Currently, there are 807 species of pokémon. Whether referring to Nintendo’s consistently excellent RPG series or the long-running anime, the extensive franchise appears destined to last forever. Pokémon Sun and Moon marked the inception of Generation VII, which is set to continue with the upcoming Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!. Be it adorable stuffed animals capable of transforming into huge dragons or ghosts that would feel right at home in a dream, the pokédex covers enough of a wide spectrum of species to ensure there is a monster to suit everyone’s needs.
When mother nature failed to deliver perfection, scientists got together and crafted the ultimate Pokémon! Mewtwo is the clone of Mew and served as the big bad of Generation I, although that might have more to do with the creature’s depiction in the English dub of Pokémon: The First Movie. Unsurprisingly, Mewtwo remains one of the most beloved entries in the pokédex, although the West tends to admire the clone more than Japan. Regardless of someone’s preference, Mewtwo remains a truly unique creation and, with the exception of Pikachu, ranks as the most instantly recognizable Pokémon. Popular enough to warrant a spot on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s roster, this mysterious copy far surpasses the original!
The Pokémon might be a world-renowned celebrity, but it still holds a secret or two. Here are 25 weird facts only super fans know about Mewtwo’s Body!
26 Surpassing A God
Generation IV expanded the franchise’s mythology by introducing a literal god Pokémon who shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms. As the creator of worlds, Arceus’ base stats rank well-above any of its creations. However, Mewtwo is different. While the normal version falls short in every area besides “Special Attack” and “Speed,” Mega Mewtwo X and Y put Arceus’ existence into question. With the exception of “Defense” and “HP,” the so-called god’s stats are not even in the same ballpark as Mewtwo’s mega evolutions. Arceus created Pokémon — man created Mewtwo.
25 Banned!
Nintendo’s RPGs offer a thoroughly engaging and robust single-player experience, but everything leads to online battles. Crafting a balanced and competitive team to challenge other players can be a time-consuming exercise, so there is nothing worse than suddenly learning that your ace in the hole cannot compete. Among a slew of other legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo is banned from competitive play. Due to their insurmountable strength, every fight would boil down to a couple of legends. For a brief period, Mew’s clone was even banned from Super Smash Bros., although that ended up being a glitch.
24 Mewtwo’s Mouth
Possessing devastating psychic abilities that place Mewtwo above the vast majority of its contemporaries, this Pokémon places among the brightest beings in the series. While Pikachu and company experience an extensive array of emotions, their intellectual capabilities seem closer to animals than humans. Self-aware and able of maintaining a conversation, Mewtwo represents the next step in the evolutionary ladder. Due to its ability to communicate via telepathy, the Pokémon avoids needing to actively open its mouth, but the clone does own one. Afterall, Pokémon still need to eat!
23 Fluking To Victory
In retrospect, Pokémon Red and Blue were groundbreaking. Despite being stuck on an underpowered handheld console, Nintendo brought to life an extensive RPG with a roster of 150 catchable Pokémon; however, this road held a couple of bumps. Possessing limited strength but precious few weaknesses, Psychic-types should have been mid-tier options that struggle against Bug Pokémon. Unfortunately, Generation I forgot to include any top-tier options for the latter, so forming a team of Psychic Pokémon was akin to playing on easy mode. As the strongest in the game, Mewtwo was borderline untouchable.
22 Ultimate Battle Pokémon
When scientists decided to splice together a couple of strands of DNA to create a new Pokémon, they were hardly striving for peace or love. Harsh and lacking any sense of empathy, Mewtwo exists to fight and destroy. Pokémon: The First Movie dedicates a great deal of time to ensuring that audiences understand that this entity is capable of destroying the world. Until this point, the anime had yet to introduce a truly evil Pokémon, so Mewtwo needed to make an impression. The clone loosens up towards the end of the story but remains incredibly dangerous.
