Resembling a blueJapanese rhinoceros beetle with a prolonged horn on its forehead, Heracross is classified as a Bug- and Fighting-type Pokémon. In the franchise's fictional universe, Heracross is strong enough to topple trees, but is typically docile. The species also has a rivalry with the PokémonPinsir. Heracross have been owned by multiple characters in both the games andPokémon: The Series, including by anime protagonistAsh Ketchum; Heracross has been primarily voiced byKatsuyuki Konishi andYuji Ueda in the series. An additional form of Heracross, dubbedMega Heracross, was introduced in the 2013 video gamePokémon X andY.
Following its debut, Heracross received positive reception for both its design and competitive abilities, consistently being recommended for use during playthroughs. It was also noted for its reflection of real-worldinsect fighting. A Heracross named "Bois" inPokémon Legends: Z-A received additional praise from critics and fans, causing the creation ofmemes and appreciation posts in the community.
Heracross is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for thePokémon media franchise. Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video gamesPokémon Red andGreen for theGame Boy, which were later released in North America asPokémon Red andBlue in 1998.[6] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process calledevolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[7] Each Pokémon has one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[8] A major goal in each game is to complete thePokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[7]
Heracross was first introduced inPokémon Gold andSilver. When developing the games, around 300 individual Pokémon designs were drafted by various development team members, with each deciding their names and features and revising the drafts as needed. During this process, the team actively tried to avoid vague design concepts, as they felt this had caused difficulty creating completed Pokémon during the development ofRed andBlue. As the team selected which Pokémon would be included, they were drawn and finalized by lead artist Ken Sugimori.[1] To maintain balance, however, many of the newer species did not appear in the early stages of the game. Additionally, many of the Pokémon were designed with merchandise in mind, taking into account the relatedPokémon toy line and anime series. As a result designs often had to be kept simplistic, something that caused strain for Sugimori and affected his approach to the nextPokémon franchise titles,Pokémon Ruby andSapphire.[9]
Heracross and its Mega form are believed to be based on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (left) and the hercules beetle respectively (right)
Heracross is known as the Single Horn Pokémon;[10] it is a largebipedal beetle-like Pokémon with a blueexoskeleton.[11] It is typically smiling, a long horn on its forehead with two antenna either side of it,[10] and yellow eyes.[12] Depending on its gender, its horn is capped with a different structure; a cross-shape for males and a heart-shape for females.[11] Underneath its exoskeleton are a set ofwings.[13] Itsshiny form changes its color to bright pink.[14] Heracross can range from being docile to toppling over trees, depending on its mood and behavior.[15] It also likes to consumetree sap, using its horn to hoard it.[16] Heracross has been shown to have different relationships between certain Pokémon. Heracross is observed to have acommensal relationship with the PokémonButterfree, whereas it has rivalry with another beetle-like PokémonPinsir,[17] which it has been seen battling in games likeNew Pokémon Snap.[18] In the code of a leaked build of aGold andSilver demo fromNintendo Space World 1997, a scrapped evolution of Pinsir was found called Plucks or Plux, which featured design elements similar to Heracross. Both fans and journalists speculate that the former was reworked into the latter, with some pointing to the fact that Heracross wasn't present within the demo as evidence of the theory.[19][20] Within another leaked build from later on in development, ascratchpad image was found containing an earlier design of Heracross featuring a vertical mouth similar to Pinsir.[20] Many Pokémon of the second generation's region, Johto, were designed with arural Japanese influence due to a significant amount of species being based on animals known to live in "temperate forest environment."[21] Heracross's design likely originates from theorder ofColeoptera,[22] most likely theJapanese rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma).[11] Heracross's name is a combination of "hercules beetle" and "cross",[23] as well as stemming from theGreek mythological heroHeracles, later adapted by theRomans asHercules.[24]
The 2013 gamePokémon X andY introduced a temporary, in-battle transformation for Heracross known as Mega Heracross.[15][25] Its design features red accents, claw-like hands and a longer horn. Mega Heracross is more strongly based on the hercules beetle.[26]
