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Malamar is a dark-purple squid-like Pokémon. It has a pair of fins on the bottom of its body that function as its legs. Malamar's main body has six light-yellow spots on the front and back and a light-yellow stripe nearly wrapping around its body above the spots. Its arm-like tendrils have grown scythe-like in appearance. Malamar has a red beak, half closed eyes with black sclera, yellow irises and wavy "hair" made of eight tentacles. It possesses strong hypnotic powers, which it uses to force others to do its bidding. It can lure prey with hypnotic motions before it wraps its tentacles around the prey, then it finishes off with digestive fluids. Malamar and its pre-evolution Inkay are the only known Pokémon that can learn Topsy-Turvy.
In the anime
Malamar in the anime
Major appearances
An evil, psychopathic Malamar made an appearance in A Conspiracy to Conquer!. It appeared to be under the control of a woman named "Madame X," but in reality, it had hypnotized an Officer Jenny to pose as Madame X. It also hypnotized Jessie, James, Clemont, Serena, Bonnie and many Pokémon including Ash's Pikachu. While it was defeated in the end, it escaped after boasting of a grand plan to conquer the world. It reappeared in Facing the Grand Design! along with two other evil Malamar.
Other
Multiple Malamar also appeared in Facing the Grand Design! along with the three evil Malamar. Unlike the three evil Malamar, these were peaceful and lived with Pokémon living in the forest and later helped James and Clemont stop the three evil Malamar from completing their plans and rescue their friends.
Malamar, the Overturning Pokémon, and the evolved form of Inkay. Possessing the strongest hypnotic powers of any Pokémon, Malamar can compel others to do anything it wants them to do.
In addition to Inkay's method of evolution into Malamar being unique, it would have been impossible in any of the previous core series Pokémon games since only the Nintendo 3DS has an internal gyroscope.
They are the only Pokémon that can have the ability Contrary without it being their Hidden Ability.
Malamar and its pre-evolution were designed by Hitoshi Ariga.[1]
Malamar is the only Pokémon with a catch rate of 80.
Origin
Malamar is based on an upside-down squid. Its body orientation and hypnosis ability may have been inspired by the vampire squid's abilities to invert its tentacles and produce light.
Name origin
Malamar may be a combination of mal- (Latin for bad), μαλάκιο malákio (Greek for mollusk), calamari, and mare (Latin for sea).
Calamanero may be from 絡ます karamasu (to entangle), calamari, 魔 ma (demon), and possibly nero di seppia (Italian for cephalopod ink).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
カラマネロ Calamanero
Possibly from 絡ます karamasu, calamari, 魔 ma, and possibly nero di seppia
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.