Rufflet is a small avianPokémon with a blue body. A large white plume of feathers covers its head and three tail feathers extend from its lower back. The feathery ruff extends down past its neck, covering the upper third of its body. Its face is blue with five pointed tips, resembling a mask and crown in contrast to the white feathers surrounding it. Extending from its forehead is a large feather, which is red on the lower half and white on the upper half. The split between the two colors on the feather resembles a zigzag pattern. Rufflet's beak is short and wide, with large eyes on either side. Each eye has a thick black iris with a small white pupil. Its yellow legs and feet are large in comparison to the body. Each foot has four digits: one backwards, and three forwards.
The thick, black talons on its feet are strong enough to break even the hardest of berries, and crackShellder to consume their insides. Rufflet also preys onSpewpa. Rufflet is extremely aggressive from birth and knowingly provokes opponents larger and more powerful than itself, including its own parent to gain acceptance. It sees this as a means of quickly getting stronger. The more times Rufflet faints or gets injured, the stronger it becomes. Rufflet will start crying whenever it loses a battle. As a result of the harsh environment ofHisui, Rufflet gains an additionalPsychic-type when it evolves into HisuianBraviary. Rufflet is a male-only species.
It picks fights indiscriminately and grows stronger and more powerful each time it faints. Although quite rare, you may see a sleeping Rufflet that looks like it's about to cry. It could be challenging a strong opponent in its dreams.
Rufflet made his animated series debut inUnrest at the Nursery!, where he was a Pokémon residing in the daycare belonging toLayla. He usually got into a fight withVullaby, a fellow resident. During a crisis with a trio ofAmoonguss, he managed to save Vullaby from them after she was hit by the Amoonguss'Sludge Bomb, thus ending their feud.
Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon. Rufflet's talons are powerful, able to crack open even the toughestBerries. It often challenges stronger opponents to battle.
As a child,Black caughtBrav, his first caught Pokémon, when Brav was a Rufflet.Bianca agitated the Eaglet Pokémon by accidentally stepping on his food, and he attacked her. Black battles him with the help ofMusha, who was then a wildMunna, until Black managed to catch him. He first appeared as a Rufflet in a flashback inA Nickname for Tepig.
Rufflet may be considered a counterpart ofVullaby. Rufflet and Vullaby can evolve starting atlevel 54 and are both partFlying. Rufflet are exclusive toWhite,White 2,Sun,Ultra Sun, andSword; while Vullaby are exclusive toBlack,Black 2,Moon,Ultra Moon, andShield. Whereas Rufflet can only be male, Vullaby can only be female.
Rufflet is the only unevolved Pokémon that can learnSky Drop.
Origin
Because the setting ofPokémon Black and White,Unova, is based on theNew York metropolitan area, the game designers considered how they could incorporate this setting — and more broadly, of America — into their designs. Rufflet is based on the chick (also known as theeaglet) of thebald eagle, the national bird of the United States. Its color scheme is inspired by the red, white, and blue of theflag of the United States. The single plume on its head derives fromNative American culture.[1]
Rufflet's ability to use its talons to crack open nuts and feed itself in theanimated series is similar to that ofparrots, who are the only bird species known to do so.
Name origin
Rufflet may be a combination ofrough,ruff (either referring to theclothing item orthe bird named after it), orruffle, andeaglet (a young eagle).
Washibon may be a combination of 鷲washi (eagle) orWashington and坊bon (boy, as a prefix or a nickname),ibon (Filipino forbird), orharibon (Philippine Eagle).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
ワシボンWashibon
From鷲washi,Washington,坊bon, and possiblyibon orharibon
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.