Pupitar is encased inside a thick grayish-blue shell, sporting a hardness that is comparable to bedrock. Its red eyes can be seen through two holes in the shell, and two more holes directly above resemble eyebrows. The upper portion of its body is covered by a mask-like plate with four large spikes on either side. Three additional spikes protrude from its forehead. While its arms and legs are developing inside the shell, Pupitar uses compressed gas to propel itself around, and can generate enough force to knock down mountains. Pupitar lives and moves freely around harsh mountain ranges.
A Pupitar appeared in A Poached Ego!, under the ownership of Rico, a Pokémon Poacher. It evolved into a Tyranitar in the same episode while attacking Team Rocket, who were releasing the Ekans and Koffing Rico had stolen.
Pupitar debuted in one of Lance's flashbacks in Popular Pupitar, where he first encountered Silver. He switched out Pupitar to counter the Pursuit from Silver's Murkrow. He was later given to Silver and evolved into Tyranitar before being returned to Lance.
Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet. The body is very durable - it avoids damage even if it hits solid steel.
A Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it ejects under compression to propel itself like a jet. Its body can withstand a collision with solid steel.
Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet. The body is very durable--it avoids damage even if it hits solid steel.
Pupitar is based on a pupa, as it is between its evolutionary line's larval stage (Larvitar) and adulthood (Tyranitar).
Name origin
Pupitar is derived from pupa, the stage in some insects between the larval stage and adulthood.
Sanagiras may be a combination of 蛹 sanagi (pupa) and 嫌い kirai (hate). Giras may derive from Gojira, the Japanese name for the character Godzilla, or Angiras, the Japanese name for the character Anguirus. Both are dinosaur-like tokusatsu movie monsters (kaiju) that share some characteristics with Tyranitar, its evolution.
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.