James Turner, the British designer who created some of Pokémon's most divisive creatures, has returned to the franchise as creative director of art and design at The Pokémon Company International.
Turner previously worked at developer Game Freak as a Pokémon and character designer, starting with Pokémon Black & White, and later served as art director on Pokémon Sword & Shield, which was fittingly UK-themed given Turner's British nationality. He was the first Westerner to design new Pokémon.
Notable creations and mixed reception
He is perhaps best known for creating the Vanillite line, which resembles ice cream cones and is considered by many to be among the worst designed Pokémon in the series, especially the middle evolution Vanillish. However, he also designed several of the deliberately bizarre Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun & Moon, and Pikachu's chunky Gigantamax form.
Turner also designed Sinistea, a haunted teacup, and its evolution Polteageist, a haunted teapot, which are among some fans' favourites.
New role and fan reaction
Turner announced his new role on X, saying: 'It feels great to be working in the world of Pokémon again, with a lovely group of people. I'm very excited about what comes next!'
He left Game Freak four years ago to set up his own studio, All Possible Futures, which released its debut game, The Plucky Squire, in 2024. A glance through replies to his announcement shows many Pokémon fans are thrilled he's working on the franchise again, thanking him for creating some of their favourite Pokémon, including the Vanillite line.
Fan votes and popularity
According to a fansite that asks people to vote for their favourite Pokémon, the Vanillite line ranks on the lower end of popularity. At the time of writing, Vanilluxe has received 140 votes, Vanillite 117 votes, and Vanillish is the least popular of the three with only 35 votes.
With over 1,000 Pokémon now existing after 30 years of the franchise, even the less popular creations are someone's favourite, though the Vanillite line's low vote count reflects its mixed reception among fans.
