List of banned episodes of Pokémon the Series

Electric Soldier Porygon is the most controversial and infamous banned episode of Pokémon the Series.

Every Banned Pokemon Episode EXPLAINED

Every banned episode of Pokémon explained

Throughout its run of over 1,300 episodes, specific episodes of Pokémon the Series have been unaired or pulled from rerun rotation in certain countries while others have been altered or entirely banned, some of which include racial stereotyping such as Jynx in blackface. Notably, the globally banned episode Electric Soldier Porygon, which aired only once on Japan's TV Tokyo on December 16, 1997, features a series of rapidly alternating red and blue frames that provoked epileptic seizures in hundreds of children.

Banned episodes

Beauty and the Beach

This episode was initially banned when the episodes were first dubbed for airing in the United States. During 2000, the episode was finally dubbed and aired twice before disappearing once again. It was banned because James wore an inflatable body suit to give him large breasts to win a beauty contest (this scene was removed in the English version). An elderly man also stares at Misty's breasts, and in the original Japanese says that he will be looking forward to having fun with her in a few years. It also appears to be retconned out of continuity with the English dub, although Brutella is seen in the following episode.

The Legend of Dratini

This episode was banned due to the prevalent usage of handguns throughout the episode. Kaiser, the Safari Zone warden, points a gun at Ash's head a couple of times, and even shoots the gun at Team Rocket at one point. Some sources also claim that Meowth's mustache during the interrogation scene resembles that of Adolf Hitler and thus contributed to the banning. However, it is more likely that this mustache is based on a stereotypical detective mustache instead. The banning of this episode left a major plot hole and a continuity error in the English dub, as this was the episode where Ash Ketchum captured all 30 of his Tauros. As this is the Safari Zone episode, it also makes the Safari Zone unseen in the English anime, though it is mentioned in the two episodes that took place before it.

Ash's 30 Tauros would later make its English dub debut in Showdown at the Po-ké Corral while Dratini debuted in Ditto's Mysterious Mansion and physically in Beauty is Skin Deep. Dragonair made its English dub debut in Pikachu's Rescue Adventure and Rhydon made its English debut in Showdown at Dark City.

Electric Solider Porygon

Known as the "seizure episode", this episode has been banned worldwide after airing only once in Japan. It is also the anime's most controversial and most infamous banned episode. One particular scene of this episode had a series of flashing lights caused by Pikachu's Thunderbolt, which caused a total of approximately 685 Japanese children (375 girls and 310 boys) to be sent to the hospital with symptoms of epilepsy. The show went on hiatus for four months, delayed Holiday Hi-Jynx and Snow Way Out!, and canceled the airing of the New Year's Eve special. The episode also forced the producers to go back through the previous episodes and dim the lighting on them so as not to cause an accident of this magnitude again. As a result of this episode, Porygon and its evolutions, Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, have not made any appearances in the anime since this episode, except in brief cameos, with the latter only having made a cameo in the "World of Pokémon" opening of Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice. Porygon's voice can still be heard in several games including Pokémon Snap and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The Ice Cave!

The only banned episode of Johto, this episode was also banned due to the large focus on Jynx, whose violet redesign was not used in this episode. Unlike the previous episodes, this one has never aired in English. Because of this, it was banned and has never been seen outside of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Ash and Passimian! A Touchdown of Friendship!

This Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon episode (and the only non-original series banned episode) was banned due to Ash wearing dark face paint resembling blackface during the second half of the episode in order to imitate the appearance of a Passimian. In the Korean dub on Netflix, it uses the English title A Touchdown for the Team!. Passimian made its English debut in A Young Royal Flame Ignites!.

Other banned episodes (since 2013)

Holiday Hi-Jynx

This episode has been banned since April 2013 after being accused by Carole Weatherford of stereotyping African American women. This caused two later episodes to be edited and banned where even a cameo was made by Jynx (see below). Jynx has now been re-colored to violet, not only in the anime, but also in the video games.

Stage Fight! and The Mandarin Island Miss Match

These two episodes of Pokémon Adventures in the Orange Islands have been banned since April 2013 simply because of a small cameo by Jynx. They are not available on Netflix and are no longer even mentioned on Pokémon.com. They also are not available on the re-release of the Orange Islands DVD box set. They are also banned in India and were replaced by Bound for Trouble and Charizard Chills respectively. The latter episode even marks the final time Jynx was ever shown in her original design in the English dub.

Unaired episodes

It's New Year's Eve! Pocket Monsters Encore

This episode was scheduled to be broadcast December 31, 1997, between Holiday Hi-Jynx and Snow Way Out!. However, following the Electric Soldier Porygon incident, the schedule was reorganized and this episode was never actually aired. No trailer for this episode has ever been seen, nor is any further information known apart from its Japanese title.

Shaking Island Battle! Barboach vs. Whiscash!!

This episode was scheduled to be broadcast on November 4, 2004. However, not long before, a devastating earthquake struck Japan. Believing it would have been insensitive to air an episode about earthquakes mere weeks after the disaster, it was pulled from the air. The episode was never aired anywhere in the world, and the moves Earthquake, Fissure, and Magnitude have never been used in the anime since. Because the episode never aired, Barboach instead debuted in The Great Eight Fate!, but only in a minor role, and Ash never learned the location of the final Hoenn League Gym onscreen.

Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma!

