Hippowdon is a large, hippo-like Pokémon with skin color based on its gender. It is light brown if male, and bluish-gray if female. It has a dark gray back and muzzle with several holes in them. Sand often spills out of the ports on its back and its nostrils. This sand is stored internally and is used to create twisters when attacking. It has a large, rounded snout, a mouth filled with peg-like teeth, and red eyes. Hippowdon has black feet with four blunt claws each.
It is short-tempered and may hold its mouth agape as a display of strength. Hippowdon's massive jaws are capable of crushing cars. It has a symbiotic relationship with Dwebble, which clears any stones stuck in its ports. Drapion are known to stay away from Hippowdon. Excess sand is expelled out of Hippowdon's ports to create room for fresh sand to ingest, in order for it to stay healthy.
Appearances[]
Main Pokémon games[]
Other Pokémon games[]
In the anime[]
Origin and inspiration[]
Hippowdon is based on a hippopotamus. Because of the spouts upon its back that constantly spit sands, Hippowdon and its pre-evolved form may be based upon the legendary Bahamut as, in some accounts of the myths behind it, it is said to support a bed of sand and have the head of a hippo.
Hippowdon may be a combination of hippopotamus, power, powder (as in sand), or pow (onomatopoeia for a bodily hit), and don (Spanish for lord; Ancient Greek for tooth).
Kabaldon may be a combination of 河馬 kaba (hippopotamus) and don.
Despite having notable gender differences, both Hippowdon and Hippopotas each have only one official Ken Sugimori artwork, Pokémon Global Link artwork, and menu icons (except for those of Pokémon Legends: Arceus), all of which depict the male variations.
