Farfetch’d Family
I’m not sure how to introduce today’s Character Critique. Is it because I’ve gotten rusty from an inconsistent writing schedule, or because the phrase “Farfetch’d is a silly Pokémon” goes without saying?
Discussing Farfetch’d as a character involves more research than one would expect. An ordinary duck wielding food as a weapon sounds self-explanatory in its ridiculousness. Even its name is a corruption of the term “far fetched,” referencing how “wacky” the Pokémon is. Surely, the point behind its design is just random humor?
As it turns out, there’s a surprisingly rich and amusing backstory behind Farfetch’d’s design. It’s multi-layered with connections to the real world, as well as figures of speech native to Japan.
In the culinary world, green onion and duck are key ingredients to a fantastic stew. It just so happens that Farfetch’d prides itself in owning the greatest scallion in its mind’s eye. Quite literally, this Pokémon is a walking dinner just waiting to happen.
This concept also ties into a Japanese proverb. Kamo ga negi wo shotte kuru, or “a duck comes bearing green onions,” refers to an unexpected yet pleasant surprise (provided that you take Bulbapedia’s word for it. Google only yielded me an uncited Wikipedia page and unreliable blogs). For Farfetch’d, this phrase applies to more than just its alleged tastiness. Since it’s an endangered species, any collector or Pokédex-completing enthusiast is highly fortunate to discover it.
But Farfetch’d’s lore runs deeper than that. In Japan, a gullible or easily exploitable person can be referred to as a “duck.” As ducks are markedly easy catches for hunters, a “sucker” can be likened to one. Over the years, the Pokémon fandom has noticed this extra concept subtly woven into Red and Green/Blue Versions.
In Farfetch’d’s debut video games, only one of them can be obtained in the entire campaign. A man is willing to part with it for the simple exchange of a common Spearow. This sounds like an extraordinary offer, especially for players achieving to 100% the game. Unfortunately, the player quickly learns that Farfetch’d… is a terrible Pokémon to battle with. Overall, it has the strength and versatility of a Starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squirtle), but never evolves into something stronger. Aside from collecting purposes (or being used as a silly gimmick in competitive play), Farfetch’d is actually worse than the Spearow that was handed off. At least Spearow eventually evolves into Fearow.
In essence, the man makes a “duck” out of the player by trading them a literal duck. Farfetch’d may not do well in the competitive scene, but it sure found other ways to be “meta.”
Farfetch’d is purposefully designed to look plain-Jane (it’s “just” an ordinary duck, after all), but a few standout features make it instantly recognizable. For one, it uses its wing feathers as fingers. This isn’t intrinsic to Farfetch’d, but it’s a quality I find endlessly amusing with cartoon birds. Farfetch’d’s wing-hands are made further magnificent by expertly wielding its scallion as a baton or even a sword.
Remember, this is Farfetch’d’s prized possession, so the fact it’ll use it against its enemies without a second thought makes it all the more hilarious and entertaining.
It’d be remiss to not mention the giant unibrow underneath the Pokémon’s spiky crest. They’re completely unnecessary details, but they enhance that “wacky” appeal Farfetch’d is going for.
On a final note, Farfetch’d has the best laugh, hands down. No one else in the Anime can cackle as well as this duck.
Because of its weak stats and limited application in battle, Farfetch’d practically exists to fill space on the Pokédex. But Game Freak went over and beyond what I’d expect from something intended to be “filler.” Thanks to the art department’s efforts, Farfetch’d has made for a highly appealing and memorable Pokémon.
Highest Praise!
I’m trying to not jump the gun discussing what Galar brought for Farfetch’d. I recall this regional variant being revealed after the advertisement that first highlighted its evolution. At the time, Galar Farfetch’d was guaranteed to feel inadequate in comparison.
Now that I’ve had over a year to process that reveal, I can say that Galar Farfetch’d is simultaneously drab, yet decent as an alternate form.
There are plenty of region-specific Pokémon that mix up their appearances greater than Farfetch’d. If it weren’t for the oversized green onion to provide contrast, it looks like Game Freak took the “new coat of paint” phrase literally (darkening its color palette with hardly any other changes).
However, it’s clear to me that Galar Farfetch’d isn’t going for minute physical changes; rather, it’s the performance as a character that matters.
Being dwarfed by its unruly sword-onion naturally affects Farfetch’d’s movements in battle. While the classic Kanto Farfetch’d is bouncy and somewhat loose, Galar’s is stiff and calculated. Even though Game Freak’s 3D animations are often lacking, they were able to communicate this dichotomy fairly well in their attack animations.
(Attack animation GIFs built from footage by VS Network and BeardBear, respectively)
Little moments like these are crucial to making a character design shine. Thankfully, both types of Farfetch’d have animations that compliment their unique identities.
While I’d still argue that Galar Farfetch’d should have a heavier overhaul to its design, I have respect for what it’s going for. Sometimes, changing how a character interacts with an object is all that’s needed to breathe new life into them.
Thumbs Up!
Since I couldn’t find a good place to integrate it into this review, I’d like to take an aside to bring up Galar Farfetch’d’s pure Fighting type. I find it entertaining that Farfetch’d evolved into a new type not in response to its habitat or diet, but because of its style of combat. It’s another great subversion of expectations for region-specific Pokémon.
Sirfetch’d is where things get complicated for me to review. For decades, Farfetch’d was attached to a community in-joke that it would never receive an evolution on account of it being trash. After all, Farfetch’d is supposed to be objectively terrible at everything, both lore wise and mechanically in-game.
And then seemingly out of nowhere, a promotional bumper for Sword/Shield Versions dropped the bombshell that is Sirfetch’d. It took twenty years, but the little duck managed to evolve.
Problem is, it took so long for Sirfetch’d to arrive, that no official design could possibly live up to the starry-eyed expectations of the fans. That includes yours truly. In as few words possible, Sirfetch’d is just boring to look at.
It’s great that the core elements of Farfetch’d were preserved for its evolution. But with Sirfetch’d, perhaps a little too much was copy-pasted onto it. Looking at it turns me into a broken record with my “Pokémon 2.0” buzzword, or even the “alternate skin” argument I made for Gigantamax Machamp. This white spray painted duck could have been Galar Farfetch’d right off the bat, and I doubt anyone would have batted an eye.
Fortunately for Sirfetch’d, there’s one positive aspect of its design I can bring up. Its plant-based sword and shield (that can be argued as being a proper leek!) is a fun concept. Bonus information comes from official Pokémon artwork that confirms the shield is built from the same leek!
There’s a solid idea behind Sirfetch’d’s weapon of choice. It’s a shame that the same can’t be said about the rest of its design.
Thanks to the efforts of datamining and video game archival communities, there’s a real gut punch related to Farfetch’d and its family. In 2018, sprite data for a beta build of Gold and Silver were unearthed. It turns out a Farfetch’d evolution was at least partially coded early on, with a front and back sprite prepped for use.
Pray tell, why was this brilliant idea scrapped? It stays with the minimalist aesthetic that Farfetch’d uses while looking completely different and worthy of being an evolution. It’s also a great pun on the ugly duckling becoming a “beautiful” swan, but with wild and unkempt plumage.
My only critique is the dense cluster of square chest feathers. Rearrange the placement of fewer feathers, and it’d look much cleaner for the design as a whole. It’s otherwise a stellar concept, and a crime on video games that it ended up on the cutting room floor.
Even without that behind the scenes knowledge, Sirfetch’d is a letdown to Farfetch’d’s legacy. But then again, perhaps it was doomed to be as such with two decades of anticipation weighing on its shoulders.
Ridicule-tier
