Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam
Encyclopedia
Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam, known in Japan as , , and , are three Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise that are linked through evolution. Abra evolves into Kadabra after gaining enough experience in battle, and Kadabra evolves into Alakazam after being traded to another trainer. Created by Ken Sugimori
, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
and later appear in subsequent sequels. They have appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Known as the Psi
Pokémon, using self-hypnosis, Abra spends 18 hours a day sleeping, unable to utilize its abilities unless rested. This behavior ceases once it evolves into Kadabra, a strong psychic that emits alpha waves
affected by its current mental state. Able to remember everything, Alakazam's IQ is around 5000 and can outperform a supercomputer
.
In the Pokémon anime
, Abra and Kadabra appear under the ownership of Sabrina. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Alakazam plays a large supporting role in the plot of the game. All three appear in the Pokémon Adventures
manga in various roles. IGN
described Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam as "losing most of its charm" as it progressed. Calling Abra cute, they describe Kadabra as having "a bit of that personality", and Alakazam as being a "distinctly grim, foreboding character". Conservative Christian groups have targeted the trio as representing anti-Christian aspects of the franchise.
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
. Originally called "Casey", "Yungerer", and "Foodin" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Abra and Kadabra were initially intended to be named Hocus and Pocus for American audiences, but changed to Abra and Kadabra, based on the famous magic charm
along with Alakazam. Alakazam's Japanese name Foodin was inspired by a rough translation of Harry Houdini
's last name.
Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam are bipedal Pokémon characterized by their human-like body structure and somewhat fox
-like appearance. They look like they are wearing armor, as they have two pauldron
-shaped pieces on their shoulders and a fauld-like piece around their chest. Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam have three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot, with two toes in the front on either side and one in the back near the ankle. Abra and Kadabra also have thick tails the same gold color as the rest of its body, except for a brown band located near the top. Kadabra and Alakazam have relatively large mustaches, which are shorter in female species. Kadabra has a red star
-shaped symbol on its forehead, and three red wavy lines on its fauld-like torso. After evolving into Alakazam, the creatures no longer have the Zener markings and tails, while their heads become much larger, resulting in extremely powerful mental powers.
Possessing the ability to read minds, Abra can sense danger, teleporting when it does and can do so quickly enough to create visual doubles. Using self-hypnosis, Abra spends 18 hours a day sleeping, unable to utilize its abilities unless rested. This behavior ceases once it evolves into Kadabra, a strong psychic that emits alpha waves
affected by its current mental state. These waves can trigger headaches in nearby people and can cause machines to malfunction. Once it evolves into Alakazam, it has mastered every type and form of psychic ability, and its brain continually grows. This causes its head to become too heavy for its neck, requiring psychokinesis to hold it upright. Able to remember everything, its IQ is around 5000 and can outperform a supercomputer
. Both Kadabra and Alakazam utilize spoons generated mentally to enhance their abilities, two for the latter, and can increase them further by closing their eyes.
versions. Abra evolves into Kadabra after gaining enough experience in battle, and Kadabra evolves into Alakazam after being traded to another trainer. Abra and Kadabra later appear in every subsequent sequel. In Pokémon Gold, Silver
, and Crystal, before the Elite Four are defeated for the first time, an Abra appears as an NPC
at the Indigo Plateau which will teleport the player back to New Bark Town. This NPC appears again in their remakes
, but does not perform this function. In the main game series, many trainers use Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam in their teams. Notable trainers include Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina; The player's rival in Pokémon Red and Blue, and their remakes
, Blue; The player's rival in Pokémon Gold and Silver, and their remakes, Silver; The Hoenn Battle frontier Salon Maiden, Anabel; and Elite Four member, Lucian. Outside of the main series, Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam appeared in Pokémon Pinball
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
games, and the Pokémon Ranger
games. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
, Alakazam plays a large supporting role in the plot as the leader of a Gold Rank rescue team.
