Meowth
Encyclopedia
Meowth, known as in original Japanese language
versions, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
, Meowth 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. Meowth is voiced by Inuko Inuyama in Japanese, and by Nathan Price, Maddie Blaustein
and Carter Cathcart
in English.
Known as the Scratch Cat
Pokémon, it spends most of the daytime sleeping and prowls the city streets at night. Meowth is among the most recognizable Pokémon, largely because it is a central character
in the Pokémon anime
series. This particular Meowth, belonging to Team Rocket, the anime's major antagonist
s, is one of the few Pokémon that have the ability to speak human language. Meowth has had mixed reception, Game Daily describing him as "adorable" and saying he should have his own game, while GamesRadar
described it as "not all that useful" and said that Meowth would not have stood out if it did not have such a large role in the anime.
Meowth was one of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
. Called "Nyarth" 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. Due to its appearance in the anime series as a speaking character, the species was renamed Meowth, a combination of the words "meow" and "mouth".
Meowth has a distinctly feline appearance, resembling a small housecat. It has cream-colored fur, which turns brown at its paws and tail tip. Its oval-shaped head features prominent whiskers, black-and-brown ears, and a koban
, a gold oval coin (also known as "charm") embedded in its forehead. Meowth are valued for their ability to collect coins using their signature move, "Pay Day", as it is the only Pokémon that learns it. Meowth's coloration, its love of coins, and its charm indicate that Meowth is based on the Japanese Maneki Neko
, a cat-shaped figurine that is said to bring good luck and money to its owner. Aspects of Meowth were drawn from a Japanese myth dealing with the true value of money, in which a cat has money on its head but does not realize it. When a Meowth receives enough experience
from battles, it evolves into Persian.
Meowth is an urban nocturnal Pokémon, spending most of the daytime sleeping and prowling the city streets at night. They retract their claws back into their paws, which grants them silent movement and protecting them from leaving distinctively incriminating pawprints that alert people to their actions. Meowth loves round objects, as well as shiny, glittering things. The item it adores collecting the most, however, are coins, since they are both round and shiny. Meowth collects the objects at every opportunity and hoards in its nest. Murkrow, a Pokémon similar to the bowerbird
, exhibits similar behavior and members of the two species have been known to steal from the collections of the other.
. It later appeared in several sequels, including Pokémon Silver
, Pokémon Crystal, the Red and Blue remakes Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Diamond, Pearl
, and Platinum
, and Pokémon SoulSilver
. Meowth is one of the playable characters in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
games. Meowth also appears in the Nintendo 64
game Pokémon Snap
, the Nintendo GameCube
game Pokémon Channel
, and many others. Meowth has appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series
(excluding Melee
) as a Pokémon summoned via a Poké Ball item and uses its signature move, Pay Day, to throw a barrage of coins.
, but his clone could not talk or walk on two legs, likely because Meowth needed to learn how to do this. The Meowth clone is encountered again in Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns
. A trainer named Tyson owns a Meowth, which beat Ash
's Pikachu
in the Ever Grande Conference. This Meowth was dressed up like Puss in Boots
.
manga, Meowth's first appearance is a cameo in the first chapter as one of the Pokémon that escapes from Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Meowth has appeared in the Pokémon Trading Card Game
first in the Jungle series. A special Meowth card was available with purchase of Pokémon Trading Card Video Game. In an open forum interview with ABC News
, Pokémon anime director Masakazu Kubo noted Meowth as his favorite Pokémon, citing that while not a major character in the games, he was in the anime.
stated that without the anime, the character would not have been as famous, further describing it as "probably the funniest part of the show". San Francisco Gate editor Jesse Hamlin stated that Meowth provided a few laughs in Pokémon The Movie 2000. However, another editor stated it was popular amongst people who have never seen the anime due to being a feline. Author Harry Schlesinger wrote that Meowth was popular among girls.
IGN said that Meowth would make a good choice as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
"if Brawl's developers really wanted much more representation for Pokemon as a franchise" also stating "it would be fun to face him in battle as a real fighter, just to be able to send him "blasting off again."" GamesRadar
described Meowth as "not all that useful", and questioned if the character would have stood out if it were not for its portrayal in the anime.
