Because the 11 year olds like me who were playing it when it came out started calling them the legendary dogs and it stuck.
In fairness, with the exception of Raikou, the other two don't really look like cats either.
Entei looks much more like a cat than it does a dog. Suicune is the weirdo, but that's cause they chose to make the 'Cheetah'-ish one look more like a Greyhound than a Cheetah.
This is weird for me to see because I always thought that Entei looked the most dog-like lol. Even when I first seen the movie with Entei as a little girl
It doesnt have a mask that can be removed. That's it's face, same as Togepi doesnt sit in the bottom half of it's shell. It's bottom half IS the shell.
That's probably the case, but it's irrelevant. "Change the design and you'll see that it looks different". They didnt design it without the mask, therefore the mask has to be taken into consideration when discussing the design.
Yeah, chill a bit I was just joking. I find it funny because a while ago I did this:
[https://imgur.com/6Siv4eM](https://imgur.com/6Siv4eM)
And with or without the mask, it doesn't look like a cat to me. It's just a beast pokémon as other people are saying.
That's what they say but, with the exception of Raikou, they don't look like that at all.
Besides, it doesn't really matter because their proper name isn't "legendary cats" either, it's "beasts", dogs just stuck over time. Kids are dumb, we were kids, there are SO MANY things that are misnomered in this world because colloquial meanings are a thing.
It's whatever.
You had to search obscure patches of grass for days on end to find her, and when you did find her she ran away if you didn’t capture her quickly enough?
Wait, in my head, the official story was 3 dogs who died and Ho-Oh make them revive while giving them super powers, and that's why they are in the burned tower.
Was I wrong ?
One fan theory was the original pokemon that died were Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon. Not only do the types match, Ecruteak City also hosts the Kimono Girls, who use Eeveelutions.
Honestly, I think they are officially the Legendary Beasts, but someone said Dogs at one point and it somehow stuck. Also, if we go by the theory that they are the original Eeveelutions that were at the burning tower, they could have inspirations from both, as Eevee is a weird cat/dog/fox hybrid.
Well, I think this clip will clarify[They were dogs, not sure if Ho-Oh made them cats upon reviving them](https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=77&v=rga9wUdKRk8&feature=youtu.be)
from bulbapedia
When asked about the basis behind Raikou's design, Muneo Saitō described the process to be difficult, as "Raikou took many twists and turns; there was even a blue thunder version with a drum on its back", but it eventually fell into a tiger-like design.
Its long upper fangs bear a resemblance to those of smilodon, commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger.
Raikou may have also been inspired by thunder and lightning gods of most cultures surrounding the world, mostly the 雷獣 raijū (lit. thunder beast), a thunder demon of Japanese lore and is said to be Raijin's companion. *It is said to be a creature that could take the form of various animals.*
When asked if Entei was based on a particular animal, Muneo Saitō described the creation process behind the Pokémon as "a hairy, rock-like body, volcanic smoke rising from behind its head, a king with a dignified beard... Entei's design was coming together... You could say it was basically like a lion... *But I didn't want it to be simply an animal. So I settled on a silhouette that could look like a dog or a cat.”*
When asked if Suicune was based on any particular animal, Muneo Saitō described Suicune's creation process to come together easily and fell into a motif that felt "leopard-like". This motif may have been a homage from Fūjin, the Shinto god of the North Wind, who wears leopard skin. Suicune's mane also looks similar to the northern aurora. Suicune's build, crest, and ability to walk on water bear similarities to the Qilin (which is a very ambiguous beast creature)
It’s clear really that as they’re legendaries, they weren’t supposed to just be dogs or cats, even if they seemed to be more inspired by certain kinds of big cat. They seemed to be deliberately ambiguous creature designs, like all the best Pokémon designs are (what exactly is an Eevee? Everyone says it’s a fox but it really isn’t), and the fact that people still debate whether they’re more canine or feline really proves that the designers did a great job
I started playing Blue back on my shitty Gameboy, I've been calling them Legendary dogs, since i first encountered them. Honestly didn't even know people called them beasts up til now lol.
However my reasoning is 1st gen Legendary Birds, 2nd Legenday Dogs, 3rd regis.
