Malamar
Pokémon species
Malamar ( ), known in Japan as Calamanero (Japanese: カラマネロ, Hepburn: Karamanero), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. First appearing in the 2013 games Pokémon X and Y, Malamar was designed by artist Hitoshi Ariga, was designed to resemble how squids appear in scientific textbooks, often with their tentacles facing upwards; Ariga believed this would also give a clue to players on how to obtain Malamar, as the game console being used must be flipped upside-down in order to evolve Malamar from its pre-evolved form, Inkay. Ariga made flipping a part of Inkay and Malamar's visual identity to further this connection.
Malamar is classified as a Dark and Psychic type Pokémon. In the franchise's fictional universe, Malamar have strong hypnotism abilities, which they use to lure in prey to feed on them. Since its introduction, Malamar has appeared in numerous games within the series, with a group of them serving as recurring antagonists in the Pokémon anime series. An additional form of Malamar, dubbed Mega Malamar, was introduced in the 2025 game Pokémon Legends: Z-A. To promote this inclusion, a marketing campaign dubbed "My Friend Malamar" was held, depicting characters being hypnotized by Mega Malamar into admiring and praising it.
Since its inception, Malamar has been considered an interesting inclusion due to its unique method of evolution. Other critics have commented on its more malicious nature within the franchise, as well as aspects of its visual design, including the design of Mega Malamar.
Conception and development
Malamar is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise.
The public source identifies “Malamar” as pokémon species. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Malamar, Pokémon and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Malamar”, the useful work is to connect “pokémon species” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16575150. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2013 and 2025.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Malamar”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Malamar primary sources, Malamar archive and Malamar research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Malamar”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Malamar” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.