GamesRadar editor Carolyn Gudmundson described Meowth as being "no slouch" compared to Snorlax
, who she described as the greatest Pokémon ever. Fellow GamesRadar editor Justin Towell listed Meowth as one of video games' eight greatest Pokémon, describing him as one of the most memorable characters in the series. Die Hard GameFAN editor Adam Powell listed Meowth as his favourite Pokémon, stating that Meowth's voice reminded him of Heathcliff
. Authors Tracey West and Katherine Noll called Meowth the number one Normal type Pokémon and the tenth best Pokémon overall. They called its anime incarnation the "heart and soul of Team Rocket", and praised it as "funny and clever".
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
versions, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
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...
, Meowth 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. Meowth is voiced by Inuko Inuyama in Japanese, and by Nathan Price, Maddie Blaustein
Maddie Blaustein
Madeleine Joan Blaustein was an American voice actress...
and Carter Cathcart
Jimmy Zoppi
Jimmy Zoppi , sometimes credited as Billy Beach and James Carter Cathcart, is an American bassist, vocalist, and voice-over artist. He has been playing with bands since high school and has been a bassist and vocalist of the Carter Cathcart Band since 1981. Zoppi's first voiceover part was O.G...
in English.
Known as the Scratch Cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
Pokémon, it spends most of the daytime sleeping and prowls the city streets at night. Meowth is among the most recognizable Pokémon, largely because it is a central character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
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...
series. This particular Meowth, belonging to Team Rocket, the anime's major antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s, is one of the few Pokémon that have the ability to speak human language. Meowth has had mixed reception, Game Daily describing him as "adorable" and saying he should have his own game, while 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...
described it as "not all that useful" and said that Meowth would not have stood out if it did not have such a large role in the anime.
Design and characteristics
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...
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...
. Called "Nyarth" 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. Due to its appearance in the anime series as a speaking character, the species was renamed Meowth, a combination of the words "meow" and "mouth".
Meowth has a distinctly feline appearance, resembling a small housecat. It has cream-colored fur, which turns brown at its paws and tail tip. Its oval-shaped head features prominent whiskers, black-and-brown ears, and a koban
Koban (Japanese gold coin)
The was a Japanese oval gold coin in Edo period feudal Japan, equal to one ryō, another early Japanese monetary unit. It was a central part of Tokugawa coinage....
, a gold oval coin (also known as "charm") embedded in its forehead. Meowth are valued for their ability to collect coins using their signature move, "Pay Day", as it is the only Pokémon that learns it. Meowth's coloration, its love of coins, and its charm indicate that Meowth is based on the Japanese Maneki Neko
Maneki Neko
The is a common Japanese sculpture, often made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The sculpture depicts a cat beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses...
, a cat-shaped figurine that is said to bring good luck and money to its owner. Aspects of Meowth were drawn from a Japanese myth dealing with the true value of money, in which a cat has money on its head but does not realize it. When a Meowth receives enough experience
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
from battles, it evolves into Persian.
Meowth is an urban nocturnal Pokémon, spending most of the daytime sleeping and prowling the city streets at night. They retract their claws back into their paws, which grants them silent movement and protecting them from leaving distinctively incriminating pawprints that alert people to their actions. Meowth loves round objects, as well as shiny, glittering things. The item it adores collecting the most, however, are coins, since they are both round and shiny. Meowth collects the objects at every opportunity and hoards in its nest. Murkrow, a Pokémon similar to the bowerbird
Bowerbird
Bowerbirds make up the bird family Ptilonorhynchidae. The family has 20 species in eight genera. These are medium-sized passerines, ranging from the Golden Bowerbird to the Great Bowerbird...
, exhibits similar behavior and members of the two species have been known to steal from the collections of the other.
In the video games
Meowth first appears as a version exclusive Pokémon in Pokémon 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...
. It later appeared in several sequels, including Pokémon 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...
, Pokémon Crystal, the Red and Blue remakes 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...
, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Diamond, Pearl
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
, and Platinum
Pokémon Platinum
is a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
, and Pokémon SoulSilver
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...
. Meowth is one of the playable characters in 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. Meowth also appears in the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
game 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...
