I remember sitting in my bedroom back in 1998, Pokemon Red cartridge in my Game Boy, feeling that familiar pang of sadness every time I encountered a Cubone. Like millions of other Gen 1 Pokemon fans, I had read the Pokedex entry about this lonely creature wearing its dead mother’s skull, and the story haunted me for decades.
The mysterious face hidden beneath that skull helmet has remained one of Pokemon’s most enduring mysteries – until now. After 25 years of wondering, Gen 1 Pokemon fans finally have their answer, and it’s bringing tears of joy and relief to the community.
As someone who grew up with the original 151 Pokemon, I understand why this discovery matters so much. This isn’t just about seeing what’s under a mask – it’s about healing a childhood wound that many of us didn’t even realize we were still carrying.
What you’re about to discover isn’t just a long-hidden Pokemon face – it’s the emotional closure that millions of fans have been waiting for since we first explored the Kanto region.
Welcome to Bound By Flame, where we explore the discoveries that matter to gaming communities.
Cubone’s backstory represents one of the darkest elements in Pokemon’s otherwise cheerful universe. According to the Pokedex entries from Pokemon Red and Blue, Cubone wears the skull of its deceased mother, cries mournfully at night, and lives in isolation because of its grief.
The emotional weight of this story was particularly heavy for children playing these games in the late 1990s. Many of us encountered Cubone in Lavender Town – already an eerie location with its Pokemon Tower and ghost stories – making the character’s tragic nature even more impactful.
Cubone: Known as “The Lonely Pokemon,” Cubone is #104 in the Pokedex, a Ground-type Pokemon that wears its mother’s skull as a helmet and carries a bone as a weapon.
What made Cubone particularly haunting was how the games handled this tragedy with such subtlety. Unlike many Pokemon with straightforward, cheerful backstories, Cubone’s narrative dealt directly with themes of death, grief, and isolation – concepts that many young players hadn’t encountered in video games before.
The mystery of what lay beneath that skull mask became a topic of playground discussions and fan theories throughout the 90s and 2000s. Some speculated it was another Pokemon entirely, while others believed the face was too gruesome to ever be officially revealed.
In August 2025, the Pokemon community on Reddit erupted with excitement when user Collector55 shared images from a 1999 Pokemon coloring book that showed Cubone without its signature skull helmet. The discovery quickly spread across social media, reigniting discussions about this long-standing mystery.
The coloring book in question, titled “Pokemon Picture Diary: Let’s Go With Pikachu!” was created by Keiko Fukuyama and released during the height of Pokemon’s initial popularity. What made this discovery particularly compelling was its authenticity – this wasn’t fan art or speculation, but official Pokemon merchandise from the era when Cubone was first introduced to the world.
The Reddit community immediately began analyzing the images, with many users expressing emotional relief at finally seeing what had been hidden for decades. The post garnered thousands of comments from fans sharing their childhood memories of being affected by Cubone’s story and their reactions to this long-awaited reveal.
What struck me most about this discovery was how it brought together multiple generations of Pokemon fans. Those who grew up with Gen 1 games found emotional closure, while newer fans gained insight into why this particular Pokemon had such a profound impact on the community.
The timing of this discovery feels particularly meaningful, coming as many original Pokemon fans are now adults with children of their own. It’s as if Pokemon decided it was finally time to heal a wound that has lingered for a quarter century.
“I literally teared up seeing this. I was one of those kids who was really affected by Cubone’s story, and seeing that there’s actually something cute under that skull mask just… it feels like healing something I didn’t know was still hurting.”
– Reddit user, r/pokemon community
So what does Cubone actually look like without its skull helmet? The coloring book illustration reveals a surprisingly cute Pokemon – small, plump, with large expressive ears and a short snout. Many fans have noted visual similarities to Charmander, with some even suggesting resemblances to later-generation Pokemon like Riolu.
The image shows Cubone playing a flute, which adds another layer to its character. Instead of the mournful creature we imagined, we see a Pokemon capable of joy and creativity – not defined solely by its tragic past, but able to create beautiful music despite its history.
