The Pokemon Franchise has become a bit bloated with Legendaries, Mythical Pokemon, and even Ultra Beasts. Legendaries were originally intended to be this hyper-rare, ultra-special, one-of-a-kind Pokemon that could destroy entire countries. And that does fit the description for a good portion of them. But the more that were created, the less powerful others got until about half of the Legendaries were like Olympian Gods and the others were maybe Demi-Gods at best.

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Thanks to the creation of Arceus, every single Legendary that isn't an all-powerful god-like it is, looks weaker by comparison. That said, there are still quite a few of them that manage to be fearsome.

Updated May 17th, by Jacob Buchalter: It’s been a long time since this list first came out. In that time, some new Legendary Pokemon were created, some old ones got new forms, and lot more concepts were introduced into the Pokemon franchise. So, with all these changes and additions, things change. With all that said, let’s take another look at all the Legendaries (and Mythical) Pokemon and see which ones reign supreme.

30 Arceus

Pokemon Arceus

Let's be honest, there's no way anyone could make a list like this and not include Arceus right? It's the Original One, The Supreme Being, The Pokemon gifted with 1000 Arms, It’s Arceus. This quadrupedal centaur-esque Pokemon is literally the most powerful thing in existence. I mean, it's signature move is called "Judgement", which is honestly a bit on the nose, but apt, considering how powerful this thing is. Now, technically, Arceus isn’t a “Legendary” but rather a “Mythical” Pokemon, but that’s just absurd. This thing is literally the “God” of the Pokemon universe, so of course, we’re going to include it and all the other “Mythical” Pokemon. What's especially nuts is the fact that the player character in Sinnoh could undergo an event where they would quite literally meet the Pokemon equivalent of "God", though it involved a pretty confusing sequence of steps. 

29 Ice & Shadow Rider Calyrex

Pokemon: Calyrex, Spectrier, & Glastrier

Specifically, we’re talking about Ice Rider and Shadow Ride Calyrex. Pokemon finally started integrating DBZ/Digimon-esque fusion into the mix, and this is how Calyrex transforms into its other two appearances. Basically, by fusing with either Spectrier or Glastrier (depending on if you’re playing Sword or Shield), Calyrex becomes immensely more powerful. As Ice Rider Calyrex, this Pokemon can freeze anything around it using its -300 celsius aura, create icicles then control them with its Psychic abilities, and it can even make an ice lance capable of piercing the mountains themselves. As Shadow Rider Calyrex, this Legendary can unimaginably fast, able to cover a thousand miles in a single day. It can also create will-o-wisps with its spectral abilities that can steal the lifeforce of anything around them. It makes sense, combining a Legendary with another Legendary would create something absurdly powerful, at least in theory.

28 Urshifu

Urshifu stands stoically with its arms at its sides.

Here’s the thing, Urshifu, and by extension Rapid-Strike Style and Single Strike Style Urshifu, are some of the coolest designs for a Legendary Pokemon we’ve ever seen. Plus, it’s technically the only Legendary with a Gigantamax form, as well as a G-move. It’s the iconic Legendary of the Isle of Armor DLC for Sword and Shield, and it lives up that pressure. In one-on-one combat, there isn’t much out there that could compete with Urshifu. It’s a bit weak to ranged attacks, sure, but even then Urshifu’s supernatural mastery of the martial arts would likely allow it to dodge any incoming attacks while it closed the distance. While Gigantimaxed, Single-Strike Urshifu is said to be able to blow away anything around with just the shockwaves from its punches, and Rapid-Strike Urshifu is apparently able to defeat opponents with evil in their hearts just by staring at them.

27 Zacian & Zamazenta

Pokemon Zacian and Zamazenta

If you were to look at Eternatus in its Eternamax form and then look at Zacian and Zamazenta, it should be obvious who would win based on appearances alone. But, looks aren’t everything, and these two canines are actually the ones who originally defeated and sealed Eternatus away so long ago. And, because of the pair's close relationship, they’re almost never seen apart from each other, meaning you’ll commonly get two Legendaries for the price of one. Zacian, especially in its Crowned form, is able to slash anything with its sword, it can even cut the ocean in two if it needs too. Meanwhile, Zamazenta is a powerhouse wielding an unbreakable shield. This Pokemon, if it so chooses, can split the earth with a shield bash, causing Shockwaves that can radiate for miles. So, it should be pretty obvious why these puppers made it onto the list.

