If you haven’t heard yet, let me be the first to let you know that nearly 25-year-old browser-based pet game Neopets still exists in the year 2024. I know I told you about this last year, but recent events have led me to believe, shockingly, that things are actually getting better on Neopets.
Despite some early struggles, the new team in charge of the website is making a lot of daring strides to improve things. Just this past week was possibly the hugest move of all – finally breaking the scourge of Unconverted pets.
See, way back in the early 2000s, Neopets was a thriving little pet game beloved by nerdy kids and adults alike, who cared for and raised their precious alien Neopets. Neopets came in basic collection of four colors when first created, but the dream of most users was to one day paint their Neopet into one of many colors. Rather than just an alternate color (though these did exist), many colors provided fun theming to a Neopet, changing their pet into a pirate, a winged faerie, or any number of colors inspired by the fantasy worlds of the website.
When painting your pet this way, pets would change more than just their color – they might gain a little outfit and usually had a fun pose to accompany it. It was a fun end goal – usually pretty expensive – so users worked diligently toward getting colors they loved.
However, users long desired a way to customize their pets even further. There was a collection of clothing items already available on the website that couldn’t do anything, but users wanted to be able to dress up their pets.
In 2007, this feature came to the website. But, it came with a cost – by allowing pets to be customizable, they needed to all be in a consistent-enough pose to make the art demands of creating a new item less astronomical. For most basic colored Neopets, this wasn’t a huge issue, but for many of the more fantastically colored pets, changing their pose to the default would be to drastically change what made them unique and appealing in the first place.
So for owners of pets with a big enough change, the Neopets devs offered them a one-time offer – convert to the new art style and be able to customize their pets, or stick with the classic style and be unable to. The limited number of pets who remained unconverted suddenly became extremely rare – there was no way to create more, after all.
These Neopets became highly sought-after in the Neopet trading circuit, and some even stooped to hacking to obtain these limited pets. This was how things remained for 17 years, with these nostalgic designs locked away only to certain pets and certain users who were old enough to exist before the conversion or who worked an absolutely brutal trade economy to get one.
The existence of these pets also caused so much drama on the website that I couldn’t possibly begin to talk about them all. So, it’s truly great to report that these UC designs are available for the first time in the NC Mall for any user to apply to their pets as a cosmetic option.
It’s a fun time to be a Neopian, so I decided to harness the intense amount of focus and energy I’ve had for this game lately to do a monumental task – give my opinion on each of the 55 unique Neopet species in the game. Now, I am still a busy grad student, so I couldn’t possibly talk about every one in just one post, so this is just part one of what will hopefully be a two-part series exploring every pet.
I based my opinions on the appearance and design of the pet, as well as the historic and current designs of the pet colors. I also can’t help but let the many colorful characters of Neopets’ various sitewide plots influence my opinions in some cases as well.
Which Neopets are close to my heart and which do I despise? Let’s find out.
Acara
There are some Neopets that are just… generic. They’re not pushing the grain of what it means to be a Neopet. They’re safe, as it were. The Acara, I think, is the example of such a Neopet.
With a sort-of catlike quality, Acaras nevertheless don’t seem to commit to any strong real-world inspiration. According to information on the website, they’re semi-aquatic, and their flexible “horns” (their term, not mine) can be used to hear underwater. Nevertheless, the species hails from the decidedly land-based Neopia Central.
I do think the 2007 conversion did improve the cuteness of the Acara somewhat. I like their faces and their default posing just fine. Plus, there are a lot of pretty distinctive and interesting Acara characters in the long lorebook of Neopets. While this may be due in part to the Acara’s generic nothing cuteness, it’s still a mark in their favor as a species that they get to boast the likes of morally interesting characters like Masila and Vira, and a few heroes like Fauna and Ylana Skyfire.
Unfortunately, though, not a lot of their currently-available colors are all that interesting or distinctive. I think my favorite is probably the Mutant Acara, but most of their other colors are mostly bland to me. The unconverted Gray and Maraquan Acaras are also a bit cuter, but I still wouldn’t call them some of the best on the site.
Overall? It’s a meh from me.
Aisha
The Aisha is a Neopet that just feels like a quintessential Neopet to me. If there ever were a mascot Neopet for the site, the Aisha feels like a fantastic candidate. While its design does definitely resemble a cat, its slim frame, distinctive antennae-like ears, and characteristic face and “A” collar really give it personality and uniqueness.
