The Pokémon franchise was created in 1996 by Satoshi Tajiri and his team. To fully develop this project, it took 6 years, as work began in 1990! Pokémon was an immediate and phenomenal success all over the world. Inspiring both young and old, everyone wanted to find their ideal travel companion and explore the world in search of these strange yet adorable creatures. Through the different regions and generations of this now cult game, we have seen the emergence of many legendary Pokémon with incredible strength and power.
Let's discover the 20 most extraordinary Pokémon right away.
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Zekrom
Zekrom is a legendary Dragon and Electric type Pokémon in the fifth generation. It is the mascot of Pokémon White and is associated with the Yin sign, while its rival Reshiram represents Yang. According to legend, Zekrom and Reshiram were originally a single dragon Pokémon. Following the disagreement of its two masters, it split into two distinct entities. Reshiram would then be in search of reality and Zekrom in search of an ideal. This Pokémon has the appearance of a black dragon with a blue-tipped horn behind its head. It is also capable of concealing its body in electric clouds and glides through the skies of Unova.
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Lugia
Lugia is a legendary Psychic and Flying type Pokémon found in the second generation. It is part of the "Legendary Birds" duo with Ho-Oh, and legend has it that it is the guardian of the oceans. It tends to be fully associated with a bird, but it also resembles a dinosaur or even a reptilian due to its semi-aquatic lifestyle. Lugia is said to have isolated itself in an abyssal rift to sleep, due to its overwhelming power. It is capable of generating powerful storms with a few flaps of its wings, as its signature move Aeroblast suggests, but also of calming turbulent seas. Formerly, it resided at the top of the Brass Tower in Ecruteak City, but fled when it was struck by lightning.
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Regirock
Regirock appears in the third Pokémon generation and is a Rock type. It is one of the three Pokémon of the "legendary titans" trio, along with its counterparts Regice and Registeel. Its form is inspired by golems and it is made of various gray and brown stone blocks. Its face is represented by seven yellow stones embedded in the rock in the shape of an H.
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Heatran
Heatran is a legendary Fire and Steel type Pokémon in the fourth generation. It is also known as "the Volcano Pokémon." It is the only legendary Pokémon to have this specific dual-type and was also the only one that could be male or female before the arrival of the eighth generation. Heatran is an enormous creature that lives in volcanic areas. Its head is covered with a metal mask and its eyes are orange. Its teeth are also made of metal, and when it opens its mouth, an orange glow can be seen. Its body is constantly in flux, giving it a molten effect in some areas. Its signature attack is Magma Storm.
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Virizion
The legendary Pokémon Virizion appears in the fifth generation and is a Grass and Fighting type. It is part of the legendary quartet "Swords of Justice" with Cobalion, Terrakion, and Keldeo. Its objective is to protect all Pokémon from the threat of ill-intentioned humans. Its physique is quite peculiar, as it resembles an antelope or a deer with blades instead of horns, which it uses to cut through any obstacle. Virizion is inspired by the character of Aramis from the novel The Three Musketeers because it has the same fine and alluring features as well as a tricorn hat on its head, reminiscent of those worn by Spanish musketeers between the 17th and 18th centuries. Its body is almost entirely green, and its face, belly, and hind legs are white. Its legs resemble tall boots, with pink streaks at its knees, and it has black hooves.
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Xerneas
This is the mascot of Pokémon X. This legendary Pokémon is a Fairy type and is found in the sixth generation. Its public revelation was a bit peculiar, as it was presented during a Pokémon Direct. Its history is unique, as it apparently lived for 1,000 years in the form of a tree before becoming a Pokémon. It is highly probable that it is inspired by the Norse myth of the cosmic tree Yggdrasil, in which giant animals lived. Xerneas has four pairs of beige horns on the top of its head, and its blue eyes have a cross instead of pupils, which is most certainly a nod to Pokémon X. The same goes for its antlers, which also form a cross when both parts are grouped together.
