Pokémon Lore – Are Entei, Suicune, Raikou cats or dogs?

There are numerous Pokémon titles in the series, and each comes with a batch of legendary Pokémon. These typically offer a higher challenge to capture, but some of the hardest to capture were Entei, Suicune, and Raikou, as they moved throughout Johto and fled when encountered. This legendary trio was soon called the Legendary Dog Pokémon, but this may leave you wondering if Entei, Suicune, and Raikou are dogs.

What animal are Entei, Suicune, and Raikou based on?

Despite their appearance, the legendary trio from Pokémon Gold and Silver are not dog Pokémon. Instead, they are cats. The manga artist Muneo Saito revealed that the inspiration for the Gen 2 Johto legendaries came from felines, the Japanese diety Raiju, and Chinese guardian lions. Specifically, these cats inspired Entei, Suicune, and Raikou in Pokémon.

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• Entei - Lion
• Suicune - Panther
• Raikou - Tiger

Despite this, the name Legendary Dog Pokémon or Legendary Dog Trio has stuck. The mistake can be forgiven as the original sprites in Pokémon Gold and Silver certainly left their inspiration up to interpretation.

For more information on Pokémon, check out All new Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and All Pokémon confirmed for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Pro Game Guides.