Highlights
- Generations 4 and 5 had the most game lore-relevant Mythical Pokemon, with each Pokemon playing a major role in the story.
- Generation 7's Mythical Pokemon, Zarude, is disappointing in terms of its competitive abilities and lack of connection to the major series lore.
- The original Mythical Pokemon, Mew, is an all-rounder with intriguing attributes and has been the subject of rumors and speculation for many generations.
Mythical Pokemon are the most mysterious Pokemon in every Generation. Rarely encountered, often overlooked, and hugely powerful, these Pokemon are highly sought after by many players. There are only a couple of Mythical Pokemon in every Generation, and they often come linked with an important piece of mythology attached to each region.
Pokemon: Every Mythical & Legendary Pokemon
A complete list of every mythical and legendary Pokemon, including their types, base stat totals and the games in which players can catch them.
For example, the Godlike Pokemon Arceus is said to be the original Pokemon and the creator of the world, whereas the tiny Jirachi is known to be the granter of wishes and desires. Mythical Pokemon have historically been given out as part of events, but these have become more and more scarce in recent times. Not all Mythical Pokemon were created equal, however, as each has varying strengths, mythology behind them, and competitive ability. Here's every Generation of Pokemon, ranked by its Mythical.
Generation 9 is not included in this list yet, as it hasn't yet revealed any Mythical Pokemon.
8 Zarude
Generation 7
- Zarude - Pokedex Entry #893, Dark/Grass Type
The Galar Region actually didn't contain a single Mythical Pokemon until the DLC was released. The Isle Of Armor DLC revealed the existence of Zarude, which was then featured in the 23rd Pokemon movie Secrets In The Jungle. Unfortunately, Generation 7's showing of Mythicals is weak compared to other Pokemon games, as it only has a single Mythical which isn't hugely connected to major series lore.
Zarude itself is known as the Rogue Monkey Pokemon, with a dual typing of Dark and Grass, and a Smogon tier of RUBL. Its fairly weak move pool and many weaknesses make it unreliable in the competitive scene, which is among the reasons why Generation 7's Mythical Pokemon is roundly disappointing.
7 Celebi
Generation 2
- Celebi - Pokedex Entry #251, Psychic/Grass Type
There may not be many mythical Pokemon in the Johto region, however, Celebi is certainly an interesting one. With a tiny frame and a stronger-than-expected stat total of a balanced 600, Celebi is an unexpectedly strong Mythical that comes with deep lore across many games and movies. Celebi was last in the RU tier on Smogon during Generation 8.
Every Pokemon Type, Ranked From Worst To Best
Every Pokemon type has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses. This is how they all compare to one another.
What makes Celebi special is its personality in many games such as Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, where it has a captivating personality and an interesting backstory involving Celebi's time-traveling abilities. Celebi is able to travel through time, making plant life flourish wherever it goes.
6 Mew
Generation 1
- Mew - Pokedex Entry #151, Psychic Type
The original isn't always the best. This phrase is especially true given the mythology behind Kanto's sole Mythical Pokemon, Mew. Mew is said to contain the DNA of every Pokemon, which is why it's able to learn every TM in the game. Another Pokemon with 100 in each stat, Mew also has a very balanced 600 stat total, meaning it's a very capable, diverse Pokemon.
Sitting in the RUBL tier in the Smogon Pokedex, Mew's unique attributes make it an effective all-rounder in the competitive scene. The biggest attribute that Mew has, however, is its intrigue. There have been several rumors about how to obtain Mew in several generations, as it's been seldom given away or able to catch. Unfortunately, Kanto sits lower on this tier list due to only having a single Mythical Pokemon.
5 Magearna, Marshadow, Zeraora, Meltan, And Melmetal
Generation 7
- Magearna - Pokedex Entry #801, Steel/Fairy Type
- Marshadow - Pokedex Entry #802, Fighting/Ghost Type
- Zeraora - Pokedex Entry #807, Electric Type
- Meltan - Pokedex Entry #808, Steel Type
- Melmetal - Pokedex Entry #809, Steel Type
Generation 7 has several Mythicals, but they have too little in-game importance for Alola's regional Mythical Pokemon to make it higher up the list. At this point in the Pokemon franchise, it had been popular to give away Mythicals without any significant event for years, and Alola was a key example of the weaknesses of this formula.
