Wooper is a mostly blue, amphibious Pokémon that resembles an upright, armless axolotl. Wooper's head is large compared to its body, and it has small, round, black eyes. It has purple, branching gills on either side of its head; the males have more branches in its gills than the females. Wooper stands on two small, round feet, and it has a large, thick tail. On its belly are dark blue curved markings.
It is implied in the Pokémon Journeys: The Series episode The Sinnoh Iceberg Race! that Wooper is a dull-witted Pokémon oblivious to its surroundings. Wooper lives in cold water most of the time. When sleeping, it partially buries itself in the mud at the bottom. It will occasionally leave the water when the air cools in the evening to search for food along the shore. While walking on land, it coats its body with a slimy, toxic film that keeps its skin from dehydrating and insulates against the cold. The film causes a shooting pain if touched barehanded. It is a timid Pokémon and tends to stay close to Quagsire. Arbok is a natural predator of Wooper. As shown in Pokémon Sleep, Wooper tends to bury half its body in the mud at the bottom of the water to sleep. When Wooper also does this while sleeping on land. By sleeping in the mud on land, Wooper can keep its skin wet and prevent dehydration.
Forms
Wooper has a regional form: Paldean Wooper.
Wooper in the Paldea region has a brown coloration, with two pairs of bone-shaped gills branching from its head, as well as an eight-pronged pattern on its stomach. Paldean Wooper once lived in the water during ancient times until they were forced out of their territory. As a result, they gradually adapted to living on land, namely in marshes. Paldean Wooper employs two adaptations to allow it to survive on land: its gills have hardened, and it coats its body with a poisonous film that keeps it from drying out. However, these adaptations resulted in Paldean Wooper having heavy bodies and being only able to move really slowly. To defend itself, Paldean Wooper can use its gills to unleash a powerful poisonous liquid.[1] Paldean Wooper travel and work together in groups of three or four, and enlist the help of their evolutionary relative, Clodsire, to ferry them across water. Despite the adaptational change, Paldean Wooper can still float or swim in the water.
Evolution
Wooper evolves into Quagsire.
Paldean Wooper evolves into Clodsire.
Main series
Major appearances
A Wooper was close friends with Ash's Goodra when they lived together in the wetlands between Lumiose City and Laverre City. It made semi-regular appearances in Pokémon the Series: XY, particularly in episodes revolving around Goodra.
Other
In No Big Woop!, Ash and his friends volunteered to watch over Olesia's school of Wooper for her.
In Pikachu & Pichu, multiple Wooper were living in Big Town.
A Wooper is one of the best friends of the two Pichu Brothers. It appeared in Pikachu and Pichu, Trouble in Big Town, Of Meowth and Pokémon, Big Meowth, Little Dreams, Pichu Bros. in Party Panic, and Giratina and the Sky Warrior.
In Pinch Healing!, a Wooper was being babysat by Matt. While Nurse Joy was ill, Brock took care of Wooper by having his Marshtomp use Water Gun to heal its wounds.
In Like It Or Lup It!, a Wooper was part of a gang of Water-type Pokémon.
In Hot Springing a Leak!, Leona's parents used three Wooper to investigate a pipeline. They noticed their water was being drained, and they helped discover that Team Rocket were responsible.
Multiple other Wooper living at Goodra's marsh made semi-regular appearances in Pokémon the Series: XY, starting with a flashback in A Slippery Encounter!.
Minor appearances
In Hook, Line, and Stinker, a Trainer's Wooper participated in the Seaking Catching Competition.
In Beauty and the Breeder, a Pokémon Breeder's Wooper participated in the Pokémon Beauty Contest.
A Wooper appeared in Snorlax Snowman.
In The Heartbreak of Brock, a Wooper was living at Temacu's father's lab.
In Got Miltank?, five Wooper was living at the Pokémon-exclusive oasis.
In Octillery The Outcast, a Trainer's Wooper competed in the Whirl Cup.
In Extreme Pokémon!, two baby Wooper were in the pond near Mr. Shellby's house.
A Wooper appeared in Why? Wynaut!. After Team Rocket mistook Wobbuffet's drawing of Wynaut, who took Ash's badges, the trio searched and chased after Wooper.
In The Legend of Thunder!, two Wooper were at the Pokémon Center.
Multiple Wooper appeared in Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias.
In Gonna Rule The School!, the Pokémon Trainers' School lent a Wooper to the school's underage students for use in lessons.
In Abandon Ship!, a Wooper was living in the Abandoned Ship.
A Wooper appeared in PK13.
A Wooper appeared in the opening sequence of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
In Sweet Baby James, Nanny and Pop-Pop looked after two Wooper.
In On Olden Pond, a Wooper was living in the lake.
A Wooper appeared in Off The Unbeaten Path!.
In Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, the Marina Group uses multiple Wooper in their water show.
In Once More With Reeling!, a Coordinator's Wooper competed in the Terracotta Contest.
A Wooper appeared in Dawn Of A New Era!.
A Wooper appeared in Drifloon On the Wind!.
Multiple Wooper appeared in The Rise of Darkrai.
A Wooper appeared in Camping It Up!.
In Up Close and Personable!, a Wooper was living in the lake near the Pokémon Summer Academy.
A Wooper appeared in the boss fantasy of A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine!.
Three Wooper appeared in Doc Brock!.
A Wooper appeared in To Thine Own Pokémon Be True!.
In PK20, multiple Wooper were playing with a ball with a group of Quagsire.
A Wooper appeared in Bagged Then Tagged!.
In Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn!, a Coordinator's Wooper competed alongside a Snorlax in the Double Performance in the Daybreak Contest.
Multiple Wooper appeared in Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
In The Island of Illusions!, a Wooper was living on Grand Spectrala Islet.
