Klawf is a crustacean Pokémon. It is primarily orange in color, with a cream underbelly and pink cheeks that can glow red. Its stony, armored carapace has a rugged texture, with three roughly pentagonal shapes protruding from the top. Its eyes are supported by stalks extending from inside its shell; Klawf can freely rotate these eyes to survey its surroundings, leaving no blind spots.[1] Klawf's mouth is large and has rectangular "teeth" resembling battlements. Klawf has eight appendages, with claws on its two front-most limbs. Black fur-like bristles protrude from between its eyes and cover its joints.
Klawf hangs upside-down from the sheer cliffs on which it lives in order to ambush its prey from above; however, it can't stay in this position for too long as its blood will rush to its head, causing it to get dizzy. Klawf's claws are strong and dexterous and have a strong grip, especially on its prey. In battle, it sidesteps to dodge its opponents' attacks then goes for their weak spots with its claws. Klawf uses one of its claws to hold its opponent tight while using the other to break through its defenses. Klawf can grow back its claws if it loses them. In some parts of the Paldea region, Klawf's claws are used for cooking.[1]
Klawf is the only known Pokémon that can have Anger Shell as an Ability.
A giant Klawf, known as the Stony Cliff Titan, is one of the Titan Pokémon found in the Paldea region.
Origin
Klawf appears to be based on various species of crabs with hair-like bristles on their bodies, such as the horsehair crab (which has an orange-brown coloration), the velvet crab (a species found in the Mediterranean Sea), or the Chinese mitten crab (an invasive species in Europe). It may also derive inspiration from rock climbing.
Name origin
Klawf may be a combination of claw and cliff.
Gakegani may be a combination of 崖 gake (cliff) and 蟹 kani (crab) or 毛蟹 kegani (horsehair crab).