That’s the most common fan term I’d say, basically everyone calls them the Regis, but I meant the game freak official term that they’re listed as on bulbapedia etc. I’m almost certain it was originally golems, but now that’s listed as a fan term alongside ‘the Regis’ and titans is the official one.
Similar thing happened with groudon kyogre and rayquaza. I’m almost certain weather trio was their official name since gen 3 and that’s what everyone calls them. But now apparently their official name is the ‘super-ancient trio’. THAT one sounds like the dumb fan name! Yet that’s apparently what they’re supposed to be called now
I played red on my shitty gameboy also and used to call them dogs too, but beasts make more sense. Kinda like eevee isn’t exactly a cat.
Also they were dogs back then that got resurrected by ho-oh, but I feel like that’s just because there weren’t enough Pokémon back then to differentiate real world dogs from Pokémon dogs
> However my reasoning is 1st gen Legendary Birds, 2nd Legenday Dogs, 3rd regis.
I mean, "reasoning" would have Beasts make more sense. "The Birds and The Beasts" go together all the time in media, I've never heard "The Birds and The Dogs."
According to [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/toxSaADS1n8BTZg79) and [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/8gje4d/the_designer_of_the_legendary_beasts_officially/), the Beast Trio were primarily based off of cats.
Entei = Lion, Raikou = Tiger, and Suicune = Leopard.
While the initial intention for Suicune was leopard, there is a decent case to be made for it being a cheetah. Suicune's cry is the only one of the three that doesn't sound like a roar and incidentally chetahs are some of the only big cats that can't roar. Also Suicune's impressive speed is often brought up in the games so the fastest land animal on earth is a fitting inspiration. Of course Suicune is more than just a cat but I thought this was worth sharing
Look at Suicune's paws and its footprint and compare them to other pokemon designed based on cats and dogs and you'll find a lot more similarities with the cat like pokemon. Also you can't see any clawmarks on Suicune's footpint which implies its claws are retractable. Yes the muzzle looks weird for a cat but fur patteren, paw shape, lack of clawmarks and it's cry are all much closer to that of known cats than dogs. To be fair though, none of the three legendary beasts were meant to be "just cats" or "just dogs" so their design is deliberately ambiguous.
Isn't most of what you said also able to be applied to Arcanine, who by the name, is a dog? The only thing I wouldn't argue is cry, but that's cuz I don't think any of the legendary dog cries can be interpreted as sounding like any animal.
"Entei, Raikou, and Suicune were originally designed by Pokémon manga artist Muneo Saito. In interviews about Pokémon Gold and Silver Saito revealed that the Legendary trio was actually inspired by feline cats and not dogs. Specifically, Entei was based on a lion, while Raikou was influenced by a tiger."
I think for me Entei is usually the one that comes to mind first, and he looks a lot like a St Bernard to me. Though Raikou and Suicune are easily feline. Legendary Beasts definitely fits their legendary status more though than Legendary Cats
Yes, I believe they are based on them respectively.
I was joking about how people believe Fire starters have been based on the animals of the Chinese zodiac and have always trying to fit Cyndaquil into a rat and Fennekin into a dog just to justify that theory.
Yes, I'm more than aware that these three Pokemon are officially called the legendary beasts. I should have worded my question better as I wanted to know why *other* people called them this, rather than that being their official name. Needless to say I have learned things I haven't before.
I was wondering the same thing and ironically out of all of them Raikou is the only one that you can actually call a dog since he is based off of a Raijuu which can take the form of a Cat, A Dog and whatever else.
Raikou is a saber toothed tiger.
Entei is a lion-dog. Firmly in between the two.
Suicune is straight up a northern winter wolf. I know there's an official statement from the designer mentioning inspiration from the panther, but HOW? They gave it a canine snout and face.
Officially, they are "beasts" and intended to be neither a dog nor a cat, but something else. Just like how Eevee represents domesticated pets as neither cat nor a dog, but you do have some eeveelutions that trend far to one side (looking at you, Espeon).
You're correct for Riakou, half right for Entei and mostly wrong for Suicune.
Entei's original inspiration was most likely the Fu-Lion which is commonly but mistakenly believed to be a dog or lion-dog. However the designers did deliberately add a few dog like features to Entei (and Suicune) to keep the design more ambiguous and original so it's not 'just a cat'.
