Highlights
- Greninja, Pichu, and Lucario are some of the most recognizable Pokemon due to their appearances in the games and anime.
- Mewtwo is a legendary Pokemon from Generation 1 that is iconic and well-known to fans who experienced the franchise in the 90s.
- Eevee and Togepi gained popularity due to their unique mechanics and appearances in the anime, making them easily recognizable to fans.
The Pokemon franchise has been going strong since the first games were released in Japan in 1996. In the time since, there have been nine generations of main series games, an anime series, and plenty of merchandise. As such, every fan of the series has their favorite Pokemon, and can even recognize the ones they do not like from a distance. However, the Pokemon franchise is so big that it has entered the pop culture zeitgeist.
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As such, even the biggest Pokemon detractor can name, or at least recognize, a few creatures from the series. Some Pokemon were just destined to enter mainstream consciousness. As a result, these Pokemon are some of the most recognizable in the franchise.
8 Greninja
Generation 6
Greninja is the final evolution of the water-type starter, Froakie, in generation six. Its cool ninja theme made it an instant hit with fans of the games, and one of the stand-out designs of that era for sure.
However, Greninja gained more love from fans as it entered the Pokemon anime. The frog was one of Ash’s strongest Pokemon, and even fused with the trainer to create Ash Greninja. This variation of the Pokemon was a first for the franchise, and so its new design was posted around the web like wildfire. As such, almost everyone can recognize this starter Pokemon, even if they cannot quite remember its name.
7 Pichu
Generation 2
When Pokemon first debuted as an anime, the creators needed to establish one Pokemon as the show’s mascot. Pikachu was chosen, and it became Ash’s main Pokemon and even got its own game in the form of Pokemon: Yellow. GameFreak knew that they had captured something good with Pikachu, so it is only natural that they would try to capitalize on this popularity in the second generation of games.
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The result was Pichu, a pre-evolution to the franchise mascot. Pichu is a much smaller and cuter version of the yellow mouse, but it never quite became as popular as its bigger counterpart. Still, everyone knows who Pikachu is, so they will instantly recognize its pre-evolved form.
6 Lucario
Generation 4
Lucario is a steel and fighting type that was part of the new roster of Pokemon in the generation four games. It is great to use in battle, and fans love its design. Therefore, Lucario has become one of the standout Pokemon from one of the later generations.
However, the Lucario train did not end there. This Pokemon was given to Ash in the anime and was even the focus of one of the movies. Lucario is used by one of the gym leaders and the champion in Generation Four and even plays a big role in the mega-evolution storyline of Generation Six. As a result, this consistent level of exposure is why Lucario has become one of the franchise’s most recognizable Pokemon.
5 Mewtwo
Generation 1
The first Pokemon games set the precedent for every main series game to come after them. It is here that players first learn how to catch Pokemon, challenge the gyms, and become the champion of the region. However, almost every player from this time will remember hearing whispers of a secret Pokemon that could be caught at the end of the game.
This Pokemon is Mewtwo, the most powerful Pokemon from generation one. Players need to catch this mysterious legendary Pokemon to complete the game, as they will have learned how powerful the creature is when exploring the Cinnabar Mansion earlier in the red and blue games. Mewtwo was also the focus of the first Pokemon movie to be released in theaters. As such, anyone who lived through Pokemania in the 90s will recognize this iconic Pokemon.
4 Eevee
Generation 1
Out of the original 151 Pokemon in the games, Eevee was perhaps one of the most popular. This is probably because it had a gimmick that allowed players to choose out of three possible evolutions for the creature. That, and it is exceptionally cute.
This mechanic didn’t really do much to separate Eevee from the pack as more Pokemon were introduced into the franchise. However, more evolutions, or eeveelutions, for the Pokemon were added to later games, keeping the Pokemon relevant. This relevancy even extended to making Eevee the box mascot for a new game for the switch called Let’s Go Eevee.
3 Togepi
Generation 2
The first generation of Pokemon featured only 151 creatures to catch and train. Some fans tried to create rumors of new or secret Pokemon, but any official new Pokemon wouldn’t debut until the second generation of games was released in 1999. That is what makes Togepi so memorable.
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Anyone who was watching the Pokemon anime at the time would have been given a treat. Ash and the gang encounter an egg on the show, and this hatches into a previously unseen Pokemon known as Togepi. This new Pokemon continued to appear on the show and became quite a talking point. As such, everyone knows Togepi as the first ever ‘new; Pokemon.
2 Charizard
Generation 1
The Red and Blue Pokemon games start by making players choose one Pokemon to start their journey with; Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. Charizard was the final evolution of the latter and was on the box art for the red version of this game. That means most people who had this version would end up with a Charizard as their first ever fully evolved Pokemon, cementing their love for the creature forever.
This fire-breathing dragon didn’t only get a spotlight in the games, though. Charizard was revealed to be one of the rarest cards in the Pokemon trading card game when it was released, and the Pokemon also got one of the most memorable story arcs in the anime at the time. Therefore, everyone can recognize a Charizard when they see one.
1 Pikachu
Generation 1
Whenever someone sees a version of the Pokemon logo, chances are that Pikachu is normally featured in the same image. This yellow electric mouse was initially designed to be just another Pokemon for the original run of video games. However, that all changed when the creators needed a mascot and a leading man for the anime. Pikachu was eventually chosen because of its cute design and yellow coloring, and history was made.
Pikachu was the main Pokemon featured in the hugely popular TV show, so he quickly became the thing people most associated with the franchise. Pikachu soon got his own video game, showed up on all the merchandise, and is even a household name. As a result, it is highly unlikely that people will run into anyone who doesn’t recognize Pikachu.
