Mew (Pokémon)
Mew (Japanese: ミュウ, Hepburn: Myū) is one of the many fictional species in the Pokémon franchise. It is a small, pink, Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon, which are incredibly rare and powerful Pokémon typically available only via special events. It was added to Pokémon Red and Blue by Game Freak programmer Shigeki Morimoto at the tail end of the games' development. Though it was not planned to be obtainable, after it was discovered through data mining, its presence in the games was surrounded by many rumors and myths. For years, Mew could not be obtained legitimately in the games except through some specific Pokémon distribution events, though it could be obtained through a variety of glitches.
Mew
Mew's first film appearance was in Pokémon: The First Movie as one of the main characters alongside Mewtwo. In the movie, a team of scientists used a fossilized Mew eyelash to create Mewtwo, a genetically enhanced Mew clone. Mew later appeared in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew as a main character alongside Lucario. Due to the mystery surrounding its obtainability in the original games, Mew has been considered highly iconic and a large part of what made the Pokémon franchise so successful, as the hype around obtaining it greatly increased sales for the games.
Appearances[edit]
In the video games[edit]
Mew is mentioned in a journal entry in Cinnabar Mansion, referencing an encounter with it in Guyana.[25] At the time of its introduction, Mew could only be legitimately obtained in the Pokémon video games via Nintendo promotional event distributions.[14] This period of event exclusivity ended with the release of My Pokémon Ranch, where Mew was accessible legitimately without an event distribution.[14] Mew has subsequently been made available in many games in the series. Players can obtain it by buying a Poké Ball Plus,[26] which contains a Mew inside of it that can be sent into Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee![26] or Pokémon Sword and Shield.[27] Mew is also obtainable in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl if save data exists on the console for one of the Let's Go games.[28] In Pokémon Sun and Moon, a special "Z-Crystal" item was created for Mew, which allowed it to use a powerful attack only it could use, known as "Genesis Supernova".[29] A special event in which players could obtain Mew and use it to battle a boss Mewtwo took place in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet for a limited time.[30] Mew has appeared in multiple spin-offs, such as Pokémon Snap,[13] Pokémon Go,[31] Pokémon UNITE,[32] Pokémon Masters EX,[33] and New Pokémon Snap.[34] It also appears as one of the Pokémon that can be released from the Poké Ball item in the Super Smash Bros. series.[35]
Mew has long been accessible by the use of glitches or cheating devices.[9][36] One of the glitches discovered in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, dubbed "The Mew Glitch," involves exploiting programmed events in order to trigger a wild battle encounter with Mew, allowing for its capture.[37] The glitch was included in Virtual Console re-releases of the game for the Nintendo 3DS, though the captured Mew is not allowed to be transferred into Pokémon Bank without the use of further glitches, which changes an in-game "ID Number" to allow for Mew's successful transfer.[38]
In other media[edit]
Mew's first major appearance in the Pokémon anime was in Pokémon: The First Movie, where it served as one of the main characters. It was believed to be long-extinct, as well as the most powerful Pokémon in existence.[20] After years of research, scientists used Mew's DNA to create Mewtwo, a genetically enhanced clone of Mew who becomes the film's main antagonist.[20] Mew later battles it in the film, where it appears to stop Mewtwo, though in the Japanese version of the film, Mew was depicted as a cruel being who wished to destroy Mewtwo and its clones.[39] Mew later appears in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, where Mew kidnaps Pikachu so it can play with him, kickstarting the plot of the film.[40] In Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Mew appeared in a flashback showing the childhood of Goh, one of series protagonist Ash Ketchum's traveling companions. In his childhood, Goh encountered Mew, and ever since, Goh's goal was to capture Mew. He ends up joining a group named "Project Mew" which seeks to find and capture the Pokémon.[41]
Mew appears in the Pokémon Adventures series of Pokémon manga. Mew, also known as the "Phantom Pokémon" in the manga, appears in the first chapter when the criminal organization Team Rocket tries to capture it. Red, the protagonist, also tries to capture it, but he is easily defeated by Mew.[42] In following chapters, it is revealed that Team Rocket wants to have Mew's DNA to finish the creation of Mewtwo, and Red and the character Green—at this point an antagonistic figure to Red—join forces to save it from being captured.[43][44]