, the Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina owns an Abra, which she sends out in a battle against the series protagonist, Ash
. After battling, Sabrina's Abra evolves into Kadabra, causing Ash to forfeit the match due to Kadabra's new and more powerful psychic abilities. Ash later returns for a rematch, and Ash's Haunter
makes Sabrina laugh, which causes Kadabra to laugh due to the psychic bond it has with Sabrina. Because of Kadabra and Sabrina's laugh, they are unable to fight, and hand over the gym badge. Abra later appears in the series under the ownership of Mira, who offers to teleport
everyone to Hearthome city using her Abra, but instead teleports them to a flooded city to find a Poké Ball containing a Sandshrew that was lost in the newly-flooded lake. One of Abra and Kadabra's other appearances is living in an abandoned mining colony with several other Psychic-type Pokémon. Alakazam's first appearance was as a giant Alakazam awakened near the site of the Pokémopolis ruins. Alakazam has also been owned by many notable trainers, such as Luana, the Gym Leader of Kumquat Island, Eusine, Anabel, and Kenny.
manga, Abra makes a cameo as the stolen Pokémon of the Pokémon Fan Club President. Later when Red frees the Pokémon kidnapped by Lt. Surge; instead of his beloved Abra, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club finds himself with a not-so-cute Alakazam. Like her anime counterpart, Sabrina also owns a Kadabra. After Red's aptitude test to be the Gym Leader of Viridian City, a swarm of wild Pokémon suddenly appear outside the Gym after being attracted by Pokémon March music, one of which is an Alakazam. Blue captures all of them with his Scizor. Alakazam is seen again as part of Blue's team for the Gym Leader faceoff, and again as one of the Pokémon in Viridian Gym. It defeated Yellow's Pikachu
easily using a combination of Role Play and ThunderPunch. Green is seen to have an Abra, using its Teleport move to transport Silver away to a safer location.
described Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam as "losing most of its charm" as it progressed. Calling Abra cute, they describe Kadabra as having "a bit of that personality", and Alakazam as being a "distinctly grim, foreboding character". At the same time, they cited them as one of the most versatile groups of characters in the franchise. IGN also listed Alakazam, and to a lesser extent Kadabra, as one of the best Psychic types, alongside Mew
, Mewtwo
, and Starmie. They commented that Alakazam was good for "down-to-Earth" players who don't want to use legendaries like Mew or Mewtwo. They further described Alakazam as "arguably the single most popular non-legendary Psychic type in any of the current games", also calling it a "brilliant yet brittle braniac". Boys' Life
named Abra one of the five "coolest" Pokémon from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
at fourth. The St. Petersburg Times
also praised the characters, describing their names as "clever".
IGN called Abra unimpressive, but worth raising because it evolves into the more powerful Kadabra. GameSpy
further commented that Kadabra makes up for the shortcomings of Abra. 1UP FM praised the characters' design, as the hosts noted them as some of their favorite Pokémon in the series and that they were impressed with their appearance. GamesRadar
editor Henry Gilbert praised Kadabra and Alakazam's mustaches, listing them on their list of "The 10 greatest mustaches in gaming history". GamesRadar editor Brett Elston labelled Abra's moveset "lame", while acknowledging its potential to evolve into more powerful Pokémon. However, he claimed that Alakazam was useful only in limited circumstances. Elston also called Alakazam one of the most disturbing Pokémon of all time for the game's assertion that its brain cells continually multiply until it dies a horrible death. In a poll conducted by IGN, Kadabra was voted as the 91st best Pokémon, where it was called "much cooler" than Alakazam because "He doesn’t need to show off by bending two spoons". Alakazam was voted as the 20th best Pokémon, where the staff commented on the evolution line, stating they "not only loved the clever naming system but the creatures’ designs and abilities as well". They further stated that "Abra has always been a bit of a pain to raise and evolve, but the end result, an Alakazam, is well worth it in my book."
, Pastor Eugene Walton distributed pamphlets that described the symbols on their heads as "a pentagram" and claimed the symbols on their chests were representative of Nazi Germany
's Waffen-SS
. In the book It's a Dark World, Roger Boehm argued that due to their psychic-status and the symbols on the body of the latter, Abra and Kadabra represented the occult, further arguing that the etymology of their name tied directly to them.