26 Legendary Birds

If you asked us if the Legendary Birds deserved to be on this side of the list before Sword and Shield came out, our answer would’ve been uncertain. But, after each of these magnificent creatures got their own Galar form, their fate as powerful Legendaries was basically sealed. Galarian Moltres is a much more aggressive version of the bird, able to burn away its opponents physically and mentally, draining them of their spirit. Galarian Zapdos can no longer fly, but can now basically move at the speed lightning strikes, plus it constantly travels around looking for opponents to battle. And then there’s Galarian Articuno, who no longer flaps its wings, but rather flies using pure Psychic energy. Instead, it uses these wings to cut through steel like paper. It can also freeze enemies solid with both psychic energy and pure cold. Basically, while the Kantonian versions of these birds were essentially elementals, the Galarian forms take it to a whole new level.

25 Zygarde

pokemon sun moon xy anime legendary

Here’s the thing about Zygarde, at 100%, it’s one of the most powerful Legendary Pokemon in existence. But, someone has to go through all the trouble of collecting its Cores and Cells to get it to 100%. Sure, it’s an incredibly interesting Pokemon with 3 different forms, it’s final one almost looking like a Gundam in terms of design, but the scary thing about Zygarde is that each “Core” acts like a brain. The 10% Forme has a single Core, but that means it can also exist at the same time as its 50% Forme. And, if the two coalesce and create the 100% Forme, almost every limb of this penultimate transformation has a Core, letting them all think and move independently from each other. It’s confirmed that at 100%, Zygarde is more powerful than Yveltal or Xerneas, two beings that can destroy or save entire nations, so it obvious this thing is worthy of being on here.

24 The Creation Trio

Next up are the Legendary representatives of the Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum games, the Creation Trio. Included in this Trio are Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Now, in comparison to the Swords of Justice who could fight off an army on their own, the Creation Trio could likely fight off an entire planet. Made by Arceus itself, these three hold domain over time, space, and anti-matter respectively. So, it goes without saying that a being that could literally stop time or warp space would be ranked in an entirely different realm than some powerful horse-like creatures.

23 Deoxys

Pokemon: Deoxys Fighting In Space In Pokemon Origins

Deoxys, otherwise known as the “DNA Pokemon”, was the first “alien” lifeform Game Freak injected into the franchise, and what likely paved the way for future concepts like the Ultra Beasts. Now, if that wasn’t cool enough to justify Deoxys being on here...what about the fact that it can regenerate itself? Still no good? How about the fact that it can adapt its form on the fly depending on the citation? Deoxys is just such a neat Pokemon that has plenty of power as well. For example, in Pokemon Origins, this thing was shown fighting Mega Rayquaza in space!

22 Regigigas

regigigas in the pokemon anime

Regigigas is a fan-favorite Legendary due to both its strength and its bulky design (though not because of its Signature Ability). It's about the same size as Giratina and the strength of some 50 times larger than it, similar to an army ant. But its power isn’t the only incredible thing about it, Regigigas is also the one who created the three (now five after Sword and Shield) other Regis and can apparently command them even if they already have Trainers who captured them. Lastly, it’s said in-game that Regigigas moved the continents on its own thousands of years ago, so we’ve got a Legendary who can command three other Legendaries, move entire landmasses, and has the power to crush anything in its grip? No wonder it’s on this side of the list.

21 Heatran

Pokemon: Promotional Art Of A Pokemon Ranger Up Against Heatran

Heatran is another underrated Legendary on this list that isn't strong in terms of what it governs, but in pure power. It's a Pokemon that's based on well...heat, much like Moltres, Ho-Oh, or Groudon. But, unlike them, it’s a bit more hyper-focused on that “heat” concept. It has magma-like blood, can blast or expel lava, and is made entirely out of steel and rocks.

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And, as far as movement goes, it can also crawl on walls, ceilings, and dig into the earth, it's a very adaptable Legendary, quite frankly. While it's not as strong or as wide-reaching in its abilities as something like Groudon, Heatran is a lot more versatile.

