What is Tapu Koko based off of?
Christopher Snyder
Updated on March 10, 2026
“Koko,” or “Kokeko” in Japanese, is probably onomatopoeic of a rooster's crow (you can hear this quite clearly when Tapu Koko shows up in the anime). Roosters are famously competitive, so it makes sense for Pokémon's deity of conflict to be represented as a rooster.