, the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
game 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...
, and many others. Meowth has appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a series of fighting games published by Nintendo, featuring characters from established video games. The gameplay differs from traditional fighters for focusing on knocking opponents out of the stage instead of depleting life bars...
(excluding 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...
) as a Pokémon summoned via a Poké Ball item and uses its signature move, Pay Day, to throw a barrage of coins.
In the anime
Meowth has made an appearance in almost every episode in the anime because one is the constant companion of Team Rocket agents Jessie and James, the show's main bungling antagonists. He originally lived in the city, and tried to impress a female Meowth named Meowzie by learning to walk on two legs and speak human language. Instead of being impressed, she regarded him as a freak, so Meowth joined Team Rocket. Meowth was cloned in Pokémon: The First MoviePokémon: The First Movie
Pokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise...
, but his clone could not talk or walk on two legs, likely because Meowth needed to learn how to do this. The Meowth clone is encountered again in Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns
Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns
Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns, released in Japan as , is an animated film based on the Pokémon anime, and is the direct follow-up to Pokémon: The First Movie. It originated as a feature-length TV special in Japan on December 30, 2000 and was released on VHS and DVD in Japan on March 21, 2001...
. A trainer named Tyson owns a Meowth, which beat 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...
'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...
in the Ever Grande Conference. This Meowth was dressed up like Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots
'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé...
.
In other media
Meowth appears in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga series along with his teammates Jessie and James. He first appears in the chapter Pikachu's Excellent Adventure. In Days of Gloom and Glory, an unnamed Meowth based on Meowzie appears. Like in the anime, Meowzie finds Meowth's ability to speak human language "creepy". In the manga, she has at least one kitten, which she captures into a stolen Poké Ball to protect it from an impending flood. 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, Meowth's first appearance is a cameo in the first chapter as one of the Pokémon that escapes from Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Meowth has appeared in the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
first in the Jungle series. A special Meowth card was available with purchase of Pokémon Trading Card Video Game. In an open forum interview with ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Pokémon anime director Masakazu Kubo noted Meowth as his favorite Pokémon, citing that while not a major character in the games, he was in the anime.
Critical reception
Meowth ranked fourth on Game Daily's top 10 list of Nintendo characters that deserve their own games, describing him as "adorable" and explaining that his intelligence and ability to speak gave writers more depth than other Pokémon would. 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...
stated that without the anime, the character would not have been as famous, further describing it as "probably the funniest part of the show". San Francisco Gate editor Jesse Hamlin stated that Meowth provided a few laughs in Pokémon The Movie 2000. However, another editor stated it was popular amongst people who have never seen the anime due to being a feline. Author Harry Schlesinger wrote that Meowth was popular among girls.
IGN said that Meowth would make a good choice as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
"if Brawl's developers really wanted much more representation for Pokemon as a franchise" also stating "it would be fun to face him in battle as a real fighter, just to be able to send him "blasting off again."" 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...
described Meowth as "not all that useful", and questioned if the character would have stood out if it were not for its portrayal in the anime.
GamesRadar editor Carolyn Gudmundson described Meowth as being "no slouch" compared to Snorlax
Snorlax
Snorlax, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Snorlax first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
, who she described as the greatest Pokémon ever. Fellow GamesRadar editor Justin Towell listed Meowth as one of video games' eight greatest Pokémon, describing him as one of the most memorable characters in the series. Die Hard GameFAN editor Adam Powell listed Meowth as his favourite Pokémon, stating that Meowth's voice reminded him of Heathcliff
Heathcliff (comic strip)
Heathcliff is a comic strip created by George Gately in 1973 featuring the title character, a wisecracking cat. Now written and drawn by Gately's nephew, Peter Gallagher, it is distributed to over 1,000 newspapers by Creators Syndicate, who took over the comic from McNaught Syndicate in 1988.The...
. Authors Tracey West and Katherine Noll called Meowth the number one Normal type Pokémon and the tenth best Pokémon overall. They called its anime incarnation the "heart and soul of Team Rocket", and praised it as "funny and clever".
External links
- Official Pokémon website
- Bulbapedia’s article about Meowth as a species