Kadabra Lawsuit: Uri Geller’s Ban and the Card’s Return

The Kadabra Pokémon lawsuit was a 2000 trademark case brought by Israeli entertainer Uri Geller against Nintendo, alleging that the Psychic-type Pokémon Kadabra was an unauthorized copy of his identity as a spoon-bending psychic. Geller lost the U.S. case, but the dispute pushed Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to quietly retire the character for over 20 years. Kadabra did not appear on a new trading card between 2002 and 2023.¹

Why Geller Thought Kadabra Was Him

Kadabra first appeared in the original 1996 Pokémon games. In Japan, its name is “Yungerer” (also romanized as “Yungela” or “Yungeller”), which phonetically resembles “Uri Geller.”² The character is drawn holding a bent spoon and possesses telekinetic and psychic powers, mirroring the act that made Geller famous in the 1970s.³

Geller called the character “a straight theft of my persona.”⁴ He also objected to a star on Kadabra’s forehead and lightning-bolt markings on its chest, which he claimed resembled symbols associated with the Waffen-SS.⁵ He said he would never have consented to “an aggressive, and in one case evil character” being based on him.¹

The Lawsuit

Geller’s legal campaign began in late 1999, when his Tokyo lawyer, Yoichi Kitamura, prepared the first writ against Nintendo in Japan. Geller also instructed lawyers in the United States and United Kingdom, seeking more than £60 million in British-equivalent damages, with a parallel U.S. claim reportedly seeking $100 million.⁴

On November 1, 2000, Geller formally filed Uri Geller v. Nintendo Co Ltd in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 2:00-cv-11626). It was styled as a federal trademark infringement action under the Lanham Act.⁶ The Los Angeles Times reported that the suit named Nintendo of America, the company’s U.S. subsidiary.⁷

Nintendo’s public response was minimal. A Japanese spokesperson said the company would not comment until it received an official complaint. A British representative told The Guardian, “I can’t imagine Uri Geller would have such a following in Japan that they would name a Pokemon card after him.”⁴

How the Case Ended

The California lawsuit was terminated on November 21, 2002, according to federal court records, with a final filing dated March 3, 2003.⁸ 9 Geller received no financial compensation.¹⁰ He reportedly continued filing suits against Nintendo in other jurisdictions after the U.S. dismissal.¹

What the Ban Actually Looked Like

Even without a court victory, Geller’s litigation reshaped the character’s presence across the franchise. Whether by formal agreement or a corporate decision to avoid more legal trouble, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company shelved Kadabra in multiple places.

In the Trading Card Game, Kadabra’s last appearance before its long absence was the 2002 Skyridge set. No new Kadabra cards were printed for the next 21 years. Kadabra sits in the middle of a three-stage evolution line (Abra to Kadabra to Alakazam), so designers had to work around it. Alakazam appeared as a Basic Pokémon through special mechanics like Pokémon-EX, Pokémon V, and Pokémon-star. In the 2007 Mysterious Treasures set, an Abra card was given an attack that let it evolve directly into Alakazam, skipping the middle stage entirely.¹

Kadabra also disappeared from the Pokémon anime after 2005. In the video games, the character stayed available but was quietly downgraded: from Generation IV onward, a traded Kadabra would always evolve into Alakazam even when holding an Everstone, an item normally used to prevent evolution.¹

Why Geller Changed His Mind

On November 28, 2020, Geller reversed course. He posted on Twitter that he was lifting what he called “the ban,” writing, “I am truly sorry for what I did 20 years ago. Kids and grownups I am releasing the ban. It’s now all up to Nintendo to bring my Kadabra Pokémon card back.”¹¹

He gave several reasons. Fans on the community site PokéBeach had launched a forum campaign in 2018, and Geller said supporters had been contacting him “nonstop” through a “tremendous volume of emails.”¹²¹¹ He also said becoming a grandfather had shifted his view, and his granddaughters played a role. In a later statement, he said: “I was a fool. It was a devastating mistake for me to sue Pokémon. [Kadabra] was basically a tribute to Uri Geller. But it’s back now. Forgive me.”⁹ In August 2022, he described the original suit as “a stupid thing.”¹³

Geller wrote a letter to the chairman of Nintendo formally relinquishing his claims over the character. In December 2020, Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara replied with a letter of thanks and sent Geller several Kadabra cards. Both are now displayed in Geller’s museum in Jaffa, Israel.¹³

Kadabra’s Return to the Trading Card Game

Kadabra came back to the TCG in the Pokémon Card 151 set, which featured the original 151 Kanto-region Pokémon arranged in Pokédex order. The Japanese release launched on June 16, 2023.¹⁴ The international English-language version, branded Scarlet & Violet—151, followed on September 22, 2023.¹⁵

Geller himself embraced the moment, predicting the Kadabra card “will probably be one of the rarest cards now” and saying he was “pleased Pokémon fans are excited to see Kadabra return.”¹⁶ The character also returned to animation through the series Pokémon Evolutions.¹⁰

1
PokéBeach. Kadabra Officially Returning to the Pokemon TCG
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The Wrap. Kadabra Back in Pokemon Cards After Uri Geller Drops Lawsuit
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BBC. Uri Geller Profile
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The Guardian. Uri Geller Sues Nintendo
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The Three Penny Guignol. Uri Geller, Kadabra’s Vanishing Act, and Pokemon’s Strangest Lawsuit
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CourtListener. Uri Geller v. Nintendo Co Ltd, 2:00-cv-11626
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Los Angeles Times. Uri Geller Sues Nintendo Over Pokemon Character
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CourtListener. Uri Geller v. Nintendo Co Ltd, 2:00-cv-11626
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Eurogamer. Kadabra Returning to Pokemon TCG After Two-Decade Absence
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Game Rant. Pokemon Anime Kadabra Removal Magician Lawsuit
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The Jerusalem Post. Uri Geller Allows Pokemon to Release Kadabra Trading Cards
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PC Gamer. Nintendo Brings Back Rare Pokemon Card 23 Years Later
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Yahoo News. Kadabra to Return After Geller Drops Suit
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Bleeding Cool. Kadabra Returns to Pokemon TCG With Pokemon Card 151
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Dicebreaker. Pokemon TCG 151 Scarlet and Violet Promo Set Kadabra Returns
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Hypebeast. Kadabra Pokemon TCG Card Returning After Uri Geller Ban