#0201 · Generation II
What Animal Is Unown Based On?
Unown is mostly a fantasy design, but its closest real animal is the Hieroglyphic Cicada.
Closest animal
Hieroglyphic CicadaConfidence
Broad or mixed-animal match
How Unown compares to the real Hieroglyphic Cicada
Unown's official category is the Symbol Pokémon. AnimalDex rates its resemblance to the Hieroglyphic Cicada as a broad match, meaning the animal is one influence in a largely fantasy design. Unown are living alphabet glyphs, not animals. The hieroglyphic cicada is the nearest comparison by name and pattern, an insect whose markings look like ancient symbols, just as Unown resemble letters carved on ruins.
The comparison covers looks and behavior cues, not biology: Unown is a fictional Pokémon, while the Hieroglyphic Cicada (Neocicada hieroglyphica) is a real animal. On AnimalDex the real Hieroglyphic Cicada scores 2 for dominance, 34 for speed, 3 for size and 6 for intelligence, out of 100, so its strongest trait is speed.
Official category: Symbol Pokemon. This page is an AnimalDex comparison for real-animal resemblance, not an official design-origin claim.
Meet the real Hieroglyphic Cicada
Neocicada hieroglyphica
Adults of this small cicada appear every summer, rather than in the huge synchronised broods of periodical cicadas. Through early summer, males call from the branches of trees and shrubs.
How to recognize it
- Dark, script-like markings on a pale thorax
- Clear wings without dark spots or bands
- Compact body, small for a cicada
Real Hieroglyphic Cicada facts
- Both its common name and its species name refer to the dark, writing-like marks on the thorax.
- It is often found on oaks, including scrub oaks growing on sandy soils.
- Diet
- Nymphs pierce plant roots underground and suck the watery xylem sap. Adults feed the same way above ground, drawing sap from twigs and branches of trees and shrubs.
- Lifespan
- The length of the underground nymphal stage has not been measured for this species; it is probably several years, as in most cicadas. Adults probably live only a few weeks.
- Predators and threats
- Birds, spiders and robber flies catch adults, and cicada-killer wasps probably take some; underground nymphs fall to moles and other digging animals. Adults escape by flying off noisily or by sitting still on bark, relying on muted colouring.
| Dominance | Speed | Size | Intelligence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/100 | 34/100 | 3/100 | 6/100 |
Unown animal FAQ
- What animal is Unown based on?
- Unown is mostly a fantasy design, but its closest real animal is the Hieroglyphic Cicada. Unown are living alphabet glyphs, not animals. The hieroglyphic cicada is the nearest comparison by name and pattern, an insect whose markings look like ancient symbols, just as Unown resemble letters carved on ruins.
- Is Unown a real animal?
- No. Unown is a fictional Pokémon. Its closest real counterpart is the Hieroglyphic Cicada (Neocicada hieroglyphica), which AnimalDex covers with real field-guide facts.
- What is the real Hieroglyphic Cicada like?
- Adults of this small cicada appear every summer, rather than in the huge synchronised broods of periodical cicadas. Through early summer, males call from the branches of trees and shrubs.