All The Regional Variant Pokemon, Ranked
The Pokemon franchise has introduced a number of regional variants over the last few years. Here's how each one ranks.
To put it simply, the Mythical Pokemon shown off by Alola shine in the movies rather than the games, as they're all significant outside the main series. There's simply not enough importance in the game to justify Alola's Mythicals being higher on the list, as even with various out-of-game references, these Pokemon never truly grab the player's interest.
4 Diancie, Hoopa, and Volcanion
Generation 6
- Diancie - Pokedex Entry #719, Rock/Fairy Type
- Hoopa - Pokedex Entry #720, Psychic/Ghost (Confined), Psychic Dark (Unbound) Type
- Volcanion - Pokedex Entry #721, Fire/Water Type
Generation 6 had some good quality Mythicals, but also some of the most underused. For example, Volcanion has the most interesting typing of any Pokemon so far, being a dual water and fire type, but wasn't used in any interesting event. Diancie had an amazing mega but also wasn't the most interesting of Mythical Pokemon. Hoopa, on the other hand, is an exception.
Hoopa was interesting when it was released back in Generation 6, but it only became more intriguing lore-wise after its movie was made. Now sitting in the Under Used tier of the Smogon Pokeex, Hoopa has high competitive potential, coupled with diversity, being multi-formed.
3 Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect
Generation 5
- Victini - Pokedex Entry #494, Psychic/Fire Type
- Keldeo - Pokedex Entry #647, Water/Fighting Type
- Meloetta - Pokedex Entry #648, Normal/Psychic Type
- Genesect - Pokedex Entry #649, Bug/Steel Type
Generation 5 is when Mythical Pokemon really starts to have game lore-relevant storylines. For example, Genesect was a Pokemon revived from a fossil by Team Plasma, and later technologically enhanced to become the most powerful Pokemon ever. N shut the project down, but later it was recommenced and Genesect was obtainable in the Pokemon Black And White sequels.
Pokemon: The 26 Strongest Legendary Pokemon, Ranked According To Their Stats
When it comes to raw power and impressive base stat totals, few Pokemon can even come close to competing with the series' many Legendary Pokemon.
Keldeo is another example of this, being the fourth member of the Swords Of Justice. Overall, Generation 5 was an excellent example of how to integrate Mythical Pokemon stories into Pokemon games, even though other Pokemon, such as Victini, were less relevant to the main story.
2 Deoxys and Jirachi
Generation 3
- Deoxys - Pokedex Entry #386, Psychic Type
- Jirachi - Pokedex Entry #385, Steel/Psychic Type
Generation 3 may not have had the highest number of Mythical Pokemon, but the Hoenn games are highly regarded as having some of the most iconic Mythical Pokemon. The remakes actually added an entire Delta Chapter focused on one of the two, Deoxys, and there was an event in the original games to obtain Jirachi, a powerful steel-type.
Deoxys's Delta Chapter was one of the most memorable parts of the remade Generation 3 games, as it put Deoxys front and center, and provided a legitimate way to encounter and catch it without an event. The Delta Chapter was highly praised for being a positive addition to the remakes, and it cemented Generation III as one of the generations with the most iconic and game-relevant Mythicals.
1 Manaphy, Phione, Shaymin, Darkrai, and Arceus
Generation 4
- Manaphy - Pokedex Entry #490, Water Type
- Phione - Pokedex Entry #489, Water Type
- Shaymin - Pokedex Entry #492, Grass Type
- Darkrai - Pokedex Entry #491, Dark Type
- Arceus - Pokedex Entry #493, Normal Type
Generation 4 was where Mythicals were at their peak. Every one of them had major in-game importance, or a game where they were important, and every one of them (besides the water-type Phione) was a fan favorite. It was fitting that the region most known for its focus on mythology would be the one with the most focus on the Pokemon of those myths.
With Legends: Arceus being a title focused on Arceus, there has now been a game that has every one of these Pokemon playing a major role. With how lore-rich the original games were, it was always possible to see the effect these Pokemon had on the region of Sinnoh, and it's why Generation 4 is the very best of the Pokemon series, at least based on its Mythicals.
