Over the years, a lot of discussion about Jynx’s conception has circulated on the internet. The most popular theories I have read suggest that Jynx may have been inspired by Yama-uba, Yuki-onna, opera singers:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-EA2417-003-59020c4d5f9b5810dc568330.jpg), ganguro subculture, or even by blackface caricatures. Although all of these theories raise valid points, none of them seems to fully explain Jynx’s design.
Motivated by this mystery, I began investigating further and discovered a character from the animation Ultraman Graffiti: Wild! Ultra Country called Wooko (ウー子).
Ultraman Graffiti: Wild! Ultra Country is an OVA that reunites many classic kaiju from the original Ultraman series and reimagines them living ordinary daily lives. Wooko, although not appearing in the main Ultraman series, is related to Woo (ウー), a Yeti-inspired kaiju) that debuted in Ultraman episode 30, “Phantom of the Snow Mountains.”. In this animated series, Woo is portrayed as a businessman, and Wooko is his only daughter.
On YouTube, you can watch the full 6-episode OVA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzzp36FTSI
Wooko first appears in the opening credits at 1:06, and throughout episode 5 statinng in 35:38.
Below, I summarize the main points that lead me to believe Wooko is Jynx’s definitive inspiration:
- Wooko shares essential characteristics with Jynx’s original design: controversial pitch-black skin, long blond hair, large lips, and an overall feminine appearance.
- Wooko possesses ice-related powers, including the ability to summon snowstorms.
- Wooko’s design debuted in the Ultraman Graffiti OVA in 1990, while Jynx is estimated, according to the Helix Chamber investigation, to have been designed around 1991–1993.
- Woo, the kaiju that inspired Wooko, also inspired a scrapped Gen I Pokémon called Buu.
- For years Buu was speculated to be Jynx’s male counterpart.
- Buu’s leaked back sprite is similar to Jynx’s Gen I back sprite.
- Buu was originally intended to form a trio with Magmar and Electabuzz, representing Ice, Fire, and Electric respectively—a role later filled by Jynx in the final Gen I games.
Final Thoughts
The parallels between Wooko and Jynx are difficult to ignore, not only in physical appearance but also in the nature of their powers. Another factor supporting this theory is the close timing between the OVA’s release and Jynx’s likely design period.
It is also well known that Pokémon developers drew significant inspiration from Ultraman, not only for creature designs but also for concepts such as storing creatures in capsules.
Therefore, while Jynx may incorporate elements from figures like Yama-uba and Yuki-onna, Wooko appears to be its primary source of inspiration.
by Able-Drive44