Aishas also fared incredibly well in the conversion to customization and remain one of the most popular Neopets to customize. I think this comes down to the distinctive yet flexible personality their design has. It’s just as easy to make an Aisha look dark and scary, cute and fluffy, elegant and graceful, or silly and colorful.
Many notable Aishas line the history books of Neopets lore. As a kid, I particularly loved the tragic tale of Maraquan sisters Caylis and Isca, but Lisha, Amira, and Jerdana are also fun hero-types.
I don’t have an Aisha myself, but it’s one of those pets that I know I’d happily adopt if I ever got the chance. The Alien Aisha is of course iconic, calling to the fun little species detail that they may or may not be a species that descended from the stars long before any kind of history was kept on Neopia. I also really like the licorice ears of the Chocolate Aisha and the shiftiness of the Darigan Aisha (only more improved by the newly-available unconverted version.)
Aishas are iconic, and it’s easy to see why.
Blumaroo
I get the feeling that the Blumaroo is underrated, but I can’t say I’ve personally ever made an effort to fix it. Hailing from the colorful world of Roo Island, Blumaroos are known for their bouncy tails and jovial personalities, and their kangaroo-inspired design is definitely legible but still interesting.
So why the unpopularity, then? I think one reason may be their fate post-conversion. While the original Blumaroo design played up the species trait of bouncing on their tails like Tigger, allowing them to also show off the cute design feature of their heart-shaped feet, the demands of customization forced them to stand upright in that stiff, fist-out pose that all bipedal Neopets had to take up. It really killed a lot of the personality and uniqueness of the Blumaroo’s original design, and it’s a real shame.
While there are a few famous Blumaroos, I don’t think any of them do the species any favors. There’s the nerdy, obviously full of himself AAA, and the silly figures of King Roo and Count Von Roo, but beyond that I can’t think of any Blumaroos who really have a fanbase or have done anything interesting in the history of Neopia.
It’s a shame, though, because I really do like some of the Blumaroo’s colors. I particularly enjoy the classic nature of the Halloween Blumaroo, the seahorse-inspired Maraquan Blumaroo, and the very unique Royalgirl and Royalboy Blumaroos.
Bori
The first Neopet in this list I actually own! I have my very own Bori named fiellae, who I haven’t quite decided what to do with yet. I may keep her as a Bori, or I might not, but either way I love the understated cuteness of the Bori. A slightly newer species, Bori are cold-weather Neopets from the snowy peaks of Terror Mountain, and their armadillo-like design definitely suggests a lot of character in them.
Much of the cuteness of the original Bori design has been preserved in the converted design, and I love their sweet little faces and hopeful pose. Still, I think they’re going to fare even better as their UC designs become more accessible once again, preserving the even more adorable original design.
The most famous Bori, and likely the source of a lot of my affection for the species, is Armin. He was one of the first Boris ever introduced on the site, and his humble bravery at the side of Hannah in the Hannah and the Ice Caves plot really made kid-me a fan.
Unfortunately, a slight knock in the Bori’s appeal, to me, is the lack of really great colors for them. I do really like the Royalgirl Bori, and that’s likely the direction I will go with my own if I choose to keep her a Bori, but most of the other colors don’t do much for me. Another exception to that, though, is the Mutant, but I don’t see that for my own pet.
Still, the Bori is a solid and really appealing Neopet.
Bruce
You know, I really wish I liked the Bruce more. You would think that a penguin Neopet would be an easy slam-dunk. A cute little polar bird, all fluffy and chubby, how could it not be appealing? Especially with the fact that the Bruce is essentially just a penguin with a bow.
So it’s strange that I’ve just never much liked Bruce. Perhaps it’s something about their expression – both the original and current designs just lack a really defined emotion on their face. They just look a little indifferent, so why should I feel any differently about them? Or maybe the problem is that the Bruce doesn’t attempt to introduce anything new to the equation. It is truly just a penguin, with nothing else interesting or notable about it.
There are a few interesting Bruce characters, in particular Boochi, the sole reason I kept my Kougra as my active pet for the entirety of my childhood experience on Neopets. Though the chance was slim, his mere slim ability to suddenly change your active Neopet into a baby was enough to keep my other pets locked safely away.