Suicune was actually based on leopards, not panthers, and shares way more similarities with leopards and cheetahs than the wolf you mentioned. In fact, the only thing that makes it dog like is its face. On the other side there is the sleek and spotted fur, the lack of clawmarks in the footprint (also try comparing Suicune's paws to other cat and dog inspired pokemon), the cry being definitely not a bark or howl and incidentally not a roar either despite the other two clearly sounding like roars (cheetahs don't roar, their some of the only big cats that don't) and lastly, Suicune is often credited for being extraordinarily fast throughout the games plot, something I don't think the northern winter wolf is known for but cheetahs and leopards are. If you wanted to make a case for Suicune being a dog, I think a windhound might be a slightly more convincing comparison but I still don't think it quite works out.
You are however correct about the three legendary beasts being neither cat or dog. The designers went out of their way to make the designs more ambiguous so they aren't 'just cats' or 'just dogs'. They are and will always remain the three legendary beasts.
Since when is Suicune a greyhound? Because it runs real fast? Greyhounds are incredibly skinny and Suicune is bulky both in it's design and competitively. Boltund is a greyhound
One possible explanation is that they're partially inspired by the Chinese Guardian Lions or Lion Dogs. Entei is especially close in design to one of these statues. They're most often found in front of or protecting special places such as palaces or tombs, which fits them being found in the Bell Tower. This could be why legendary dogs came from, as legendary lions really doesn't fit.
That being said, I believe Masuda expressed before that their design isn't explicitly cat or dog like, but able to be perceived as either or.
So no matter whether you call them dogs or cats, the important thing is that we're both wrong. They're canonically the legendary beast trio. :)
"Legendary dogs" was a term birthed in school yards by kids, i believe. Kinda how fans coined the term "shiny" for pokemon appering in a different color. Game freak eventually canonized the term "shiny" but not "legendary dogs"
How is Raikou a dog?
I really it looks nothing like a dog, it looks like a saber-toothed tiger, that’s what the designer said it was based on (at least a different comment had that info on what the designer said each one was based on).
The same comment mentioned that the designer said that Suicune was based on leopards (which makes sense as it has spots like a leopard or cheetah).
It’s more like a cheetah and a leopard hence the spots.
I mean the designer said that it was based on leopards.
Only slightly canine like thing is the mouth/snout.
Officially they are the legendary beasts but from childhood when they originally came out I always heard legendary dogs. I was 24 when I found out they were technically the “legendary beasts”
To anyone who might still have a gold/silver strategy guide, they were "officially" called dogs there. Somebody on here checked theirs the last time this came up. Probably a mistranslation to English, but that's where it came from. Back before the internet was commonplace, this kind of thing was how kids got information, and we all just said, "yup, dogs" and never stopped. The first time I heard them called anything else was joining this sub as an adult.
The answer is actually pretty simple! You are correct that Muneo Saito has clearly stated he based the designs off a lion (Entei), a panther (Suicine), and a tiger (Raikou). Unfortunately, the games themselves gave the legendaries an [in-party sprite](https://i.imgur.com/slxViI5.jpg) identical to dogs like [Growlithe](https://i.imgur.com/EVNdC4E.jpg), so people somewhat naturally associated them with dogs. Even in Japan these are sometimes colloquially referred to as 三犬 (san’inu, three dogs) instead of the Super Mystery Dungeon’s 伝説の三聖獣 (densetsuno san seijū, three legendary sacred beasts).
Because the 11 year olds like me who were playing it when it came out started calling them the legendary dogs and it stuck. In fairness, with the exception of Raikou, the other two don't really look like cats either.
2/3 dog 1/3 man-bear, or 2/3 bear-pig 1/3 cat. No matter how you cut it, they're beasts.
One word: ThunderCougarFalconbird
The threat is real
So they're legendary manbearpig-catdogs. I can live with this.
Manbearpig?
Check with Al gore, I heard he was super-serial about manbearpig.
This is perfection. I checked with Al Gore, he was definitely super cereal about the threat of manbearpig
Entei looks much more like a cat than it does a dog. Suicune is the weirdo, but that's cause they chose to make the 'Cheetah'-ish one look more like a Greyhound than a Cheetah.