21 Easy Mode
As any gamer fond of The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy should be able to confirm, armor is the difference between a victory or a game-over. With the exception of titles like Dark Souls, there is rarely a downside to donning an extra layer of protection. Humans are fragile, so a piece of metal separates the winners from the losers. When it comes to Mewtwo, the Pokémon’s armor served to weaken rather than empower it. Employed by Giovanni as a means to control his new puppet, Mewtwo’s true potential only became apparent after the Pokémon escaped from the gym leader’s clutches.
20 Mewtwo Uses Heal
Telepathy, psychic powers, and overwhelming stats are child’s play! At best, Mewtwo would be a throwaway member of the X-Men who warrants only a brief cameo in one of the lesser movies. If the Pokémon wants to truly stand out from the crowd, it must hold another trick up its sleeve. Thankfully, Mewtwo meets these expectations by taking a page from Wolverine’s book. Established in a radio drama entitled Mewtwo’s Origin, the clone survived its birthing procedure due to its ability to heal. Mewtwo and Logan are cut from the same cloth.
19 The Color Purple
Whether discussing anime or live-action films, colors are a common visual motif employed to trigger a certain reaction from audiences. Psychologists have found that colors have a profound emotional effect on people. For example, “brown” tends to be associated with reliability and stability, while tranquillity and serenity are linked with “blue.” As reflected by BuGzY111’s gorgeous fanart, Psychic Pokémon tend to be associated with the color purple and Mewtwo is a prime example. Researched found that people associated “purple” with wealth, wisdom, and mystery; so, a pleasant fit for Mewtwo.
18 Mewtwo’s Appendix?
Nintendo realizes that overexplaining something diminishes its value, so certain features are left to the imagination of the player. After 2000+ years of evolution, the pointless appendix continues to baffle experts and this body part is hardly an exception. However, scientists created Mewtwo, so there should not be any superfluous organs. The Pokémon’s second neck sticks out like a sore thumb, but theories suggest that it helps enhance Mewtwo’s psychic abilities by providing another connection between the brain and spinal cord. If nothing else, it intensifies the clone’s mystique.
17 200% Punching Power
Base Mewtwo is a Psychic-type that punishes any trainer foolish enough to throw out a Machamp or a Lucario during a battle. When transformed into its Mega X evolution, the clone’s combat preferences expand to include Fighting. Adding insult to injury, Mega Mewtwo X’s attack stats put to shame anyone else in the bracket! Besides being naturally effective against more physical fighters, Phandenstein’s terrifying pokémon packs a mightier punch than the lot of them. Surely, Mewtwo must suck at something…
16 (Not So) Ultimate Battle Pokémon
Super Smash Bros. Melee’s expansive roster required the addition of a handful of pokémon. As an unlockable character, players must put in a ton of effort before getting their hands on Mewtwo. After clocking in 20 hours of “Combined Vs.” or winning 700 matches, this imposing warrior is finally added to the line-up! Bizarrely, the powerful clone ranks among the weakest entries in the game, primarily due to his lack of speed and underwhelming attacks. Practice turns him into a decent enough option, but the reward seems disproportioned to the effort.
15 200 % Brain Power
In the lead up to the inauguration of Mewtwo’s mega evolutions, the brainier version received a fair amount of pushback. Mega Mewtwo Y featured prominently in the marketing for Pokémon X and Y, so fans had ample time to examine it from head to toe. E-X-P-I-E’s picture presents the new evolution in an exciting and authentic light, as Mega Mewtwo Y is an absolute monster of a pokémon! While its “Defense” is relatively low, the combatant boasts the highest “Special Attack” in the entire game. With a brain so powerful, who cares about brawn?
14 Mewtwo’s Weakness
After Game Freak broke its own game by neglecting to enter any reliable deterrents for Psychic Pokémon, the dev studio tried to make amends by chipping away at the type’s armor. Besides its predecessor’s 15 variants, Generation II introduced Dark and Steel Pokémon, who both happened to be effective against Psychic types and, by extension, Mewtwo. Immune to psychic moves and doubling down on their own damage, Dark Pokémon seemed designed specifically to ruin Mewtwo’s day. Regardless of their affinity, most challengers end up groveling at the clone’s feet.