It’s not exactly the saving grace for the species, but I do like the Halloween Bruce with its cute little freckles, and the Toy Bruce’s resemblance to a stuffed animal is pretty cute.
Buzz
I really hate to pile on to a species that has never exactly been the most popular but… I’m sorry, I just don’t really like Buzz all that much. While I respect the humble insect and would never go out of my way to harm one, I also wouldn’t say they’re a favorite for me. In my defense, even people I know who love bugs don’t really love Buzz – it doesn’t exactly capture all that much of what bug lovers even like about the creatures. It’s weird and strangely reptilian in appearance.
At least this has always been the case. Since being swapped from the far cuter but admittedly a bit more Petpet like Fleye in 2000, the Buzz’s design has remained pretty consistent, with just a pose change for the customization update in 2007. If anything has really changed about them, it’s perhaps a bit of a friendlier look in the most recent design, but for my money that’s almost a bit of a mistake. It takes them even further from their insect inspiration, and makes them just a bit bland. At least the slight menace of their original design had some character.
The Baby Buzz tends to be the one color that people really respond to that I’ve seen – understandably, since it nails the cute insect vibe that the species as a whole can’t seem to get right. I also like the lobster design of the Maraquan Buzz. But, overall, this is just not a species I feel all that attached to, as much as it pains me to join the overwhelming majority opinion.
Chia
I have mixed feelings on the Chia. It’s a pretty iconic Neopet, joining the Aisha for Neopets I’m sure immediately spring to mind when the average person thinks about Neopets. In addition, I like their unique fruit and vegetable colors and find this aspect of them whimsical and fun.
But like… what is a Chia? It’s just a little thing with legs. There’s almost a slight menace to their perpetually cheery face and pose, like there’s something going on behind those closed eyes we’ll never be privy to (not that we would want to be privy to such horrors. Why are they so happy all the time?
It’s this mysterious, iconic, and menacing quality that makes me respect the Chia. Even if I wouldn’t count myself as a fan, I can’t possibly imagine a Neopets without the Chia, and would in fact prefer it to remain exactly as it is.
Plus, as mentioned, I enjoy a lot of Chia colors – the Strawberry, Sroom, Tomato, Asparagus, Carrot, Grape, Pea, Pepper, and many others as well as the adorable coral-like Maraquan Chia. We’re cool, the Chia and I. We’re cool.
Chomby
Oh I really like the Chomby. Chombies are just silly happy little dinos. Their design quite obviously references a Brachiosaurus with the distinctive spines of a Spinosaurus, creating an all-around classic dino guy. I like their gentle, kind faces, which seem to communicate a gentle, vegetarian nature.
The Chomby is also the first on this list to be a limited release pet. These pets are only available to be created on their particular pet day each year, which is perhaps one reason I personally don’t have one yet despite the fact I really like them. The exclusivity of the Chomby does feel like it aligns with its gentle yet extinct design inspiration, almost as if you have to put in a lot of work to befriend such an elusive creature.
There aren’t many famous Chombies, but I do want to call attention to the band Chomby and the Fungus balls, which sometimes plays at the Tyrannian Concert Hall. It’s literally a disco band made up of one Chomby and four actual balls of fungus with afro wigs. It’s just silly and fun.
The Tyrannian Chomby is of course an all-out classic, with its dinosaur inspiration turned up to 11. But I also like the adorable little Baby Chomby and the tiny dragon wings on the Darigan Chomby.
Cybunny
And time to join the overwhelming majority when I say… yeah, Cybunnies are great. I know I ragged on the Bruce for basically just being a penguin, but like… the Cybunny is just a bunny. But what a great little bunny it is!
It’s just that this design really exemplifies the good qualities of a bunny. Fluffy, cute, with big ears and fuzzy lil paws, the Cybunny nonetheless nails its role as a Neopet with the absolutely huge number of great colors it can be painted. It’s just bangers all the way down. Baby, Darigan, Chocolate, Maraquan, Mutant, Plushie, Royalboy and Royalgirl, Valentine…. I mean, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of adorable designs available to this pet.
Another limited release pet, Cybunnies are definitely a coveted pet on the site. I remember as a kid being totally convinced it would be impossible for me to ever get one, but now, at the age of 26, I can happily report that I have my own, Innoccence. I one day aim to turn her into an unconverted Royalgirl Cybunny, once it becomes possible to do so.