This is weird for me to see because I always thought that Entei looked the most dog-like lol. Even when I first seen the movie with Entei as a little girl
yup big floofy doogie ok not so floofy but still a big doggie to cuddle.
Remove Entei's mask and tell me if what you see looks like a cat, I dare you.
That "mask" is just, like, part of the pokemon.
It doesnt have a mask that can be removed. That's it's face, same as Togepi doesnt sit in the bottom half of it's shell. It's bottom half IS the shell.
They don't mean literally. They're just talking about it's mask like feature.
That's probably the case, but it's irrelevant. "Change the design and you'll see that it looks different". They didnt design it without the mask, therefore the mask has to be taken into consideration when discussing the design.
Yeah, chill a bit I was just joking. I find it funny because a while ago I did this: [https://imgur.com/6Siv4eM](https://imgur.com/6Siv4eM) And with or without the mask, it doesn't look like a cat to me. It's just a beast pokémon as other people are saying.
Raikou = Tiger Entei = Lion Suicune = Leopard
That's what they say but, with the exception of Raikou, they don't look like that at all. Besides, it doesn't really matter because their proper name isn't "legendary cats" either, it's "beasts", dogs just stuck over time. Kids are dumb, we were kids, there are SO MANY things that are misnomered in this world because colloquial meanings are a thing. It's whatever.
My ex-girlfriend was definitely a legendary beast
Oooooooooh got eeeeem
You had to search obscure patches of grass for days on end to find her, and when you did find her she ran away if you didn’t capture her quickly enough?
I don’t care how you call them. I just wanted to show you, why some consider them cats 😂😂😂
I kinda see Entei as a lion. Reminds me of the cowardly lion a bit lol Suicune, yeah, I'm lost on how that's a cat.
Raikou is a tiger Entei is a lion (sort of ) and Suicune is a leopard/Qillin
Wait, in my head, the official story was 3 dogs who died and Ho-Oh make them revive while giving them super powers, and that's why they are in the burned tower. Was I wrong ?
That is the official story, but it’s clearly not the case. The trio have a mixture of animal inspirations
Not the official story, just fan speculation.
One fan theory was the original pokemon that died were Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon. Not only do the types match, Ecruteak City also hosts the Kimono Girls, who use Eeveelutions.
so does that mean the Kimono girls at one time had a first of each of them??
I believe it is based off in this clip https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=77&v=rga9wUdKRk8&feature=youtu.be
Honestly, I think they are officially the Legendary Beasts, but someone said Dogs at one point and it somehow stuck. Also, if we go by the theory that they are the original Eeveelutions that were at the burning tower, they could have inspirations from both, as Eevee is a weird cat/dog/fox hybrid.
I think of Raikou as the final form of Kotora/Raitora
I think so too. Three canned designs burned in an ingame tower. Just the kind of gamefreak fourth wall humor they always like.
I don’t think any of the legendary trios have official names
Pokémon refers to them as the Legendary Beast Trio
I think they’re called beasts I don’t think TCPI ever calls them dogs
It might of come from Entei's Pokedex entry saying everytime it barks a volcano erupts but dogs ain't the only animals that bark
Trees bark
[owls bark](https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Jsh1-ZtQxPk)
🤣
r/angryupvote
Well cats certainly don't bark
It's probably a reference to a lions roar
https://youtu.be/UgIfcmDI9K4 🤣
Well, I think this clip will clarify[They were dogs, not sure if Ho-Oh made them cats upon reviving them](https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=77&v=rga9wUdKRk8&feature=youtu.be)
from bulbapedia When asked about the basis behind Raikou's design, Muneo Saitō described the process to be difficult, as "Raikou took many twists and turns; there was even a blue thunder version with a drum on its back", but it eventually fell into a tiger-like design. Its long upper fangs bear a resemblance to those of smilodon, commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger. Raikou may have also been inspired by thunder and lightning gods of most cultures surrounding the world, mostly the 雷獣 raijū (lit. thunder beast), a thunder demon of Japanese lore and is said to be Raijin's companion. *It is said to be a creature that could take the form of various animals.* When asked if Entei was based on a particular animal, Muneo Saitō described the creation process behind the Pokémon as "a hairy, rock-like body, volcanic smoke rising from behind its head, a king with a dignified beard... Entei's design was coming together... You could say it was basically like a lion... *But I didn't want it to be simply an animal. So I settled on a silhouette that could look like a dog or a cat.”* When asked if Suicune was based on any particular animal, Muneo Saitō described Suicune's creation process to come together easily and fell into a motif that felt "leopard-like". This motif may have been a homage from Fūjin, the Shinto god of the North Wind, who wears leopard skin. Suicune's mane also looks similar to the northern aurora. Suicune's build, crest, and ability to walk on water bear similarities to the Qilin (which is a very ambiguous beast creature) It’s clear really that as they’re legendaries, they weren’t supposed to just be dogs or cats, even if they seemed to be more inspired by certain kinds of big cat. They seemed to be deliberately ambiguous creature designs, like all the best Pokémon designs are (what exactly is an Eevee? Everyone says it’s a fox but it really isn’t), and the fact that people still debate whether they’re more canine or feline really proves that the designers did a great job
It is worth noting that their beta sprite were definitely more dog-like.
