| “ | Who am I? What is my true reason for being? I will find my own purpose and purge this planet of all who oppose me. Humans and Pokémon alike. The world will heed my warning. The reign of Mewtwo... will soon begin. | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo |
| “ | Mew. So finally we meet. I may have been cloned from your DNA, but now I will prove that Mewtwo is better than the original. Superior to Mew. | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo to Mew when met first time. |
Mewtwo is the main antagonist of Pokémon: The First Movie and its CGI remake Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution, and the titular anti-hero in Mewtwo Returns. Its goal was to exterminate all humans and their Pokémon, and repopulate the world with clones of Pokémon, but would later reform and become an ally to the heroes.
In the Japanese version, it was voiced by Showtaro Morikubo as a child, and by Masachika Ichimura when fully grown. In the English dubbed version, it was voiced by Jay Goede (credited as Philip Bartlett) in The First Movie, and by Jay Synder (Also known by his alias Dan Green) in Mewtwo Returns. Ichimura and Green reprised their roles as Mewtwo in Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution.
Personality
| “ | I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are. | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo, upon learning the true meaning of life. |
Mewtwo's uniqueness largely stems from its psychic abilities. However, its personality is one of the defining points in the Pokémon series. Mewtwo's personality is initially complex involving existentialist anxiety, and contemplating the meaning of existence. Its temperament is very withdrawn, introverted, and contemplative, consisting of hate and anger towards humans and its creators.
Having been brought into existence through artificial means, Mewtwo quickly turned on its creators when it learned that it was not a natural Pokémon. Feeling betrayed by the very humans that had created it, it decided to forge its own path. The recurring theme in the films is Mewtwo harboring jealousy towards Mew because it is a copy or derivative, whereas Mew is the original.
In the first film, the path that Mewtwo took has made it into a rather cold and calculating character. It frequently exhibits cruelty, and at several intervals, goes so far as to attempt to (or forthrightly) kill those who oppose it. It also had no qualms about controlling Nurse Joy to serve as its Pokémon caretaker, and then casting her aside once she was of no further use. This makes Mewtwo easily one of the most manipulative and malicious characters in the series and the main antagonist in Pokémon The First Movie, prior to its change of heart at the end of the first film.
However, in Mewtwo Returns, Mewtwo is more kind, lenient, and sympathetic, so it only wants to protect the other clones that it created. It even protected some humans that were on a bus getting thrown around by strong winds. Therefore, Mewtwo is a hero in its second film and a victim. When Giovanni arrives the mountain, Mewtwo is willing to sacrifice itself to save the other clones, as well as Ash's Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth. Also, it constantly wants to avoid fighting, the exact opposite of the way it was in the first film.
So, it can be said that Mewtwo (upon Ash's sacrifice in Mewtwo Strikes Back) has become a hero instead of a villain. It continues to live in Johto and "in shadows" as said by itself.
Biography
| “ | We dreamed of creating the world's strongest Pokémon...and we succeeded. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Fuji's famous last words. |
According to "The Origin of Mewtwo", a piece of bonus footage included with the Mewtwo Returns DVD which expands its backstory, it interacted with several clones of a Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, as well as a clone of Amber, the daughter of Dr. Fuji. It was eventually distraught over its friends, especially Amber's premature death, which also resulted in the scientists injecting it with a serum that removed its memory of her, which is strongly implied to have impacted its behavior in the film.
However, Mewtwo was angered as it heard that it was to be controlled by them, and that it may not be part of God's creation. In its fury, destroyed the lab and killed the scientists with its great psychic powers. It then allied itself with Giovanni with the promise of learning to control its powers, in return that it serves his and Team Rocket's needs. It later rebels from Giovanni after learning that Giovanni's claim of partnership had been a lie, and it was sickened by Team Rocket's actions towards Pokémon. Believing humans to be oppressors of Pokémon, it vowed to exterminate humans and all Pokémon that sided with them, believing it to be its "purpose". It also wishes to exterminate its predecessor Mew, as it believed it was vastly superior to its genetic counterpart. It eventually saw the errors of its ways shortly after Ash Ketchum sacrificed himself to stop their fighting and all the touched Pokémon use their tears to revive Ash. Departing with Mew and the other Pokémon clones, Mewtwo removed their memories.
