Is Wiglett a new Pokemon or a Paldean Diglett regional form?

Wiglett is a brand new addition to the Pokedex in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, but is it a Paldean regional form of Diglett? Or is it a convergent evolution species? Let’s find out.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are slowly introducing loads of new species to the franchise, from adorable creatures like Lechonk and Smoliv to the transforming box art Legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon.

While we already know there will be at least one Paldean regional form in the games, the newly-revealed Wiglett has got fans questioning whether it’s a Paldean form of Diglett or something completely new.

We’ll have to wait until Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are released to get the full story, but for now, we have a few answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding Wiglett’s existence.

The Pokemon Company

Is Wiglett a Paldean Diglett in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?

The short answer to this question is no, Wiglett is not a Paldean form of Diglett. It’s an entirely new Pokemon in the Pokedex and won’t share the same entry or number as other regional forms do.

This was confirmed in Wiglett’s announcement video, where the Pokemon World Ecological Society acknowledged their similarities but confirmed it is a “completely different species” from Diglett.

“Although they appear to be the Paldean form of Diglett, we’ve learned that they live and eat differently as if they are entirely different Pokemon,” they explained.

Having said all of that, there are plenty of obvious similarities between Diglett and Wiglett – not least their names – so it’s not surprising that some people are assuming that it’s a Paldean regional variant.

Wiglett could be an example of convergent evolution

While the official description for Wiglett hasn’t been released yet, many Pokemon fans have shared their theories that this new Pokemon might actually be a ‘convergent evolution’ that lines up with Diglett.

Convergent evolution is a real-life phenomenon where two completely different species evolve in a similar way to adapt to their environments and end up with matching traits or appearances.

This would certainly explain why Wiglett and Diglett share similar features but are classed as different species. This is the opposite of regional variants, which are an example of divergent evolution.

If the similarities between Wiglett and Diglett do signify convergent evolution, then the biggest theory at the moment is that Wiglett’s design is based on the real-life animal known as the garden eel.

While we wait for more information on Wiglett, check out some of our Pokemon Scarlet & Violet guides below:

All new Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet | Starter Pokemon details | Pre-order guide | What is Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s region? | Everything we know about Scarlet & Violet so far | Version differences explained | All new characters