Pinsir is a bipedal Pokémon that has a wide, brown body with a large pair of white, spiky pincers on top of its head. These pincers have powerful crushing abilities and allow Pinsir to lift things twice its own weight. In its mouth are many long, flat teeth arranged horizontally. Its legs are short and thick, while its arms are long and skinny. There are three digits on both its hands and its feet.
Unable to move when cold, Pinsir burrows underground or hides in the treetops on cold nights. It uses its spiky pincers to capture and crush prey. If it captures something it is unable to tear in half, it will throw the prey instead. Pinsir lives in forests. In addition to hunting prey, the anime has shown that it enjoys tree sap.
Major appearances
Pinsir first appeared in Challenge of the Samurai. Samurai used it to battle against Ash. It easily defeated Ash's Pidgeotto, but lost to his Metapod
In A Sappy Ending, Pinsir were being driven into a forest that was Heracross's territory because Team Rocket was stealing the sap from the trees that were in their territory.
Anthony uses his Swalot and Pinsir against May's Combusken and Bulbasaur in the Battle Round of the Hoenn Grand Festival in Rhapsody in Drew.
Howie, a character of the day in The Ole' Berate and Switch, has a Pinsir. Ash's Corphish battles against this Pinsir during a bogus competition that Team Rocket creates.
Minor appearances
At the beginning of Mewtwo Strikes Back, Raymond uses a Pinsir to battle Ash's Pikachu, alongside his Golem and Venomoth. All three of Raymond's Pokémon are defeated by Pikachu.
A Pinsir appeared in A Chansey Operation, where it was one of the injured Pokémon brought to the clinic.
A Pinsir appeared competing in a tournament in Princess vs. Princess.
Pinsir makes an appearance on an island that is mainly inhabited by Bug-type Pokémon in Tracey Gets Bugged.
Pinsir also appeared in The Power of One.
A Pinsir was seen in a Gym on Kumquat Island in Pokémon Double Trouble. However, this scene was removed from the dub due to the appearance of Jynx.
A Pinsir appeared in Beauty and the Breeder where it participated in a Pokémon breeding competition.
A wild Pinsir attacks Misty's Togepi in Houndoom's Special Delivery.
A Pinsir also appeared in Celebi: Voice of the Forest.
A Pinsir appeared in Bulbasaur's flashback in Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!.
Gary Oak also has a Pinsir, which is seen in his profile in The Ties that Bind!.
A Pinsir was also owned by a demolition crew (which was changed into a construction crew due to Ritchie changing the past) in Celebi and Joy.
Pinsir makes a cameo in Numero Uno Articuno as a Pokémon belonging to Noland.
At the beginning of Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, The Phantom uses a Pinsir alongside Parasect to attack Jack Walker.
A Pinsir made a brief cameo in Giratina and the Sky Warrior.
Another Pinsir appeared in Dawn of a Royal Day! in a Pokémon Contest.
A Pinsir appeared in Alexa's magazine in The Journalist from Another Region!.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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EP004
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Pinsir
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Ash's Pokédex
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Pinsir. This fearsome Pokémon uses its powerful claws to put the squeeze on its opponents.
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In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Pinsir makes an appearance in You Gotta Have Friends where it attacks a group of wild Pikachu. Ash's Pikachu was able to defeat the stag beetle Pokémon.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Pinsir makes its first appearance as the Pokémon Pika fought and lost against due to the uselessness of the fake items Red bought from Green, which fired up the boy to confront the scamming con artist and get his money back, losing his Badges this time, in the process.
After making many appearances that were not worth noting, Pinsir made another major appearance as one of the rental Pokémon Emerald used in the Battle Factory in his challenge against Noland, defeating the Factory Head's Mawile before losing to his Golem's Rock Slide.
In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
Giovanni and his brother have a Pinsir who debuted in Seize the Dream of One Million Yen!!.
Origin
It is based on a stag beetle, possibly the Prosopocoilus inclinatus, a popular beetle used in insect fighting.
Name origin
Pinsir is a corruption of pincer, referring to the claws on its head. It could also involve the title sir.
Kailios may be a combination of the Greek letter Χ (カイ kai) and cross (referring to its scissor-like horns). Alternatively, it may be a combination of 傀 kai (large), 魁偉 kaii (brawny), or 刈 kai (cut) combined with κοριός korios (Greek for bug).