Remember When '90s Churches Preached That Pokémon Was Demonic?

If you grew up in the late’90s, you remember the drill: trade cards at recess, watch the show after school, and hope nobody’s mom found out you had a holographic Charizard. What you might not remember is that some churches were actively preaching against the whole franchise. Pokémon arrived in the U.S. in 1998, and within a year, sermons, VHS tapes, and books were warning that the games were a gateway to the occult.

The loudest voice on the circuit was Stephen Dollins, billed as a former Satanic high priest, who toured with a 35-minute sermon claiming to decode hidden demonic symbols in the games. His evidence included Pikachu’s tail, Mewtwo’s fingers, and Poliwhirl’s belly spiral, all of which he said pointed to the occult. Texas pastor Phil Arms went further, telling his congregation that becoming a Pokémon master meant controlling spirits in the dark realm, and he published a book about it in 2000 called“Pokemon&Harry Potter: A Fatal Attraction.”The symbol claims didn’t hold up, but the panic landed anyway.

It helps to remember the context. Church culture in the’90s was still shaped by the Satanic Panic that went after Dungeons&Dragons, backmasked records, and ritual abuse claims. The playbook and the audience were already there. Pokémon just walked in and became the next target, and a lot of kids had their cards taken away because of it.

Did your parents ever confiscate your Pokémon cards? Tell us your story in the comments.