13 Science-Enhanced Pokémon Beat Regular Ones… Wow
At level 100, Mewtwo’s base stats amount to 680, which cannot hold a candle to the best mega evolutions. If for some reason, only the normal variants are taken into contention, Mewtwo still fails to lead the pack in any category. While the base edition is more of an all-rounder, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y sit at the top of the mountain. The former has the highest “Attack” in the game, while the latter trounces the competition in terms of “Special Attack.” Overall, Mewtwo’s mega evolutions are only matched by Rayquaza’s superpowered form.
12 MewTWO
Birthed from the minds of scientists, Mewtwo stands as a special entity in Pokémon’s universe. However, that does not mean it is novel. Initially, fans believed there was only one Mewtwo running around in the wild, but Genesect and the Legend Awakened threw that theory out of the window! Legendary Pokémon are known to appear in various regions, so there are precious few species that can genuinely be described as singular. As a man-made entity that holds significant power, it is hardly surprising that scientist would try to recreate Mewtwo.
11 Mew, In Name Only
Mewtwo’s whole character is built around the fact that it is a clone of Mew. Created by humanity rather than nature, or Arceus, the entity’s entire personality revolves around Mewtwo’s feelings of inadequacy. If Mew is the genuine deal, then what purpose does a clone serve? Is Mewtwo nothing more than a shadow of a true Pokémon? These are some deep existential themes to tackle in a children’s movie, but Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back loses a bit of complexity due to the eponymous character looking completely distinctive to its inspiration! Mewtwo is less of a copy and more of a homage.
10 Is Mewtwo Part-Human?
Kasempan’s creation has precedent, even though Pokémon Adventures tends to follow its own continuity, the manga stated that Team Rocket’s Blaine used some of his own cells to birth Mewtwo. Concerning the clone’s DNA makeup, the anime and games avoid going into too much detail, but Mewtwo’s humanoid appearance points in this general direction. Crucially, Blaine’s other clones are near identical to their real counterparts, while Mew’s copy is vastly different. If Mewtwo consisted of nothing but Pokémon DNA, there is little justification for its ability to speak, as not even the legendary Mew could utter more than a squeak.
9 Is Mewtwo Part-Cat?
How did Mew lead to this humanoid being? With the exception of a couple of puny facial similarities, these two could not be further apart. While the anime or games have never stated that animal DNA was used, Mewtwo’s overall design is unmistakably influenced by felines. Did they throw in some Meowth DNA for good measure? If that were to be the case, it might explain why Mewtwo can speak. Mews are not exactly overabundant, so the scientists would have struggled to collect enough DNA to create a perfect clone; other sources had to be used.
8 Mirage Of A Clone
Released in 2006, The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon served as a celebration of the franchise’s 10th anniversary. Yearning to bring back some fan favorites while maintaining the anime’s continuity, Pokémon opted to introduced a scientist who crafted a battle system that generates illusionary opponents. Even though this was just an excuse to facilitate popular icons like Mewtwo and Mew, the anime special simultaneously honored fans and creative contributors who helped establish Pokémon as a cultural phenomenon. Unsurprisingly, Mirage Mewtwo was the most powerful opponent faced by Ash, although nothing beats the genuine package.
7 Uncontrollable Power
LavosVsBahamut’s Dark Mewtwo paints the clone as an uncontrollable beast that can level an entire city without needing to get out of second gear. This personality can largely be attributed to the English dub of Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back, which turned the titular monster into a run-of-the-mill antagonist seeking to rule the world. In comparison, the Japanese version presented Mewtwo as a child struggling to understand his reason for being. Either way, this Pokémon should not be taken lightly. With regards to the games, Generation II replaced Mewtwo with a special item called the Berserk Gene, which increased the fighter’s strength but causes confusion that lasts for 256 turns!