In November 2000 it was reported that Uri Geller
, an Israeli "psychic"
-magician who claims to bend spoons
with his mind, sued Nintendo over the Pokémon Kadabra, due to its Japanese name which he claimed was an unauthorized appropriation of his identity. Geller learned of the similarity after fans of both himself and Pokémon noted a resemblance to the character's Japanese name, behavior and face, and presented him with cards of the character to autograph after he had finished taping a television special in Japan. He further claimed that the star on Kadabra's forehead, and the lightning patterns on its abdomen, were symbols popular with the Waffen-SS and that, through the character, Nintendo had "turned [him] into an evil, occult Pokémon character". Nintendo countered by stating there was no connection between the two and that they had not named any of the Pokémon after actual people to the knowledge of their staff. Geller sued for the equivalent of $100 million
, but lost.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise that are linked through evolution. Abra evolves into Kadabra after gaining enough experience in battle, and Kadabra evolves into Alakazam after being traded to another trainer. Created by Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
, they first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
and later appear in subsequent sequels. They have appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Known as the Psi
Psi (parapsychology)
Psi is a term from parapsychology derived from the Greek, ψ psi, 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet; from the Greek ψυχή psyche, "mind, soul".-Etymology:...
Pokémon, using self-hypnosis, Abra spends 18 hours a day sleeping, unable to utilize its abilities unless rested. This behavior ceases once it evolves into Kadabra, a strong psychic that emits alpha waves
Alpha Waves
Alpha Waves is an early 3D game that combines labyrinthine exploration with platform gameplay. By most definitions of the genre it could be considered to be the first 3D platform game, released in 1990, 6 years before the genre's seminal classic Super Mario 64...
affected by its current mental state. Able to remember everything, Alakazam's IQ is around 5000 and can outperform a supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
.
In the Pokémon anime
Pokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
, Abra and Kadabra appear under the ownership of Sabrina. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
Alakazam plays a large supporting role in the plot of the game. All three appear in the Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures, released in Japan as , is a Pokémon-related manga based on the video games. Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Pocket Monsters Special series is closest to what he imagined the Pokémon world to be:...
manga in various roles. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam as "losing most of its charm" as it progressed. Calling Abra cute, they describe Kadabra as having "a bit of that personality", and Alakazam as being a "distinctly grim, foreboding character". Conservative Christian groups have targeted the trio as representing anti-Christian aspects of the franchise.
Design and characteristics
Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam were three of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken SugimoriKen Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
. Originally called "Casey", "Yungerer", and "Foodin" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Abra and Kadabra were initially intended to be named Hocus and Pocus for American audiences, but changed to Abra and Kadabra, based on the famous magic charm
Abracadabra
Abracadabra is an incantation used as a magic word in stage magic tricks, and historically was believed to have healing powers when inscribed on an amulet...
along with Alakazam. Alakazam's Japanese name Foodin was inspired by a rough translation of Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
's last name.
Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam are bipedal Pokémon characterized by their human-like body structure and somewhat fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
-like appearance. They look like they are wearing armor, as they have two pauldron
Pauldron
A pauldron is a component of plate armour, which evolved from spaulders in the 15th century. As with spaulders, pauldrons cover the shoulder area. Pauldrons tend to be larger than spaulders, covering the armpit, and sometimes parts of the back and chest...
-shaped pieces on their shoulders and a fauld-like piece around their chest. Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam have three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot, with two toes in the front on either side and one in the back near the ankle. Abra and Kadabra also have thick tails the same gold color as the rest of its body, except for a brown band located near the top. Kadabra and Alakazam have relatively large mustaches, which are shorter in female species. Kadabra has a red star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
-shaped symbol on its forehead, and three red wavy lines on its fauld-like torso. After evolving into Alakazam, the creatures no longer have the Zener markings and tails, while their heads become much larger, resulting in extremely powerful mental powers.
