Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Who Are Great Tusk and Iron Treads?

Iron Treads and Great Tusk made their debut in the most recent Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, and despite their few seconds of screentime, a lot can be deducted from this brief appearance. While they may adopt the appearance of a Pokemon we have already experienced within the franchise, Scarlet and Violet have not strayed from twisting the types of even the most familiar Pokemon. So read on to discover everything we know about Iron Treads and Great Tusk.

What are Iron Treads and Great Tusk in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

Great Tusk, appearing as a giant elephant Pokemon, seems to be a Paldean Regional Variant of Donphan. Additionally, with the colossal scale of the Pokemon paired with the sketch seen in a book within the game, many signs point toward Great Tusk being the newest Titan Pokemon, alongside Klawf the Stony Cliff Titan. This is particularly supported by the Pokemon making its first appearance in a desert-like biome, and Donphan’s traditional ground type, alongside the large armored plates along the back of the Pokemon. In the sketchbook, Great Tusk is described as incredibly aggressive, having attacked an expedition team and wounded them with its large body and tusks.

As for Iron Treads, while this Pokemon still maintains a few Donphan-like features, the cyber appearance contrasts the more traditional appearance and almost mirrors Miraidon’s technology-inspired look. Alternatively to Great Tusk, this Pokemon is said to curl up its body and roll to attack, leaving a trail gouged into the earth as if the surface had been scorched. This implies that instead of adopting the traditional ground type Donphan, it is being ditched and replaced with a potential Steel and Fire combination.

Since there are two books, one corresponding to each ninth-generation game, these Pokemon may be a regional variant of an already-existing Pokemon, yet will be exclusive to each game. Although it isn’t confirmed that they will be part of the Titan Pokemon collection, it does raise the question among trainers as to whether or not Scarlet and Violet will contain several exclusive Pokemon for trainers to encounter during their adventure. However, the multi-player approach to the title may make collecting game-exclusive Pokemon easier than ever before.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release on Nintendo Switch on November 18.