Cleffa is a small, pink creature that is vaguely star-shaped in appearance. Its ears are completely brown. It has two small black eyes, a small mouth, and it appears to have a small, permanent blush on its cheeks. It possesses stubby, digitless arms and legs, which come to a point. It has a curl on its forehead and a curled up tail.
Cleffa lives in mountainous regions, typically found at meteor impact sites. Sightings of Cleffa increase on nights illuminated by shooting stars, where they dance the night away; this dance is said to bring good fortune to any who witness it. They quench their thirst the next morning by drinking dew. It is fascinated by anything resembling stars and meteors, such as Minior. Because of this, as well as its own star-shaped silhouette, Cleffa is commonly believed to have arrived on a shooting star. The anime showed that its evolved forms (and therefore Cleffa itself) are actually extraterrestrial Pokémon.
Cleffa made its main series debut in Wish Upon a Star Shape, where it first fell from a spaceship that belonged to the kleptomaniac Clefairy from Clefairy Tales. Ash and his friends had to get the Star Shape Pokémon back to its group before Team Rocket and the Pokémon Mystery Club could get their hands on it. It evolved at the end of the episode.
Multiple Cleffa appeared in A Real Cleffa-Hanger, where they played a major role.
Cleffa, the Star Shape Pokémon. Cleffa is the pre-evolved form of Clefairy. Their star shape has led some to believe that they reach the Earth riding on shooting stars. Strangely, many Cleffa are often found on nights of meteor showers.
With silhouettes that resemble stars, Cleffa are often sighted when the night sky is filled with shooting stars. Cleffa evolves into Clefairy, but only if it has a strong bond of friendship with its trainer. Since Cleffa are so cute and lovable, many trainers choose to keep it in this unevolved form.
Game data
Cleffa in Pokémon Puzzle Collection Vol. 2
NPC appearances
Pokémon Stadium 2: Cleffa appears in a quiz-show styled mini-game alongside Igglybuff. A series of Pokémon parade across the screen and players have to count how many of the Pokémon species that have been instructed to be counted parade across the screen. The final score is based how close the answered amount is to the right number.
On nights with many shooting stars, Cleffa can be seen dancing in a ring. They dance through the night and stop only at the break of day, when these Pokémon quench their thirst with the morning dew.
On nights with many shooting stars, Cleffa can be seen dancing in a ring. They dance until daybreak, when they quench their thirst with the morning dew.
On nights with many shooting stars, Cleffa can be seen dancing in a ring. They dance through the night and stop only at the break of day, when these Pokémon quench their thirst with the morning dew.
Leppa Berry (50%)
Moon Stone (5%)
Qualot Berry (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Cleffa images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