In Genesect and the Legend Awakened, multiple Wooper were living in Pokémon Hills.
In Going for the Gold!, multiple Wooper were living in the Ambrette Aquarium.
In Summer of Discovery!, Foggy Pokémon Orienteering!, and Battling Into the Hall of Fame!, a Trainer's Wooper attended the Pokémon Summer Camp.
In Pikachu and the Pokémon Music Squad, a Wooper was living in the forest.
In The Legend of the Ninja Hero!, two Wooper were living in the Ninja Village.
In Loading the Dex!, Rotom had an icon of a Wooper.
Seven Wooper appeared in The Power of Us, with five under the ownership of different Trainers.
In From Z to Shining Z!, a Trainer's Wooper watched the battle between Ash's Pikachu and Tapu Koko. It reappeared in a flashback in Helping the Hometown Hero!.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in Settling the Scorbunny! and Finding a Legend!.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in A Talent for Imitation!.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in A Festival Reunion!.
Two Trainers' Wooper appeared in The Cuteness Quotient!. One of them competed in the Friendship Festival and was targeted by Team Rocket.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in Trade, Borrow, and Steal!.
In On Land, In the Sea, and to the Future!, a Trainer's Wooper competed in the Kids Marine Athletic Race.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in The Spectral Express!.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in Curtain Up! Fight the Fights!, It's... Champion Time!, and Whittle While You Work!.
A Paldean Wooper made its debut in Arboliva's Forest.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in HZ058.
A Student's Paldean Wooper appeared in HZ066.
A Student's Paldean Wooper appeared in HZ067.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in HZ069.
Two Paldean Wooper appeared in HZ075, during a flashback.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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EP148
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Wooper
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Ash's Pokédex
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Wooper, the Water Fish Pokémon. Though they prefer to live in cold water, these appealing Pokémon forage for food on land. They are kept warm by a layer of insulating body fluid. Wooper is the pre-evolved form of Quagsire.
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Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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HZ011
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Wooper
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Liko's Rotom Phone
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Wooper, Paldean form. The Poison Fish Pokémon. A Poison and Ground type. After losing their territory, Wooper began living in muddy fields. They are covered in a poisonous film that protects them from drying out.
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Pokémon Generations
In The Adventure, Red's Pikachu attempted to attack three wild Wooper in an Ecruteak City river with Thunder Shock from a tree above, but it was ineffective due to their immunity to electricity. The Wooper retaliated with Mud Shot, sending Pikachu flying.
Pokémon Evolutions
In The Show, two Wooper briefly appeared under the ownership of a Trainer watching the Kimono Girls' performance in Ecruteak City.
Pokémon: Paldean Winds
Four Paldean Wooper appeared in Breathe Together.
POKÉTOON
Multiple Paldean Wooper appeared in PT11
Pokémon Adventures
In The Legend, a Wooper was by the lake when Green had finished her message to Silver in Johto.
In Murkrow Row, a Wooper was in Joey's bag after Gold helped him get it back.
In Who Gives a Hoothoot?, a conman uses a swarm of Wooper as a part of his game stall. However, after Gold and Aibo had revealed his secret to the crowd, they were possibly boxed or released.
In Gligar Glide, a Trainer's Wooper was in the Goldenrod Game Corner. Strangely, this Wooper has arms.
In Slugging It Out with Slugma, a Wooper was at Earl's Pokémon Academy in Violet City.
In The Last Battle XIII, a Wooper was sent to participate in the fight in Ilex Forest.
In the Trick Master's flashback in The Final Battle V, a Wooper was calmed down by the homeland soil.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in Crafty Carnivine.
A Trainer's Wooper appeared in a fantasy in Getting the Drop on Gallade I.
A Paldean Wooper debuted in the Scarlet & Violet arc, under the ownership of Violet.
Ash & Pikachu
In Do Your Best Bulbasaur!!, a Wooper was at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys
Chris owns a Wooper in Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys.
A Wooper appeared in The New Pokémon Is Hatched!!.
Pokémon: Yeah! I Got Pokémon!
Shu caught a Wooper, as seen in GDZ47.
A Wooper appeared in GDZ61.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team
A Wooper appeared in I Want to be Human Again!.
Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition ~ Ranse's Color Picture Scroll ~
A Wooper appeared in PNA1.
Origin
Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:
Wooper appears to be based on a larval salamander, which has a flat tail and feathery, external gills. Many species of salamanders are known for their poisonous skin, which may be referenced in Wooper's Pokédex entries and Paldean Wooper's design. Wooper's Shiny sprite gives it a similar coloration to that of albino, leucistic, and flavistic color mutants, or an axolotl, a species of salamander that keeps its gills and remains in the water for all of its life because it never develops lungs.
Paldean Wooper's gills make the shape of a skull and crossbones, a hazard symbol used as a warning for poisonous substances. These bone-shaped gills, combined with Paldean Wooper's brown coloration, rib-like pattern on its chest, and the fact that it is found in a region inspired by the Iberian peninsula, together may be a direct reference to the Iberian ribbed newt. This salamander species is known for puncturing its poison-coated ribs through its skin as a defense mechanism, much like how Paldean Wooper is able to secrete poison out of its bone-shaped gills. Paldean Wooper may also be inspired by mudskippers, which are fish that are capable of living outside of water.
Alternatively, the fact that Paldean Wooper was forced out of its ancient water habitat may be a reference to the ecological issues facing the axolotl in the wild, following the destruction of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and the draining of Lake Texcoco.
Name origin
Wooper and Upah may be derived from wooper looper (Japanese: ウーパールーパー ūpārūpā), a marketing term created in Japan that started a pet salamander raising fad. Wooper loopers are the Japanese term for the axolotl, a species of salamander.