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In the minds of children and former children across the globe, perhaps the only thing more iconic than the adventures of Ash and Pikachu are the theme songs that preceded each episode ofPokemon.
Throughout the show's long history, each Generation has had a slightly different tone and style. Be it through new characters, regions, or animation styles, the Pokemon anime is one that has had many different overall presentations throughout the years. The Pokemon theme song is a crucial part of this, it's a quick and dirty encapsulation of what the show was trying to be at the time. Some are truly iconic, while others are just straight-up bangers, but all of them are fondly remembered by audiences of all ages.
Updated February 28, 2023, by Jerrad Wyche: With the recent announcement of Ash Ketchum's time as the Pokemon anime's lead protagonist coming to an end, tons of dedicated and lapsed fans of the show are reminiscing nostalgically. The Pokemon anime has so many episodes and seasons, each ranging in storytelling, subject matter, vibe, and characters. It's going to be strange for Ash and his Pikachu to no longer be front and center, but in the meantime, it's nice to look back at all of the catchy and emotional Pokemon theme songs the show provided, before the next era of the Pokemon anime begins.
13 Master Journeys - Journey To Your Heart
The most recent saga of the anime sees Ash traveling across every region in Pokemon history, encountering friends and rivals, new and old along the way. This series needs to capture that sense of nostalgia that comes with that while showing a move to the future.
Journey To Your Heart is the theme that comes closest to the style of traditional Japanese theme songs. It's a bit cheesy but has some rock-out material as well as some emotional highs. The lyrics are fairly generic "friends can do anything together" rhetoric, but the music is so upbeat and funloving that it's bound to put smiles on faces.
12 Master Quest - Believe In Me
This song was the first to really try and rock out like no other theme song had before. Up until this point, most of the songs had relied on a fairly simple beat to carry them, which definitely worked, but Believe In Me is all about the guitar, creating a track where the melody is even more memorable than the lyrics.
Master Quest was the final series of the Johto saga, and a sharp change in feel for the anime was coming. This was the last series with Misty as a permanent companion for Ash, and the last time many of Ash's Kanto Pokemon would be by his side. This song captures that feeling of finality for a lot of these aspects as the show prepared to wipe the slate clean for Hoenn.
11 Journeys - The Journey Starts Today
The Journey Starts Today is the song that best represents the vibe of Pokemon in the modern era. It's a very modern song, the melody is almost entirely synth-based which gives the same feel as modern pop songs. That said, it still holds true to what the series has always been about.
The lyrics have the same "friends stick together" theme, but there's a lot more creativity in how they're woven together. Unlike many songs before this one, it doesn't just outright state the message of friendship, it talks around it with fast-paced and catchy verses. It could be argued it's a little too inoffensive to truly stand out, but the melody is just too catchy to deny.
10 Battle Dimension - We Will Be Heroes
When it comes to the melody of We Will Be Heroes, it's one of the most all-around solid. It starts with a simple background beat that slowly builds with the lyrics. It hits various styles of keyboard before hitting the emotional burst for the chorus. Drums and guitars kick in to keep that emotional high riding all the way to the title screen.
The lyrics are a little on the nose with the friendship message, but it's fairly appropriate for the Sinnoh saga. So much of the plots relied on the interpersonal connections between characters, and how they challenged each other. Ash and Dawn were often at odds but worked together and became close friends nonetheless. Ash and Paul were fierce rivals who taught each other the faults of their different perspectives. Those connections shine through in this song.
9 The Johto Journeys - Pokemon Johto
After detouring to the Orange Islands, the Pokemon anime finally took its first steps into a brand-new region with The Johto Journeys. Much like the games, this series of anime may very well have been the last for the series (although we all know how that turned out) so it had to do its best to honor the old while embracing the new.
"New" is very much the theme of this song, Pokemon Johto. Almost every line of the chorus has the word "new" in it, hyping up kids everywhere to see all the fresh wonders Johto has to offer. It always makes sure to bring it back, though. "But we still gotta catch 'em all" is a simple and effective way to remind everyone that it's still the same show they've always loved. Combine all this with arguably the most catchy melody of any theme song, and it'll stick in the mind for decades.
8 XYZ - Stand Tall
XYZ is an epic series of the show, with some movie-level plots coming to fruition. Team Flare and Lysandre, who were boring and forgettable in the games became some of the grandest and toughest villains the anime has ever seen. On top of that, it features the Kalos League, one of the best League arcs in the show's history, with arguably the strongest and most competent version of Ash the show has ever seen.
