Kids dig fire lizards. Charmander’s evolutionary line has been overwhelmingly popular among Pokémon Trainers since the dawn of the original Red and Green/Blue. Even I’m one of those diehard fans.

Charmander is one of those designs that are so simple, but so infectiously adorable and loveable. It’s a perfect caricature of a lizard, salamander, or even a dinosaur. And even though its eyes typically remain in a fixed stare, a simple rotation of the jaw illustrates just how happy this little fire lizard is!

Of course, no one can forget about the flame atop Charmander’s tail that carries darker connotations. Should that flame ever, for any reason extinguish, Charmander flat-out dies. No other Fire-type Pokémon explicitly have this trait.

This concept was permanently cemented in the minds of almost every child who watched Charmander’s Anime debut back in 1997/1998 – the one in which a spiteful Trainer left his Charmander to fend for itself in the middle of a major rain storm.

Such a miniscule yet important detail like Charmander’s tail leaves me pondering over how Pokémon battles actually work. You can infect Pokémon with deadly toxins and ailments, temporarily change the climate’s weather, even unleash energy that warps space-time itself, but the end result always leaves your Pokémon simply “knocked out.” But snuff out a little flame on a lizard’s tail, and it’s irreversibly fatal. Where do the laws of nature draw the line in this universe?

I should stop overanalyzing this topic when we’re talking about a land of magical creatures. It’s probably something simple like “Love” or “The Aura.”

Once a Charmander fan, always a Charmander fan!

Once again, we have another case of a starter Pokémon evolving into a simple “adolescent” form. Charmeleon is more or less a sleeker, “cooler” version of its predecessor, including sharper facial details.

This time, Charmeleon mixes things up with a darker red and tan color scheme. I must say that I really enjoy these colors!

And here it is; the Pokémon so popular it’s nigh god rank, right up there with Pikachu, Mewtwo and Lucario. Charmeleon practically transforms into a dragon when it evolves into Charizard, sprouting wings and the ability to fly… although in the original Red/Blue it couldn’t actually learn the move Fly.

Many people in the fandom are still disappointed that Charizard is actually Fire-Flying and doesn’t “logically” have a partial Dragon typing. I’ll admit I used to be in the same boat, but I realized that being part Dragon would be missing the point. Charmander’s entire theme is that it’s a fire-breathing lizard. As Charizard, it only gained flight as a bonus. Not all lizards have to become “true” dragons.

Charizard may seem visually plain when compared to Pokémon in later generations, but I’ve always loved how streamlined it looks through such a minimalist approach. Best of all, Charizard isn’t 100% sharp angles and pure muscle as you’d expect from a typical “cool” and “badass” dragon aimed at children. Charizard has a pudgy belly and a mix of squat as well as stretched body proportions. These features are especially easy to spot when looking at some of its older sprites:

I find it mildly humorous just how much anger wells up inside of people solely based on Charizard’s popularity. I’ve lost track counting how many arguments try to “open your eyes” and point out Charizard’s weak statistics in the games, or that it’s quadruple weak to Rock. You could make a drinking game out of how often people try to prove that this favorite Pokémon is so problematic.

You know what? That’s a good thing. You can quote from a Charizard fanatic that they’re glad it’s not a flawless Pokémon. A truly great character shouldn’t be exempt from having weak points or shortcomings.

Although I will agree that Charizard would benefit from not shoehorning into everything related to the Anime and video games. Game Freak loves to cast Charizard under the role as a power fantasy, but there are plenty of other Pokémon that could do the same thing.

On a small tangent, Don’t forget that this epic lizard stands a mere 5-foot 7-inches tall. So when you see Ash Ketchum riding on its back…

…Yeah, no, that’s completely incorrect, assuming that Ash is a typical-sized human.

And that leads to other questions about height placement in the Anime.

Charizard was graced with not one, but two Mega Evolutions. I’ll start with Mega Charizard Y, since it was the first one revealed.