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Lunala
Lunala is a legendary Psychic and Ghost type Pokémon that is the mascot of Pokémon Moon, in the seventh generation. This Pokémon was officially revealed on June 2, 2016, along with Solgaleo, who is the mascot of Pokémon Sun, during the trailer announcing the two new games. Its physique resembles that of a skeletal bat with a short muzzle and pink eyes with white pupils. Its tail forms a crescent moon, with one part rising towards its ribcage. Here again, the Pokémon franchise drew its inspiration from myths and legends, as this legendary Pokémon can be associated with a mix between the Aztec goddess Itzpapalotl, a character depicted as skeletal with bat wings, as well as the protective goddess of the Samoan islands, named Pe’a-pe’a-makawalu, an eight-eyed bat whose eyes were allegedly torn out by the demigod Maui, which is probably the inspiration for Lunala's third eye.
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Zacian
This is a legendary Fairy-type Pokémon and the mascot of Pokémon Sword. It belongs to the eighth generation and has the form of a wolf. Its dominant color is azure blue, while its eyes are yellow. Battle scars are visible on each of its flanks and its left ear is cut. According to legends, Zacian is considered to be the older brother or sister of Zamazenta, but it can also be its main rival. It is nicknamed "the blade of the fairy king" thanks to its ability to cleave anything in half with its sword. It is capable of entering a deep sleep state as a statue until called upon, which does not prevent it from generating illusions or projecting itself as a mirage. By absorbing metallic particles around it, it can transform into its second form and gain the Steel type. Zacian fights with such grace that it gives the impression of performing a dance, and its slightest movement can captivate its opponents. Finally, when it unleashes its signature attack, Behemoth Blade, it becomes capable of cutting the ocean in half, and when it is not using its sword, it uses its mane as a sheath to sheathe it.
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Urshifu
Urshifu is a legendary Fighting and Dark or Water type Pokémon integrated into the eighth generation. It has the appearance of a bear and its fur is darker than that of its pre-evolution. This Pokémon excels in combat, especially when using the "Single Strike Style," which consists of using fluid movements to smoothly parry an opponent's blows, before assailing them with a torrent of rapid strikes. It generally keeps a great distance from its rivals at the beginning of a fight, before lunging at them in a flash to deliver the final blow. Beware when it is enraged, as it attacks its opponent until it has completely pulverized them!
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Cresselia
This is a legendary Pokémon resembling a celestial swan. It appears in the fourth generation with the Psychic attribute and is part of the Lunar Duo with Darkrai. Its body is initially blue then yellow underneath. Its head is adorned with a crescent moon and there are two purple rings on the sides of its body, and a third on its back whose purple color becomes lighter and lighter as the ring moves away from its body. Legend has it that Cresselia can cure illnesses with one of its feathers and that the shimmering particles emanating from its wings cause beautiful dreams.
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Zygarde
Zygarde is a legendary Dragon and Ground type Pokémon belonging to the sixth generation. It is part of the legendary trio with Xerneas and Yveltal. This Pokémon has several forms and each of them can be created by combining Zygarde's "Cores" and "Cells," which are scattered like a treasure hunt in the game and must be found to restore its power. Collecting the hearts of this Pokémon allows it to learn 5 abilities: Extreme Speed, Dragon Dance, Thousand Waves, Thousand Arrows, and Core Enforcer. In its perfect form, once 100% is reached, Zygarde specializes in combat and is able to protect the ecosystem of the Pokémon world. It particularly resembles a golem and has six arms, two small ones with green hexagons and four larger ones with red and blue hexagons. We also know that this legendary Pokémon is inspired by the myth of Hel, the goddess and daughter of Loki, having one side of her face representing life, the other representing death (which is reminiscent of the blue-white-red stripe on Zygarde's torso), and ruling over the world of the dead, Helheim.
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Rayquaza
This is a legendary Dragon and Flying type Pokémon, in the third generation. It is none other than the emblematic Pokémon of Pokémon Emerald. It is also part of the three Ancient Pokémon with Kyogre and Groudon. Rayquaza has a very long green serpent-like body and small wings with red borders all along its body to the tip of its tail. On the top of its head are two large horns and two smaller ones underneath. This Pokémon uses its wings to fly all around the planet and the ozone layer. It feeds on meteorites that allow it to mega-evolve, as well as water particles present in the atmosphere. It only descends to Earth to rest on Sky Pillar and its main role is to intervene in case of battle between Kyogre and Groudon. Its physical appearance is notably close to that of Quetzalcoatl, a deity from Aztec mythology.