Sometimes you’ve just gotta believe the hype. The hype for Cybunnies is real.
Draik
Oh, and speaking of extreme hype for a limited species that I never thought I’d ever own as a kid and now do…
Even more limited than other limited species, Draiks can literally only be created either by hatching an extremely rare and expensive Draik egg or by morphing or zapping your pet into one, making them an absolutely sought-after pet. It certainly helps that the Draik is an adorable classic fantasy dragon. With a lot of fun colors, they’re super customizable and the status symbol of choice for many Neopians.
…Myself included. Because, yes, as I’ve mentioned, I have my very own Draik. Ayuura is my precious little Valentine Draik, whom I lovingly morphed and painted and am working tirelessly at decking out with as many cute pink hearts as I can possibly muster.
The Draik’s design is just classic, and always have been. I would even wager to say that it fared better in its most recent design change, with a more dynamic pose and adorable face. Still, many classic Draik colors like Tyrannian, Plushie, Maraquan, Faerie, and even the silly Halloween Draik fare well through all design iterations. Much like the Cybunny, I feel the Draik has earned its beloved reputation.
Elephante
Oh, the poor Elephante. Listen, I respect what they were trying to do here. Elephants are adorable animals that absolutely deserve to have a Neopet counterpart. And there’s just a hint of fantasy added with the tiny wings and jeweled crown.
The problem, though, is that the Elephante isn’t really elevated past this concept – it’s an elephant with a crown and tiny wings. Why does it have wings? Well… not sure. Official lore states that this species can’t do anything more than hover. Why does it wear a crown? Well… uh… why aren’t you wearing a crown? It comes off as less of its own unique species and more of an elephant plus extras. This, by the way, has actually improved in my opinion since the Elephante’s original design – I think the less maniacal expression and post of the current design is far more appealing than the menace of the original.
And also, this is maybe a personal preference, but I really think the Elephante would be so much cuter if it were a quadruped like its real-life counterpart. This actually reflects in the cuteness of the Baby Elephante, which totally proves to me that all they would need to do to improve this design is bring its front legs down to the ground where they belong. Unfortunately, not many of the other colors much make up for the Elephante’s unfortunate design, though.
Eyrie
Listen… if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it. The Eyrie is a fantastic example of this principle. People love griffins, so there’s absolutely no need to chop and skew when you’re making your own fantasy version of a griffin. Simple yet distinctive, noble, and graceful, the Eyrie captures a very appealing fantasy of befriending a mighty fantasy beast.
I also have to give a shout-out to probably the most famous Eyrie, Lord Kass. The complicated villain of the Battle for Meridell plot, he took over his homeland of Darigan Citadel but was tortured by the menacing spirits of greed, ambition, and revenge and became a ruthless and power hungry ruler. These three spirits eventually killed him, and to this day he remains a hated figure amongst his former subjects. Dramatic stuff!
Eyries have a pretty great assortment of colors, including Faerie, Darigan, Halloween, Chocolate, and, I think my favorite, Woodland. The delicate flowers hanging from their usually eagle-like wings are so pretty.
Eyries are another pet I’d definitely consider owning myself at some point.
Flotsam
Allow me to mount a humble defense of the Flotsam. I love the Flotsam, even if they’re definitely not one of the more popular Neopets.
People just don’t give the Flotsam enough credit. It’s a really adorable aquatic pet, combining features of narwhals and dolphins to form a truly unique and adorable underwater fantasy creature. I love the expression on their faces too, with their raised flipper almost suggesting curiosity. This is a definite improvement from their classic design, which to me reads as mostly goofy.
Plus, here’s where I admit that my favorite of Neopets’ fantasy lands is Maraqua, the mysterious underwater kingdom. As a kid I loved mermaids and was fascinated by the shell and coral buildings of the land. Plus, Curse of Maraqua was one of my favorite plots before Faerie’s Ruin came along to take its spot.
Flotsams also have way more fun colors than people give them credit for. The Royalgirl Flotsam is so gorgeous with its pastel blue coloring and jewels, and I love the silly yet scary vibes of the Mutant Flotsam.
Maybe I’ve convinced myself to adopt one, honestly. Flotsams are an underrated Neopet.
