Jynx is a bipedal, humanoid Pokémon that resembles a bulky woman. Jynx wears a red gown that hides its feet and has white arms with purple hands. There are golden circles on the chest area of its gown. Jynx has a purple face, pink lips, saucer-like eyes, and long blonde hair. Originally, its face was colored black, causing controversy. Jynx is a female only species with no true male counterpart.
Jynx has a language with several cry patterns that sounds similar to human speech. However, this language has yet to be deciphered. It prefers to communicate by using dance-like movements. These rhythmic movements often cause people to dance along with it. It puts its enemies to sleep using its signature move, Lovely Kiss. Jynx often is found in urban areas.
In the anime
Major appearances
Jynx in the anime
Jynx first appeared in Holiday Hi-Jynx. One of Santa Claus's Jynx was separated from him. Ash and friends helped to return the Jynx to her owner.
A Jynx was also used by a girl named Erica in the Pacifidlog Town Contest in Mean With Envy and Pacifidlog Jam. Mean With Envy also marked the first appearance of Jynx's purple redesign in the anime.
A trio of Jynx sisters were in Three Jynx and a Baby!. These three Jynx were overly-protective towards their sister, a Smoochum. The Smoochum evolved into a Jynx at the end of the episode.
A Jynx under the ownership of the Pokémon Showboat stage show staff appeared in Stage Fight!.
A Jynx appears in Pokémon Double Trouble, running on a treadmill in a scene removed from the dub.
A Jynx was used by a Trainer in All Things Bright and Beautifly!, but this scene was cut from the English dub as it featured Jynx in its original design.
Jynx, the Human Shape Pokémon. This Pokémon has some very unusual powers. Its special attack is the Lovely Kiss, which puts its opponent into a deep sleep.
A fortune-telling Jynx appears in the manga Magical Pokémon Journey. Arbok goes to Jynx's fortune-telling hut to find out if he has a chance with his crush, Wigglytuff.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Jynx debuted in The Jynx Jinx under the ownership of Ken. She was used to attack Red and Green after they tricked Team Rocket and capture Mew. When she attacked Mew, Red and Green tried to defend it, only to be defeated. Mew retaliates against her and freezes her and Ken while sparing Red and Green.
Jynx's most notable role is being under the ownership of Lorelei in Pokémon Adventures which first appeared in Jigglypuff Jive. Lorelei's Jynx is noted for having the ability to generate voodoo dolls out of ice using its Ice Beam. When Lorelei draws crosses on any part of the dolls using her lipstick, ice shackles form on the specified body parts of her targets, eventually freezing the victim over completely. Even after the victims are broken free, the freeze induces lasting numbness in the areas where it was applied. Both Red and Sabrina suffered this condition and had to seek a cure atop Mt. Silver by bathing in the hotsprings there. Another ability of Lorelei's Jynx is revealed in the Sevii Islands saga: she can create a wispy band of ice around targets, which Lorelei can use to track them down using her powder case.
Jynx walks rhythmically, swaying and shaking its hips as if it were dancing. Its motions are so bouncingly alluring, people seeing it are compelled to shake their hips without giving any thought to what they are doing.
A Jynx sashays rhythmically as if it were dancing. Its motions are so bouncingly alluring, people seeing it are compelled to shake their hips without noticing.
Jynx walks rhythmically, swaying and shaking its hips as if it were dancing. Its motions are so bouncingly alluring, people seeing it are compelled to shake their hips without giving any thought to what they are doing.
Jynx is also the only Generation I Pokémon that still has a unique type combination and is not part Poison-type.
As its Pokédex entries state that Jynx speaks an incomprehensible language, the player, as a Pokémon, cannot understand anything it says in the Mystery Dungeon series.
When Jynx faints in the Pokémon Stadium series, everything but its hair vanishes, implying that its armor and black "skin" is darkness. Similarly, in Colosseum and XD, it simply vanishes upon fainting.
Although Jynx has been seen to possess feet in the anime, it does not have a footprint.
When Jynx is viewed from underneath via the 3D-rendered Pokédex in the Stadium and X and Y games, nothing but darkness is shown underneath its dress.
A pre-alpha sketch depicts an unreleased Pokémon with the same Pokédex number as Jynx.
Jynx has the longest cry of any Pokémon, lasting 2.238 seconds.
Jynx is the only Pokémon to have Dry Skin as its Hidden Ability.
Jynx originally bore a striking, but possibly coincidental, resemblance to entertainers in blackface. It is argued that Jynx may instead be a parody of or homage to the Japanese ganguro and yamanba fashion trends, which were extremely popular when Pokémon was first released; however, blackface-influenced characters have appeared in other anime and manga such as Dragon Ball's Mr. Popo and in Metropolis.
As Pokémon became more popular in the US, this perceived similarity to a racist image from America's past offended some. In particular, it had offended children's book author Carole Boston Weatherford, who accused Jynx of being a racist stereotype in an article titled "Politically Incorrect Pokémon" in the magazine Black World Today, shortly after the anime episode Holiday Hi-Jynx aired. Episodes that contained Jynx in its original design were left unaired outside of Japan, including EP250 and portions of All Things Bright and Beautifly, with the exceptions of Stage Fight!, The Mandarin Island Miss Match, and the Who's That Pokémon? segment of It's Mr. Mime Time.
In response to this controversy, Nintendo changed the color of Jynx's dark blue hands and its black face to purple in Pokémon games, including in the international versions of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. In addition to this, Jynx's facial expression in its Silver sprites were also changed, as was its hair color in both her normal and Shiny forms. Jynx has since appeared using its new design, with the exception of some side-games, free of issues. The Virtual Console versions of Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Trading Card Game recolor Jynx's face.
What Jynx is based on is a controversial topic within the fandom, although common interpretations are a Nordic or a Viking woman (possibly Hel, goddess of the underworld), or ガングロ ganguro (face-black). Also, the fact that Jynx are depicted as Santa's helpers in the anime may reference the folklore character Zwarte Piet. Jynx also has the traits of a female opera singer, especially the iconic cartoon depiction of the fat lady; it should also be noted that Pokémon Snap and the third generation sprites depict it singing, especially the Emerald sprite that animates it singing a high note. Jynx may also have origins in the Japanese spirits known as Yuki-onna, who lack feet, akin to Jynx's feet being covered by its dress, and Yama-uba or Yamanba, which is described as always wearing a tattered red kimono, having whitish-blonde hair, control over snow, dark-colored skin, and large lips, traits which are evident in Jynx. "Yamanba" is also a slang for the extreme end of ganguro fashion, which involves bleached hair, artificial tanning, and heavy applying of brightly-colored lipstick.
Its revised coloring may be based on purple discoloration of the skin, a common symptom of frostbite. This fits with Jynx's Ice type and how it is found in very cold places.
Name origin
Jynx is a corruption of jinx, a curse or hex of bad luck.
Rougela may be a feminized corruption of rouge, a type of makeup. It is also French for red.