Donphan are light-gray elephant-like Pokémon. There is a thick, black band of hide that runs down the length of Donphan's back and extends to the trunk, resembling a car tire. Donphan have four short legs with three claws with each leg having a black band around them. They also sport a pair of white tusks, and elongated ears held stiffly to Donphan's sides.
Gender differences
A female Donphan has shorter tusks than a male.
Special abilities
It has the ability to curl up into a ball and violently roll around like a wheel. Once it starts its rampage it will be almost unstoppable. These rolling tackles are strong enough to knock down a house. Its hide is also very tough. Regular attacks won't leave a scratch on it.
Behavior
Donphan travel in a herd that is led by a single Donphan. The larger the tusks, the higher its rank in the herd will be. They are also prone to going on violent rampages by curling into a ball and rolling almost nonstop. During their breeding season, male Donphan compete for mates by rolling as well to show how tough they are. This rolling is known as the Love Dance. Donphan are also known to have a keen sense of smell, at least in the sense of being able to detect amberite, and will upraise their trunks into the air to smell for it.
Habitat
These Pokémon seem to prefer rough, mountainous terrain.
Donphan, the Armor Pokémon. With its strong tusks and tough skin, Donphan is known for its powerful Tackle attack. The length of Donphan's tusks indicates its level.
A herd of Donphan were used by a thieving ruffian in Volume 8. In the Ruby & Sapphire arc, Wattson accidentally catches Sapphire in a trap designed to catch a wild, rampaging Donphan. After 'discovering' New Mauville, Sapphire uses the wild Donphan to help Wattson shut down a power generator. Donphan has been in Sapphire's team ever since.
Donphan's favorite attack is curling its body into a ball, then charging at its foe while rolling at high speed. Once it starts rolling, this Pokémon can't stop very easily.
If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed. Using its massive strength, the Pokémon helps clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails.
A Donphan is so strong it can easily haul a dump truck. Its hide has toughened to a rock-hard state. An ordinary sort of attack won't even leave a scratch.
Donphan is one of several Pokémon whose sprites were altered during translation of Pokémon Silver. In Donphan's case, the underside of its trunk was changed from striped gray, similar to a real trunk, to solid black, and its eyes became smaller.
Donphan was the first evolvedGeneration II Pokémon seen in the anime, and the fifth Generation II Pokémon ever introduced, after Ho-Oh, Togepi, Snubbull and Marill. However, its name, and that of the move it used, Rollout, was not revealed in its debut. Its name was finally revealed when a promotional set of cards was released for Mewtwo Strikes Back.
Donphan shares the same species name with Tyranitar. They are both known as Armor Pokémon.
Donphan, along with its pre-evolution Phanpy, and also Seel and Shellder, are the only non-Ice-type Pokémon that can learn Ice Shard. Seel and Shellder can learn it by leveling up, while it is an Egg move for Phanpy. However, both Seel and Shellder evolve into dual-Ice types.
Donphan and Ursaring, along with their pre-evolutions, are the only Pokémon to swap version-exclusive status between localizations. While Phanpy and Donphan are found only in the Japanese Gold, they are not found in Gold in other languages, being found in the Silver Version of those languages instead, with Teddiursa and Ursaring getting the opposite treatment. This is corrected in the remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, where they follow the Japanese Gold and Silver.
Donphan's sprites in Diamond and Pearl are the same as its sprites in all Generation III games, the only difference being a slight color change (its skin is less gray).
Origin
It appears to have been based on an adult elephant, although it resembles the tire of an automobile when curled up or using its trademark Rollout attack. As both Phanpy and Donphan are much smaller compared to humans than conventional African or Asian elephants, they may have actually been inspired by the Dwarf elephant or Pygmy elephant.
Name origin
Donphan and Donfan are a combination of don and elephant. Don may refer to lord; a root word meaning teeth, referring to its tusks; or mastodon, a prehistoric elephant. Don may have also been included to reflect Donphan's robust physique and great strength, especially in comparison to Phanpy.