Scizor

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Scizor
Image:GSC-Scizor.png
National Pokédex
Qwilfish - Scizor (#212) - Shuckle
Johto Pokédex
Scyther - Scizor (#111) - Pinsir
Japanese name Hassam
Evolves from Scyther
Evolves into None
Generation Second
Species Scissors Pokémon
Type Bug / Steel
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)
Weight 260.0 lb (118 kg)
Ability Swarm/Technician(the latter from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl onwards)

Scizor (ハッサム Hassamu?, Hassam in original Japanese language versions) is one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon from the Pokémon Franchise – a series of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri.

Originally introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver, Scizor was one of the first Steel Pokémon, as well as one of the first new evolutions of a first-generation Pokémon.

Scizor's name is a portmanteau of the words "scissors" and "razor": a reference to its sharp, crab-like claws. Its Japanese name, Hassamu, is likewise a pun on the Japanese word hasamu, which means "to clip", "snip", or "cut off".

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

It is largely similar to its evolutionary predecessor Scyther, but has developed a thick, metallic outer exoskeleton and crab-like claws. As such, it is tougher and stronger than Scyther, but has lost its predecessor's blinding speed and ability to fly. Instead, because of the insulating effect of its thick, metalline shell, it spreads its wings to cool off, and flaps them very rapidly to heat up, or to blow air to cool itself off.

Its demeanor changes, as well. While Scyther is a mantis-like predator, striking fast and simply evading potential pursuers, Scizor is more crab-like, with a conservative, defensive demeanor, in keeping with its greater defensive ability and lesser speed. It wards off attacks by waving around its eye-spotted claws, making it appear larger and more fearsome than it actually is.

Differences between female and male Scizor.
Differences between female and male Scizor.

Once it engages its foe, either in the wild or at the direction of a Pokémon trainer in a Pokémon battle, it begins to more closely resemble Scyther. It strikes quickly with its powerful claws, raking more than pinching, relying on its startling agility to evade attacks.

In the upcoming games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it was revealed that a female Scizor has a larger abdomen than the male.

[edit] In the video games

In the Pokémon video games, Scizor is consistently in the top tier of physical Attack and Defense, and has only one type weakness, Fire. This makes it popular with players as a "wall," or damage-resistant Pokémon, against physical attackers. Scizor trades Speed for Attack and Defense, making the use of the speed-boosting move Agility more important for it than Scyther.

Learning the attack False Swipe (a move that always leaves the opponent with at least 1 HP) allows Scizor to be potentially used to hunt wild Pokémon. However, its lack of any abilities to paralyze or induce sleep makes it a poor choice, as Parasect can learn status moves, and False Swipe.

Supplementing this, players often use it as a "Baton Passer," a Pokémon who uses special moves to raise its attributes then uses a move called Baton Pass to pass these boosts to another Pokémon, because of its durability and variety of attribute-boosting abilities. Less often, players use it as a counterattacker, using special moves that punish opposing Pokémon for attacking it.

In Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Scizor's move list is expanded. Like Scyther it can learn Scissor Cross and Blade Test as level-up moves. In place of Air Slash, Scizor learns Iron Head, a powerful new Steel-type attack with a chance of causing opponents to flinch. Stats are unchanged from the earlier games, and the moves it normally learns are still in place.

It doesn't appear as a Pokémon in the wild in any of the games; it can only be evolved from Scyther, by trading it to another player with an item called "Metal Coat" attached. (It shares this attribute with Onix and Steelix.)

Scizor makes a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee, as one of the Pokémon that can pop out of a Poké Ball. The Scizor pops out of a Poké Ball, says its name (as a warning), and prepares to KO the nearest enemy using Fury Swipe. This is similar to the effect of a Hitmonlee appearing in the original Nintendo 64 game. This Scizor is voiced by Shinichiro Miki. It is also an unlockable trophy.

[edit] In the anime

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Scizor has only made a handful of appearances in the Pokémon anime. Its first appearance was in episode 140, Wired for Battle, as one of the Pokémon of "Mr. Muromasa" (an obvious allusion to the Muramasa school of swordsmiths from Japanese history). In this same episode, Ash defeats one of Mr. Muromasa's students, a statistic-obsessed boy named Shingo who also has a Scizor.

Scizor makes a handful of other appearances in the anime. In the movie Pokémon 4Ever, a Scizor belongs to the villain, The Iron Mask Marauder.

Gary Oak has a Scizor, which he uses when he and Ash meet in the Johto league championships. Later, in the Hoenn League championships, Ash faces another trainer with a Scizor.

Also, while in a Pokemon Contest, when Jesse got her hair tangled with Cacnea, a Scizor was called in to "operate" or cut her hair off.

In "Curbing The Crimson Tide," a Scizor belongs to Luna, a lonely millionaire's daughter. She uses a cloak and a neck device (with camera lens and speaker) to have Scizor pass off as Red Lightning who defeats the city's Pokémon and leave his mark on his defeated opponents. When Ash and Co. discover this, they followed Red Lightning to Luna's house and discovered her secret. Her Scizor can move in the wind like no other Scizor can. (This is due to the fact that the high buildings of the city created numerous updrafts, which Scizor floated on as it jumped.)

[edit] In other properties

In Pokémon Adventures, a long-running shonen manga, one of Blue's signature Pokémon is a Scyther, which he later evolves into a Scizor.

Scizor has appeared as a stage-1 Steel-type in all the following expansion sets:

  • Neo Discovery
  • Neo Destiny (as Dark Scizor)
  • Aquapolis
  • EX Team Rocket Returns (Dark-type, as Rocket’s Scizor EX)
  • EX Unseen Forces (as Scizor EX)

In addition, Scizor also appeared as the 33rd promotional card, as well as another card named Dark Scizor (a Basic Pokémon) in the theme of Pokémon 4Ever.

Rocket’s Scizor EX evolves out of Rocket’s Scyther EX (both in the same set), making it the first EX Pokémon to evolve out of another EX Pokémon.

Scizor EX is currently part of the popular deck design named "SMP," an acronym for "Scizor (ex), Metagross (EX Deoxys version), and Pidgeot (EX Firered & Leafgreen version)", a deck that features the above three cards in a specific effective fashion.

[edit] References

Publications
  • Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
  • Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
  • Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1-930206-58-5

[edit] External links

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In other languages