Physiology
Jynx is a humanoid Pokémon that resembles a bulky woman. Jynx wears a red gown, has white arms and purple hands. Jynx has a purple face, pink lips, saucer-like eyes and long blond hair. It seems to resemble a Nordic princess, as seen in various operas. Originally, its face was colored black, causing many to think of it as racist.
Gender differences
Jynx is a female-only species with no male counterpart.
Special abilities
Jynx can use telepathy to transfer visions of what they've seen into a another being's mind. In battle, Jynx have the power to control ice and snow and can also use (not that greatly) physical combat.
Jynx is the only known Pokémon that learns Lovely Kiss.
Behavior
Habitat
Jynx tend to prefer icy climates, such as caves in snowy mountains. In Holiday Hi-Jynx, various Jynx are seen in Santa's toy factory.
Diet
Main article: Pokémon food
Jynx's most notable role is being under the ownership of Lorelei in Pokémon Special. 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: it can create a wispy band of ice around targets, with which Lorelei can use to track down using her powder case.
- Before Generation IV, Jynx was the only Ice-type Pokémon that was able to learn Ice Punch by leveling up.
- Jynx is one of the few Pokémon who naturally learn a move in a game in one generation, but then never learn it in again in another generation, in this case the move is Thrash.
- For a time it was believed that the black representing Jynx's face in the original Generation I version was actually a nothingness, a lack of form instead of Jynx's actual body (kind of like Gastly and Cloyster in its main body being composed of only a rather featureless black orb with various decoration on it, in this case, a dress, wig, and possibly gloves held up by Jynx's psychic power). This is more apparent in the original Pokémon Stadium when after being defeated, Jynx's body would suddenly disappear leaving only a empty dress and blond wig to fall to the floor in a pile.
- Unlike it's Generation I counterparts (Magmar and Electabuzz), Jynx doesn't get a evolution in Generation IV.
Controversy
The original design of the Pokémon Jynx bore a striking, but possibly coincidental, resemblance to entertainers in blackface. A strong case can be made for Jynx being a parody of or homage to the Japanese Ganguro and Yamanba fashion trends, which were extremely popular when Pokémon was first released, but it can't be denied that blackface-influenced characters have appeared elsewhere in anime and manga - examples can be found near the beginning of Osamu Tezuka's early graphic novel, Metropolis and also can be found with Dragon Ball Z's Mr. Popo.
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 later on are also either banned or cut in USA.
In response to this controversy, in 2002, Nintendo changed Jynx's face from black to purple and its hands from blue to purple in Pokémon games, a change which would be reflected in the anime three years later in Advanced Generation.
Origin
What Jynx is based on is a controversial topic within the fandom, although common interpretations are a Nordic woman (possibly Hel, goddess of the underworld), or ガン黒 ganguro, face-black. Also, the fact that Jynx are depicted as Santa's helpers in the anime can be a proof that Jynx is based on Zwarte Piet.
Jynx may also have origins in the Japanese spirits known as Yuki Onna (who has no feet like Jynx) or Yama Uba, the latter of which is described as always wearing a tattered red kimono and having whitish-blonde hair (all traits shared by Jynx).
Name origin
A jinx is a curse or hex of bad luck. Rougela appears to be a feminized version of rouge, a type of makeup.
For other sprites and images, please see Jynx images on Bulbagarden Archives.