Heracross first appeared in the 1999 video gamePokémon Gold andSilver; it is classified as a Bug- and Fighting-type Pokémon with only one stage, meaning it has no pre-evolutions and is not known to evolve.[27] InPokémon X andY, Heracross received a new form called Mega Heracross, obtainable by using Heracronite Mega Stone.[25] The Mega form would go on to appear inPokémon Omega Ruby andAlpha Sapphire,[28]Sun andMoon,[29]Ultra Sun andUltra Moon,[30]: 278 andLegends: Z-A.[31] Depending on the game, Heracross can only be caught through different circumstances. InGold andSilver, as well as the enhanced versionPokémon Crystal, it could only be encountered by having a Pokémon use the move Headbutt on trees on specific routes.[27] InPokémon Diamond andPearl, if a player uses the Sweet Honey item on certain colored trees, Heracross have a chance to appear from it.[32] In other games in the series, Heracross are rarer to encounter, only being available on specific routes or areas that feature rare Pokémon such as the Safari Zone in the third generation games,[33] or only available in a post-game area like inPokémon Ultra Sun andUltra Moon.[34] InPokémon Sun andMoon, they can only be obtained by trading.[34] Heracross has occasionally been a version exclusive, meaning one would need to be trade to be seen in the opposite version; a naturally obtainable Heracross can only be found inPokémon Y andPokémon Shield.[35][36] It was initially absent fromPokémon Sword andShield until being added in theIsle of Armor DLC expansion pack.[37] InPokémon Legends: Z-A, the player can receive a Heracross named "Bois" from trading with anNPC during an early gametutorial mission.[38] Heracross has been used by many characters across multiple entries in the series, such as the player's rivalBlue in his champion matchPokémon FireRed andLeafGreen,[39] rivalBarry andElite Four member Aaron inPokémon Diamond andPearl,Platinum and their respectiveremakes,[40][41] and Commander Kamado inPokémon Legends: Arceus.[42][43]
Heracross has received positive reception from both critics and fans, with it being considered one of the best in the second generation as well as of all Bug-type Pokémon in the franchise.[81][82][83]Dot Esports's Yash Nair lauded Heracross as "a kind, strong, and just Pokémon" due to its nature to protect and share food with weaker Pokémon. Maher pointed to these factors as well as its appearance in the anime as reasons for its popularity.[84] In a video forNintendo Life, Alex Olney declared Heracross to be one his all-time favourite Pokémon, however, Olney believed that its Mega form didn't do the Pokémon justice, critiquing its enlarged design features as goofy.[85] During a study in theJournal of Geek Studies about popular Pokémon compared to real-life animals, researcher Justine Le Vaillant noted that popular bug Pokémon such as Heracross created a large gap in votes between otherarthropod-based Pokémon, with Heracross ranking 50th most popular out of 809 Pokémon.[86]: 44 Writing forTheGamer, Cian Maher was critical ofNintendo, Game Freak,Niantic, Inc., andThe Pokémon Company for their poor usage of Heracross, claiming it had been "done dirty". Maher pointed to how the companies neglected to do much with the Pokémon since its debut in the second generation, instead being relegated to areas that make it hard for the player to obtain, includingPokémon Go, or being neglected from games such asPokémon Unite, with Maher finding the absence strange and describing the game as a "perfect fit" for Heracross. He did praise its appearance inNew Pokémon Snap, but stated that it "only highlights how little it's esteem is recognised elsewhere."[34] Similarly,Collider's Tyler Searle described Ash's Heracross in the anime as underutilised, believing it was side-lined in its debut generation by Ash until near the end and reminisced that "fans missed out on the chance to develop its personality beyond a powerful fighter with a sweet tooth."[66]
Insect fighting is a competitive activity in Japan where people pit two insects to fight each other
Many critics have highlighted Heracross for its competitive stats, particularly its strength and abilities.[84] Writing forGamesRadar+, Raymond Padilla was disheartened by the Pokémon's lack of acknowledgement within the community and describe Heracross as a "lethal force" in the competitive scene due to its access to many offensive attacking moves and high attack stat, stating that it wouldn't leave many Pokémon left to stand up against it. Additionally, Padilla noted that it had a variety of movesets for players to utilise, though he acknowledged that the primarily offensive movesets would be the ones players would use.