Happy Birthday, Mewtwo—Pokémon Wouldn’t Be the Same Without You
On this day, February 6, Mewtwo was born—or created, depending on your interpretation of Pokémon lore—and changed the franchise forever. Pikachu may be the face of The Pokémon Company, but Mewtwo’s legacy is equally powerful. Would Pokémon have been as successful without this artificially created Pokémon? I’m not so sure.
One of Pokémon’s original Legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo became the focal point of the franchise’s first theatrical outing, Pokémon: The First Movie—Mewtwo Strikes Back. For many millennials, myself included, that first Pokémon movie proved to be a seminal experience. Not only did many of us wear out our VHS tapes, but it fundamentally changed how we saw Pokémon as a franchise, and included this instantly iconic quote: “I see now that the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.” I don’t think a single line from the Pokémon movies or the anime has been as widely shared as that one.
Mewtwo Strikes Back asked and answered fundamental philosophical questions about the nature of the relationship between humans and Pokémon in a story of trust, friendship, and love. Reader, I won’t lie—even watching the movie now, as a supposedly fully-grown adult human, it still makes me a bit teary, and Mewtwo’s struggle is at the center of that emotional storm. Is it the best movie ever made? No, far from it, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make an impact.
For those of you who don’t know, or for those of you who simply need a refresher, Mewtwo’s story in Pokémon: The First Movie is as follows: Mewtwo, a Psychic-type Pokémon, was created by genetic scientists from the DNA of the Mythical Pokémon Mew, who is believed to be the ancestor of all Pokémon species. Mewtwo is one of the Pokémon world’s strongest and most intelligent Pokémon, uniquely capable of speech, thought, and telepathy.
As such, once Mewtwo became strong enough, it realized that it was being shackled by the humans who had torturously engineered its creation, eventually destroying the lab in which it was born, hatching a plan to prove once and for all that humans and Pokémon could never truly share the world in which they reside. It was furious with the humans who created it and equally furious with the Pokémon that allowed themselves to be used as servants, fighters, and pets.
Posing as the world’s greatest Pokémon Master, Mewtwo lured trainers to its secluded island with the promise of a battle. This, of course, was an offer Ash Ketchum, aspiring Pokémon Master, couldn’t refuse, and he and his friends became embroiled in Mewtwo’s schemes, forced to battle Pokémon clones created by Mewtwo. Of course, Ash proves Mewtwo wrong; his and Pikachu’s relationship is an equal partnership. When Pikachu refuses to fight its clone, and when Ash sacrifices himself to stop the fight between Mewtwo and Mew and put an end to the harrowing battle between his Pokémon and Mewtwo’s clones, the lesson is clear: people and Pokémon can co-exist, and both sides can, and most often do, become better for it.
This first Pokémon movie is a reflection of everything Pokémon is and wants to be. It is a tale of friendship, love, partnership, trust, and peace—and all of this was made possible by Mewtwo. Mewtwo is a fully realized character, and it experiences genuine emotional development, more than any other Pokémon ever had or has since. Mewtwo doesn’t just look cool (although that is undoubtedly part of its appeal), but it also allowed Pokémon to tell a different kind of story—one that remains one of the best Pokémon stories to date.
Mewtwo’s original story is so beloved and integral to the franchise that it was also used as the catalyst for Pokémon’s first foray into live-action, Detective Pikachu, over 20 years after Pokémon: The First Movie premiered. Though some might argue that this was done solely as nostalgia bait, I’m not so sure that’s true. In this film, Mewtwo once again learns that the relationship between people and Pokémon is not as simple as it appears. Harry’s Pikachu loves him unconditionally, and that love is so strong that Mewtwo can sense it and helps Pikachu save its Trainer’s life, despite its anger towards the humans that created it. It’s a different take on the same story but still an emotionally resonant one.
Pokémon: The First Movie is also one of the few original Pokémon stories to have been given the remake treatment. In 2019, Netflix released Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution, a retelling of the same story in a newer, shinier, animated package. I recommend just watching the original, but it certainly speaks to the staying power of Mewtwo’s story.
Since then, Ash Ketchum has actually become a Pokémon Master, but his experience with Mewtwo shaped who he was as a Pokémon Trainer, and it changed how audiences viewed the relationship between humans and Pokémon, too. Mewtwo is undeniably one of Pokémon’s most iconic Pocket Monsters, and it continues to influence the franchise to this day.
(featured image: Toho/The Pokémon Company)
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