Ditto (Pokémon)
Encyclopedia
Ditto, known in Japan as is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
, Ditto first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations 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 "Metamon" 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. According to IGN
, Ditto's name is derived from the word ditto which means "the same".
Ditto has the form of an amorphous blob with a simplistic face. Ditto is pink (or blue if it is shiny) and is able to rearrange its cellular structure into anything at will, but it usually changes into any nearby Pokémon. It takes on the exact form of the Pokémon and can use all of its abilities. The only things that can make it change back are being defeated, returning to a Pokéball, and the Ditto laughing. During the night, it transforms into a rock to avoid being attacked. If it tries to transform from memory, or if it is inexperienced, it will likely mess up on certain details such as leaving its own face or staying its own size. The only other Pokémon capable of transforming is the legendary Pokémon Mew
(though Ditto is the only non-legendary Pokémon to learn Transform). Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga author Toshihiro Ono
cited Ditto as one of his favorite characters to draw for the series, describing it as "easy to draw".
and appeared in every main Pokémon title since. It gained a major upgrade in Pokémon Gold and Silver
where it was given the unique ability to breed with any Pokémon. It gained another major upgrade in Pokémon Black and White
where its Dream World form had the Ability to automatically transform into a Pokémon upon entering battle unlike before, where it had to use a turn and risk being knocked out in the process. It also appeared in other Pokémon titles, including Pokémon Snap
, Pokémon Channel
, Pokémon Pinball
, Pokémon Trozei!
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
titles, Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
, and Pokémon Rumble
. In Super Smash Bros. Melee
, it was revealed that it was originally meant to be one of the Pokémon to come out of a Poké Ball, but was cut during development for unknown reasons. However, when a player selects "Random" as their player during Tournament Mode, a picture of a Ditto can be seen, as opposed to the question mark used in versus mode. In Diamond and Pearl versions, Ditto can be used as a breeding companion if you are breeding Pokémon that can only be obtained once in the wild. Some Dittos don't breed with specific Pokémon so after a while in the Solaceon Town day-care, you should change a Ditto if you cannot get an egg for a long time.
s Erik Holm called Ditto a popular Pokémon. In an interview with G4's Raymond Padilla, Metal Gear Solid
series creator Hideo Kojima
noted Ditto as his favorite pokémon. While IGN
wrote that while it was "one of the few Pokémon that can proudly stand up to a Mewtwo in battle", its Transform technique prevents lower level Dittos from lasting long. IGN's Pokémon Chick wrote that while Ditto was "utterly useless" in Red and Blue, it "slammed to the forefront of popularity" in Gold and Silver due to its ability to breed with any Pokémon. She added that with the addition of Smeargle, Ditto is able to transform into one, use its Sketch technique which copies other techniques, and learn these techniques permanently. IGN's Jack DeVries wrote that its ability to breed with any Pokémon was "disturbing".
1UP.com
's Kevin Gifford compared Ditto to Zorua and Zoroark
who are able to transform into other Pokémon as well. Destructoid
's Jim Sterling listed Ditto as one of the 30 "rubbish" Pokémon in Red and Blue. He called Ditto "totally forgettable, not worth mentioning". Author Loredana Lipperini called Ditto “chewing-gum pink”. Bitmob's Chas Guidry wrote that Ditto's Dream World version had the most significant changes to it due to being able to transform into other Pokémon automatically upon entering battle unlike its previous incarnations. He adds that "with a Choice Scarf equipped, Ditto can effectively out-speed any monster it faces in battle". GamesRadar
's Carolyn Gudmundson named Ditto their Pokémon of the week and wrote that it gets "used and abused more than any other [Pokémon]". She also featured the theory that Ditto was a "failed clone" of Mew
, due to similar colours, both weighing 8.8 pounds, and both learning Transform.
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. 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...
, Ditto 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 subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.
Concept and characteristics
Ditto was one 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 "Metamon" 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. According to 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...
, Ditto's name is derived from the word ditto which means "the same".
Ditto has the form of an amorphous blob with a simplistic face. Ditto is pink (or blue if it is shiny) and is able to rearrange its cellular structure into anything at will, but it usually changes into any nearby Pokémon. It takes on the exact form of the Pokémon and can use all of its abilities. The only things that can make it change back are being defeated, returning to a Pokéball, and the Ditto laughing. During the night, it transforms into a rock to avoid being attacked. If it tries to transform from memory, or if it is inexperienced, it will likely mess up on certain details such as leaving its own face or staying its own size. The only other Pokémon capable of transforming is the legendary Pokémon 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...