Stand Tall is a song that parallels this cool and confident version of Ash. "I stand tall 'cos I know I'm a winner" is the first line, and it makes a statement right out the gate that nothing is going to stop our protagonist this time. It puts the cool factor back into the show, the beat is simple, the guitar comes in at the right places; there's even an orchestral vibe going on in the background. This is a track that's ready to kick ass.
7 Advanced Challenge - This Dream
The Hoenn saga hit it pretty soft at first. The first Hoenn series' song is one of the most forgettable, but moving into its second series - Advanced Challenge - the show decided it wanted to rock out, and it went for it.
This Dream kicks off with an intense-feeling guitar and lyrics to match, it then slowly builds throughout the pre-chorus to kick into full gear for the chorus for a fast-paced song that doesn't stop for anything. It's filled with that strong sense of determination, helped by the lyrics, which balance the friendship rhetoric with all the cool battling and fighting stuff.
6 Advanced Battle - Unbeatable
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This is the theme song with the strongest sense of fun. There's nothing complicated about this song Unbeatable, or how it represents the era of the show, it's just an absolute blast to listen to from start to finish. It's fast-paced, but not so much as to be intense, and the lyrics mix motivational speech with tough battle talk.
The rock band is the star of the show, mixing in occasional synth to create a memorable melody. The chorus is the biggest earworm out of any of the theme songs, and that's not by accident. It's the kind of song that would get just about anyone pumped up to win a battle and was very cool to sing along to as a kid.
5 Sun And Moon - The Challenge Of Life
Pokemon may not be as massive as Disney, but it's closer than people would realize, and it understands imitation is the best form of flattery. Some of the most beloved songs in Disney's history come from Polynesian, Samoan, and other Pacific Islander influences and were featured in films like Moana, Lilo & Stitch, & The Little Mermaid.
The third and final theme song for Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon called The Challenge Of Life infuses those same vibes for the last ~50 episodes. Dani Marcus and The Sad Truth performed the theme song, but it's really the melody and instrumentals that go a long way in making it feel special.
4 Galactic Battles - Battle Cry (Stand Up!)
When Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl originally aired in 2007 fans were starting to fall in love with what the fourth generation could bring to the anime. By the time the third season in the region, Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles, came along fans were bopping their heads to the theme song known as Battle Cry (Stand Up!). Despite the song's title being a bit obtuse, the song was captivating and uplifting.
Erin Bowman managed to capture the sense of being a good person and fighting for what's right in her performance of this song. It felt like a teenage rock anthem and the midway changeup makes Battle Cry (Stand Up!) feel much more epic than it had any right being.
3 Sun And Moon - Under The Alolan Sun
Just like with what Pokemon Sun & Moon tried to deliver to the series, the opening theme titled Under The Alolan Sun brought a bright Polynesian island vibe that lifts spirits the moment it starts playing. It's an interesting blend of upbeat rhythm and is distinctly inspired by the Ska genre of music.
Serving as the theme for the first 43 episodes of Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon, it set the stage for a wonderful Ash Ketchum story as he made his way around the Alolan Islands. Jannel Candrice and The Sad Truth are the performers who brought the song to life, despite their name feeling completely opposite of the sound they delivered.
2 The Indigo League - Pokemon World
It's hard for any theme song in the history of Pokemon to match the energy and nostalgic amplification of the original anime theme. That being said, Pokemon World performed by Russel Velazquez came pretty close when it was introduced.
The longer version of the song was the theme of Pokemon: Original Series from episodes 81 to 105, but then was replaced by a shorter more condensed version of the theme song in episode 106 and carried through episode 116. For kids in the 90s, the song provided an edgier and more confident vibe that shaped the world of Pokemon as something respected and grandiose.
1 The Indigo League - Gotta Catch 'Em All
To claim anything else as the best Pokemon theme song would be an absolute farce. This song is not just the most iconic Pokemon theme song, it's one of the most iconic anime theme songs of all time. It's so deeply ingrained in gaming pop culture that every fan, no matter when they started playing/watching, knows it. Even though there are 24 Pokemon theme songs, when someone mentions "the Pokemon theme song" in conversation, everyone knows they're talking about this one.
Lyrically, it's utterly untouchable. No other theme song does a better job of balancing the messages of friendship with the fighting tough talk. Melodically, it knows exactly when to let the basic beat carry it, and when to kick the guitars into full gear. Everything hits its mark exactly like it's supposed to, creating the ultimate song for the entire series that has stood the test of time until now, and doubtless will do for decades to come.