Cubone is a small, bipedal Pokémon with a golden brown hide that covers most of its body, including both dorsal spikes. Its belly is a very light brown. Two small claws, one on each hand, serve as its thumbs, and one large nail on each foot make up its toes. On its head, Cubone wears the skull of its dead mother as a helmet. Because of this, much of its actual face has never been seen, except for its triangular, black eyes and a small area surrounding them. The skull has two rounded horns on the top of its head and a tooth-like point on the lower sides. Under the skull, Cubone has a brown snout. The small Cubone survives only through the immense skill it possesses in wielding the bone it carries as a weapon. The bone allows it to learn Bone Club and Bonemerang, two moves exclusive to Cubone and its evolution Marowak.
It is called the Lonely Pokémon because of its tendency to keep to itself and avoid social situations, as it was apparently traumatized by the death of its mother. Cubone will often weep at night in mourning of its mother. When Cubone cries, the skull that it wears on its head vibrates and emits "a plaintive and mournful sound." On the night of a full moon, the cries are said to be especially terrible. Cubone seems to recognize its mother in the moon, and so it howls with a particular sadness. It lives in rocky areas, usually on mountains or in caves. It also once inhabited the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town where deceased Pokémon were buried and mourned. Mandibuzz is a natural predator of Cubone.
In the main series
Major appearances
Cubone debuted in The School of Hard Knocks, under the ownership of Giselle. She used Cubone in a battle against Ash, where it battled Pikachu but lost.
A Cubone was among the four Pokémon that were causing trouble for Pikachu and his friends at the Pokémon Theme Park during Pikachu's Vacation.
A Cubone appeared in Pichu Bros. in Party Panic, where it was helping Meowth prepare his party. It played the drums in Meowth's band and would get easily sad and gloomy whenever Meowth yelled it, but it was also easily consolable.
A Cubone appeared in PK15. It was the leader of the haunted house where various Pokémon were living. It led them in attempts to scare visitors out of the house.
A Cubone appeared in Battling With a Clean Slate!, under the ownership of Alvin. It was used in a Gym battle against Clembot and managed to defeat Magneton and Heliolisk.
Minor appearances
A Cubone appeared in Hypno's Naptime, where it was seen in HopHopHop Town's Pokémon Center.
A Cubone appeared in Pokémon Fashion Flash as one of the Pokémon seen on Scissor Street.
A Cubone appeared in A Chansey Operation as an injured Pokémon.
A Cubone appeared in Princess vs. Princess, where it was competing in the Queen of the Princess Festival contest.
A Cubone appeared in The Breeding Center Secret.
Multiple Cubone appeared in The Power of One.
A wild Cubone appeared in Pikachu's Rescue Adventure.
A Cubone belonging to the Nursing School appeared in a flashback in Ignorance is Blissey.
A Cubone appeared in Pikachu & Pichu as a resident of Big Town.
A Cubone was one of the Pokémon living at Temacu's father's lab in The Heartbreak of Brock.
A Cubone was part of a Pokémon street festival in Doin' What Comes Natu-rally.
A Cubone appeared in Bulbasaur's flashback in Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!.
A Cubone was used by one of the students of the Pokémon Trainers' School in Gonna Rule The School!.
A Cubone appeared in the opening sequence of Destiny Deoxys.
A Cubone appeared in a flashback in Showdown at Linoone.
A Cubone appeared in the opening sequence of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
A Coordinator's Cubone appeared in Harley Rides Again.
A Cubone appeared in Dawn's Early Night!, under the ownership of a Coordinator. It was used along with a Marowak for the Double Performance required during the Hearthome Contest.
A Trainer's Cubone appeared in a flashback in Dealing With a Fierce Double Ditto Drama!. It was going to battle Narissa alongside a Marowak, only to run off when her Ditto transformed into Zapdos.
A Cubone made brief cameo appearances in Giratina and the Sky Warrior and Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
A Cubone appeared in A Jolting Switcheroo!.
Two Trainers' Cubone appeared in Alola to New Adventure!.
A Cubone appeared in Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge!, where it was among the Pokémon playing in Lillie's garden.
Two Cubone appeared in I Choose You!. One of them was among the Pokémon taking shelter from the rain in a cave alongside Entei.
A Trainer's Cubone appeared in Balloons, Brionne, and Belligerence!.
A Trainer's Cubone appeared in Alola, Kanto!.
A Cubone appeared in SM086, where it was among the Pokémon seen at the Pokémon Paradise Resort.
Four Trainers' Cubone appeared in SM090, where they joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its true form.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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PK01
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Cubone
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Dexter
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A Ground-type Pokémon, Cubone. Cubone has earned its classification as the Lonely Pokémon from its usual attitude of caring only for itself.
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In Pokémon Origins
A Cubone appeared in File 2: Cubone in the Pokémon House in Lavender Town. It is the child of the ghostly Marowak, who died while defending it from Team Rocket.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
- Main article: Bonee
Cubone makes a cameo in Onix is On!, part of the Red, Green & Blue arc, battling against Red's Bulbasaur as a Pewter Gym Trainer's Pokémon.
Cubone appeared as a silhouette when Green explains about Mew in The Jynx Jinx.
Multiple Cubone were under the control of the Team Rocket Grunts in Piloswine Whine where they attack Gold and Silver but were easily defeated.
Crystal owns a Cubone named Bonee which it first appeared in Slugging It Out With Slugma, who has a star-shaped crack in his skull. Cubone's main role in the team is to take out targets from afar using his bone-based attacks. In Lively Larvitar, the origin of Crystal's Cubone is revealed: it, along with Crystal's Natu, Hitmonchan, and Parasect, were wild Pokémon living in Mt. Mortar and had fought with a local Arcanine that had gone berserk from a severe eye injury. Bonee had used several bone clubs for Crystal to use as arm casts.
In Weavile Wobbles But It Won't Fall Down, a Trainer at the Safari Zone owns one.
In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
A Cubone is seen with Green during the baseball match that took place in Fierce Competition at the Pokémon Baseball Tournament!.
Giovanni's Cubone was used in the Gym battle against Red in Get The Last Badge!!.
Red caught a Cubone prior to Red VS Green?!.