10 Most Popular Pokémon Characters of All Time

Have you ever thought about how long Pokémon has been part of our lives? It's been over 20 years! That means people born before 2000, from little kids to grown-ups, have enjoyed watching or playing Pokémon games.

Pokémon has been around for more than two decades, but it's still popular. In fact, it's growing and continues to attract new fans, along with keeping its loyal ones.

Up to now, there are roughly 800 different Pokémon. Each one is unique and loved by different fans. But have you ever wondered if there are some Pokémon that stand out because they are extra popular? (Or maybe because they're a bit annoying, haha). Well, there are.

Here are ten Pokémon that are famous for various reasons. Curious about who they are? Let’s take a look at the ten most famous Pokémon characters.

1. Pikachu

Pikachu is a name known by almost everyone. Pikachu is the main Pokémon companion of Ash Ketchum, the lead human character in all the Pokémon series. It's also the face of most Pokémon anime, movies, and games. Pikachu even starred in its own movie, "Pokémon Detective Pikachu," released in 2019.

Pikachu is a yellow, mouse-like Pokémon with pointy ears that have black tips, a tail shaped like a lightning bolt, and rosy cheeks. Pikachu looks really cute, but don’t be fooled - it has powerful electric abilities!

Normally, wild Pikachus live in fields or forests, often near places with lots of electricity. But Ash’s Pikachu, the one we all know, is very friendly with humans and has been trained by Ash.

Ash's Pikachu is special because it always stays out of its Poké Ball, showing its strong bond with Ash. Usually, Pikachu either walks beside Ash or rides on his shoulder. Isn’t that adorable?

2. Meowth

Meowth, known as ニャース (Nyarth) in Japanese, made a lasting impression on all of us who grew up in the 90s, even though it only appeared in the first Pokémon series. Remember? Meowth was part of Team Rocket, which included Jessie and James. They were the main rivals of Ash Ketchum and his friends in the original Pokémon anime.

Team Rocket, Meowth included, was always trying to capture Ash's Pikachu. There are different kinds of Meowth, but the one in Team Rocket is unique because it can talk, think, and walk on two legs like a person.

Even though Meowth might have been one of the least liked Pokémon in the first series, it also showed its sweet and cute side at times!

3. Greninja

Moving on from the iconic Pikachu and Meowth, Greninja is a Pokémon that's not only famous but also still popular in games. Greninja is a frog-like Pokémon that stands on two legs.

Most of its body is dark blue, with some yellow and white. It has big lips and a long, pink tongue that hangs down its neck.

Greninja is quick and moves like a ninja. It can move so fast it confuses its enemies. Then, it attacks with a water-made weapon that looks like a ninja's throwing star. Greninja's water star is very sharp and can even cut through metal.

Like Pikachu, the Greninja we often see is the one owned by Ash. Ash's Greninja can change into a special form called Ash-Greninja because of the Bond Phenomenon.

In this form, Greninja turns light blue with red stripes and black fins on its face, looking a bit like Ash's hairstyle! Ash-Greninja gets stronger, especially in its legs. It can also create a new move called the Water Shuriken on its back.

4. Lucario

Next up, we have Lucario, a really popular Pokémon. Lucario is a mix of Fighting and Steel types, and it first appeared in the fourth generation of Pokémon games. It evolves from Riolu when it has a strong friendship bond with its trainer. But that’s not all – Lucario can also transform into Mega Lucario using a special item called Lucarionite.

Lucario has sharp parts on its front legs and chest, red eyes, a long nose, and pointed ears. When it opens its mouth, you can see two sets of pointy teeth, one on the top and one on the bottom.

Lucario has a black feature around its head that shows up when it uses its aura abilities. Aura is a special kind of energy Lucario can sense and use.

Lucario's powers let it guess what its opponent will do next and find things it’s looking for. It can also use its aura to make powerful energy attacks.

Lucario is unique because it can understand people talking and can talk to humans with its mind, kind of like how Meowth can speak to people. That’s pretty cool!

5. Mimikyu

Mimikyu might remind you of Pikachu, but it’s not related to Ash’s famous Pokémon at all. Mimikyu always hides under a ragged cloth that looks like Pikachu. Nobody knows what Mimikyu really looks like underneath.

Seeing Mimikyu’s true form can cause bad things, like nightmares or even a mysterious illness, whether you're a Pokémon or a human. So, if you see Mimikyu, don’t try to look under its cloth. Mimikyu wears this disguise to protect itself from sunlight. But there’s another reason too: Mimikyu wants to make friends.

Mimikyu is a lonely Ghost/Fairy-type Pokémon. It's hard for anyone to get close to it without getting hurt. That's why it dresses up like Pikachu, who everybody loves. It’s a bit sad, isn’t it?

6. Charizard

Charizard is another original Pokémon, from the same time as Pikachu, Meowth, and Eevee. It's been around for a while and has seen many new Pokémon come along, but Charizard is still a favorite for many people.

Charizard can breathe fire hot enough to melt big rocks. It can start forest fires with its flames and fly through the sky. From the start, Charizard has always been a standout Pokémon.

It's a strong Fire-type, and it can even evolve into Mega Charizard and Gigantamax Charizard. It starts as the cute, fire-tailed Charmander. Charizard brings back memories of the early Pokémon days, with Ash's adventures and Team Rocket.

7. Umbreon

Umbreon, known as ブラッキー (Blacky) in Japanese, is a Dark-type Pokémon from Generation II. Have you heard of Eevee? Umbreon is one of Eevee's evolved forms.

It becomes Umbreon when it has a strong friendship with its trainer and levels up at night (in the main series games) or when leveled up with a Moon Shard in the game Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

8. Gengar

Gengar, or ゲンガ (Gangar) in Japanese, is a Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon from Generation I, like many others we've talked about.

It evolves from Haunter when traded and is the final form of Gastly. Gengar is really good at hiding in shadows, making it hard to see.

An interesting thing about Gengar is that it can cool down the temperature around it by up to 5 degrees Celsius. So, if it's hiding but the temperature suddenly drops, you might know Gengar is there. It's also named after a type of ghost, and this Pokémon can even take control of other Pokémon and humans!

9. Gardevoir

Now, let’s talk about Gardevoir, known as Sirnight in Japan. This Pokémon is from the third generation and was first introduced as a Psychic-type.

Later, in Pokémon X/Y, it was presented again as a dual Psychic/Fairy type after a major evolution. Gardevoir looks a lot like a graceful human lady, which has made it very popular online.

10. Mudkip

Mudkip, or ミズゴロウ (Mizugorou) in Japanese, is a Water-type Pokémon from Generation III. It evolves from Marshtomp into Swampert. Mudkip can sense changes in air and water, making it very aware of its surroundings.

You can see in the anime how its fins point in different directions. Despite its small size, Mudkip is strong enough to move and even crush big rocks. Its large tail fin helps it move quickly in water, making it good both in water and on land.

So, those are the ten most famous Pokémon according to Showpoiler. Remember, this list might change, especially if new Pokémon are introduced. Which one do you think is the most popular Pokémon character?