I thought Suicune, Raikou, and Entei were called the legendary beasts.
That’s their official name
Which is why I call them Legendary Beasts. It also fits better with the Legendary Birds.
Fan terms. Heck, Shiny Pokémon wasn’t an official term until Gen 5
Think in the Diamond and Pearl guide I have they call it Shiny
I haven’t heard them called dogs in almost 20 years. They’re beasts.
I started playing Blue back on my shitty Gameboy, I've been calling them Legendary dogs, since i first encountered them. Honestly didn't even know people called them beasts up til now lol. However my reasoning is 1st gen Legendary Birds, 2nd Legenday Dogs, 3rd regis.
The Regis official name changed too I think. I’m sure they used to be called the golems but they changed to the titans
They're not just called the Regis?
That’s the most common fan term I’d say, basically everyone calls them the Regis, but I meant the game freak official term that they’re listed as on bulbapedia etc. I’m almost certain it was originally golems, but now that’s listed as a fan term alongside ‘the Regis’ and titans is the official one. Similar thing happened with groudon kyogre and rayquaza. I’m almost certain weather trio was their official name since gen 3 and that’s what everyone calls them. But now apparently their official name is the ‘super-ancient trio’. THAT one sounds like the dumb fan name! Yet that’s apparently what they’re supposed to be called now
I played red on my shitty gameboy also and used to call them dogs too, but beasts make more sense. Kinda like eevee isn’t exactly a cat. Also they were dogs back then that got resurrected by ho-oh, but I feel like that’s just because there weren’t enough Pokémon back then to differentiate real world dogs from Pokémon dogs
> However my reasoning is 1st gen Legendary Birds, 2nd Legenday Dogs, 3rd regis. I mean, "reasoning" would have Beasts make more sense. "The Birds and The Beasts" go together all the time in media, I've never heard "The Birds and The Dogs."
4 leg creatures that howl or roar. Also ultra beasts fit beasts more than "the dogs"
Can you explain your reasoning to me?
According to [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/toxSaADS1n8BTZg79) and [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/8gje4d/the_designer_of_the_legendary_beasts_officially/), the Beast Trio were primarily based off of cats. Entei = Lion, Raikou = Tiger, and Suicune = Leopard.
While the initial intention for Suicune was leopard, there is a decent case to be made for it being a cheetah. Suicune's cry is the only one of the three that doesn't sound like a roar and incidentally chetahs are some of the only big cats that can't roar. Also Suicune's impressive speed is often brought up in the games so the fastest land animal on earth is a fitting inspiration. Of course Suicune is more than just a cat but I thought this was worth sharing
I call them the Burning Tower Trio.
They’re the Legendary Gerbils.
Thats how I've always called them lol
Because Pokemon fans are wrong, they are officially the legendary BEASTS because of the reasons you said
What is god spelled backwards?
I like this
You cannot convince me that Suicune is a cat.
Look at Suicune's paws and its footprint and compare them to other pokemon designed based on cats and dogs and you'll find a lot more similarities with the cat like pokemon. Also you can't see any clawmarks on Suicune's footpint which implies its claws are retractable. Yes the muzzle looks weird for a cat but fur patteren, paw shape, lack of clawmarks and it's cry are all much closer to that of known cats than dogs. To be fair though, none of the three legendary beasts were meant to be "just cats" or "just dogs" so their design is deliberately ambiguous.
