Jynx, known in Japan as Rougela (ルージュラ, Rūjura), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Jynx first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles, or animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. The character is voiced in the anime and other media in Japanese by Mayumi Tanaka and by Rachael Lillis in English.
Jynx's design and humanoid appearance has been criticized by the Western media, including cultural critic Carole Boston Weatherford, who described Jynx as representing blackface after seeing the character's depiction in the anime. Due to complaints, Game Freak modified its appearance by changing the original color of its face from black to the current color, purple.
Jynx was one of 151 different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue.[2][3] Originally called "Rujura" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features, when translating the game for western audiences, as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children.[4] As a result, they were renamed "Jynx", a play on the word "jinx".[5] In early development, Jynx originally had a male counterpart based on a yeti, as well as the Kaiju Woo from Ultraman.
Also known as the "Human Shape" Pokémon, Jynx is a female-only species that resembles the Japanese mythical creature Yuki-onna. Originally portrayed with a black face and dark blue hands, Jynx's design was changed to purple coloration after critiques that it perpetuated racism.[6] In addition Jynx have large pink lips, saucer-like eyes, white arms, and long, blonde hair. The "clothes" they appear to wear are actually part of their body, resembling a circular red bra and skirt. Jynx have no visible feet, and in the games leave no footprints. Jynx has a pre-evolution, Smoochum, which evolves into Jynx when it receives enough experiencefrom battles and reaches level 30.
Jynx Pokémon walk in a dance-like fashion, wiggling their hips in a manner described in Red & Blue, as well as in Leaf Green as "seductive".[7] It uses dancing to communicate, with the exact rhythm relying on its emotion at the time. The dance affects people, causing them to themselves dance with no regard to their actions.[8] Jynx speak in a language that only other Jynx can understand, though the sound is described as similar to human speech.[9] This trait is carried on to games where Pokémon speak English such as the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, with the text appearing as combinations of "X"s, "O"s, punctuation marks, and/or musical notes, instead of legible words.[10] Jynx are psychic, and can attack either by kissing an opponent or launching "strange orbs" at them, and can protect themselves with a psychically-generated barrier.[11][12]
Jynx originally appeared at Pokémon Red and Blue, then appeared in other Pokémon games such as Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Gold, Pokémon Silver, Pokémon Crystal, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and Pokémon Platinum. The second generation of Pokémon games introduced Smoochum, a baby Pokémon who Jynx evolves from at level 30.[13] Appearing again in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokémon Black and White, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon Sun and Moon, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon,[14] Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! and Pokémon Sword and Shield.