From the very beginning of the franchise, Pokémon stormed on the scene with 150 creatures to capture, train, and trade. It was instantly a hit because of the variety, becoming a staple pop culture franchise, and one of parent Nintendo’s most well-known and recognizable properties.
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Of course, over time that list of 150 would grow exponentially as the series is now decades old, but for fans of the franchise since the beginning, the original Pokémon will always hold a special place in their hearts.
10) Eevee
Evolution is one of the foundational traits of the Pokémon games, and no one Pokémon embodies is more than Eevee. This is because he has the most evolutions out of all of them.
Which started as three difference paths has grown into many different opportunities. However, Eevee still remains at the center of its evolution tree. Because of this, he will always remain an important Pokémon.
9) Snorlax
It’s hard not to fall in love with Snorlax. He’s a Pokémon whose main job is to sleep and just cause problems. In fact, he became famous in the first game for simply blocking the player’s path and the player having to wake him up
Besides just being silly for that reason, Snorlax can also be incredibly strong. If utilized correctly in battle, Snorlax can be an incredibly hard Pokémon to defeat, and can also cause a crushing blow with hyper beam.
8) Ditto
Right from the start, Ditto is an interesting Pokémon just based on premise alone. Also, the name is a great indicator at how awesome he is, simply because he can mimic any type of Pokémon.
It might seem like cheating in a way that one Pokémon can really become anything at once, but as depicted in the animated series, being a Ditto trainer is quite hard as there is just so much to know. Also, he played an important role in Detective Pikachu, and delivered some interesting twists in the story.
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7) Dragonite
There are tons of dragon Pokémon now, but in the beginning, there were just three on the same path of evolution. The first two didn’t really look like dragons. That changed when they reach the level of Dragonite.
What’s also so awesome about Dragonite is that he definitely looks like a dragon, but not like the ferocious beast they are often depicted as. Dragonite is a cute and cuddly dragon worthy of being a Pokémon. This also doesn’t take into account that he’s incredibly powerful.
6) Psyduck
Psyduck might not be the most impressive Pokémon from the games, but he has built a reputation for being awesome mainly because he’s such a problem in the stories he’s featured in. Psyduck is typically depicted as a troublesome nuisance that constantly complains yet is incredibly powerful.
This water and psychic type is known for having a headache and when the headache gets too difficult to handle, he blows up in a psychic explosion. It’s hilarious to watch every time in every version of the franchise.
5) Charizard
If the first 150 Pokémon are special, then the first three starter Pokémon and their evolutions are especially special. It’s hard to choose just one that embodies that starter feeling, but out of all nine of them, Charizard probably takes the cake.
He’s not just a fire Pokémon. Over time, he’s also grown into a flying type, which makes him unique amongst the group for having a secondary characteristic. Also, his place in the animated series lore makes him a cut above the rest.
4) Gengar
Just like dragon types in the original 150, there were only three ghost types that were all part of the same evolutionary chain. Each one is weirder than the last, but Gengar sits on the top of it.
Gengar is a fun Pokémon for his mischievous behavior in the series, but he’s also incredibly powerful. His ghost and poison type allows him a wide range of attacks that other Pokémon can’t utilize.
3) Gyarados
If there’s one quirk about the original 150 Pokémon, it’s the Magikarp and Gyarados combination. It’s crazy how one of the most useless Pokémon can turn into one of the most powerful, but that’s what makes Gyarados so awesome.
Trainers that want to put in the time and effort to evolve their Magikarp feel especially proud of their Gyarados. It’s also one of the most intimidating Pokémon of the original 150, with a face that can terrify. Also, the fact he’s a water AND flying type makes him all the more threatening.
2) Mewtwo
Right from the start, Pokémon was smart to deliver an interesting and rich mythology with its legendary characters. While Mew is not considered one of the original 150, Mewtwo is, but the two are still intrinsically linked, as Mewtwo cannot exist without its predecessor.
Besides being one of the strongest Pokémon, Mewtwo also holds the distinction of being one of the most interesting. His character has evolved over time from the first animated movie, to his appearance in Detective Pikachu. He’s not just a simple creature looking to eat and have fun. He’s a thinker and philosopher; someone who ponders his place in the world, and his relationship to humans.
1) Pikachu
Then there’s Pikachu, the undisputed face of the franchise. The strange thing about Pikachu is that just based on the first games he’s not all that impressive. He’s a tiny mouse Pokémon that evolves into another mid-level Pokémon.
However, it was his place in the animated series that catapulted him to stardom. Everywhere Pokémon were pictured, Pikachu was right there as its adorable mascot. He is so well known that it was impossible to make a live-action Pokémon film without featuring him as its lead.