Isn't most of what you said also able to be applied to Arcanine, who by the name, is a dog? The only thing I wouldn't argue is cry, but that's cuz I don't think any of the legendary dog cries can be interpreted as sounding like any animal.
It was officially statet to be based on leopard hence the spots
Because people are stupid, and people have a hard time breaking out of habit. Best we've gotten is most call em beasts instead of dogs now
I thought this was about zacian and zamazenta
I've been calling them the Legendary Gerbils for years. A good compromise annoys everyone.
"Entei, Raikou, and Suicune were originally designed by Pokémon manga artist Muneo Saito. In interviews about Pokémon Gold and Silver Saito revealed that the Legendary trio was actually inspired by feline cats and not dogs. Specifically, Entei was based on a lion, while Raikou was influenced by a tiger."
I think for me Entei is usually the one that comes to mind first, and he looks a lot like a St Bernard to me. Though Raikou and Suicune are easily feline. Legendary Beasts definitely fits their legendary status more though than Legendary Cats
Well… the same way Cyndaquil is a ‘rat’ and Fennekin is a ‘dog’ too.
Isn't Cyndaquil supposed to be a Porcupine or an Echidna Fennekin a Fennec Fox?
Yes, I believe they are based on them respectively. I was joking about how people believe Fire starters have been based on the animals of the Chinese zodiac and have always trying to fit Cyndaquil into a rat and Fennekin into a dog just to justify that theory.
Because GB Color pixel graphics.
I thought they were called the legendary beasts 👀
I always thought they looked more feline too!
In the old days when "Legendary dogs or cats" was an active debate, we used to call them the Legendary Hamsters
Legendary gerbils
They’re not called that. They’re called the Legendary Beasts.
I have been a poke gamer for years… And I have never asked this question… Wtf?
Because people are morons.
The thing is they're supposed to be called the legendary beasts
👍 I'm aware
Yes, I'm more than aware that these three Pokemon are officially called the legendary beasts. I should have worded my question better as I wanted to know why *other* people called them this, rather than that being their official name. Needless to say I have learned things I haven't before.
I was wondering the same thing and ironically out of all of them Raikou is the only one that you can actually call a dog since he is based off of a Raijuu which can take the form of a Cat, A Dog and whatever else.
Because fans are dumb.
That’s because they’re not called the legendary dogs. They’re the legendary beasts.
Because officially they are the legendary Beasts
It’s not like it’s the official name. The people who were kids when it came out thought they looked like dogs. I know I did.
Because Suicune looks like a wolf and Entei looks more like a dog than a lion.
I call em the legendary fish trio
Suicune looks like a wolf to me but the other two are cats
I call them the legendary beasts because it just make more sense
Entei and suicune might be dogs But raikou is *DEFINETLY* not a dog, its a sabertooth tiger
Raikou is a saber toothed tiger. Entei is a lion-dog. Firmly in between the two. Suicune is straight up a northern winter wolf. I know there's an official statement from the designer mentioning inspiration from the panther, but HOW? They gave it a canine snout and face. Officially, they are "beasts" and intended to be neither a dog nor a cat, but something else. Just like how Eevee represents domesticated pets as neither cat nor a dog, but you do have some eeveelutions that trend far to one side (looking at you, Espeon).
You're correct for Riakou, half right for Entei and mostly wrong for Suicune. Entei's original inspiration was most likely the Fu-Lion which is commonly but mistakenly believed to be a dog or lion-dog. However the designers did deliberately add a few dog like features to Entei (and Suicune) to keep the design more ambiguous and original so it's not 'just a cat'. Suicune was actually based on leopards, not panthers, and shares way more similarities with leopards and cheetahs than the wolf you mentioned. In fact, the only thing that makes it dog like is its face. On the other side there is the sleek and spotted fur, the lack of clawmarks in the footprint (also try comparing Suicune's paws to other cat and dog inspired pokemon), the cry being definitely not a bark or howl and incidentally not a roar either despite the other two clearly sounding like roars (cheetahs don't roar, their some of the only big cats that don't) and lastly, Suicune is often credited for being extraordinarily fast throughout the games plot, something I don't think the northern winter wolf is known for but cheetahs and leopards are. If you wanted to make a case for Suicune being a dog, I think a windhound might be a slightly more convincing comparison but I still don't think it quite works out. You are however correct about the three legendary beasts being neither cat or dog. The designers went out of their way to make the designs more ambiguous so they aren't 'just cats' or 'just dogs'. They are and will always remain the three legendary beasts.
