Discover the Surprising Connection Between Penny and a Sword/Shield Character in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

When trainers of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet join the prestigious Naranja or Uva Academy, they'll come across Penny, who might seem familiar to those who have played previous Pokemon games. Penny is a shy STEM student with an interest in computers and machinery, but she doesn't attend classes regularly. The reason for her absence is revealed when the player assists her in dealing with some aggressive Team Star Grunts.

The player soon discovers that the grunts were attempting to recruit Penny into their group, but what they didn't know was that Penny is their boss. Cassiopeia is her secret identity, and she's the leader of Team Star. Penny and the player engage in various activities, including Operation Starfall, where they infiltrate and take down the bosses of her own group. During this questline in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the player learns more about Penny, including the fact that she hails from Galar, the same region where Pokemon Sword and Shield takes place. There's a character in Galar who shares many similarities with Penny, adding to the mystery surrounding her.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Penny is Similar to Peonia

Penny and Peonia share a striking resemblance, with their two-toned hair and styled bangs. Despite their differing fashion sense, the two have much in common. Both are named after the beautiful peony flowers, and have fathers who they find embarrassing. Peony, who is Rose's brother, may suggest a connection between the girls and one of Galar's most influential families. Additionally, the duo pay homage to the Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee games, with Penny sporting an Eevee backpack and Peonia donning Pikachu tail earrings.

The Pokemon Franchise Loves Creating Look-alike Characters

Penny and Peonia are not the only characters in the Pokemon franchise that share a striking resemblance. The series has a history of creating look-alike characters, such as the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys. According to official Pokemon lore, all the Joys and Jennys are related. Another example of this trend can be seen in Volo from Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Cynthia from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.

Although there is no official confirmation that Volo and Cynthia are related, fans speculate that Volo may be an ancestor of Cynthia's. They both share similar facial features, with blonde hair and bangs that cover one side of their face. Volo refers to himself as "The Researcher of Myths," a title that Cynthia also adopts. Additionally, Volo uses Cynthia's Pokemon roster, which includes Garchomp and Spiritomb. There are other potential ancestor links in Legends: Arceus, such as Cyllene and Cyrus, Gaeric and Wulfric, Bertha and Agatha, and Beni and Wally.

It's fascinating to observe how Pokemon creates characters who share not only blood ties, but also professions and hobbies. In earlier mainline games, the same character models were used repeatedly for opponents of specific types, such as bug catchers, hikers, ace trainers, and even Team Rocket grunts. This may have been due to hardware and software limitations at the time, but the franchise has since introduced more unique characters. However, the series occasionally introduces characters across different installments who are strikingly similar in both appearance and personality. Some, like Penny and Peonia, are playful nods to past games, while others are confirmed or strongly implied to be relatives or ancestors, like Volo and Cynthia. Regardless, discovering these lookalikes and their connections is always a delightful experience.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are now available on the Nintendo Switch.