[87]TechRaptor's Robert Grosso expanded on Heracross's combat design by detailing that it had that in addition to its offensive capabilities, it had a powerful type combination that had few counters and a perfect stat distribution; he further praised Heracross's physical design as "incredibly eye-catching". Grosso linked both Heracross's physical and combat design aspects to the historical context ofinsect fighting, a popular activity in cultures ofEast Asia regions such as Japan, describing this as "fascinating to see a glimpse into the historical reality through a simple, but effective design."[82] InIGN's "PokémonoftheDay" series of articles, the author respected Heracross and praised its stats as being perfectly laid for its strong move pool, stating that whilst it may be slightly overused, they would still recommend it as "hard-pressed to find another Bug or Fighter with this much personality and utter usefulness". They equally praised Heracross's signature move, Megahorn, as the best Bug-type move, citing that it is incredibly strong even to Pokémon not weak to Bug-type moves; the author, however, was dismayed that most Pokémon that were weak against it (Psychic- and Dark-types) were typically stronger or faster than Heracross, though they countered this point by arguing that Heracross's special defence stat was likely to resist strong attacks and allow the user tocounterattack.[27]
Nintendojo's Sam Stewart expressed that Heracross stood out on its own merits compared to Pinsir because of its typing in complement with its strength and moveset, highlight its signature move as its best.[88] InGamesRadar's "Pokémon Monday" series, Henry Gilbert, Carolyn Gudmundson and Michael Grimm commended Heracross's design as being a good balance between cool and cute, noting that the fact it smiled subverted previous depictions of tough Pokémon that only looked unhappy and fierce. Gudmundson expressed that whilst it is commonly compared to Pinsir, Heracross did a lot to stand out on its own such as with its typing, with Gilbert and Grimm adding that compared to a lot of other Bug-types, Heracross was one of a few that was useful in battles as well as looking appealing.[89] InIGN's "PokémonoftheDay" series of articles, the author similarly compared the two, acknowledging that Heracross was an improvement of the "battle beetle" design and that Pinsir was seen more as a prototype; he joked that Pinsir was the "neglected, less successful brother of the over-achieving and younger Heracross."[90]
Both critics and fans praised the inclusion of Bois inLegends Z-A. His popularity was derived mostly from him being obtainable early in the game, which coupled with his strength, his ability to learn moves such as "Pin Missile" and being able to Mega Evolve,[12][91] made him a staple for many players' teams for the rest of the game.[43][92] Due to Bois's prospects of being obtainable early in the game and being able to sweep an entire team of Pokémon with ease, he became a core mainstay in manyany% glitchless speedruns of the game,[93] with some speedrunners even dedicating a segment on their timers to denote obtaining Bois as an important part of the speedrun.[94] Another aspect that contributed to his popularity is due to his design and animations, withPolygon's Patricia Hernandez joking that he "doesn't have a single thought running through its brain", which she believed made Bois more endearing.[12] Bois's name was met with speculation about why it was chosen, with some outlets noting that inFrench it stood for "drink" or "wood", though none were sure what this could mean.[91][92] Due to the French connection, Hernandez speculated it was likely pronounced like "bwuah", but acknowledged many English-speaking players pronounced the name as "boys", which also contributed to spawningmemes around the name.[12] Memes and appreciation posts of Bois were created and shared on social media such asTwitter,Instagram andReddit about how Bois always had the player's back and was considered an icon or "GOAT" inZ-A.[12][91][92]
In an article for theacademic journalLaws, Angus Nurse and Elliot Doornbos explained how Heracross's creation may be linked to an influence in the increasing demand for rhinoceros beetles in both the legal and illegalinsect markets of Japan for the purposes of being kept aspets or for insect fighting, citing Heracross as an example of howdepictions of rhinoceros beetles inJapanese popular culture led to its popularity among young people and collectors.[95]
^ポケットモンスター ルビー・サファイア 大ヒット記念 ロングインタビュー [Pokémon Ruby andSapphire: A Long Interview to Celebrate Their Huge Success].Nintendo Dream (in Japanese). No. 84. February 2003. pp. 117–126.
^すしし (Sushishi) (May 12, 2017)."『ポケモン サン・ムーン』ヘラクロス＆ヘルガーのメガストーンが配布開始、先行配布されていたピジョット＆ハガネールも同時に" [Pokémon Sun and Moon: Mega Stones for Heracross and Heracross are now available, along with Pidgeot and Steely, which were previously available.].Inside Games (in Japanese). RetrievedNovember 3, 2025.
^Fukuda, Nao (October 31, 2025). Yanagimoto, Marie (ed.)."『ポケモンレジェンズ Z-A』の感想をZからAまで26項目列挙したので、「感想ZAロワイヤル」をやらせてください" [I've listed 26 reviews of "Pokémon Legends ZA" from Z to A, so let's do a "Review ZA Royale"].Den Fami Nico Gamer (in Japanese). RetrievedNovember 2, 2025.
