging at its foe while rolling at high speed. Once it starts rolling, this Pokémon can't stop very easily. |
| Pokémon Sapphire | If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed. Using its massive strength, the Pokémon helps clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails. |
| Pokémon Emerald | A Donphan is so strong it can easily haul a dump truck. Its hide has toughened to a rock-hard state. An ordinary sort of attack won't even leave a scratch. |
| Pokémon FireRed | The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take long to grow. |
| Pokémon LeafGreen | It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its Tackle is strong enough to knock down a house. |
| Fourth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Diamond | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon Pearl | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon Platinum | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon HeartGold | It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its Tackle is strong enough to knock down a house. |
| Pokémon SoulSilver | The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take long to grow. |
| Fifth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Black | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon White | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon Black 2 | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon White 2 | It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Sixth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon X | It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its Tackle is strong enough to knock down a house. |
| Pokémon Y | The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take long to grow. |
| Pokémon Omega Ruby | Donphan's favorite attack is curling its body into a ball, then charging at its foe while rolling at high speed. Once it starts rolling, this Pokémon can't stop very easily. |
| Pokémon Alpha Sapphire | If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed. Using its massive strength, the Pokémon helps clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails. |
| Eighth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Brilliant Diamond | It attacks by curling up and rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Pokémon Shining Pearl | It attacks by curling up and rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. |
| Ninth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Scarlet | Donphan is covered in tough hide, so even being hit by a car won’t faze this Pokémon. However, it is extremely susceptible to rain. |
| Pokémon Violet | Donphan is normally a calm Pokémon, but once it is enraged, it will curl its body into a ball and charge at you while rolling. |
Game locations[]
Evolution[]
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Base Stats[]
| HP | 90 |
| Attack | 120 |
| Defense | 120 |
| Sp. Attack | 60 |
| Sp. Defense | 60 |
| Speed | 50 |
| Total | 500 |
