Pokémon has been going on for 30 years, amassing 1025 different creatures across 9 generations of games. Understandably, that means fans’ favorite Pokémon are as varied as the individual monsters themselves, but there are still a few standouts that a majority seem to flock to. Now, thanks to a massive poll, we’re able to see which Pokémon are the clear favorites.
These rankings come curtesy of Favorite Pokémon, a poll with over 280,000 votes right now. While it shares which Pokémon is most popular overall, you can also look to see which ‘Mon takes the top spot in each generation. It’s pretty cool to see how people voted, and there are honestly quite a few surprises here.
1
Gen 1 — Pokémon Red & Blue
Gengar
Taking 1st place for Gen 1 is Gengar. This is only slightly surprising because popular picks like Pikachu and Charizard are also a part of this generation. Still, there’s no denying Gengar is cool. The Ghost-type Pokémon has an incredible amount of official merch, and Gengar cards in the Pokémon TCG continue to be some of the most valuable when new sets release.
Back in the day, the only way to Gengar was to trade a Haunter with someone via a Link Cable, which made him pretty tough to get in the ’90s. Since then, we’ve been given Mega Gengar and Gigantamax Gengar, and its Shiny form is one of the most popular ever. In addition to being #1 here, it also gets the #2 spot for the most popular Pokémon overall.
2
Gen 2 — Pokémon Gold & Silver
Umbreon
Gen 2 has its own share of popular Pokémon, but the top spot goes to Umbreon. Eeveelutions like Umbreon are consistently popular among fans, and Gary’s Umbreon in the anime is memorable for anyone who grew up watching Pokémon around the time Gold and Silver were released.
We’ve gotten some fantastic Umbreon cards in the TCG, and like most of Eevee’s evolutions, there’s no shortage of official merchandise out there for Umbreon either. While this second generation has a lot of fan-favorites like Lugia and Togepi, none of them were able to beat out Umbreon.
3
Gen 3 — Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire
Absol
The Hoenn region is a favorite for many fans, and this third generation of games gave us some pretty memorable Pokémon when Ruby and Sapphire first released. However, few Pokémon from Gen 3 have had the longevity and popularity of Absol, so it’s not a total shocker that it’s at #1.
Absol is one of the most iconic Pokémon from Gen 3, and despite having no evolutionary line, it’s maintained staying power. Whether you like its design or combat prowess, there’s a lot to love about Absol. Legends: Z-A recently added Mega Absol, so fans can continue using it in their parties. It takes #1 for Gen 3, but it also ranks #4 for the most popular Pokémon overall.
4
Gen 4 — Pokémon Diamond & Pearl
Lucario
Did you really expect any other Pokémon to be here for Gen 4? Despite Diamond and Pearl having arguably the most iconic Pokémon from any generation outside Gen 1, the most iconic of them is all is Lucario. It’s got its own movie, was featured heavily in the anime, has made regular memorable appearances in the TCG and video games, and is a regular in the various Pokémon spin-offs out there too.
Lucario isn’t just a popular Pokémon from Gen 4. It’s one of the most popular Pokémon of all time. Of all the Pokémon on this list, Lucario is the least surprising to see at #1. What is perhaps surprising is that Lucario only ranks #6 among the most popular Pokémon overall.
5
Gen 5 — Pokémon Black & White
Chandelure
No matter how you feel about Pokémon Black and White, the Gen 5 games have given us memorable designs. Yes, some of those designs get mostly negative attention, even today, but there are plenty of cool Pokémon from this generation to choose from. The #1 spot here goes to Chandelure by a nice margin.
With its Fire- and Ghost-type moves, Chandelure is pretty powerful. It’s also cool, as most Ghost-types are, which perhaps adds to its popularity. It also comes in at #10 for the most popular Pokémon overall in this same poll, so there’s really no denying how much people seem to love it.
6
Gen 6 — Pokémon X & Y
Sylveon
Like Umbreon, Sylveon has the advantage of being a cute Eeveelution. While X and Y gave us plenty of fun new Pokémon, this Fairy-type (which was a new Type in Gen 6) won over hearts and never looked back. Sylveon takes #1 for Gen 6 by a pretty wide margin, beating out the #2 choice (Greninja) by almost 1000 votes.
Since its debut, we’ve gotten countless TCG cards, official merchandise, and anime appearances. Pokémon knows what people want, and people apparently want more Sylveon. In addition to being #1 here, Sylveon is also #3 of the Top 10 most popular Pokémon overall.
7
Gen 7 — Pokémon Sun & Moon
Mimikyu
Pokémon Sun and Moon shook up the usual mainline game formula and offered us some truly inspired designs for Gen 7. The Alola region had plenty of tropical Pokémon, but one of the most memorable was a mysterious Ghost-type hiding under a creepy Pikachu costume. Maybe it’s the scary backstory, maybe it’s the way it skews Pikachu’s typically adorable design, but whatever the reason, people seem to love Mimikyu.
Mimikyu not only takes the #1 spot for Gen 7, it also has the distinction of being the #1 most popular Pokémon overall, beating out Gengar (at #2) by over 1000 votes. Honestly, that’s a shocker. There’s no denying Mimikyu is popular, but it beat out all the other 1025 Pokémon for first place. That’s pretty darn impressive.
8
Gen 8 — Pokémon Sword & Shield
Snom
Are people trolling with this one? You read that right. The most popular Pokémon from Gen 8 is… Snom. Pokémon Sword and Shield offered up some lovable new creatures, including popular starter Scorbunny and its even-more-popular final evolution Cinderace, which came in at #3 here. Even the beloved Dragonpult came in at #2.
Maybe it’s the way Snom’s face looks kind of like a butt. Maybe people just think it’s cute. But for whatever reason, Snom won this one. Granted, it’s pretty close right now. Dragonpult is behind by only a mere 40 votes, making this the tightest race of any generation in this entire poll.
9
Gen 9 — Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
Tinkaton
Scarlet and Violet are the newest generation, at least until Winds and Waves arrives in 2027. Pokémon‘s first foray into an open-world RPG for a mainline game offered up some of the most popular starters to date, including Sprigatito (#6 here) and Fuecoco (#5), as well as the infinitely cool Ceruledge (#3). However, the #1 spot goes to Tinkaton, beating out #2’s Clodsire by a few hundred votes.
Tinkaton is powerful, cute, and carries a big hammer. That’s apparently a winning combo for Pokémon fans who picked this as their favorite from Gen 9. Disagree with any of these choices? The poll is still open, so you can vote right now if you’d like to participate.
- Video Game(s)
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Pokemon Red and Blue, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Crystal, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon Sapphire, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon Black and White 2, Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon Winds and Waves, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Pokemon Legends Z-A