^Sawasdee Otsuka (December 21, 2021)."『ポケモン ダイパリメイク』強化後四天王の強さが"ガチ"すぎ!? あの有名実況者がまさかの…" [The power of the Elite Four in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes is so strong!? A famous commentator...].Inside Games (in Japanese).Archived from the original on May 5, 2025. RetrievedNovember 2, 2025.
^abすしし (Sushishi) (January 21, 2022)."『ポケモン』ヒスイ地方は"ヤバすぎる大地"！目が赤く光ったヘラクロスにボコられて泣いた「レジェンズ アルセウス」先行プレイレポ" ["Pokemon" Jade Region is "too dangerous land"! "Legends Arceus" advance play report that made me cry after being beaten by Heracross whose eyes glowed red].Game*Spark (in Japanese).Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. RetrievedNovember 2, 2025.
^"「ポケとる」，メガフシギバナのランキングステージが登場。8月31日まで" ["Pokémon Shuffle" introduces Mega Venusaur ranking stage until August 31st].4Gamer.net (in Japanese). August 24, 2015.Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. RetrievedNovember 1, 2025.
^"年末年始は遊びつくせ！『ポケとる スマホ版』に新ステージと期間限定イベントが大量追加" [Have fun this New Year! New stages and limited-time events added to "Pokémon Shuffle Mobile"].Famitsu (in Japanese). December 22, 2015.Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. RetrievedNovember 1, 2025.
^"【イベントレポート】『Pokémon GO』新CM発表会に佐藤健さん登場 新機能「ポケモン交換」でゲットしたのは南米地域限定のヘラクロス!!" [[Event Report] Takeru Sato Appears at New Pokémon GO Commercial Launch Event. He Captures a South American-Exclusive Heracross Using the New Pokémon Trading Feature!].Gamebiz (in Japanese). August 20, 2018. RetrievedNovember 2, 2025.
^abc"衝撃走る、マッシブーンの"腕まくらぬいぐるみ"！むしポケモンたちにフォーカスした新グッズ「BUG OUT!」が発売" [A shocking "arm pillow plush toy" of Buzzwole! New merchandise focusing on Bug Pokémon, "BUG OUT!", is on sale].Inside Games (in Japanese). June 4, 2024.Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. RetrievedOctober 31, 2025.
^Miyahara, Rei (September 16, 2024)."「みんな絶句すると思う」 ポケモントレーナーが撮った"まさかの集合写真"に11万いいね 「愛を感じます！」" ["I think everyone will be speechless" – 110,000 likes for "unexpected group photo" taken by Pokémon trainers – "I can feel the love!"].ITmedia NetLab (in Japanese). RetrievedNovember 2, 2025.
^"キャンディトイ「ポケモンゲットコレクションズガム みんなと冒険、パルデア地方！」が7月22日（月）発売！" [The candy toy "Pokemon Get Collection Zugum: Adventure with Everyone, Paldea Region!" will be released on Monday, July 22nd!].Nintendo Dream Web (in Japanese). June 13, 2024.Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. RetrievedOctober 31, 2025.
^"パルデア地方のポケモンたちも登場！ ピカチュウやラプラスら10種類のマスコットフィギュアが食玩に" [Pokémon from the Paldea region also appear! 10 types of mascot figures, including Pikachu and Lapras, are available as candy toys].Real Sound (in Japanese). June 6, 2024.Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. RetrievedOctober 31, 2025.
^茶っプリン (Tea Pudding) (April 12, 2024)."お祭りを楽しむ"ゼイユ＆スグリ"のプレイマットも！『ポケカ』4月26日発売の「周辺グッズ」を一挙チェック" [There's also a "Zeil & Suguri" play mat to enjoy the festival! Check out all the "related goods" for "Pokémon Cards" released on April 26th!].Inside Games (in Japanese).Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. RetrievedOctober 31, 2025.
^Miyahara, Rei (September 11, 2023)."ゼンリン主催「推しマンホール蓋選手権」に熱視線……！ "その土地ならでは"のユニークなデザインが集結" [Zenrin's "Favorite Manhole Cover Championship" draws attention...! Unique designs unique to each region gather].ITmedia NetLab (in Japanese). RetrievedOctober 31, 2025.
^Takenaka, Kosuke (November 5, 2025)."『ポケモンレジェンズZ-A』のRTA走者、みんな「同じポケモン」を愛用し始める。パワー系マッハ攻略カブトムシ" [Pokémon Legends ZA RTA runners all start using the same Pokémon. Power-type Mach-level strategy: Stag Beetle].Automaton Japan (in Japanese).Archived from the original on November 6, 2025. RetrievedNovember 7, 2025.
