Among the new Pokemon introduced inPokemon ScarletandViolet, Dondozo quickly grabbed fans' attention, not only because of its partnership with Tatsugiri and the False Dragon Titan status, but because it felt like such an obvious callback to another IP. It seems several new Nintendo flagship series have been paying homage to each other, such asSplatoon 3’sinfluences from theSuper Mariofranchise, meaningPokemon ScarletandVioletare the latest to join the trend. Dondozo seems to draw from a handful ofThe Legend of Zeldagames asPokemon’s potential tribute to the series.
Though it’s possible that initial concepts for Tatsugiri – from its sushi design to the prominence of food in Paldean culture – generated the idea for another Pokemon to “eat” it and gain its power, Dondozo seems to have broader influences beyond this. As some fans have noticed, both Dondozo’s unique mechanics and overall design seem to take inspiration fromThe Legend of Zeldagames such asWind Wakerand even possiblyOcarina of Time. It could even be argued that these parallels were influenced byPokemon ScarletandViolet, much like theseThe Legend of Zeldaentries, being among the series' most ambitious games to date.
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Dondozo’s Early Potential
Despite not having been officially announced, it’s possible that Dondozo or at least its general concept was leaked prior toPokemon ScarletandVioletbeing released. Based on posts made by Riddler Khu who is generally accepted as a credible source of leaked information, fans who haddeciphered these Gen 9Pokemonleakswere convinced a Water/Ground type Pokemon would receive a regional variant. While it’s just as likely this could have been the earliest hints towards the Paldean Wooper line, there was every possibility that it was a nod towards Dondozo’s visual similarity to Whiscash as another catfish-like Pokemon.
Arguably, Dondozo could have easily been a continuation of the Barboach line as a new cross-gen evolution for Whiscash, as the uncanny likeness shared between the two was likely what fueled early speculation and rumors. In fact, many players have already pointed out how some of the newGen 9 Pokemon could have been regional variantsdue to how similar they are to earlier generations. However, given the context of Dondozo’s specific synergy with Tatsugiri and overall design, these early concepts and ideas were evidently fan-driven, and the real design motivations behind Dondozo go further into Nintendo’s history.
The Legend of Zelda: Dondozo’s Inspiration
Some of the smaller details that went into Dondozo’s design resemble characters from previousThe Legend of Zeldaentries. For instance, though the Wind Fish fromThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningis more whale-like, Dondozo’s abnormally large proportions and exaggerated mouth do result in a similar look. However, Dondozo’s appearance could be considered as more reminiscent ofThe Legend of Zelda: Wind Wakerdue to its more toon-like aesthetic. While the Wind Fish is one possible comparison, better examples would be the Fishman and Jabun fromWind Wakercanon.
Though these games could have inspired Dondozo’s overall visual design, otherThe Legend of Zeldatitles could have formed the basis of Dondozo’s mechanics. For example,one ofThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’sdungeons– and among the series' most unusual levels – was inside Jabu Jabu’s belly where Link is swallowed by a giant fish. Dondozo swallowing Tatsugiri appears to be an obvious parallel to this and could have been an early influence in its conceptualization. It could even be that Tatsugiri’s dual-typing was yet another nod toThe Legend of Zelda’s dragons.
