Cubone is a small Pokémon that stands up on two legs. Its golden-brown hide covers its arms, legs, tail, and most of its body, including both dorsal spikes. Cubone’s belly is a very light brown. Two small claws, one on each hand, serve as thumbs for Cubone, and two large nails make up its toes. On its head, Cubone wears the skull of its dead mother, so much of its actual face has never actually been seen. The skull is worn like a helmet in such a way that the only visible part of Cubone’s face is its eyes and a small area surrounding them. Cubone's eyes are triangular and white with black irises. The skull has two rounded horns on the top of its head, and under the skull, Cubone has a brown snout, with two fangs protruding from its mouth.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
The exceedingly small Cubone survives only through the immense skill it possesses in wielding its bone as a weapon. Though a naturally simple Pokémon, Cubone can be taught Ice- and Fire-type attacks through the technology of Technical Machines. Cubone is a Ground-type Pokémon, however the only Ground-type attacks Cubone learns by leveling up are Bone Club, Bonemerang, and Bone Rush, the first two of which are exclusive to Cubone and its evolution Marowak.
Behavior
It is called the Lonely Pokémon because of its tendency to keep to itself and avoid sociality. It was apparently traumatized by the death of its mother, and has now entirely removed itself from society. Cubone will often weep at night in mourning of its mother. When Cubone cries, the skull that it wears on its head vibrates and emits “a plaintive and mournful sound.” On the night of a full moon, the cries are said to be especially terrible. Cubone seems to recognize its mother in the moon, and so it howls with a particular sadness.
Cubone live in rocky areas, usually on mountains or in caves. They also once inhabited the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town where deceased Pokémon were buried and mourned. It is infamous for seclusion and clandestine activity, so sightings are obviously very rare, limiting information about Cubone and its preferred habitat. It is known that Cubone is predominantly a Kanto-native Pokémon, but sightings in Sinnoh have been reported as well.
A Cubone was among the four Pokémon that were causing trouble for Pikachu and co. during Pikachu's Vacation.
A Cubone was helping Meowth prepare his party in Pichu Bros. in Party Panic. This Cubone played drums in Meowth's band and got easily sad and gloomy when Meowth chewed it out, but it was also easily consolable.
Crystal owns a Cubone, who has a star-shaped crack in its skull. Cubone's main role in the team is to take out targets from afar using its bone-based attacks.
In the Pokémon Stadium 2 stage, a Cubone can be seen on the Ground Terrain standing atop the highest platform built into a rock. Dugtrio and Pokémon Fossils can also be seen on the Ground Terrain.
Trophy Information
"A Lonely Pokémon. It wears its mother's skull as a helmet--for this reason, no one has ever seen its face. It sometimes sees its departed mother's face in the full moon, which causes it to grow sad and cry. The stains on the skull are tracks of its tears. When it cries, the skull shakes and emits a mournful sound. When it levels up, it evolves into Marowak."
Merchandise
Cubone was one of the first four Pokémon designs revealed when the Pokémon 151 brand was first announced. In the shirt design, Cubone's skull is in the center of the shirt, with two Thick Clubs in crossing below it.
Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation I.
Cubone pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the Pokémon wears are made by the tears it sheds.
It pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull it wears are from its tears.
Despite the Pokédex's statement that it wears the skull of its dead mother, Cubone can be bred in the games with no ill effects on its mother. This is due to Cubone being created before breeding in the games was possible.
Cubone is one of the Pokémon that appears in the Pokémon 151 clothing line.
Every one of Cubone's Pokédex entries mentions the skull it wears.
Origin
Cubone is possibly based on a dinosaur or a dinosaur fossil, and, like dinosaurs, nobody has ever seen a Cubone's real face; only its mother's skull. It also could be based on primitive cultures that wore bones for decoration and used them for weapons.
Name origin
Cubone may be a combination of cute and bone, cub and bone, or cue ball (a reference to its pale white head or that its bone resembles a billiards or snooker cue) and bone. It could also be a combination of the Latin word cubo (recluse) and bone; this can refer to its lonely nature.
Karakara may be taken to mean からから (clattering). It is worth noting that karakara denotes lighter clattering than がらがら garagara.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Thick Club (8%)
For other sprites and images, please see Cubone images on Bulbagarden Archives.