Gelert
Don’t panic. It’s my favorite Neopet species. I love Gelerts. I’ve devoted a fair amount of time and Neopoints in my quest to collect as many Gelert-themed items for my Gelert gallery as possible. I own three Gelerts of my own – tofoui, Celvinus, and my precious darling first Neopet ever, Nicole.
What is it about the Gelert that enchants me so? Well, I love dogs in real life, and there’s something so perfect about the way the Gelert captures the joyful nature of real dogs in an alien, fantastical way. I think the success of the design comes down to the whip-like ears and tail. Dogs in real life obviously don’t have these features, but the movement and energy both of these features suggest is totally dog-like. You can imagine the Gelert wagging that big long tail with joy, and those big long ears folding back in the wind as they dart after a squirrel… or, uh… Usul?
There’s two major Gelert characters of note. There’s Bruno, a young Gelert inflicted with a curse that mutated him until the young usul Gilly (yes, actually) befriended and helped save him and his fellow villagers in the Tale of Woe plot. And, probably most beloved of all, is Kanrik, the former thief who aided Hannah the adventurer in the Ice Caves plot.
But probably most importantly to me, there’s the Maraquan Gelert. This is my favorite color and species combination in the game. It has such a unique design, with that beautiful purple color evoking an octopus in such an elegant way. When I was a kid, I coveted a Maraquan Gelert. Back then, the cost to paint my Gelert was astronomical, more than one 11-year-old could ever conceive. I saved and saved and saved until finally one day, many years later, I got a fountain faerie quest that allowed my dreams to come true.
What can I say? The Gelert is truly the most perfect Neopet out there.
Gnorbu
This is another widely disliked Neopet that I actually really like. I’ve often praised Neopets that can evoke a certain real-life species in a unique and distinctively Neopets way, and I think the Gnorbu totally pulls that off with llamas. Their big furry ruff and floppy ears feels like an adorable llama without necessarily being literally a drawing of one.
My best guess for why it seems like most people disregard the Gnorbu is this inspiration, I think. Llamas are usually depicted as fluffy and cute, but the Gnorbu emphasizes a lot of Llama traits that I think tend to be seen as more ugly and gross. To me, though, Neopets often excels when it gets to play around a bit with grosser, sillier themes.
That fun and humor applies to many Gnorbu colors, too. I think the Mutant Gnorbu is just the right combo of silly and gross, and the Tyrannian Gnorbu is just downright silly in a fun way. The Halloween Gnorbu is a totally clever design, and the Candy and Cloud Gnorbus take advantage of the species thick mane to do fun things.
Overall, I think the Gnorbu is a well-thought-out and conceived Neopet design that totally deserves far more credit than it gets.
Grarrl
The carnivore counterpart to the Chomby’s herbivore, the Grarrl is as standard a T-rex design as they come. As a kid, this meant I wasn’t a big fan – the Grarrl just looked a bit too mean and scary for me, and I suspect this may be a big reason the species isn’t historically popular.
But with adult hindsight, I can really appreciate a lot of the good qualities of this species. It’s another one of those Neopets that doesn’t stray too terribly far from its design inspiration, though interestingly smooths out the proportions of the standard T-rex, with a smaller head compared to the body and slightly longer arms.
Their current designs also display a ton of personality. I love their toothy grins, showing off both the menacing sharpness and their friendly personality. There’s a slight forcedness to it, though, leaving room for you to suspect that perhaps the Grarrl’s friendliness is a bit of an act – or it’s just a bit awkward. That’s the kind of fun I love in a Neopet design.
Not a lot of Grarrl colors hugely stand out to me, though, unfortunately. The Halloween one is cool, and I love the humor of the Elderly boy and girl designs. The Faerie Grarrl is also an all-time classic. But I’m not sure it’s enough to convince me to invest in one for myself. Still, I respect the Grarrl and all Grarrl-lovers out there.
Grundo
Grundos are a unique species with a lot of lore backing up their existence in the world of Neopets. Once enslaved by the reoccurring villain Dr. Sloth, at the conclusion of the plot he was involved in, they were freed and began living amongst other Neopets.