Possessing the ability to read minds, Abra can sense danger, teleporting when it does and can do so quickly enough to create visual doubles. Using self-hypnosis, Abra spends 18 hours a day sleeping, unable to utilize its abilities unless rested. This behavior ceases once it evolves into Kadabra, a strong psychic that emits alpha waves
Alpha Waves
Alpha Waves is an early 3D game that combines labyrinthine exploration with platform gameplay. By most definitions of the genre it could be considered to be the first 3D platform game, released in 1990, 6 years before the genre's seminal classic Super Mario 64...
affected by its current mental state. These waves can trigger headaches in nearby people and can cause machines to malfunction. Once it evolves into Alakazam, it has mastered every type and form of psychic ability, and its brain continually grows. This causes its head to become too heavy for its neck, requiring psychokinesis to hold it upright. Able to remember everything, its IQ is around 5000 and can outperform a supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
. Both Kadabra and Alakazam utilize spoons generated mentally to enhance their abilities, two for the latter, and can increase them further by closing their eyes.
In video games
The first video game appearance of Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam was in Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
versions. Abra evolves into Kadabra after gaining enough experience in battle, and Kadabra evolves into Alakazam after being traded to another trainer. Abra and Kadabra later appear in every subsequent sequel. In Pokémon Gold, Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
, and Crystal, before the Elite Four are defeated for the first time, an Abra appears as an NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
at the Indigo Plateau which will teleport the player back to New Bark Town. This NPC appears again in their remakes
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
are enhanced remakes of the 1999 video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. The games are part of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS...
, but does not perform this function. In the main game series, many trainers use Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam in their teams. Notable trainers include Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina; The player's rival in Pokémon Red and Blue, and their remakes
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
, Blue; The player's rival in Pokémon Gold and Silver, and their remakes, Silver; The Hoenn Battle frontier Salon Maiden, Anabel; and Elite Four member, Lucian. Outside of the main series, Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam appeared in Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
- Manga :*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.-...
games, and the Pokémon Ranger
Pokémon Ranger
is an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. The game was released at various dates, varying between continents. The game was first released in Japan on March 22, 2006 and was later released in North America and...
games. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
, Alakazam plays a large supporting role in the plot as the leader of a Gold Rank rescue team.
In anime
In the Pokémon animePokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
, the Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina owns an Abra, which she sends out in a battle against the series protagonist, Ash
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
. After battling, Sabrina's Abra evolves into Kadabra, causing Ash to forfeit the match due to Kadabra's new and more powerful psychic abilities. Ash later returns for a rematch, and Ash's Haunter
Haunter
Haunter, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Game Freak and originally intended to be renamed Spectre for North American audiences, their name is a derivative of the verb "to haunt", and is both the singular and plural name of the...
makes Sabrina laugh, which causes Kadabra to laugh due to the psychic bond it has with Sabrina. Because of Kadabra and Sabrina's laugh, they are unable to fight, and hand over the gym badge. Abra later appears in the series under the ownership of Mira, who offers to teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
everyone to Hearthome city using her Abra, but instead teleports them to a flooded city to find a Poké Ball containing a Sandshrew that was lost in the newly-flooded lake. One of Abra and Kadabra's other appearances is living in an abandoned mining colony with several other Psychic-type Pokémon. Alakazam's first appearance was as a giant Alakazam awakened near the site of the Pokémopolis ruins. Alakazam has also been owned by many notable trainers, such as Luana, the Gym Leader of Kumquat Island, Eusine, Anabel, and Kenny.
In printed adaptations
In the Pokémon AdventuresPokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures, released in Japan as , is a Pokémon-related manga based on the video games. Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Pocket Monsters Special series is closest to what he imagined the Pokémon world to be:...
manga, Abra makes a cameo as the stolen Pokémon of the Pokémon Fan Club President. Later when Red frees the Pokémon kidnapped by Lt. Surge; instead of his beloved Abra, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club finds himself with a not-so-cute Alakazam. Like her anime counterpart, Sabrina also owns a Kadabra. After Red's aptitude test to be the Gym Leader of Viridian City, a swarm of wild Pokémon suddenly appear outside the Gym after being attracted by Pokémon March music, one of which is an Alakazam. Blue captures all of them with his Scizor. Alakazam is seen again as part of Blue's team for the Gym Leader faceoff, and again as one of the Pokémon in Viridian Gym. It defeated Yellow's Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
easily using a combination of Role Play and ThunderPunch. Green is seen to have an Abra, using its Teleport move to transport Silver away to a safer location.
