The Paradox PokémonFlutter Mane is said to be an ancient relative of Misdreavus or a version of it from a parallel timeline.
Biology
Misdreavus gathering energy
Misdreavus is a dark bluish-green, ghost-like Pokémon. While it has no visible arms or legs, its lower half has several small appendages and resembles a ruffled dress. It has five round red gems halfway around its neck, which are used to absorb fear and use it as nourishment. When defeated in the side series games, its body disappears, leaving only the gems around its neck behind. This implies that Misdreavus retreats into the gems when it has been severely weakened. It has long, flowing lilac-tipped "hair". Misdreavus's large, red eyes have yellow sclerae.
Misdreavus lives in caves. As a nocturnal Pokémon, it spends its days sleeping in darkness and its nights startling people with mischievous tricks. Since it loves watching frightened people, it is known to yank and bite at people's hair or sneak up on them and cry and shriek in a way a child would. In the animated series, Misdreavus is shown to be able to use its "hair" to grasp objects and other Pokémon, as if it were hands.
Flutter Mane shares a resemblance to Misdreavus. Flutter Mane is believe that it’s a ghost of a pterosaur from a long-gone era. According to AI Sada, the Pokémon is an ancestor of Amoonguss from the ancient past. However, according to a version of Professor Sada that was summoned at the Crystal Pool, it is a counterpart of Misdreavus from a parallel timeline.
It likes playing mischievous tricks such as screaming and wailing to startle people at night. (Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) It loves to bite and yank people's hair from behind without warning, just to see their shocked reactions. (Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Misdreavus frightens people with a creepy, sobbing cry. The Pokémon apparently uses its red spheres to absorb the fearful feelings of foes and turn them into nutrition.
Misdreavus frightens people with a creepy, sobbing cry. The Pokémon apparently uses its red spheres to absorb the fearful feelings of foes and turn them into nutrition.
It conceals itself in darkness, sending chills up travelers' spines with its childlike weeping. As it observes the frightened travelers with glee, the red orbs upon its chest let off an eerie light.
In Misdreavus Misgivings, Morty's Misdreavus is one of his strongest battlers, being able to both exploit its own abilities and those of its opponents using non-damaging attacks like Spite. Having used it in the Gym Leaders' Tournament match (which ended in a draw due to it using Destiny Bond), Misdreavus remains a member of Morty's party.
Misdreavus' nocturnal habits of wailing to frighten people and its similarity in appearance to a disembodied head are shared by various mythological creatures. One of these is the nukekubi, which shares the similarities of nocturnal habits, flying about as a decapitated head, and wailing to increase its victims' fright. Another possible source of origin is the banshee, a female spirit from Irish mythology, known in modern media for its unearthly wailing and screaming. Its shape also resembles the Teru teru bōzu and the typical depiction of a ghost with a bedsheet. The red orbs look similar to a Japamala.
Its hair-related pranks and names in different languages referencing dreams also point to mares as a possible inspiration. In particular, it may draw inspiration from zmory, succubus-like spirits sometimes claimed to be the wandering souls of witches from Polish folklore that could manifest as strands or tufts of hair. Its necklace resembles red korale—which also has historical connections to witches in Poland—while its Screech Pokémon category could reference nocnitsa, a related (and sometimes synonymous) spirit known for manifesting as a spectral maiden or hag and screeching in her victim’s face.
Name origin
Misdreavus may be a combination of mischievous and dream. It may also involve mistress, mysterious, miscreant, dread, and dreary.
Muma may be derived from 夢魔 muma (nightmare; demon in a dream).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.