The Untold Tragedy: Uncovering Pokémon's Most Heart-Wrenching Clone

Mewtwo's tumultuous start in the Pokémon universe is well-known among fans, but there is another clone in the anime's world whose life and backstory are even more tragic. Pokémon The First Movie, hailed as the franchise's best film for various reasons, holds a wealth of unknown information for its devoted audience. One crucial aspect revolves around the existence of Amber, a human clone.

The 1999 animated film kicks off with the depiction of Mewtwo's creation. Scientists stumble upon the DNA of the legendary Pokémon, Mew, utilizing it to bring Mewtwo into existence. As the cloned Pokémon awakens, he engages in a poignant conversation with Dr. Fuji, the project's lead scientist and the film's opening narrator. However, the audience remains unaware in the final cut as to why Dr. Fuji became involved in this groundbreaking venture in the first place.

Pokémon's Most Tragic Clone is Dr. Fuji's Daughter, Amber

The home releases of the film include an added special feature called "The Uncut Story of Mewtwo’s Origin," which provides extra footage that delves into the cloning process. In addition to Mewtwo, Dr. Fuji, with the support of Team Rocket, also cloned three other Pokémon (Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur), as well as a human child named Ambertwo. Driven by the loss of his own daughter, Amber, who died in a car accident, Dr. Fuji sought to perfect the art of cloning. However, his experiments were not successful. "The Uncut Story of Mewtwo’s Origin" tells the story of the friendship among the four clones, who seem to share a collective consciousness potentially created by Amber, or possibly by Mewtwo's telepathic abilities.

Despite their close bond, Mewtwo is the only clone who survives and is ultimately released from his containment. The others vanish from the collective consciousness in a poignant sequence, leaving Mewtwo isolated as a much younger version of himself. The loss of his companions is tragic, and Ambertwo's background and fate add even more sadness to his origin story. Initially, Mewtwo's actions may seem to stem from a disregard for his own life and a sense of purposelessness. However, by including the stories of Ambertwo and the other clones, his anger towards the scientists becomes much more reasonable and understandable. Mewtwo is not simply reacting out of anger; he has lost the only source of vitality he had in his early existence.

Dr. Fuji, a long-standing member of Team Rocket, has often been regarded as a secondary character providing support in the background. His main role is to create a formidable clone Pokémon, unveil Mewtwo through his narration, and propel the story forward. However, the additional footage reveals a much larger tale wherein a desperate father attempts to regain his daughter using scientific methods. Tragically, his efforts not only fail, but he is also met with hatred and aggression from his sole surviving creation. The burden he must bear includes not only the sorrow of losing his daughter once again, but also the presumed loss of his own life, without ever attaining his desired objectives. While Mewtwo's backstory may be the most well-known among Pokémon clones due to the film, it is important to remember that he is not the sole tragic figure in this regard.