#0354 · Generation III
What Animal Is Banette Based On?
Banette is mostly a fantasy design, but its closest real animal is the Dumbo Octopus.
Closest animal
Dumbo OctopusConfidence
Broad or mixed-animal match
How Banette compares to the real Dumbo Octopus
Banette's official category is the Marionette Pokémon. AnimalDex rates its resemblance to the Dumbo Octopus as a broad match, meaning the animal is one influence in a largely fantasy design. Banette is a ghost doll with a zipper mouth, so the design is mostly fantasy. The dumbo octopus, which floats like a ghost in the deep sea, is the nearest animal comparison.
The comparison covers looks and behavior cues, not biology: Banette is a fictional Pokémon, while the Dumbo Octopus (Grimpoteuthis spp.) is a real marine invertebrate. On AnimalDex the real Dumbo Octopus scores 24 for dominance, 18 for speed, 18 for size and 55 for intelligence, out of 100, so its strongest trait is intelligence.
Official category: Marionette Pokemon. This page is an AnimalDex comparison for real-animal resemblance, not an official design-origin claim.
Meet the real Dumbo Octopus
Grimpoteuthis spp.
Named for the ear-like fins above their eyes, these are among the deepest-living octopuses known, recorded to about 7,000 metres. They swim by flapping the fins and pulsing the webbed arms, and they lack an ink sac, which would be of little use in total darkness.
How to recognize it
- One pair of large, ear-like fins above the eyes
- Deep web joining the arms almost to their tips
- Finger-like cirri alongside the suckers on each arm
Real Dumbo Octopus facts
- They lack the ink sac that shallow-water octopuses use to escape predators.
- Observers describe three ways of moving: flapping the fins, pulsing the web like a jellyfish, and pushing out water through the funnel.
- Diet
- Stomach contents from the species examined show small bottom-living animals, including polychaete worms, copepods, amphipods and other small crustaceans. Prey appears to be swallowed whole rather than drilled or torn apart.
- Lifespan
- Probably several years, though exact lifespans vary by species.
- Predators and threats
- Deep-sea fish, sharks, and larger cephalopods threaten it.
| Dominance | Speed | Size | Intelligence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/100 | 18/100 | 18/100 | 55/100 |
Banette animal FAQ
- What animal is Banette based on?
- Banette is mostly a fantasy design, but its closest real animal is the Dumbo Octopus. Banette is a ghost doll with a zipper mouth, so the design is mostly fantasy. The dumbo octopus, which floats like a ghost in the deep sea, is the nearest animal comparison.
- Is Banette a real animal?
- No. Banette is a fictional Pokémon. Its closest real counterpart is the Dumbo Octopus (Grimpoteuthis spp.), which AnimalDex covers with real field-guide facts.
- What is the real Dumbo Octopus like?
- Named for the ear-like fins above their eyes, these are among the deepest-living octopuses known, recorded to about 7,000 metres. They swim by flapping the fins and pulsing the webbed arms, and they lack an ink sac, which would be of little use in total darkness.
- Which other Pokémon are based on the Dumbo Octopus?
- AnimalDex also pairs Shuppet with the Dumbo Octopus.
More Dumbo Octopus comparisons in Generation III
| No. | Pokemon | Closest animal | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| #0353 |  Shuppet | broad |