This visual reveal does more than just satisfy curiosity – it fundamentally changes how we understand Cubone’s character. The cute appearance beneath the skull suggests that Cubone chooses to wear the mask not just out of grief, but perhaps as a way of honoring its mother while still being able to live and create.
The artistic style is consistent with other official Pokemon artwork from the late 90s, featuring the rounded shapes and expressive eyes that characterized early Pokemon design. This authenticity is crucial – it confirms that this isn’t just someone’s interpretation, but what Pokemon creators envisioned for Cubone all along.
Quick Summary: Cubone’s real face, as revealed in the 1999 coloring book, shows a cute, plump Pokemon with large ears and a short snout, resembling a cross between Charmander and Riolu, playing a flute with a gentle expression.
The discovery also provides context for Cubone’s evolution into Marowak. Seeing the base form helps fans understand the design evolution and how the skull helmet became integrated into Cubone’s identity while still allowing room for growth and change.
The overwhelming emotional response to this discovery reveals something profound about how Pokemon storytelling affected its original audience. Many fans, now in their late 20s and 30s, have shared how Cubone’s story influenced their understanding of grief and loss as children.
For a generation that grew up during Pokemon’s initial boom, these characters weren’t just game data – they were companions, friends, and in some cases, emotional teachers. Cubone’s story, while tragic, introduced complex emotions that many children’s media avoided at the time.
The face reveal represents more than just solving a mystery – it’s a form of narrative closure that Pokemon fans didn’t even know they needed. Seeing the cute face beneath the skull doesn’t erase the tragic backstory, but it adds a layer of hope and resilience that wasn’t visible before.
This discovery also highlights something special about the Pokemon community. Even 25+ years after the original games were released, fans are still discovering new details, sharing emotional reactions, and finding meaning in these characters. The ongoing discussion shows how Pokemon transcended being just a game to become a cultural touchstone for an entire generation.
✅ Community Impact: The discovery has brought together multiple generations of Pokemon fans, creating shared moments of emotional connection and nostalgia across social media platforms.
This revelation about Cubone represents something bigger in gaming culture – the power of mysteries to create lasting emotional connections. In an era where so much information is instantly available, the 25-year wait to see Cubone’s face made the reveal that much more meaningful.
The discovery also demonstrates how Pokemon’s storytelling, even in its earliest days, created depth and emotional resonance that continues to affect fans decades later. Cubone’s tragic backstory, now balanced with the knowledge of what lies beneath, shows how nuanced character development can create lasting impact.
For those of us who grew up with Gen 1 Pokemon, this discovery feels like closing a chapter we didn’t even know was open. It reminds us why these characters mattered so much to us as children and why they continue to hold significance in our lives as adults.
As Pokemon continues to evolve and new generations discover these characters, discoveries like this help bridge the gap between nostalgic original fans and newcomers to the franchise. It shows that there’s always more to learn, more to discover, and more emotional depth to explore in the world we first fell in love with.
For more engaging gaming content and discoveries that matter to communities, explore our other articles.
Cubone’s real face, as revealed in a 1999 Pokemon coloring book, shows a small, plump Pokemon with large ears and a short snout, resembling a cute cross between Charmander and Riolu, without its signature skull helmet.
The face was discovered in a 1999 coloring book titled ‘Pokemon Picture Diary: Let’s Go With Pikachu!’ by Keiko Fukuyama, showing Cubone playing a flute without its skull mask. The discovery was shared on Reddit by user Collector55.
Yes, Cubone is #104 in the Pokedex and was introduced in Generation 1, appearing in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow games released in 1996-1998.
According to Pokedex entries, Cubone wears the skull of its deceased mother as a helmet, making it known as ‘The Lonely Pokemon’ due to its isolation and grief.
Cubone symbolizes grief, loss, and resilience in the face of tragedy. Its story explores themes of mourning while still finding ways to live and create, making it one of Pokemon’s most emotionally complex characters.
No, Cubone was never originally a Charmander. This is a popular fan theory based on visual similarities, but Cubone has always been a separate Ground-type Pokemon that evolves into Marowak.