Mewtwo serves as an anti-hero in Mewtwo Returns. It was hiding in Kena Mountain with the other clones. It saved a bus with passengers, but it claimed to feel no compassion for the humans. When Giovanni managed to find both Mewtwo and the other clones, it decides to help all of the Pokémon. It was proven to be a great ally for Ash and his friends. Later, when Ash told it that he will tell Professor Oak about it and the source, Mewtwo wanted to erase their memories again. But Meowth managed to convince Mewtwo that they should keep their memories. It agreed to let them remember and the others, but only erased the memory of its enemies. After erasing Giovanni's memory, who leads his army out of the falls, Mewtwo takes leave of the gang, this time for good, on the condition that its spirit crosses time and space to theirs.
In the Pokémon Journey: The Series Episode 46, Mewtwo saved Ash, Goh and Pikachu from the waterfall. They challenged and lost against Mewtwo. They realized the Pokémon that are saved by Mewtwo from bad humans who mistreated them. Mewtwo then transferred them back to Kanto.
Powers and Abilities
| “ | I may have been cloned from your DNA, but now I will prove that Mewtwo is better than the original. Superior to Mew! This world is too small for two of us! | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo to Mew. |
Mewtwo is a psychic-type Pokémon created by humans to be the strongest in the world, endowed with immense psychic powers. It can use telekinesis to achieve flight, manipulate several objects and people at once, reflect attacks, and destroy structures through will alone. Its telepathic abilities let Mewtwo communicate with humans, control the minds of others, and wipe the memories of several beings at once. It can also shoot shadow balls at opponents, use force fields to defend itself, project energy rays powerful enough to stand up to Mew, and can telekinetically create massive hurricanes. In the English dub, Mewtwo claimed its storms are capable of devastating the entire planet.
As well as Mewtwo being able to block a Pokémon's "special abilities", it is also capable of instant regeneration, allowing it to survive what would normally be fatal blows. This was especially evident when a computer, deducing Mewtwo as a threat shortly after bursting out of its containment field, shot Mewtwo with a laser that was potent enough to temporarily kill Mewtwo, only to regenerate from its wound and revive itself, as well as it regenerating from a Flamethrower blast. According to the dub of Mewtwo Returns, its psychic abilities were ineffective against automated machines.
It is also highly intelligent, having rebuilt the laboratory where it was born to establish as its home base and created hologram message devices to send to trainers, cameras on flying Pokémon to observe others, black Poké Balls to steal other Pokémon, and cloning machines to make stronger duplicates of said captured Pokémon.
Quotes
| “ | Is that my purpose? Am I just an experiment? A laboratory specimen? This cannot be...my destiny!' | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo, before destroying the lab |
| “ | Humans may have created me, but they will never enslave me! | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo, to Giovanni. |
| “ | You humans are a dangerous species. You brought me into your world with no purpose but to be your slave. But now l have my own purpose. My storm will create my own world...by destroying yours. (Brock: So you hate all humans? And you're going to destroy us to save Pokémon.) No. Your Pokémon will not be spared. They have disgraced themselves by serving humans. Those Pokémon are nothing but slaves. [Pikachu speak] So, you say l am wrong? You are not this human's servant? You are his friend? You are as pathetic as the rest. Humans and Pokémon can never be friends. | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo admitting his contempt for humans and normal Pokémon as well as his disgust for Pikachu's ideology. |
| “ | Your Charizard is poorly trained. | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo, taunting Ash Ketchum. |
| “ | A human sacrificed himself...to save the Pokémon. I pitted them against each other, but not until they set aside the differences they all share deep inside. (Mew: Mew.) I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are. | „ |
| ~ Mewtwo finally sees the error of its ways. |
Trivia
- In the original Japanese release of Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mewtwo is a very different character. It comes off as more sympathetic, with no intention to harm humans. It instead seeks to prove its own worth and superiority to the world.
External links
- Mewtwo in Heroes Wiki.
