The 30 Best Pokemon of All Time

There’s a lot to celebrate in the year of Pokemon’s 30th anniversary, from the vast library of amazing games, the phenomenon that was and is Pokemon Go, and the long-running anime that opened our hearts up to an electric rat. But the real stars of this gargantuan, multi-faceted franchise are the pocket monsters themselves. And that’s why we’re ranking the very best of them. Don’t worry about catching ‘em all - these are the 30 Pokemon you really want.

And why would you want these 30, as chosen by our most Pokemon-obsessed editors? Because they’re the greatest, that’s why. There are many methods we could have used to rank these monsters, from analysing their battle proficiency to assessing how many appearances they make across games, anime, cards, and plushies. But we’ve ultimately gone with our hearts rather than heads – these are the 30 Pokemon that we feel best capture the magic and wonder of one of pop culture’s most important universes. So who’s on our team? Let’s run them down.

30. Bulbasaur

Let’s get this place humid! From its place as one of the original starters, to its newly found role as one of Ditto’s first friends in Pokopia, Bulbasaur has long had a place in players’ hearts. Garnering nutrients from the seed on its back, it’s often debated within the Pokémon universe whether Bulbasaur is more plant or animal — though arguably a better question to be asking based on what we learn in the anime episode “Bulbasaur’s Secret Garden” is “is Bulbasaur in a cult?” Regardless of the answer to either question, this green little guy is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable and nostalgic Pokémon in the entire Pokédex.

29. Arceus

Within the Pokémon universe, Arceus is basically God. They’re certainly not always an altruistic deity, kidnapping children, banishing Giratina for potentially dubious reasons, and blowing up players’ phones with more cryptic fervor than a situationship. However, they did shape the entire universe, so we can kind of give them a pass. Alongside creating the world, Arceus is the only Pokémon that can utilize the Judgment move or have the Multitype ability, and their design also makes it look like they’re wearing a really slay pair of boots — they’re an absolute icon.

28. Metagross

Essentially an arachnid-adjacent supercomputer, Metagross is the perfect embodiment of both arachnophobia and technophobia in a four-brained package. Though there are many arguably terrifying Pokémon, Metagross manages to make you question just how scary creatures like Banette really are when you learn things like how Metagross enjoys pinning down opponents with their extremely heavy body and consuming them with the giant mouth on its belly. And don’t even get me started on its Mega form, the description for which in Ultra Sun reads, “Its intellect surpasses its previous level, resulting in battles so cruel, they'll make you want to cover your eyes.” They’re utterly horrifying, and certifiably badass.

27. Dragonite

Considered a pseudo-legendary by many fans, it would be impossible not to include Dragonite on this list. Outside the nostalgia factor of being one of the original 151, it’s also one of the kindest Pokémon, known for rescuing drowning people and ships lost at sea. It even canonically gets nicer with its Mega Evolution, but don’t let that kindness fool you — it will still pummel you and your Pokémon into the ground if provoked. However, according to the Legends: Z-A Pokédex entry for its Mega form, “It finishes off its opponents with mercy in its heart.” Isn’t that sweet?

26. Hawlucha

From how much aura Hawlucha has, you would never guess it’s only a couple feet tall. Despite it’s small size, it’s got just as much fighting prowess as Pokémon like Machamp, and with more flair for the dramatic. This showboating can sometimes get it into trouble, leading enemies to counterattack while Hawlucha spends too much time launching into a move, but if anything that just makes this diva even more lovable. Despite Hawlucha’s flair for the dramatic, it prefers to live a quiet life. They don’t flock together, and their only known enemies in the wild are loud groups of Primeapes — it’s hard not to stan an independent luchador who hates noise pollution.

25. Ditto

Ditto has risen to more prominence than ever before following the release of Pokopia, but this amorphous critter has been charming since its very first iteration in Gen 1. This purple blob is deceptively simple, able to change its DNA at the drop of a hat. It can reconstitute its entire cellular structure with no lasting harm to its own wellbeing, copying both its target’s appearance and moves, which in a way makes it one of the most powerful Pokémon around. Of course, it’s not flawless, often faltering in its representation due to laughter or misremembering, but that just makes Ditto even more relatable.

24. Piplup

Piplup is arguably one of the most adorable starters in the entire Pokémon franchise, a diminutive cutie-pie that can elicit an “aww” from even the most hardened of hearts. Funnily enough, as much as this Pokémon looks built for being scooped up and held like a baby, it’s one of the hardest to get close to due to its extreme sense of pride. It doesn’t like accepting food from its trainers or bonding with them, and will angrily puff its chest out after falling over — which it does often. However, much like a petulant cat refusing affection, Piplup’s resistance to bonding just makes us want to squish its little face even more.

23. Flygon

Though you might assume Flygon would be a Bug/Dragon type (and honestly, many fans are still confused on how its not all these years later), it’s actually one of the very few Ground/Dragon type Pokémon, giving it a veritable list of immunities, resistances, and types it’s effective against. Though the franchise has