Critical reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam as "losing most of its charm" as it progressed. Calling Abra cute, they describe Kadabra as having "a bit of that personality", and Alakazam as being a "distinctly grim, foreboding character". At the same time, they cited them as one of the most versatile groups of characters in the franchise. IGN also listed Alakazam, and to a lesser extent Kadabra, as one of the best Psychic types, alongside Mew
Mew (Pokémon)
is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from Nintendo's and Game Freak's multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri...
, Mewtwo
Mewtwo
is a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise...
, and Starmie. They commented that Alakazam was good for "down-to-Earth" players who don't want to use legendaries like Mew or Mewtwo. They further described Alakazam as "arguably the single most popular non-legendary Psychic type in any of the current games", also calling it a "brilliant yet brittle braniac". Boys' Life
Boys' Life
Boys' Life is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America . Its targeted readership is young American males between the ages of 6 and 18.Boys' Life is published in two demographic editions...
named Abra one of the five "coolest" Pokémon from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
at fourth. The St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
also praised the characters, describing their names as "clever".
IGN called Abra unimpressive, but worth raising because it evolves into the more powerful Kadabra. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
further commented that Kadabra makes up for the shortcomings of Abra. 1UP FM praised the characters' design, as the hosts noted them as some of their favorite Pokémon in the series and that they were impressed with their appearance. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
editor Henry Gilbert praised Kadabra and Alakazam's mustaches, listing them on their list of "The 10 greatest mustaches in gaming history". GamesRadar editor Brett Elston labelled Abra's moveset "lame", while acknowledging its potential to evolve into more powerful Pokémon. However, he claimed that Alakazam was useful only in limited circumstances. Elston also called Alakazam one of the most disturbing Pokémon of all time for the game's assertion that its brain cells continually multiply until it dies a horrible death. In a poll conducted by IGN, Kadabra was voted as the 91st best Pokémon, where it was called "much cooler" than Alakazam because "He doesn’t need to show off by bending two spoons". Alakazam was voted as the 20th best Pokémon, where the staff commented on the evolution line, stating they "not only loved the clever naming system but the creatures’ designs and abilities as well". They further stated that "Abra has always been a bit of a pain to raise and evolve, but the end result, an Alakazam, is well worth it in my book."
Controversy
Some conservative Christian groups have targeted the trio as representing anti-Christian aspects of the franchise. In Palm Beach, FloridaPalm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
, Pastor Eugene Walton distributed pamphlets that described the symbols on their heads as "a pentagram" and claimed the symbols on their chests were representative of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. In the book It's a Dark World, Roger Boehm argued that due to their psychic-status and the symbols on the body of the latter, Abra and Kadabra represented the occult, further arguing that the etymology of their name tied directly to them.
In November 2000 it was reported that Uri Geller
Uri Geller
Uri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
, an Israeli "psychic"
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
-magician who claims to bend spoons
Spoon bending
Spoon bending is the apparent deformation of objects, especially metal cutlery, either without physical force, or with less force than normally necessary...
with his mind, sued Nintendo over the Pokémon Kadabra, due to its Japanese name which he claimed was an unauthorized appropriation of his identity. Geller learned of the similarity after fans of both himself and Pokémon noted a resemblance to the character's Japanese name, behavior and face, and presented him with cards of the character to autograph after he had finished taping a television special in Japan. He further claimed that the star on Kadabra's forehead, and the lightning patterns on its abdomen, were symbols popular with the Waffen-SS and that, through the character, Nintendo had "turned [him] into an evil, occult Pokémon character". Nintendo countered by stating there was no connection between the two and that they had not named any of the Pokémon after actual people to the knowledge of their staff. Geller sued for the equivalent of $100 million
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, but lost.