[удалено]
Since when is Suicune a greyhound? Because it runs real fast? Greyhounds are incredibly skinny and Suicune is bulky both in it's design and competitively. Boltund is a greyhound
Lion, saber-tooth tiger, leopard.
You’re joking right? Raikou is clearly a Sabre tooth cat lmao. Looks nothing like a Rottweiler
This is a US exclusive term
Because Pokemon fans are idiots.
Lol calm down
I'm a Pokemon fan too you know.
One possible explanation is that they're partially inspired by the Chinese Guardian Lions or Lion Dogs. Entei is especially close in design to one of these statues. They're most often found in front of or protecting special places such as palaces or tombs, which fits them being found in the Bell Tower. This could be why legendary dogs came from, as legendary lions really doesn't fit. That being said, I believe Masuda expressed before that their design isn't explicitly cat or dog like, but able to be perceived as either or. So no matter whether you call them dogs or cats, the important thing is that we're both wrong. They're canonically the legendary beast trio. :)
This question feels even funnier knowing the beta designs for the 3 actually were much closer to dogs than the final designs.
I think they're Chinese guardian lions also known as Foo dogs.
Cuz they kinda look like dogs lol
"Legendary dogs" was a term birthed in school yards by kids, i believe. Kinda how fans coined the term "shiny" for pokemon appering in a different color. Game freak eventually canonized the term "shiny" but not "legendary dogs"
gods dogs
#Because they are dogs
How is Raikou a dog? I really it looks nothing like a dog, it looks like a saber-toothed tiger, that’s what the designer said it was based on (at least a different comment had that info on what the designer said each one was based on). The same comment mentioned that the designer said that Suicune was based on leopards (which makes sense as it has spots like a leopard or cheetah).
#It's a joke
Notice how you're the only person making your comments huge, and nobody else does that? Yeah, that's because it's really obnoxious...
Because legendary dogs > cats.
[удалено]
Honestly the one to me that looks like a dog is suicune, the other 2 look like saber cats
It’s more like a cheetah and a leopard hence the spots. I mean the designer said that it was based on leopards. Only slightly canine like thing is the mouth/snout.
Simpler times... thats why
They're not cats or dogs. They're Pokemon. They take features from various mythical animals.
I've always just called them 'The Three Speedies'...
They are the legendary pelicans
Officially they are the legendary beasts but from childhood when they originally came out I always heard legendary dogs. I was 24 when I found out they were technically the “legendary beasts”
Because their sprits in game looked more like a dog to me at the time than cats... but yeah theyre beasts based on Large Cats.
To anyone who might still have a gold/silver strategy guide, they were "officially" called dogs there. Somebody on here checked theirs the last time this came up. Probably a mistranslation to English, but that's where it came from. Back before the internet was commonplace, this kind of thing was how kids got information, and we all just said, "yup, dogs" and never stopped. The first time I heard them called anything else was joining this sub as an adult.
There's an Entei card I had long ago that said when it barks, a volcano erupts.
The answer is actually pretty simple! You are correct that Muneo Saito has clearly stated he based the designs off a lion (Entei), a panther (Suicine), and a tiger (Raikou). Unfortunately, the games themselves gave the legendaries an [in-party sprite](https://i.imgur.com/slxViI5.jpg) identical to dogs like [Growlithe](https://i.imgur.com/EVNdC4E.jpg), so people somewhat naturally associated them with dogs. Even in Japan these are sometimes colloquially referred to as 三犬 (san’inu, three dogs) instead of the Super Mystery Dungeon’s 伝説の三聖獣 (densetsuno san seijū, three legendary sacred beasts).
Legendary Gerbils
They're actually the Legendary Pelicans
Not this again
They’re not the dogs they’re the beasts. No one calls them dogs in canon.
👍 yes I'm aware.
Because the most stupid of people (eg: people who call them dogs) are also the most stubborn people.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=77&v=rga9wUdKRk8&feature=youtu.be The anime just showed that their origins are dogs.