Pupitar are somewhat large Pokémon that are encased inside a thick shell made of grayish-blue rock. They have several spikes and holes for eyes and what appears to be eyebrows, but are actually triangular openings. Since its arms and legs are developing inside the shell, Pupitar are capable of venting gas to propel themselves around.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
It is one of the few Pokémon not at its last stage of evolution to be able to wield a Hyper Beam. Pupitar is also capable of propelling itself through the air by venting pressurized gas.
Behavior
Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet or rocket.
Pupitar, the Hard Shell Pokémon. Pupitar is encased in a nearly indestructible shell and has enough power to topple a mountain.
In the manga
Pupitar in Pokémon Adventures
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Pupitar first appeared in one of Lance's flashbacks in Volume 12, where he first encountered Silver. He switched out Pupitar to counter the Pursuit from Silver's Murkrow.
Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet. The body is very durable - it avoids damage even if it hits solid steel.
A Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it ejects under compression to propel itself like a jet. Its body can withstand a collision with solid steel.
Despite having no visible teeth, it is able to learn Bite and Crunch via level-up.
Also, although having no visible feet and tail, which are presumably sealed within its shell, it is able to learn Stomp and Iron Tail via breeding.
Pupitar, along with Shelgon, are the only non-Bug Pokémon to go through metamorphosis-like evolution, as well as being pupa-like Pokémon. Both are able to learn Iron Defense via tutor-move. Both of their final forms (Tyranitar and Salamence) are pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
Despite this, its evolution line can still learn this move, but only via breeding.
Also, it is only Pokémon that undergoes metamorphosis-like evolution whose Defensebase stat is not higher than its Attack. Instead, its Attack base stat is its highest stat.
Pupitar is one of five Pokémon without a Hidden Ability that evolves from and into a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability. The others are Metapod, Kakuna, Silcoon, and Cascoon.
Also, they are all based off of cocoons and their only known Ability is Shed Skin.
Origin
Pupitar is based on a pupa, as it is between its evolutionary line's larval stage (Larvitar) and adulthood (Tyranitar).
Name origin
Pupitar is derived from pupa, the stage in some insects between the larval stage and adulthood.
Sanagiras may be a combination of 蛹 sanagi (pupa) and 嫌い kirai (hate). Giras may derive from Gojira, the Japanese name for the character Godzilla, or Angiras, the Japanese name for the character Anguirus. Both are dinosaur-like tokusatsu movie monsters that share some characteristics with Tyranitar, its evolution.