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Houndoom is a quadrupedal, caninePokémon with black fur, a long orange snout, and an orange underbelly. It has small red eyes and a black nose. Around its neck is a white band with a small skull-shaped pendant on its throat. There are two white bands on each of its ankles, as well as three rib-like ridges on its back. Houndoom has a long, skinny tail with a triangular tip and three clawed toes on each paw. Atop its head is a pair of long, curved gray horns. These horns are smaller on the female than the male. Unlike its pre-evolution, it does not have discernable ears.
Houndoom live in packs. The one with its horns raked sharply towards the back serves a leadership role. Leadership is determined by fights within the pack. Its gut is full of toxins, which are used to create unique fire mixed with poison. This gives Houndoom's fire a foul odor and the burns it inflicts will never heal. After finishing off its prey, Houndoom divides it evenly among its pack. Houndoom appears near rough terrain areas. Its howling induces shivering in other Pokémon, and often sends them scurrying back to their nests. In the past, people thought Houndoom's howl came from the grim reaper.
As Mega Houndoom, the ridges on its back thicken, and it gains additional bone-like rings around the base of its tail. The rings on its tail have small spikes on top resembling vertebrae. The ridge at the base of Mega Houndoom's neck is longer and curves forward towards its shoulders. Instead of a band with a skull pendant, there is a large, toothed structure around its neck. This bone-like formation has two large spikes on either side and three pointed teeth on the bottom. Mega Houndoom's horns now point straight up with a small, outward curve in the middle. The two bands on its hind legs have vanished, and those on its forelegs are broken in the front.
Its claws are a dark red due to its ability to generate more heat, which causes pain to Mega Houndoom.[1] Finally, the tip of its tail is now split down the middle. When it Mega Evolves, its entire body generates heat. Its fiery breath is now powerful enough to burn foes into ashes.
In The Power of Us, a Pokémon hunter's Houndoom and another hunter's Sneasel searched for Zeraora, but targeted a Teddiursa and Ditto instead. This forced Zeraora and soon Ash and his friends to intervene, eventually leaving Sneasel defeated.
In Healing the Healer!, the boss of a group of Pokémon hunters used a Houndoom to battle Goh, after the latter's newly caught Drowzee began causing trouble. After defeating Drowzee, Houndoom battled Suicune, only to be defeated.
In Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, multiple Houndoom were part of the feuding armies that were eventually placated by Sir Aaron in the past. Three of them attacked Lucario just before.
Maxie has five Houndoom in his arsenal, one of which he used to kill Norman to prevent him from using Rayquaza to interrupt Kyogre and Groudon's fight again. They first appeared in It All Ends Now V.
In a Houndoom pack, the one with its horns raked sharply towards the back serves a leadership role. These Pokémon choose their leader by fighting amongst themselves.
In a Houndoom pack, the one with its horns raked sharply toward the back serves a leadership role. These Pokémon choose their leader by fighting among themselves.
Song names marked with an asterisk are unofficial, as they have not received a soundtrack release.
Trivia
Houndoom has three different sprites in each Generation II game. It also shares this same trait in Generation IV games. This makes it one of the few Pokémon with this distinction.
Houndoom is the only non-Legendary or Mythical Pokémon in the mainline games to have a unique battle track associated with it that is shared with no other encounter.
Origin
Houndoom seems to be based on the legends of hellhounds, black dogs, and possibly Cerberus of Greek mythology. Its horns and pointed tail resemble common depictions of the devil. Its skeletal adornments may be a reference to the hellhounds' and black dogs' associations with death and allude to the association of dogs with bones as their food, especially in cartoons. They may also be inspired by the grim reaper, and the bands around its ankles resemble shackles. Its build and coloration are similar to a Dobermann, and it also somewhat resembles the extinct Tasmanian wolf due to the stripe-like bony ridges on its back. Its pack-hunting behavior and eerie howling are reminiscent of wolves.
Name origin
Houndoom may be a combination of hound and doom (death or a terrible fate).
Hellgar may be a combination of hell and gar (Old English for spear; referring to its tail). It could also refer to Garmr, a hellhound in Norse mythology.
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.
Houndoominite (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Houndoom images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
