Mandibuzz are not a violent pokemon; indeed, their exclusive scavenging has seen them described by modern researchers as the pacifists of the pokemon world, although they do not shy away from battle, only from killing. However, their penchant for gathering the bones of the dead for the purposes of decoration – both of their own bodies and their nests – has caused many in human history to jump to the wrong conclusions.

Mandibuzz were once imagined as birds who killed for fun and kept their trophies on their nests or their belts. They were thought to tear flesh from the dead not for the sake of eating – for it was believed they relied on some unknown food source, likely smaller birds in flight – but for better decoration, and the lengthy periods of time they spent tearing flesh from bones was seen as proof of their dedication to barbarism, for no pokemon could possibly enjoy the taste of rotting meat. That they used dark type attacks likely added to this perception; when faced with a giant bird who looked like a barbarian chieftain, humans drew understandable but wholly erroneous conclusions.

In truth, Mandibuzz are considered dark type not because they are murderers, but because they are habitual thieves. Their robust bodies, sharp claws, and large wings which make them so hard to take down in pokemon battles are equally adept at driving predators away from their kills, and they will even rob cemeteries for their decorations. This, to be sure, is a far milder crime than mass murder, but that is of little comfort to the large, predatory pokemon who are often faced with starvation from stolen food; should they starve, the Mandibuzz often add insult to injury by picking their corpse bare and burying them in their nest.