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Articuno
Articuno is part of the legendary Kanto trio, in the first generation. It is a gigantic Ice and Flying type bird. Its plumage is predominantly blue and its large wings are made of ice. When it moves its famous wings, it can lower the ambient air temperature and even cause snow to fall. It travels from snowy mountain to snowy mountain. Legend has it that it appears especially when an adventurer is lost in the mountains. It is an altruistic Pokémon that does not hesitate to sometimes help lost humans to bring them to safety.
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Dialga
Dialga is a legendary Steel and Dragon type Pokémon. It is found in the fourth generation as the mascot of Pokémon Diamond. It is the master of time and the rival of Palkia, who is the master of space. It resembles a sauropod, a species of dinosaur. Its body is mainly dark blue and covered in metal. Its torso is decorated with a breastplate adorned with a diamond in its center. Dialga, like Palkia, is inspired by the Shinto legend of Izanami and Izanagi, who created the world from a spear, starting with an island on which they erected a column, before creating the rest of the Japanese islands. Thanks to its superhuman powers, this legendary Pokémon is capable of altering the curve of time as it pleases: it can speed it up, slow it down, and even stop it completely. Finally, its signature ability is Roar of Time.
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Suicune
Suicune is a legendary Water-type Pokémon belonging to the "Legendary Beasts" trio during the second generation. Its physical appearance is a cross between a wolf and a panther. Its predominant color is blue, with white diamond-shaped spots on its body. It also has a thick purple mane that strongly resembles an aurora borealis. This Pokémon has the power to walk on water and purify it with a single gesture, earning it the nickname "Monarch of the Waters." Its goal is to travel the world to find water sources to purify. Finally, Suicune's character can be described as serious, calm, and heroic, even in the face of danger.
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Raikou
He is the second member of the Legendary Beasts trio. He is a legendary Electric-type Pokémon who also belongs to the second generation. Raikou resembles a tiger whose body is mainly composed of yellow and black stripes. He has piercing red eyes and thick fur. His mane is purple and allows him to unleash lightning. This legendary Pokémon is inspired by thunder and lightning deities from many cultures, but more specifically by the raijū, a demon from Japanese mythology, companion of the Shinto god Raiden, and a polymorphic creature that can take the form of a tiger, a monkey, or even a blue wolf surrounded by lightning and many other animals. Raikou is capable of flying using the clouds he creates. He lets out roars that resemble thunder and he fears humans, even if he sometimes befriends those who help him.
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Kyogre
Kyogre is a legendary Water-type Pokémon introduced in the third generation. It is the emblem of Pokémon Sapphire. This Pokémon resembles an orca and has the ability to cause tidal waves and torrential rain. Its body is white and blue, similar to the abyss. Kyogre also has large, clawed fins with red lines. It is said to have been responsible for the creation of the oceans and to be in conflict with Groudon, who represents the land.
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Moltres
The legendary Pokémon Moltres is part of the Legendary Birds trio of Kanto. It is a Fire/Flying type and appears in the first generation. It is a large orange-yellow bird with a long brown beak. Its wings and tail are aflame with red and pink colors. It is capable of controlling fire and it is said that when this Pokémon is injured, it bathes in the boiling magma of a volcano to heal itself.
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Entei
Entei is the last and most powerful member of the Legendary Beasts trio. It is a Fire-type and, like its companions, belongs to the second generation. This legendary Pokémon has the appearance of a lion with brown and cream fur and a long cloud of gray smoke on its back. Its face is mainly composed of a red, six-pointed star-shaped plate. A gray plate covers its muzzle and gives the impression of having a horseshoe mustache. It also has a yellow, three-branched crest on its forehead. Entei is inspired by imperial guardian lions, also called Foo dogs, creatures that served as guardians in the temples of imperial China. A symbol of this animal, this Pokémon demonstrates incredible strength and extraordinary powers. Finally, Entei's roar is known in the Pokémon world as a sign of a volcanic eruption and the birth of a new Entei.
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Mewtwo
This is probably one of the most well-known legendary Pokémon. Mewtwo is from the first generation and is a Psychic type. It was created by Team Rocket from Mew's DNA and is actually a powerful clone of it. This legendary Pokémon is somewhere between a cat and a gerbil. It is over two meters tall and mostly moves by levitating. In the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island, it is possible to find a note indicating that Mewtwo's birth supposedly occurred on February 6th.
We hope you enjoyed this top 20 most extraordinary legendary Pokémon! And you, what is your favorite legendary Pokémon? Let us know in the comments.
