The name behind Kadabra’s spoon
Kadabra’s design made the resemblance more than a matter of a spoon: its Japanese name, Yungerer, echoes “Uri Geller,” the performer known for bending spoons. Geller argued that the character borrowed from his identity without permission. The dispute shows how a fictional creature can become a real-world rights issue when its name and signature trick point toward a recognizable person.
A legal dispute with a long afterlife
Geller’s challenge failed, but the character’s presence in the Pokémon Trading Card Game became a separate practical matter. Kadabra did not appear on new cards for roughly two decades, leaving a conspicuous gap for collectors and players: the character existed in the games and animated series, yet was missing from the card lineup.
That absence lasted much longer than the legal fight itself. In 2020, Geller publicly reversed course and said he would allow Nintendo to use Kadabra again. The character returned to the card game in 2023. A lawsuit can end without ending its effects: in this case, a dispute over a name and a spoon left one Pokémon out of a major part of its franchise for years.
