Among the new Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Dondozo quickly grabbed fans' attention, not only because of its partnership with Tatsugiri and the False Dragon Titan status, but because it felt like such an obvious callback to another IP. It seems several new Nintendo flagship series have been paying homage to each other, such as Splatoon 3's influences from the Super Mario franchise, meaning Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are the latest to join the trend. Dondozo seems to draw from a handful of The Legend of Zelda games as Pokemon's potential tribute to the series.
Though it's possible that initial concepts for Tatsugiri -- from its sushi design to the prominence of food in Paldean culture -- generated the idea for another Pokemon to "eat" it and gain its power, Dondozo seems to have broader influences beyond this. As some fans have noticed, both Dondozo's unique mechanics and overall design seem to take inspiration from The Legend of Zelda games such as Wind Waker and even possibly Ocarina of Time. It could even be argued that these parallels were influenced by Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, much like these The Legend of Zelda entries, being among the series' most ambitious games to date.
Dondozo's Early Potential
Despite not having been officially announced, it's possible that Dondozo or at least its general concept was leaked prior to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet being released. Based on posts made by Riddler Khu who is generally accepted as a credible source of leaked information, fans who had deciphered these Gen 9 Pokemon leaks were convinced a Water/Ground type Pokemon would receive a regional variant. While it's just as likely this could have been the earliest hints towards the Paldean Wooper line, there was every possibility that it was a nod towards Dondozo's visual similarity to Whiscash as another catfish-like Pokemon.
Arguably, Dondozo could have easily been a continuation of the Barboach line as a new cross-gen evolution for Whiscash, as the uncanny likeness shared between the two was likely what fueled early speculation and rumors. In fact, many players have already pointed out how some of the new Gen 9 Pokemon could have been regional variants due to how similar they are to earlier generations. However, given the context of Dondozo's specific synergy with Tatsugiri and overall design, these early concepts and ideas were evidently fan-driven, and the real design motivations behind Dondozo go further into Nintendo's history.
The Legend of Zelda: Dondozo's Inspiration
Some of the smaller details that went into Dondozo's design resemble characters from previous The Legend of Zelda entries. For instance, though the Wind Fish from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is more whale-like, Dondozo's abnormally large proportions and exaggerated mouth do result in a similar look. However, Dondozo's appearance could be considered as more reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker due to its more toon-like aesthetic. While the Wind Fish is one possible comparison, better examples would be the Fishman and Jabun from Wind Waker canon.
Though these games could have inspired Dondozo's overall visual design, other The Legend of Zelda titles could have formed the basis of Dondozo's mechanics. For example, one of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's dungeons -- and among the series' most unusual levels -- was inside Jabu Jabu's belly where Link is swallowed by a giant fish. Dondozo swallowing Tatsugiri appears to be an obvious parallel to this and could have been an early influence in its conceptualization. It could even be that Tatsugiri's dual-typing was yet another nod to The Legend of Zelda's dragons.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