One of the things I really like about the Grundo is its unique take on an alien. It’s obvious that many features of this species are based on the classic little green Martian stereotype, but the addition of their distinctive antennae and squat, blobby body makes them a creation wholly original and iconic to Neopets. I also love their friendly, earnest expressions.
Grundos have a ton of great colors, too. I love the GIANT antennae on the baby and the space-inspired coloration of the Faerie. And then, there’s the species-exclusive color Mallow, which sees the cute lil Grundo head popping out of a marshmallow. OK, I know it sounds weird, but it’s adorable, I promise.
I have two Grundos myself, my former Lab Rat muinetet and my current Lab Rat Sopfiee (who will likely not stay a Grundo). They’re just such a fun and whimsical species to customize that it’s hard not to justify having a few.
Hissi
While on one hand having a snake Neopet might seem like a no-brainer – snakes are, after all, probably the most well-known and oft-referenced reptile – but on the other hand, there’s a real obstacle to including snakes as an adoptable pet amongst others. With no arms or legs, snakes lack a lot of obvious avenues for expression.
So, Neopets said, let’s give him arms. And not just arms, big, wide, almost wing-like arms, drawing to mind the image of a Quetzalcoatl-inspired winged serpent. With those arms and a michevious yet friendly face, the Hissi has a ton of character.
Interestingly, those arms were originally just wings before the customization update, though if I might stand to ruffle a few feathers, I must say that I kind of like using the wings more explicitly as arms. You absolutely still can interpret them as wings, but allowing them to also be arms makes them feel more able to interact with the world of Neopia and set them apart as their own unique species.
Being snakes, there’s a lot of fun to be had in their various colors. For example, the Candy Hissi is definitely supposed to be a gummy worm and the Desert Hissi dons a hood like a King Cobra. I also love the Mutant Hissi’s two heads and the whiskers on the Royalboy Hissi, pushing the design in a more serpentine dragon direction. Very cool Neopet, for sure.
Ixi
Along the way, I’ve indicated if there’s a certain character in Neopets lore that affects my view of a certain Neopets species. In most cases, this isn’t a major part of my opinion, though. It’s just a fun little bonus or something that makes a species I otherwise wouldn’t pay much mind to a little bit more notable.
The Ixi, however, is probably the one species I would say is pretty heavily dominated by one of the Ixi characters in my mind. See, back in 2010, when I was 12 years old, I got to participate in my very first Neopets plot, the Faerie’s Ruin. In it, the character Hanso is introduced, a young, michevious thief who accidentally gets caught up in a mission to save the Faeries, who have been turned to stone.
I loved this plot as a kid and I especially loved the rougish charm and humor of Hanso, as well as the camaraderie he shared with fellow main character and straight-laced captain of the guard Brynn.
It’s probably good for the Ixi, too, because despite being fairly cute and based on a deer… I can’t say I love the Ixi’s design. I think its head is just way too big for its body, minimizing the amount of character they can really show off. The current Ixi design has a weird facial expression I just don’t really like. I do like a lot of the pre customization designs, particularly the Faerie, Grey, Plushie, and Maraquan ones, but the standard design just is too blank and nothing for me.
So the Ixi can thank Hanso along with several other notable Ixis (like Tarla and Nabile) for saving the species appeal in my heart.
Jetsam
I love sharks. So why don’t I like the Jetsam very much?
On one hand, this could be a situation like the Grarrl, where its tough and mean design put me off as a kid. But as I explained when talking about the Grarrl, I’ve since come around. Maybe it would be helpful, then, to compare the two. Whereas the Grarrl has personality and a certain humorous contradiction to its forced grin, the Jetsam feels a lot more straightforwardly mean.
The Grarrl also made some changes to its inspiration to feel more like a character. The Jetsam, meanwhile, doesn’t have a lot of the sharky features I personally like, and adds a ton of random extras that don’t to me read shark. Why does he have two fins on his head? Why does he have fin-legs?
The classic Jetsam design isn’t all that much better, unfortunately. Though it does somewhat step down from the sharp-toothed aggressor vibe of the newer design, it still has the weird fin-legs and really oddly-proportioned giant head, doing the very opposite of what the Grarrl does.
Maybe the Jetsam can just never live up in my heart to the real thing – the dopey, misunderstood yet undeniably menacing sharks. Still, the Maraquan one is kind of cool, looking more like an Anglerfish. Maybe that’s what the rest of the species should have drawn its inspiration from instead?
