No, Kartana is Not Considered a Mythical Pokémon

As an avid Pokémon gamer and content creator, I get asked often whether the mysterious Ultra Beast known as Kartana should qualify as a Mythical Pokémon based on its power and limited availability. After thorough research into its origins and place within the complex lore of Legendaries, I can definitively state Kartana is categorized as an Ultra Beast, not a Mythical.

Origins of the Ultra Beast Designation

First introduced in the Sun & Moon games, Ultra Beasts are extradimensional Pokémon originating from the alternate reality known as Ultra Space via Ultra Wormholes. They possess higher base stat totals compared to most Pokémon and unique abilities signifying their "otherworldly" nature.

Kartana itself first emerged in the Alola region, appearing suddenly to "mow down" a gigantic steel tower with its razor-sharp body before vanishing back into an Ultra Wormhole. Its menacing Origami theme and seemingly random acts of wanton destruction have led fans to see Kartana as an homage to slasher icons like Jason Voorhees.

Kartana‘s Stats and Battle Capabilities

As a dual Grass/Steel type, Kartana‘s key stats are:

With astronomical Attack matched by impressive Speed, Kartana is one of the hardest hitting Grass types around. It utilizes moves like Leaf Blade, Night Slash Sacred Sword to demolish unsuspecting opponents. That said, its Paper-thin body composition translates to horrendous defenses – making it extremely vulnerable to Fire and Flying moves.

Contrasting Kartana with Mythical Pokémon

So why doesn‘t Kartana qualify as a Mythical Pokémon? In the games‘ lore, Mythicals comprise the rarest Legendary species often representing folk tales and myths tied to the Pokémon universe‘s history/belief systems. They‘re encounterable only through limited-time distributions or special events.

Some examples of Mythicals and their lore significance:

• Mew – The ancestor of all Pokémon, Mew contains the DNA of every existing species. Mythology portrays it as the Eve to Arceus‘ Adam.
• Celebi – Known as the "Voice of the Forest", Celebi is a guardian spirit capable of time travel regarded as a forest deity in Johto/Sinnoh myths.
• Manaphy – Able to bond with any Pokémon, Manaphy is connected especially to the Sea Temple Samiya, the latter being the object of a People of the Water folktale.

While Kartana‘s Ultra Space origin makes it unable to occupy such mythological roles, that limitation hasn‘t stopped fans from speculating whether it could receive new forms tying it to human legends.

Theories and Rumors on Kartana‘s Future

In 2019, suspicious leaks ahead of Pokémon Sword & Shield seemed to indicate Kartana would gain a new armored Gigantamax form – this turned out to be false unfortunately. However, hopes remain that Gen 9 or future games might finally give Kartana its own Mythical-connected regional variant, Mega Evolution, or Primal Reversion representing Japanese folktales or kami legends.

As a lifelong Pokémon enthusiast myself, I would personally love to see a Mythic themed around the sinfully prideful arrogant samurai trope receiving divine retribution! And Kartana‘s vicious swordsmanship seems a perfect fit.

Conclusion – Kartana Stuck as Ultra Beast…For Now

While clearly poured from the same mold as Legendaries in terms of strength, collectability, and inspiration from Japanese culture, Kartana lacks the narrative weight to stand alongside true Mythicals in Pokémon lore at present. With its behaviour explained away as essentially alien, and no folk tales tied to its existence, Kartana remains classified solely as one of the Ultra Beasts for the time being.

But who knows what the future may hold for this hot-tempered origami rōnin. Perhaps one day game developers will pull back the curtain and reveal Kartana was being set up as a Mythical all along! But for now fans will have to be content mastering this deadly Grass/Steel samurai warrior in its existing Ultra Beast form.