Pokémon, known as Pocket Monsters in Japan, is a media franchise owned by Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and Game Freak that started in 1996 as a set of role-playing games on the Game Boy. Throughout its 20+ year history, the series has gone through numerous amounts of censorship in order to make the franchise more family-friendly internationally.
Notable censorship throughout the franchise[]
Profanity/Religious references[]
- International versions of Pokémon for the most part change or edit any direct religious references and profanity that are present in the Japanese versions. This includes move names, location names, Pokémon names, stories, dialogue, and postures. Some examples include:
- Move names like Sand Hell, Hell Wheel, and Hell Thrust being renamed to Sand Tomb, Submission, and Throat Chop respectively due to containing the word hell
- Location names like Hell Wastelands and Hell Valley being renamed to Abyssal Badlands and Infernal Pass respectively for the same reason
- Any posture resembling Jesus being crucified being edited to lower the arms
- Exceptions to this would be in recent games, where words like god and demon sometimes appear in the dialogue.
- Other exceptions include words like screwed appearing in a few games, and profanity such as hell, damn, and bloody infrequently appearing in animated media and movies.
Four-Fingered Hands[]
- Due to four fingered hands being a taboo in Japan (resembling the Burakumin or the Yubitsume ritual of the Yakuza, which consists of amputation of the pinky finger), Pokémon with four-fingered hands have their hands changed to three-fingered or five-fingered hands in later Pokémon games (or in Poliwhirl's case, mitten hands). The only exception is Charmander, who retains its four fingered hands (though it has three fingers in the anime, TCG and merchandise).
- Raticate, Poliwrath, Kadabra, Golem, and Haunter are given three fingers.
- Mr. Mime, Electabuzz, Magmar, and Snorlax are given five fingers.
Violence[]
- International versions of Pokémon usually keep most of the violent content and references intact from the Japanese version.
- Physical violence is sometimes altered internationally.
- For a long time, softer, indirect language was used for any references to violence and death in international versions. Around Pokémon Black and White releasing, words like died and death became more prevalent in the games.
Sexuality[]
- International versions of Pokémon usually tone down most of the sexual/suggestive content from the Japanese versions. Such examples are:
- Jokes relating to breasts being cut
- Suggestive postures or movements being altered
- International versions of Pokémon sometimes will tone down outfits if they're deemed too suggestive.
- Exceptions include Pokémon Sun and Moon, which retains the suggestive content or adds to it internationally, albeit with indirect language.
Substances[]
- International versions of Pokémon will sometimes alter depictions or references to substances, usually if it pertains to alcohol.
- References to medicines and herbal products are kept intact internationally.
Humor[]
- International versions of Pokémon used to tone down Japanese references to make the franchise more suited for international versions.
- International and Japanese versions of the Pokémon anime used to contain many instances of adult humor throughout. This has since been toned down drastically.
Gambling[]
- Pokémon games used to feature Game Corners, where you could play casino-esque games, which simulated gambling. Due to PEGI making rules on depictions of gambling stricter, all versions of the Pokémon games ditched the Game Corner entirely and any gambling references were changed internationally.