JubJub
I was totally under the impression that JubJubs were beloved and admired Neopets, but my recent research into the opinions on many of the Neopets has lead me to realize that they’re far more controversial than I had realized.
Obviously, the very concept of this species is silly. From its name to its nature as a tiny ball of fluff with two big feet, this is definitely not a species that begs to be taken seriously. It’s not a pretty or elegant or menacing species by any means. But I do think there’s a charm to the JubJub, especially in the adorable simplicity of its face.
I do see somewhat what the issue may be – as I talked about with the Hissi, it’s hard to imagine how a species with only feet would interact with a world alongside other species that definitely do have legs and arms and all that. Plus I think the lifted foot of the current design is a little strange and awkward out of context – it’s obviously meant to allow the JubJub to hold a prop, but without one it just looks like he’s showing you his toes. …Put those away.
Like the Chia, though, the JubJub’s silliness feels like a feature, not a bug, and I can’t help but respect it even if I don’t have much drive to get one myself. I like the species specific colors too, particularly Coconut, as well as the colors that play with the unique simple roundness of the species, like Maraquan, Halloween, and Marble.
Kacheek
Kacheeks feel to me like the classic, simple Neopet design that the Acara wants to be but fails to be. It is certainly a bit further from any real-life inspiration, with a tail that suggests squirrel but a totally unique head shape. Still, despite not really resembling any real-life creature, it totally feels like a little woodland animal that would hang out in the forest with a rabbit or squirrel. Or, perhaps, you could interpret it as a cat with weird ears! Your mileage may vary, but no matter what the Kacheek is a real cutie. I also love its name – great sound, totally believable as the name of such a cute lil guy.
Like the Aisha, the Kacheek also feels like a classic iconic Neopet, and it shows in their popularity. I think this has to do with how easily-customizable they are. They’re flexible and their bipedal design allows them to show off whatever clothing you put on them, no problem.
There’s plenty of cute Kacheek colors to choose from as well. I love the round glasses on the Disco and the little patchwork heart fabric on the Plushie. And… unpopular opinion alert, I actually really like the Maraquan, despite every other reaction I’ve seen to it being abject horror. And yes, it is a little horrific, but I don’t know, I love its cute little face.
Kacheeks are a wildly popular Neopet, and it’s obvious to me why.
Kau
Throughout this list there’s been a number of Neopets inspired by animals I love in real life. Some, like the Jetsam, have failed to live up to their inspiration. Others, like the Gelert, capture the essence of their animal perfectly and become an absolute favorite of mine as a result. So how does the Kau fare in living up to my love of real-life cows?
Perfectly! I mean, okay, it’s a little straightforward, I suppose. Unlike the Gelert, it’s not adapting the animal’s features but playing up their nature. But that earnest simplicity totally feels right for an alien version of a cow, an animal I love for their earnest simplicity.
Giant, soulful eyes? Check. Swooshy tail? Check. Vibes that not a thought is going on in that big ol’ head? Check. The Kau has everything it needs to succeed.
If there is one criticism I might have, though, I do wish there was more obvious integration of the cow’s iconic patchwork patterning somewhere in this design. I don’t much like the stripes. Yes, those patches do appear in its Spotted variant, but it’s not enough. The site did begin to make it up to me when it released the Pastel Kau, a play on the ever-popular strawberry cow motif with a full-on neck bell. So, of course, I had to make one for myself, my beloved Fayebelie. But I want more! Neopets, do you hear me?
Kiko
I mean… what is there to say about this thing. I don’t like to be mean but… how are people getting mad at the JubJub when the Kiko exists? There is just no saving grace to be found here.
Hailing from their own homeworld of Kiko lake, the Kiko is a horrendous orb with arms. All of them come with band-aids, as if to indicate that their mere existence causes others to fly into fits of violence on sight of them. Still, the Kiko remains oddly cheery, though with an expression that to me indicates a quiet, seething rage, ready to be let out at any moment.
I find the Kiko horrible to look at. The sight of one unsettles me. I don’t wish to go this far, but I really do feel like the Kiko is the one species of Neopet that would improve the website immeasurably if it were to be deleted from existence.
I’m so sorry.