This two-part saga of Team Rocket facing off with Team Plasma was postponed due to the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan almost a week before the first half was supposed to air. At the time, they were expected to air at a later date because of their significance to the series and TV Tokyo's word on the matter. While the episodes were simply skipped in Japan, TPCi edited the dubbed version of A Venipede Stampede! to remove the cliffhanger ending that set up the story, and all regions aired Battling for the Love of Bug-Types! followed by Emolga the Irresistible! instead. As of Team Plasma's Pokémon Power Plot! (using their Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 appearances instead of Pokémon Black and White), the episodes have been retconned out of continuity, making it unlikely that they will ever air or be shown in a normal manner. Their script was made public in May 2023, however, detailing the events that would've taken place in them.

Banned episodes by country

Japan

Pikachu & Pichu

The Japanese narrator of the short, Noriko Sakai, was arrested in 2009 and later convicted of possession and abuse of drugs. Because of this, the short was "banned" in Japan, and it hasn't been rerun or released on home video or VOD in Japan since then.

South Korea

These episodes were banned from airing in South Korea, causing South Korean continuity errors in the anime's run. Generally the banned episodes contained overt references to Japanese culture; however, the last banned episodes occurred during Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire. Furthermore, episodes A Crowning Achievement to Hoenn Alone! were simply never aired, the Silver Conference episodes were later remastered and dubbed as Pocket Monsters: Johto Region Story, The Final Chapter in 2024.

• Challenge of the Samurai
• The Ghost of Maiden's Peak
• Pokémon Scent-sation!
• The Ninja Poké-Showdown
• Riddle Me This
• Bad to the Bone
• The Fourth Round Rumble
• A Bout With Sprout
• Fighting Flyer with Fire
• Wired for Battle!
• Ariados, Amigos
• A Ghost of a Chance
• From Ghost to Ghost
• Trouble's Brewing
• Ring Masters
• Doin' What Comes Natu-rally
• Espeon, Not Included
• For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!
• Poetry Commotion!
• Going, Going, Yawn

Other countries

The Song of Jigglypuff (Turkey)

This episode was skipped in Turkey. The reason for this has never been officially revealed. This creates a continuity error, since the main characters first encounter Jigglypuff in this episode. When Netflix released the first season years later, the episode was not skipped this time.

The Bicker the Better (Ireland and Aruba)

This episode has been banned in several countries, including Ireland and Aruba. It has been alleged that the "battle of the sexes" format of the episode has caused those countries to ban the episode.

Postponed episodes and temporary bans

Some episodes were pulled off the air for some time for various reasons but were aired on a later date.

An Undersea Place to Call Home!

This Pokémon the Series: XY episode, which was set to debut Skrelp and Dragalge, was postponed due to the sinking of the MV Sewol ferry in South Korea almost a week before the episode was scheduled to air in Japan. Because of this, the episode was also skipped in the American dub. This caused a temporary continuity error, as this is the episode where Ash Ketchum invented the "Rock Tomb Climb" technique, which he used to win his battle against Grant. Cartoon Network listed the dub title along with A PokéVision of Things to Come!, Going for the Gold!, and Coming Back into the Cold!. Later, however, it was removed from the list and was replaced with Climbing the Walls!. The episode finally aired in Japan on November 20, 2014, and in the United States on February 7, 2015, as part of season 18.

Temporarily banned episodes in the United States

Tentacool and Tentacruel

After the events of September 11, 2001, this episode was taken out of rotation. In the months following the attack, Kids' WB refused to air it due to the destruction of several buildings (particularly Tentacruel smashing a skyscraper) and the use of machine guns. When Cartoon Network started to air Pokémon, the episode was put back into rotation. It is also available on home video releases, and streaming services.

The Tower of Terror

This episode was temporarily banned after September 11, 2001. The official reason has never been confirmed, but many believe that the episode's title may have been the reason. The episode is no longer banned and continues to air. It is also available on home video releases, and streaming services.

The Uncut Story of Mewtwo’s Origin

This ten-minute short was originally added to the beginning of Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back in television airings in Japan and in the Japanese home video releases from the third one onward as part of the kanzenban (full version) edition of the movie. Though the short was dubbed in English, it was ultimately excluded from all overseas versions of the film, most likely due to touching upon mature themes, such as cloning ethics and death. As a result, the short was never officially dubbed in any other language. The English dub of the short was eventually included as a special feature of the international DVD of Mewtwo Returns, released on August 17, 2001 in Australia and on December 4, 2001 in the United States. Though the English dub of Mewtwo Returns has become available for digital stream overseas, such as through Disney Xfinity, the dub of the Origin short has only been included in the DVD release, which has since ceased production.

Postponed episodes in Japan

A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!

This episode, originally meant to be the 26th episode of Pokémon the Series: Black and White, was originally scheduled to air in Japan on April 7, 2011, but it was postponed because of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. It later aired on June 23, 2011 with a slightly altered storyline to make it seem like it took place between Archeops In The Modern World! and Movie Time! Zorua in "The Legend of the Pokémon Knight"! rather than Battling For The Love of Bug-Types! and Emolga the Irresistible!. All of the references of the episode taking place in Castelia City were removed, including a portion of the original Japanese title, and the ending of the episode was reanimated to have Bianca leave the group instead of traveling with them in the original episode's plot. This creates a continuity error in BW024, where Bianca is revealed to have joined the group off-screen.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series episodes 23-29 (Panic in the Park! to There's a New Kid in Town!)

These 7 episodes of Pokémon Journeys: The Series were temporarily postponed in Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but have all aired since.

See also

• List of specials of Pokémon the Series (for anime specials)
• Pokémon controversies
• List of Mario knockoffs acknowledged by Nintendo
• The Legend of Zelda controversies

External links

• Banned episodes at Bulbapedia, the Pokémon wiki.
• List of banned and skipped episodes at Pokémon Wiki, the Fandom wiki on Pokémon.
• Pokémon episodes removed from rotation at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Pokémon the Series » Banned Episode on TV Tropes