As you know may know Fennekin is the fire starter in Pokémon X and Y, inspired by the fennec fox, an animal native to the deserts of North Africa and the national animal of Algeria.

While Fennekin and it's evolution line is incredibly designed, its inclusion in the Kalos region, which is based on France, feels uncomfortable when viewed through the lens of colonial history.

As someone with an Algerian SO and several North African friends, I cannot help but see Fennekin as an inadvertent reminder of France’s fraught colonial relationship with Algeria.

The Fennec Fox: A Symbol of Algerian Resilience

The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is an iconic species of the Saharan desert, adopted by Algeria as its national symbol representing resilience in harsh environments.

For Algerians, the fennec fox is not just an animal but a marker of identity and pride, embodying the strength of a nation that endured decades of French atrocities.

France’s Colonial Legacy in Algeria

France’s colonization of Algeria was distinct from its other colonies due to Algeria’s classification as an "integral" part of metropolitan France rather than an overseas territory. France colonized Algeria in 1830 and ruled it as a colony until 1848, when it was annexed as an "extension" of France itself until Algeria's emancipation in 1962.

This distinction gave Algeria a unique status among French colonies and intensified its colonization. France encouraged European settlers, known as pieds-noirs, to move to Algeria, displacing indigenous Algerians from their land and relegating them to second-class citizenship. While settlers enjoyed full rights as French citizens, indigenous Algerians were governed under the oppressive Code de l'Indigénat, a legal framework that institutionalized racial discrimination and economic exploitation.

France’s determination to retain Algeria was so strong that NATO’s 1949 founding charter included articles explicitly defending French sovereignty over Algeria, underscoring the colony’s perceived importance to French national integrity.

French Atrocities in Algeria: A Legacy of Violence

Algeria’s fight for independence was the longest and bloodiest among France’s North African colonies. French oppression was systemic and brutal, marked by atrocities that included:

Initial Genocide: At the very beginning of French occupation of Algeria, between 1830 and 1860 the French killed a 1/3 of the entire native population of Algeria.

Code de l'Indigénat: Imposed in 1881, this legal system subjected Algerians to forced labor, heavy taxes, and denied them basic rights.

Cultural Suppression: Arabic language and Islamic practices were marginalized, and attempts at assimilation erased Algerian identity.

Mass Killings: French forces massacred civilians, including the 1945 Sétif and Guelma Massacre, killing over 20,000 after protests for independence.

Systematic Torture: The French military routinely used electrocution, beatings, and waterboarding to extract information from Algerians, as detailed in the testimony of survivors.

Sexual Violence Against Women: Rape and sexual assault were used as tools of war to demoralize Algerian communities and break resistance.

Bombings and Napalm: French forces bombed villages indiscriminately, often using incendiary weapons like napalm, destroying homes and lives.

Internment Camps: Over 2 million Algerians were forcibly relocated to camps where conditions were inhumane, with disease and starvation rampant.

Urban Massacres in France: In 1961, French police brutally suppressed a pro-independence protest in Paris, killing hundreds of Algerians in the Paris Massacre.

Lingering Trauma: Survivors of French atrocities carried physical and psychological scars, with many still seeking acknowledgment of their suffering.

Unmarked Graves: Thousands of victims remain in unmarked mass graves, a haunting reminder of colonial violence.

Fennekin in Kalos: Unintentional Erasure

I apologise for the long winded history lesson, but I do believe this context is important to understanding the implications of Fennekin's inclusion in Kalos.

Fennekin’s placement in the Kalos region—a fictional land inspired by France—can be seen as an unconscious echo of these dynamics. By using an animal deeply associated with Algeria in a French-inspired setting, the Pokémon franchise inadvertently erases the cultural specificity of the fennec fox and places it within the framework of France’s global legacy. Risking further eroding the distinction between France and Algeria, as the former continues to overshadow the cultural narratives of the latter.

This mirrors the broader colonial pattern of appropriation, where resources, symbols, and cultural markers from colonized regions were absorbed into French identity without recognition of their original significance.

Conclusion

Do I hate Fennekin and its line? No, I think the line is very well designed and complements Chesknaught and Greninja nicely in the Rogue-Knight-Wizard class trio. However, even though I always wanted a Fennec Pokémon, its debut in a French based region will always feel bittersweet.

Do I think Gamefreak did this intentionally? No, despite Japan's own failure to acknowledge its own imperial atrocities I would rather believe this inclusion to come from a place of ignorance rather than malice.

Nevertheless, this example illustrates the importance of cultural context in media design. By overlooking the historical ties between France, Algeria, and the fennec fox, Pokémon inadvertently stirs a legacy of colonial erasure, leaving a shadow on an otherwise excellent design.