Koi
The Koi is just a fish. Tail to tip. That’s a fish. I mean, they didn’t even bother to come up with its own unique name. A Koi is a fish in real life and it’s a fish in Neopets, too.
I do think Kois are cute, and I do like the flowing nature of their fins. There’s definitely a graceful appeal to this Neopet, which has generally been improved in its newer design. The original Koi was a bit goofier, which I think kind of played against the strengths of its design. I don’t love the shape of the fist in the current Koi design, but that accursed fist has afflicted more species than just the Koi.
I think I just wish there had been more creativity applied here. There are a ton of other aquatic Neopets, even those I don’t like as much, that do just a bit more to create something uniquely Neopets. So, it’s hard to truly call the Koi something distinctive.
It is saved quite a bit by having a surprising amount of really cute colors. I love the furry ruff on the Darigan Koi, the distinctive look of the Woodland Koi, and the real-life Koi inspired coloration of the Spotted Koi. I just wish there was something a bit more to write home about with this species.
Korbat
When I was younger I never paid much mind to the Korbat. I chalk it up to my general disinterest in anything spooky or spooky-adjacent. I just didn’t much like scary stuff, so the spooky Halloween bat didn’t appeal to me in the way it appealed to others.
In my adulthood, though, I have come to love the Korbat. Bats are such a fun species to base an alien species on, anyway, but the Korbat brings a lot of fun little added features, like its devil-like tail and little feets. Plus, I think they have the cutest little faces.
The classic Korbat is equally cute, in my eyes. I do sort of miss their dopely little dot-eye faces. But, they’re a design that has fared really well into the modern website, in my humble opinion.
I have my own cross-painted Korbat whom I’ve lovingly customized into a candy witch, Birtanina, and I’m happy to have come around to the charms of the Korbat. I may not even be able to stop with just one – especially with the adorably manta ray-inspired Maraquan, the giant-eared Mutant, and the Greek-inspired Royalboy and Royalgirl. And the holly forming the ears of the Snow Korbat? SO adorable.
Kougra
It’s hard for me not to feel a bit of a bias toward the Neopets I have had on my 16-year-old account. The youngest of my classic four is Ocean Wave the Kougra.
I remember feeling a great deal of conflict when creating Ocean (whom I nicknamed O.W. in my head). Back then, you could only have four Neopets, and as my fourth, she would be my final chance to choose amongst the many quality Neopet options.
I think what finally sent me toward the Kougra is the way it exemplifies a lot of what make its real-life inspiration so appealing, similar to how I feel about the Gelert. The Kougra is a big cat, but its round, torn ears give it a different look that still evokes the wild and rough-and-tumble nature of a tiger or a cheetah. It’s huge paws in comparison to the rest of its body also makes it easy to picture this guy pouncing on a piece of pray (or a ball of yarn, pick your poison).
The eagerness and personality in its pose and expression is just hard to pass up, is all I’m saying. Plus, there’s a ton of great Kougra colors. I went Plushie for my own, but I easily could have gone for Baby, Candy, Faerie, Royalgirl, Toy, Valentine, Mutant, Tyrannian… there’s lots to love here. I don’t regret my choice for one second.
Krawk
Besides the Draik, the Krawk is the other Neopet species with the most exclusivity. The only way to make one is through a morphing potion or finding the PetPet of the same name and feeding it magical fungus from a cave in Krawk Island. That makes it a highly desirable pet for a lot of owners, but what I find interesting about it is its comparatively non-widely appealing design.
I mean, compare the appeal of a dragon to a bipedal crocodile – there wouldn’t seem to be much competition between the two, don’t you think? And yet, there’s something so distinctive and characteristic about the Krawk that makes it appealing anyway. Its another one of those Neopets that take a lot of the inspiration from its real-life counterpart but play in the fantastical to create a species that feels really alive and full of personality.
The raggedness of the Krawk’s toothy grin, the sly expression on its face, and its mangled little claw hands give it a ton of unique character. While I’ve never been driven to put in the considerable effort to get one for myself, I can totally see how they would inspire such devotion.
Unfortunately, they don’t have a ton of great colors in my opinion. However, I do love the Darigan Krawk (particularly unconverted, what a huge chonker), and the much more aquatic croc vibes of the Maraquan Krawk.
We’re halfway through, so that’s all for part one. Just for fun, here’s my ranking of the species so far:
Absoludicrous 