Why 108 spirits?
A stone, a spell, and a very specific number.
Case status: Open. The games leave it unanswered, so nobody can say for sure.
What the games say
Spiritomb is a group Pokémon: its entries say it was formed by 108 spirits that were bound into a cracked stone called the Odd Keystone. Platinum and Black and White say a mysterious spell tied it to the stone because of its constant mischief. Pearl says this happened 500 years ago.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus gives the number in old-fashioned words: the old writings of Hisui say it came from "five score and eight" spirits. That is 108. No game explains why it is that number.
What fans think
A fan guess, and a good one: 108 is a famous number in Japan. In some Buddhist traditions, there are said to be 108 worries that people carry, and temple bells are rung 108 times on New Year's Eve to let them go. Some fans think Game Freak borrowed the number.
Nobody from Game Freak has said so. We think the bell idea is the best of the fan guesses, but it is still a guess.
Our verdict
Case status: Open
Open. The games tell the legend: 108 spirits, one stone. They don't say where the number comes from, and the bell idea is a guess.
If you want a kinder way to think about it, Spiritomb is a very big team that got stuck together.
What do you think?
Why do you think it is 108?
- The New Year bells
- It is just a fun big number
- It is a code
Pick an answer on the page. Your pick stays on your own device: we do not collect votes or show totals.
Related Pokémon
Sources
- Spiritomb: in-game Pokédex entries
- Wikipedia: Joya no Kane (the New Year bells rung 108 times)
- Wikipedia: 108 (number)