I’m astounded at the fact that as a kid, I never understood why Diglett looks the way it does. On the surface, it just looks like a tiny thumb with a button nose, digging through the ground because it has the word dig in its name.

You would think that, since I used to dump embarrassing amounts of allowance money towards my favorite arcades, I would have made the connection that Diglett is the personification of a Whac-a-Mole.

(The arcades I grew up with had a variation with crocodiles poking through horizontal slots, but the core concept was the same)

Now that I’m older and wiser, it couldn’t be more obvious. It’s called the mole Pokémon, and in the Anime, it and Dugtrio’s running joke is that they pop in and out of the ground faster than any Trainer (or person trying to ward them off) can catch them.

Let’s face it, were it not for the concept behind Diglett’s design, it’d be a downright abysmal character. But with the Whac-a-Mole idea in mind, Diglett’s minimalism is superb. It’s the simplest, easiest way to communicate the silly arcade game by being a stump with a basic face.

The Pokémon universe even plays up on the fact that Diglett’s bottom half has never been drawn. No matter what terrain Diglett is resting on – be it grass, sand, or water – it always manages to keep its body covered with the same pile of dirt. Even if Diglett uses Mimic so it can learn Fly, the dirt comes with it regardless.

The Anime is especially ridiculous with this concept, managing to place many Diglett on top of each other, still showing as nothing but tiny nubs!

Okay, but riddle me this: what if someone managed to grab them with their hands-

Oh, come on!

Of course, I’d love to see Game Freak’s vision of a full-body Diglett. But at the same time, there’s a cheesy beauty in the franchise going out of its way to keep that part a mystery.

It might be a bare-bones design, but that’s perfect for what Diglett represents.

If you’re a character representing a Whac-a-Mole, what’s the logical thing to do for an evolution? Just multiply yourself, of course!

I will always argue that Pokémon designs like these could have been pushed further. The first generation is notorious for simply duplicating a Pokémon a few times and calling it an “evolution.”

However, I’m willing to make an exception for Dugtrio. After all, the moles in a Whac-a-Mole machine are all identical, since it’s easier that way when building the device. In this case, Dugtrio is actually enhancing the concept it represents.

My favorite feature about Dugtrio has to be from its earlier artwork. Each Diglett triplet has angry eyebrows drawn on them so they look “meaner” and “totally” different. It’s a hilarious touch that I wish still existed in the current games.

The other funny part about Dugtrio (and Diglett, for that matter) is its pitiful shiny form. Literally only its noses change color. Genius!

Oh, and when I mentioned Diglett triplets? The Pokédex says that Dugtrio is actually three Digletts branching from the same body! Now I really want to know what the rest of it looks like! This is the first known siamese twin- er, triplet – Pokémon genetically forced to grow like that. That thought makes Dugtrio sound highly compelling!

Ultimately, Dugtrio isn’t going to get the highest personal rating in my book. It is just a copy-paste job of a character design. However, I’ll admit that it still manages to be a fun concept.

The seventh generation gave Diglett an alternate form, aaaaand it’s practically the same thing.

It’s clear that Alolan Diglett is designed to tease at something greater. It has a single cluster of whiskers growing from its head. Apparently, they’re made of metal, which is what contributes to its now half-Steel typing. Other than that, Alolan Diglett is just a little darker and has a different pattern of dirt around its body. Sadly, it’s another lackluster Alolan form.

Since I don’t have a whole lot to talk about, I’ll bring up how I can’t stand the way Diglett’s art above was drawn. I wouldn’t be surprised if an intern inked and colored this artwork, because it feels lazily done compared to Ken Sugimori’s other work. The shading is so minimal that Diglett’s whiskers are only one solid color. And then the line work – especially around the whiskers – seem rougher and amateurly drawn.

Ah well, that’s just me nitpicking at this point. I’ve got nothing else to say about Alolan Diglett.

I can’t say I was expecting Dugtrio to gain luscious locks as its adaptation to Alola’s climate!

I gleefully consider Alolan Dugtrio’s hair the return of the “angry eyebrows.” All three heads have different styles; it makes them so “unique” now!

I love the lighthearted humor with Alolan Dugtrio’s design. After all, that’s what its entire family has been doing for decades. It’s great to see the tradition continued here.

But why would Alolan Dugtrio gain hair, of all things? Is there a reason for its existence outside of being silly?

As a matter of fact, there is a huge significance behind this design choice.

If basalt (an igneous rock) is stretched out by lava, it can become fibrous glass. This molten basalt is so thin, it looks like hair when bunched together. This phenomenon, named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, is known as “Pele’s Hair.”

Just like that, Alolan Dugtrio makes perfect sense. The Pokédex is indirectly referencing the goddess Pele. Alolan Dugtrio has lived around volcanic climates for so long, that Pele’s hair has fused to its body.

Better yet, there’s still more trivia to share. Sun Version’s Pokédex claims that keeping a strand of Alolan Dugtrio’s hair will bring bad luck. This might be referencing the fact that Pele’s hair is incredibly brittle and easily lodges into the skin. It is glass, after all, so this myth probably circled around Alolan communities as a warning to avoid touching it.

That, and Pele’s hair is a sign that you’re likely living near an active volcano. Dugtrio’s hair would definitely be an unfortunate sight in that sense.

What simply looks like a goofy addition to Alolan Dugtrio is actually an incredible concept. Learning about Pele’s hair makes Alolan Dugtrio a really fun character.