I know I praised Charizard for not being all about sharp angles, but that doesn’t mean I hate Mega Y’s sleeker body. This is supposed to be a stronger Charizard, so it makes sense for it to appear more in-shape. I like how it has massive wings to accommodate for its increased weight during flight (muscle is heavier than fat, after all).

Mega Charizard Y hasn’t fallen in a common design pitfall of “Add more spikes to make it cooler.” I feel what extra spikes are placed on its body are in discreet, visually pleasing areas.

I wish there was Pokédex information to explain what appear to be vestigial wings on Mega Y’s arms. They’re a surprisingly appealing addition, but what purpose do they serve? Are they like Crobat’s smaller pair of wings to assist with flight maneuvers?

I digress; I love Charizard, and I love a sleeker, even cooler Charizard to go with it!

Mega Charizard X was quite a surprise when it was announced. This super form tackles the idea if Charizard actually becomes a dragon, dropping its Flying type to make room for the new one.

My favorite aspect of Mega X is how it feels like a “devil” Charizard. It has menacing spikes protruding from its shoulders and wings, blackened skin, and fire so hot that it turns blue! I especially enjoy the fire that constantly belches from its mouth.

While Mega Charizard Y goes for an elegant appearance, Mega X goes for the rugged and deadly look.

I also like that the chubbier belly is retained in this Mega form. It gives both forms drastically different body shapes and throws in that much extra variety to their designs.

Best of all, both Mega Charizards even play differently in the games! Mega Y focuses on enhancing Charizard’s strengths, including its Special Attack. But Mega X flips everything upside down and goes for purely physical combat. This one is primed to brawl at close range, and boy does it pack a nasty punch!

I honestly can’t tell you which Mega Charizard I like more. My eyes gravitate to X faster, but I still love Y just as much!

I’m actually bummed that the other Kanto starters only got one Mega Evolution, while Charizard gets to strut around with two. It’s mildly depressing to think about how heavily Mega Evolutions are designed out of popularity. It would be extreme to always expect a pair of Mega Evolutions for each Pokémon, but I feel this is something special that should be given to the original trio that helped launch Pokémon into the phenomenon it is today.

Plus, a Pokémon having two possible Mega forms makes it terrifying to deal with. It adds a huge layer of unpredictability. And as the Mega Charizards showed, it allows you to strategize with an old Pokémon in completely new ways.

Gigantamax Review: Added June 6, 2020

It has been two generations and nearly 4 years since I first published my analysis of Charmander’s family. Mega Evolutions are out, Gigantamax forms are in, and of course Gigantamax Charizard was one of the poster children for Pokémon Sword and Shield’s marketing. Honestly, I was more surprised to learn that Lucario wasn’t given equal amounts of attention this generation (although this is subject to change. As I write this section, Sword and Shield’s DLC roster hasn’t been fully revealed).

And as a souped up, kaiju-sized alternate form, Gigantamax Charizard is… acceptable. Nothing more, nothing less.

It’s a given that I never tire from seeing more of my favorite winged salamander. But when I think critically of Gigantamax Charizard, its overall design is exactly what you’d expect from a toy line repackaging the same old character.

The fire wings are stellar and by far my favorite aspect of this form, and the glowing mouth, erratic sharp teeth, and ignited ear-horns are simply glorious to look at. Its fragmented belly pattern pops out compared to its other forms’ perfectly smooth lines. Subtle muscle structures are drawn on its arms and chest that the Mega ‘zards lack. The thrown-in diamond clusters add a little extra visual flair (though the piss yellow ones on its belly are personally unappealing).

Ultimately, I think spoiling Charizard with two Mega Evolutions is what makes its Gigantamax form feel underwhelming. I can write a laundry list of all the nuanced details I enjoy. But the market is saturated with so many alternate forms for this one Pokémon (yes, a whopping three is “a lot,”), that the “magic” of the design is faded.

Gigantamax Charizard is a design that – while visually distinct from its cousins – is paradoxically nothing that exceeds feeling “comfy.” I like it thanks to a Charizard bias, but the most I can muster when pressed for an explanation is, “It is another Charizard. I shall give it a thumbs up.”