Pokmon Scarlet And Violet Legendaries Get The Cute Plushie Treatment For The First Time

The new Scarlet and Violet plushies, available now via the Pokémon Center (and see Koraidon's Pokémon Center listing here), render Miraidon and Koraidon with chunky, chibi-style proportions, making the two Paldea mascot legendaries cuter than they have any right to be. These new designs squash their normally slender, serpentine silhouettes into far stouter, chubbier forms. Their wide-set eyes stare intently at nothing on either side of their gently rounded faces. Each roughly the size of a small Pomeranian, the plushies sit on broad, chicken nugget-shaped haunches, while their paunchy bellies hang low to the ground.

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Lovingly rendered with bright colors and close attention to detail, the Koraidon and Miraidon merch represents an entirely new direction for Pokémon merch, giving them widespread appeal to a larger portion of the Pokémon fandom. But it's not the first time these two Legendaries have been turned into plushies.

A New Design For Koraidon & Miraidon

How The New Plushies Compare

Although it's not the first time Koraidon and Miraidon have been made into plushies, it's definitely the cutest they've ever looked while doing so. Just compare the two versions of each above: the older plushy designs were incredibly realistic, even too accurate, showing the Pokémon almost exactly how they appear in-game (only at a fraction of the height). There's something to be said for the realistic approach: the resulting product is genuinely impressive, and certainly makes a desirable collectible piece.

That said, people like Pokémon for different reasons: some get bogged down in the details of backstories, stats, and designs, while others simply enjoy collecting adorable creatures and going on adventures with them. The old designs appealed more to that first camp, which prioritizes accuracy; the new ones appeal to the second camp, which prioritizes style.

Screen Rant's Take: Plushies Should Be Cute

But There's Space For Both

There's nothing necessarily wrong with accuracy, but at the end of the day, the purpose of a plushy is to be hugged, and therefore, cuteness should be its guiding design principle. There's a ton of different styles of Pokémon merch: from apparel to accessories to toys, not even to mention the Pokémon TCG. Exact, one-to-one video game accuracy is better saved for other media, like figures, while plushies should have free rein to bend the rules of anatomy.

And I'm glad to see that, in recent days, that's the exact direction official Pokémon merch seems to be taking. In recent years, Pokémon plushies have only been getting cuter, with the release of products like the low-profile, fuzzy-lined Comfy Cuddlers, or the brightly colored Soda Pop plushes. However, the more accurate renderings are still available, so players are able to choose based on preference. Nothing's necessarily wrong with either approach: the coexistence of both speaks to the vast depth of the Pokémon franchise, and the wide appeal of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Pokémon returns in its next installment series: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Set in a fictional town near Mediterranean Spain, gamers will explore Paldea, catching new and classic Pokémon. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the first ever open-world game in the series and features new Pokémon that can transform into vehicles. Pokémon staples like gym battles are still present, but co-op exploration and Terastallize battles are also introduced.

Platform(s) Switch

Released November 18, 2022

Developer(s) Game Freak

Publisher(s) Nintendo , The Pokemon Company

Multiplayer Local Multiplayer

Engine Proprietary Engine

ESRB E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence

How Long To Beat 32 Hours

Mode

Metascore 72