Every Banned Pokémon Episode (And Why They Were Banned)
Christopher Ramos The Pokémon anime has aired 1,115 episodes since 1997, but some have been so controversial that they were banned permanently.
The Pokémon anime premiered in 1997, becoming an instant sensation. Now, 24 years later, it's still going strong and doesn't show any signs of stopping. So far, 1,114 episodes have aired, and almost all of them have received positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
There are always some exceptions, and Pokémon is no stranger to controversy. Indeed, several episodes were so divisive that broadcasters pulled them from rotation. Many remain banned to this day, and while fans know the basics about them, no one can watch them through official means.
Temporarily Banned Episodes
"Tentacool And Tentacruel"
The 19th episode of the anime, titled "Tentacool and Tentacruel," features the debut of its titular Pokémon, two of the best dual-type Water Pokémon. It follows Ash, Misty, and Brock as they arrive at the city of Porta Vista, where they must deal with an attack from an angry group of Tentacool and its leader, a giant-sized Tentacruel.
Following the Sept. 11 attacks, Kids' WB! refused to air the episode because of the scenes in which the giant Tentacruel destroys a skyscraper with its tentacles. The episode would begin airing after Cartoon Network took over the series. It would later be banned again following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"The Tower Of Terror"
The infamous Lavender Town is one of the most notorious places in the franchise. The town makes its debut in the anime in the 23rd episode, "The Tower of Terror." After Ash loses against Sabrina during one of the Pokémon anime's best battles, he travels to Lavender Town to catch a Ghost-type. The episode features a creepy sequence in which Pikachu and Ash seemingly die, and their spirits leave their bodies and play with a trio of Ghost Pokémon.
"The Tower of Terror" features nothing particularly problematic, but Kids' WB! refused to air it following the Sept. 11 attacks because of the title. However, it later returned to circulation and has aired in reruns ever since.
Permanently Banned Episodes
"Battle Of The Quaking Island! Dojoach Vs. Namazun!"
"Battle of the Quaking Island" was intended to be the 101st episode of Ruby and Sapphire, originally meant to air in November 2004. It was meant as the debut of Barboach, a dual Water/Ground-type who would've helped Ash and his friends control a group of Whiscash who kept causing massive earthquakes.
However, the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake, the deadliest since the 1995 Hanshin earthquake, made the Japanese network skip the episode entirely. Subsequently, it also missed any English-language broadcasts and remains unseen to this day.
"Team Rocket Vs. Team Plasma!"
Two episodes from the series' fifth season, Black & White, remain unaired. The two-part "Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma!" event would've pitted the titular organizations, two of the best villainous teams in the Pokémon franchise, against each other. It would've featured the debut of Team Plasma and the returns of Looker and Giovanni.
However, the Japanese network postponed the two episodes following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The episodes were never dubbed and remain unaired. The 112th episode of the Best Wishes anime, "Team Plasma's Pokémon Power Plot," effectively erases the events of "Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma" from the anime's continuity.
"Beauty And The Beach!"
The 18th episode of the anime, "Beauty and the Beach!" is one of the most notorious. It features Ash, Misty, and Brock spending a day on the beach, when Misty enters the Beach Beauty contest to help a struggling restauranteur keep his business afloat.
The episode was controversial because of several scenes with considerable sexual content. In one, James wears a pair of inflatable breasts and taunts Misty over her figure. At one point, James inflates the breasts to double their initial size. Another scene features Misty in a bikini, posing beside Pikachu, who's holding a sign that reads "Japan's #1 Best." This episode was the first to be banned everywhere but Asia. Subsequent reruns air a heavily edited version that's only 18 minutes long.
"The Legend Of Dratini!"
The Dratini line, the first-ever Pseudo Legendary Pokémon family in the franchise, made its official debut during the now-lost episode, "The Legend of Dratini!" It follows Ash and company as they visit the Kanto Safari Zone, encountering Kaiser, the aggressive warden.
The episode caused uproar for its repeated use of guns. In one infamous scene, Kaiser points his pistol directly at Ash and asks the terrified 10-year-old if he'd like to die. The episode's removal caused a plot hole because Ash catches his 30 Tauros in the Safari Zone, and the anime never explains their presence in future episodes.
"The Ice Cave!"
Jynx is arguably the most controversial Pokémon in the franchise. The female-exclusive Ice/Psychic-type received criticism from the get-go, with many considering her initial appearance a reference to blackface. Cultural critic and author Carole Boston Weatherford openly called out Jynx as "an overweight ... incarnation of Little Black Sambo."
Numerous other critics share Boston Weatherford's criticism, with many also taking issue with Jynx's oversexualized appearance, including full lips and hips, breasts, and "seductive" movements. The uproar was such that the Pokémon Company eventually changed Jynx's skin to light purple. The now-lost episode "The Ice Cave!" prominently featured Jynx and even showed a scene where she tried to kiss Brock. Previous episodes included Jynx in minor, easily cut appearances. However, "The Ice Cave!" had too much Jynx footage, effectively banning it everywhere but Japan.
"Satoshi And Nagetukesaru! A Touchdown Of Friendship!"
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are full of memorable characters and endearing storylines, and fans generally consider it one of the strongest seasons in the anime. It isn't safe from controversy, though, as it features the most recent banned episode in the franchise. "Satoshi and Nagetukesaru" is the debut of the Pokémon Passimian and features a group kidnapping Ash and engaging in friendly competition with him.
The episode is banned in the U.S. because of a scene in which Ash, dressed in a Passimian costume, wears face paint that resembles blackface. As a result, Passimian's debut came nearly 20 episodes later, in a minor appearance under the care of a Trainer.
"Electric Soldier Porygon!"
"Electric Soldier Porygon" is the most infamous episode in the anime by far. It aired in Japan in December 1997 and featured Porygon's debut. During a four-second sequence when Pikachu attacked a group of missiles, red-and-blue alternating lights rapidly flashed across the screen. The episode resulted in more than 700 Japanese people suffering a variety of health concerns, including epileptic seizures.
Nicknamed the "Pokémon Shock" by the media, the incident sent the anime into an indefinite hiatus and nearly destroyed the entire franchise. Porygon, one of the Pokémon even non-fans of the franchise know about, albeit for all the wrong reasons, has never played another significant role in the anime, and neither have its evolutions, Porygon 2 and Porygon Z. "Electric Soldier Porygon" remains the only Pokémon episode to be banned worldwide.
