Wondering why is Charizard not considered to be a dragon-type Pokemon. Here’s why. Check it out!
Charizard: the fiery lizard soars through the skies, but why isn't it a Dragon-type? We unlock the mystery behind Charizard's typing, exploring its abilities and design choices that make it a Fire/Flying powerhouse instead of a breath-spewing Dragon.
Why Is Charizard Not Considered To Be A Dragon-type Pokemon?
Charizard isn't a Dragon-type despite its looks because it existed before the Dragon type was introduced. Its Fire/Flying typing prioritizes its firey abilities and wings. Some argue its Mega Charizard X form, resembling a classic dragon, justifies a Dragon-type, but its base form remains Fire/Flying.
What is a Dragon-type Pokemon?
Before we get into the discussion of Charizard’s identity, let’s take a look at the history and nature of Dragon-type Pokemon.
The Dragon-type Pokemon are revered as a type of ancestral Pokemon just like Legendary Dragon-type Pokemon who have a history of being renowned deities in the Pokemon universe. They’re also one of the eighteen elemental types of Pokemon.
Dragon-type Pokemon are generally tough to catch and training them is even more complicated. They’re quite a rare species of Pokemon and have a longer evolution chain than most Pokemon.
These make them one of the most difficult Pokemon species to deal with. There are 73 Dragon-type Pokemon with 13 of them being single-type Pokemon and the rest are Dual-type Pokemon.
Factually, Dragon-type Pokemon have higher statistics than other types of Pokemon and hence they could be regarded as one of the strongest Pokemon species.
Generally, most Pokemon who are of Dragon-type species have a reptilian outward form. However, the appearance of a Pokemon doesn’t conclude their original identity just like the case with Charizard.
In addition, there are quite a few Dragon-type Pokemon such as Vibrava and Alolan Exeggutor who lack the reptilian physical attributes.
Just like other Pokemon types, Dragon-type Pokemon also have their set of strengths and weaknesses.
They’re quite effective against water, electric, grass, and fire types of Pokemon and also very effective against their own species. They’re weak against fairy, steel and ice types of Pokemon.
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What type of Pokemon is Charizard?
Charizard is a duel type, fire and flying Pokemon that was initially introduced in Generation 1. It’s a huge Pokemon that has an appearance like a dragon and it has 2 stages of evolution.
- Evolution of Charmander
Charmander Charmeleon Charizard
His first evolution form is called Charmander which is a Starter Pokemon and it has the appearance of a baby dragon. It has a light orange color and has a small tail which has the fire burning constantly on its end.
The interesting fact about its fiery tail is that if the flame is doused Charamander will die instantly.
Its second evolution form is called Charmeleon which has a much darker red color than Charmander. It has a larger body and a horn on the back of its head. It has a very strong tail and sharp claws.
Its final evolution form is Charizard which has an orangish yellow color. It developed new features after evolving such as two big horns on the back of its head, two large fangs and its most notable feature is its two large wings and then it became a dual-type Pokemon with flying and fire abilities.
Charizard has a Mega Evolution form named Mega Charizard X which is a dual Fire/Dragon type Pokemon and can be obtained once in the game if you select Charmander as your starter Pokemon.
In addition, Charizard is one of the most powerful and strongest fire-type Pokemon in the entire Pokemon universe.
Charizard Powers and Strengths
As one of the strongest Pokemon in the franchise, Charizard has a great set of prowess that are worth noting. He has the fire blaze which boosts its fire-type powers when it’s low in health.
Charizard has a hidden ability called The Solar Power which allows it to increase its Special Attack Power. It also exhales extremely hot air at its opponent which can burn them instantly. Charizard has burning fangs that can damage the opponent.
It can fly up to almost 5000 feet in the air with its large set of wings. Charizard’s wings also can attack opponents which can make them flinch. It has large and sharp claws that can slash its enemies causing them critical injury. It also has a few dragon-type powers like flame burst which allow Charizard to let out flames from its mouth.
With such enormous powers, Charizard is one of the best and strongest Pokemon you can choose in the video game. It has a high base stat than any other Pokemon group and Charizard’s total stat increases through Mega Evolution.
Why Isn’t Charizard Regarded As A Dragon-Type Pokemon?
There are various reasons why Charizard isn’t considered a dragon-type Pokemon. Hence, let’s look into the two notable theories that claim why Charizard isn’t a dragon-type Pokemon.
Anime and Game Theory
The first theory is based on the anime and game history which explains why Charizard isn’t a Dragon-type Pokemon. Although Dragon-type Pokemon are one of the elemental types of Pokemon they aren’t outwardly elemental like grass or fire types of Pokemon.
To begin with, there’s very little information regarding Dragon-type Pokemon in the Pokemon universe. There aren’t any detailed specifications in the Pokemon universe that state whether a Pokemon belongs to the Dragon-type Pokemon category. For instance - there are certain criteria that state specifications of a particular Pokemon category.
Hence, the appearance, behavior, and certain powers of Charizard don’t necessarily dictate he’s a Dragon-type Pokemon. The same theory can be applied to other Dragon-type Pokemon like Goomy and Altaria who don’t look close to a dragon nor do their evolution but are one of the renowned Dragon-type Pokemon in the Pokemon universe.
Similarly, Pokemon like Gyarados, Milotic, and Aerodactyl have features of a dragon similar to Charizard but aren’t necessarily regarded as Dragon-type Pokemon.
There’s also a minor theory that hints that Charizard’s dragon-type genes are inactive and can only be activated once it achieves Mega Evolution form.
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Meta-game Theory
In the meta-game, there are a set of rules when Pokemon battle each other. One basic rule is that the Starter Pokemon has to be of either grass, water, or fire type. This is to make sure that they can balance each of their powers out.
For instance - fire-type Pokemon can win against grass-type Pokemon which can beat water-type which can ultimately beat fire-type Pokemon.
Hence, Starter Pokemon are strong against one type and weak against the other type and they also have similar strengths and resistance.
Therefore, Charizard had to be a fire-type Pokemon in order to be a Starter Pokemon.
In addition, Dragon-type Pokemon are quite intense, invincible, and have a higher defense stat than most Starter Pokemon types.
As a result, Charizard cannot be considered a Dragon-type Pokemon because this would make him appear overpowering when comparing it to other Dragon-type Pokemon like Blastoise and Venusaur.
The game developers put much thought when creating Starter Pokemon characters as they wanted all of them to be equal in power and stats.
This was mainly because they wanted players to choose Pokemon characters who all possess equal powers and if they had made Charizard a Dragon-type Pokemon it would be unfair because most players would choose Charizard as their starter Pokemon instead of the others.
Therefore the major reason for Charizard to not be a Dragon-type Pokemon is it had to be a balanced out Starter Pokemon and theoretically, Charizard’s dragon genes have yet to be activated.
Was Charizard meant to be a dragon type?
Is Charizard a dragon or a Wyvern?
Is Mega Charizard a dragon type?
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