Starmie is an echinodermPokémon that resembles two violet starfish with faceted skin and five appendages each. The front starfish has a golden formation in the center. In the center of the golden casing is its red jewel core, an exterior organ which can glow in seven colors and has developed to resemble a cut precious stone. The second starfish is semi-attached to the back of the first and can spin 360 degrees. This rotational action is how Starmie swims through the ocean. It can also launch itself out of the water and fly through the air for short periods, as seen in Pokémon Snap.
From its core, Starmie can emit electrical waves that are powerful enough to reach the furthest parts of the universe. The multi-color glowing of its core is also believed to be a method of communication with other members of its species. As seen in the Pokémon the Series: The Beginning episode The Water Flowers of Cerulean City, the core will go dark if Starmie is knocked unconscious and will sometimes flicker if Starmie is low on health. Because of its body shape and habit of sending transmissions skyward, some people believe this Pokémon to be extraterrestrial. It has been known to cause headaches on people when approached. It is rarely seen in the wild since it requires a rare Evolution stone to evolve, but it can be found in the deepest parts of the ocean. It feeds by absorbing tiny plankton into its body while swimming, and it is preyed on by Lumineon.
Mega Starmie's physical appearance would be near-identical to regular Starmie, were it not for its elongated limbs and lower body, giving it a more humanoid appearance, as well as being a slightly brighter shade of purple. Four prongs on the core's gold casing become longer, resembling an X. It also generally adopts more humanoid stances and movements thanks to its limbs becoming more flexible, now able to bend its elbows and knees, walk, and sprint. It is unclear whether these attempts to imitate humans are done in an effort to communicate with humanity or to supercede it outright. Mega Starmie is much faster and stronger than regular Starmie, and can cause water shockwaves when it lands after jumping into the air.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity: Starmie runs the Sunken Treasure mini-game in Pokémon Paradise. In this mini-game, the player collects black, blue and red treasure chests by tilting their Nintendo 3DS. Chinchou and rocks appear as obstacles in this mini-game, and touching them deducts one treasure chest, starting with black chests. Unlike Treasure Boxes obtained from dungeons, they are opened upon obtaining. Starmie's mini-game can be played once every in-game day.
The center section of its body is called the core. It glows in a different color each time it is seen. (Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) Regardless of the environment it lives in, its body grows to form a symmetrical geometric shape. (Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Starmie's center section - the core - glows brightly in seven colors. Because of its luminous nature, this Pokémon has been given the nickname “the gem of the sea.”
Starmie swims through water by spinning its star-shaped body as if it were a propeller on a ship. The core at the center of this Pokémon's body glows in seven colors.
Starmie's center section—the core—glows brightly in seven colors. Because of its luminous nature, this Pokémon has been given the nickname "the gem of the sea."
Starmie swims through water by spinning its star-shaped body as if it were a propeller on a ship. The core at the center of this Pokémon's body glows in seven colors.
Starmie’s core will sometimes glow with the seven colors of the rainbow. It’s said that the light and signals it emits are its way of communicating with outer space.
Rudy's Starmie also appears in the manga. Like in the animated series, Starmie battled Ash's Squirtle, and gave the Tiny Turtle Pokémon trouble with its Thunderbolt attack.
Misty's Starmie first made a cameo in Gyarados Splashes In! in its Poké Ball. It, however, debuted later in Suddenly Starmie, where it defeated Red in the Cerulean Gym. It allowed her to read and pass on a Pokémon's thoughts using an ancient language that can be easily decoded.
Misty sent out her Starmie for Satoshi's second Gym battle challenge in PZ03. However, it could not battle him as Satoshi had trouble dealing with water, and the battle was officially called off.
When released from a Poké Ball, Starmie floats to the closest opponent and barrages them with Swift. Each hit does 3% damage, and touching Starmie itself does 12% damage. It has been replaced by its pre-evolved form Staryu in all future releases, in which it performs the same function.
Staryu was programmed to learn Egg moves in Gold and Silver, but these moves were unobtainable because both Staryu and Starmie are gender unknown and so could only breed with Ditto. These moves were removed in Crystal.
Staryu, Starmie, and Mew are the only Pokémon species that are gender unknown but can legitimately learn Attract in Generation II. This move has no effect when used by these Pokémon.
In the Japanese-exclusive Pokémon Stadium, Starmie seems to have originally been a lot more rubbery than it is now, as its limbs stretch whenever it is hit.
Mega Starmie's base stat total is 140 points higher than its non-Mega Evolved form. That makes Starmie one of three Pokemon that gain more than 100 base stat points upon Mega Evolving in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, alongside Medicham and Mawile (whose stats were reworked due to the game lacking Abilities).
Origin
Starmie seems to be based on a stylized starfish such as the purple sea star (due to its color), the sunflower sea star (due to its many arms), or the Hefferman's starfish (due to its color and central pattern, especially in its Shiny variation). Like Starmie, many real starfish have the ability to regenerate lost body parts. Its gender unknown designation may be based on asexual reproduction or hermaphroditism, observed in some real-life starfish species. Given its ties to outer space and ability to emit light, it may also be based on literal stars and meteors. It is also reminiscent of ornate jewelry, with its central core resembling a faceted gem mounted inside a golden prong setting. The standard color of its gem resembles a ruby, while its Shiny color resembles a sapphire. Its tendency to rapidly spin its body is reminiscent of shuriken and propellers.
Its ability to learn various beam attacks and the gem in the middle acting like a heart might also be a reference to the Ultraman series, where Ultra Warriors have similar gems on their chests that start flashing when they are weak, just like Starmie's gem as shown in Pokémon the Series. The possible Ultraman reference is further supported by Mega Starmie's humanoid appearance.
Mega Starmie may also reference the 1956 film Warning from Space, in which one of the starfish-like Pairan aliens assumes a human form to communicate, much like Mega Starmie. Its humanoid appearance may also be a visual pun on 人手 hitode (starfish), which can be translated as "human hand", emphasizing the "human" part of the pun. The two longer arms it uses as legs could also reference the regenerative qualities of real starfish, which can lose arms and later regrow them, with the new arms starting out smaller before gradually matching the size of the others.
Name origin
Starmie may be a combinaton of star and mystery. Its name in English may also involve me (in opposition to the you in Staryu).
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.
Silver Leaf (100%)
Stardust (50%)
Star Piece (5%)
For other sprites and images, please see Starmie images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