(though Ditto is the only non-legendary Pokémon to learn Transform). Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga author Toshihiro Ono
Toshihiro Ono
is a Japanese manga artist and graphic novelist. He was born in Aichi, Japan.He is best known for the Pokémon manga based on the animation series: "The Electric Tale of Pikachu" published by Viz Media...
cited Ditto as one of his favorite characters to draw for the series, describing it as "easy to draw".
In the video games
Ditto first appeared 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...
and appeared in every main Pokémon title since. It gained a major upgrade in Pokémon Gold and 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...
where it was given the unique ability to breed with any Pokémon. It gained another major upgrade in Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
where its Dream World form had the Ability to automatically transform into a Pokémon upon entering battle unlike before, where it had to use a turn and risk being knocked out in the process. It also appeared in other Pokémon titles, including Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Snap
is a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...
, Pokémon Channel
Pokémon Channel
Pokémon Channel, released in Japan as is a virtual pet video game for the GameCube, developed by Ambrella. Its focus is the adventures the player has with Pikachu, most of them involving a new television network...
, 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....
, Pokémon Trozei!
Pokémon Trozei!
, released as Pokémon Link! in Europe, is a Pokémon-themed puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on October 20, 2005, in North America on March 6, 2006, in Australia on March 30, 2006, and in Europe on May 5, 2006.-Gameplay:...
, 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.-...
titles, Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
is an action role-playing game video game for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel of Pokémon Ranger and Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and third installment of its series. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2010, North America on October 4, 2010, and Europe on November 5, 2010. Gameplay revolves...
, and Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble is a Pokémon video game for WiiWare. It was developed by Ambrella. Pokémon Rumble was rated "E10+" by the ESRB, making it the first Pokémon video game to be given an ESRB rating higher than "E" for Everyone...
. In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, it was revealed that it was originally meant to be one of the Pokémon to come out of a Poké Ball, but was cut during development for unknown reasons. However, when a player selects "Random" as their player during Tournament Mode, a picture of a Ditto can be seen, as opposed to the question mark used in versus mode. In Diamond and Pearl versions, Ditto can be used as a breeding companion if you are breeding Pokémon that can only be obtained once in the wild. Some Dittos don't breed with specific Pokémon so after a while in the Solaceon Town day-care, you should change a Ditto if you cannot get an egg for a long time.
In other media
In the anime, two Ditto are owned by Duplica, a girl who can easily imitate people. The first Ditto is used to help her run a theater. At first it cannot correctly transform its face, but with the help of Team Rocket, it overcomes that barrier. The second Ditto, "Mini-Dit", cannot change its size at all.Reception
NewsdayNewsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
s Erik Holm called Ditto a popular Pokémon. In an interview with G4's Raymond Padilla, Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
series creator Hideo Kojima
Hideo Kojima
is a Japanese game director originally employed at Konami. He is currently the director of Kojima Productions and was promoted to Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment in early 2011...
noted Ditto as his favorite pokémon. While 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...
wrote that while it was "one of the few Pokémon that can proudly stand up to a Mewtwo in battle", its Transform technique prevents lower level Dittos from lasting long. IGN's Pokémon Chick wrote that while Ditto was "utterly useless" in Red and Blue, it "slammed to the forefront of popularity" in Gold and Silver due to its ability to breed with any Pokémon. She added that with the addition of Smeargle, Ditto is able to transform into one, use its Sketch technique which copies other techniques, and learn these techniques permanently. IGN's Jack DeVries wrote that its ability to breed with any Pokémon was "disturbing".
1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Kevin Gifford compared Ditto to Zorua and Zoroark
Zorua and Zoroark
and are two fictional species of Pokémon creatures, linked by evolution, in Nintendo's and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. They are two Dark-type Pokémon resembling foxes...
who are able to transform into other Pokémon as well. Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
's Jim Sterling listed Ditto as one of the 30 "rubbish" Pokémon in Red and Blue. He called Ditto "totally forgettable, not worth mentioning". Author Loredana Lipperini called Ditto “chewing-gum pink”. Bitmob's Chas Guidry wrote that Ditto's Dream World version had the most significant changes to it due to being able to transform into other Pokémon automatically upon entering battle unlike its previous incarnations. He adds that "with a Choice Scarf equipped, Ditto can effectively out-speed any monster it faces in battle". 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...
's Carolyn Gudmundson named Ditto their Pokémon of the week and wrote that it gets "used and abused more than any other [Pokémon]". She also featured the theory that Ditto was a "failed clone" of 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...
, due to similar colours, both weighing 8.8 pounds, and both learning Transform.