Ditto and Mew: The Most Famous Theory in the Pokémon Universe

There's a theory Pokémon fans have been discussing since 1996 — and it's considered the most famous and coherent theory in the franchise. According to this theory, the pink Pokémon that transforms into anything, Ditto, is actually a failed clone of Mew. Let's see why.

The clues hidden in the games

When you play Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow, a few things stand out. Fans have collected these clues over 25 years:

• Same weight and height: Ditto and Mew both weigh exactly 4 kg and measure 40 cm tall
• Same color: both are light pink (this is the main visual clue)
• Same type: both are Normal-type Pokémon
• Same move: both can learn Transform, and Ditto is the only Pokémon that naturally knows this move
• Same catch rate: 45, exactly identical

The Cinnabar Island laboratory

In the games, there's an abandoned laboratory on Cinnabar Island. If you read the journals scattered around the lab, you discover that this is where scientists ran experiments to create Mewtwo from Mew's DNA. Notes left by the scientists say: "today is the day of the Mew experiment — we expect to create a more powerful version of it".

In that same laboratory, Ditto is one of the most common wild Pokémon you can encounter. Coincidence? Fans don't think so.

The complete theory

The theory goes like this: before scientists successfully created Mewtwo (who became one of the most powerful Pokémon in the franchise), they made many attempts. The attempts that failed became the Dittos — unstable clones that couldn't hold a definite form and, because of that, are always imitating other Pokémon.

In other words: Ditto would be a failed attempt to create Mewtwo. That explains why Ditto has so much in common with Mew (the original DNA) but is way weaker.

What about Mewtwo?

After many attempts with Dittos, scientists finally succeeded and created Mewtwo — a Pokémon with enormous psychic power, but also with a very serious personality because he knows he was created in a lab. Mewtwo's story became the first Pokémon movie in 1998, titled "Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back".

Nintendo never confirmed, but...

Neither Nintendo, nor Game Freak, nor creator Satoshi Tajiri have ever officially confirmed the theory. But they've also never denied it. In multiple interviews, the designers have said "fans have found many hidden things in the games" — which theorists consider a near-confirmation.

Rare Ditto and Mew cards

If you enjoy this story, collecting Ditto and Mew cards is a super fun journey. Cards like the Ditto Star (shiny rare version) and Mew Ex Full Art can be worth hundreds of dollars. Scan your collection at PokeCardsClub to find out if you have one of these gems at home.