Kadabra is a primarily yellow, slightlyhumanoidPokémon withmammalian features. It has two long, pointed ears on top of its head, a red star on its forehead, narrow, deep-set eyes, and wide cheeks leading down to a thin snout. Extending from each side of its snout are two mustache-like tufts of fur; a male will have a longer mustache than a female. Kadabra's torso is segmented with bulky shoulders, a thick, brown chest, and a small abdomen marked by three red, wavy lines. Attached to the Pokémon's abdomen is a large, thick tail encircled with a brown band near its base. Its arms are thin with brown elbows and end in three-fingered hands with white claws. Its legs have prominent knees and large, three-toed feet, also ending in white claws. Two of its toes face forward and one backward. Kadabra is always seen carrying a silver spoon, which amplifies its telekinetic powers. A gold spoon does not work as an amplifier and Kadabra is only half as strong without a spoon.
Kadabra emitsalpha waves strong enough to induce headaches, and can even cause clocks to run backward, machines to malfunction, and delicate devices to cease functioning altogether. The waves increase further in strength the more danger Kadabra faces. By closing its eyes, it can double the number of alpha particles it emits. When it has a headache, the alpha waves become unusual. All of Kadabra's brain cells work in unison while it uses its powers. It sleeps while levitating, using its springy tail like a pillow. It can store up psychic energy inside its star in preparation for its Evolution. There is a theory that Kadabra was born from a transformed human child who could not control his powers. Kadabra lives inurban areas.
It possesses strong spiritual power. The more danger it faces, the stronger its psychic power.(Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) If it uses its abilities, it emits special alpha waves that cause machines to malfunction.(Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Kadabra emits a peculiar alpha wave if it develops a headache. Only those people with a particularly strong psyche can hope to become aTrainer of thisPokémon.
Kadabra holds a silver spoon in its hand. The spoon is used to amplify the alpha waves in its brain. Without the spoon, thePokémon is said to be limited to half the usual amount of its telekinetic powers.
Kadabra emits a peculiar alpha wave if it develops a headache. Only those people with a particularly strong psyche can hope to become a Trainer of this Pokémon.
Kadabra holds a silver spoon in its hand. The spoon is used to amplify the alpha waves in its brain. Without the spoon, the Pokémon is said to be limited to half the usual amount of its telekinetic powers.
There are rumors that a child with mystical powers became a Kadabra; however, this remains unverified. I suspect that the spoon Kadabra holds enhances its brain waves.
Evolves fromAbra when its Attack is 83 or higher Evolves intoAlakazam when it has a link of 55% or higher, after knocking out aWarrior's Pokémon in a manner that allows recruitment
Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia says that Kadabra'sPokédex entry fromPokémon Red and Green is a reference to an in-universe novel "Transformation" that won the second Pokémon Literary Award. The plot of this in-universe novel seems to resemble theFranz Kafka novelThe Metamorphosis whose title has had the alternate translation ofThe Transformation.
InPokémon Crystal, abug causes the capture formula for theHeavy Ball to incorrectly retrieve this Pokémon's weight, giving it a +40 catch rate modifier. This also affectsTauros andSunflora.
If a Kadabra holds anEverstone fromGeneration III onwards while traded, the Everstone will not take effect and the Kadabra will still evolve intoAlakazam. While it shares this trait withMachoke,Graveler andHaunter in Generation III due to a glitch, Kadabra keeps this trait inGeneration IV onwards while the other three do not.
Design variations
Kadabra's original frontsprite inPokémon Red and Green lacks the star on its head and the pattern on its abdomen. The star is also missing from its sprite inPokémon Red and Blue. Additionally, Kadabra's Red and Green sprite appears to depict it with four fingers on its hand instead of three, with its middle finger folded into its palm. In its corresponding artwork for the game, this finger is missing, but the knuckle is still visible. All other depictions of Kadabra use the three-fingered hand design. This may relate to a similar phenomenon affecting other Pokémon that originally hadfour fingers on each hand.
For 20 years, Kadabra was not printed as aTCG card since the EnglishSkyridge expansion in 2003. This was likely the result of Nintendo and Pokémon Card Laboratories' desire to avoid further litigation from illusionistUri Geller, who claimed that Kadabra is a parody of him and attempted to sue Nintendo over the notion. However, on November 28, 2020, Gellerreleased an apology on Twitter, announcing that he would allow Nintendo to print cards featuring Kadabra again. The firstKadabra card released since Uri Geller's dismissal of his lawsuit is included in the JapanesePokémon Card 151 subset, released on June 16, 2023; and the English151 expansion, released on September 22, 2023.
Due to the now-lifted limitation, very fewAbra were printed, with the sole example, theAbra inMysterious Treasures, having the ability to evolve directly intoAlakazam via theUltra Evolutionattack. Alakazam cards also saw fewer than normal printings, but snuck into sets using a number of mechanics that allow for it to be printed as aBasic Pokémon that does not evolve from Kadabra. Examples includeAlakazam,Alakazam, andRadiant Alakazam.
For possibly the same reason, Kadabra had not made any animated appearances sinceFear Factor Phony aired in the United States in 2006, except for a small cameo in the "World of Pokémon" opening ofKyurem vs. The Sword of Justice. Kadabra finally made its media reappearance in thePokémon Evolutions episodeThe Show, its first animated appearance in over 16 years, excluding its cameo in the aforementioned movie. Notably, whenAsh andhis friends metMira inPokémon the Series, she was seen using an Abra instead of a Kadabra as she does in thegames, despite the fact that the otherStat Trainers in the series own the same Pokémon as they do in the games.
Kadabra appears to be based onmagicians andspoon benders. It also shares similarities withfoxes, animals mythologically tied to magic. Its mustache-like tufts of fur may be an exaggeration of a fox's whiskers. The symbols on Kadabra's forehead and abdomen appear to be references toZener cards, a small deck of symbols used in experiments to test forextrasensory perception andclairvoyance in the early 1930s. As it created its spoon with its psychic powers, it may be based on the practise ofalchemy, an early science that sought to synthesise metals with magic. The "Transformation" novel about Kadabra may be based onFranz Kafka'sThe Metamorphosis or theUltra Q episode "Kanegon's Cocoon", where a young boy transformed into a strange yellow monster.
Yungerer may be named afterUri Geller, an illusionist famed for his spoon-bending technique. This contributed to GellersuingNintendo for using his likeness in a character.
This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Berry (100%)
TwistedSpoon (100%)
For other sprites and images, please seeKadabra images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Red and Green sprite
Red and Blue sprite
Red and Green art
Key art
,Alakazam
, andRadiant Alakazam.