20 Genesect

Pokemon: A Gang Of 4 Genesects

Genesect is one of the most interesting Legendaries out there in terms of its lore. It's a bipedal, insect-like creature that's from prehistoric times. Now, based on its appearance, we’re assuming most of you would’ve guessed that this robot-like Pokemon was from a prehistoric era. We don't blame you for being confused. Turns out Genesect was revived from a fossil then experimented on by Team Plasma to make the most powerful Pokemon in existence. So its true form, the one from long ago, is likely buried underneath all these modifications and additions. But, considering that with enough time and fossils, someone could create an army of these powerful “Legendary” cyborg Pokemon, it only makes sense that Genesect would earn a spot here.

19 The Eon Duo

Pokemon: Latios & Latias Carrying Pikachu

Latios and Latias are the most interesting Legendaries in terms of the odd things they can do. They both have Mega Evolutions, they can share what they're seeing with the people around them, and they can shapeshift into humans and understand human speech. It's a bit of a “grab-bag” of random abilities, or at least it seems that way. In the Pokemon Adventures Manga, they actually assume human forms and raise a human being on their own. It’s that intelligence and versatility that make the Eon Duo especially powerful, as any Pokemon that’s able to communicate with humans has a lot more of an advantage compared to those that can’t. In terms of “power”, this duo is lacking a bit in raw physical strength, but they make up for it with speed. The potential of their speed is easily seen in the Super Smash Bros. games, where they appear from a Pokeball and one-sidedly decimate their target with a flurry of Steel Wings.

18 Groudon & Kyogre

Groudon and Kyogre

Ah, another trio of Legendaries, it’s the Super-Ancient Trio. Ignoring Rayquaza for now, Groudon and Kyogre, when working together or even fighting each other, are able to create entirely new landmasses. They're also gigantic, though some games might not make it seem that way. And, with the introduction of their “Primal Forms” in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, these two titans of the elements just got even stronger. In these Primal Forms, Kyogre and Groudon revert to the peak of their power by absorbing the energy from around them. In this form, Groudon can cause multiple volcanic eruptions as well as generate enough heat to evaporate an ocean while Kyogre could flood the entire world if left unchecked. The only downside to these two Legendaries is the Red and Blue orbs that give humans control over them but in terms of raw power these two land somewhere in the higher tiers.

17 Victini

Pokemon: Victini About To Cry

V for Victini or V for Victini! Well, not quite, if it’s up against most other Legendaries. This might be surprising, considering Victini has the innate ability to store an infinite amount of energy within itself and share with those it deems worthy. This makes it incredibly useful when supporting others, but not very strong on its own. The energy it holds and produces is a buffing-type of energy, rather than raw energy similar to heat or electricity. It has a couple other odd abilities such as being able to show visions to people or turning invisible. Overall it's one of the best Pokemon to have supporting another. Sure, Victini would likely be at the bottom of the totem pole, but at least it’s still on it, right?

16 The Tao Trio

The Tao Trio, much like many of the other “Legendary Trios” is made up of two insanely strong yet similar Legendaries, and a third which is just a tad stronger than the other two. The Reshiram Zekrom siblings make up 66% this Unova trio, while Kyurem is the third. Reshiram and Zekrom, to be blunt, are essentially dragons with jet engines for tails. And, interestingly enough, they each use their tails in different ways. Zekrom can create huge amounts of electric energy and create thunderstorms with its tail, as well as being able to generate a field around it that can nullify all air resistance. Meanwhile, Reshiram can incinerate everything near it using the fire energy from its tail and even modify the Earth’s atmosphere. Both creatures are powerful enough to impact the planet on their own, but then there’s Kyruem, a being able to fuse and take control of either Zekrom or Reshiram. Though, even on it’s own, Kyruem is said to be more powerful than the other two thanks to the immense amount of power it has over ice and cold.

15 Rayquaza

Pokemon: What Mega Rayquaza Looks Like

Alright, so Rayquaza might be the fan-favorite top Legendary. It’s insanely strong, has an incredible design, and its Primal Form only added to the “cool factor”. As a Legendary, in both design and execution, Rayquaza is almost perfect. It has all of the creativity of earlier generations with the perfect amount of design sensibilities from later gens. It's the master of the Ozone, flying at extreme speeds in the sky. It's got a Mega Evolution that fans seem to love on average, which is rare for any Mega Evolution design. And, finally, it’s strong enough to keep Kyogre and Groudon in check.

14 The Regi’s

Pokemon: Regieleki & Regidrago Overlaid On An Image Of The Three Original Regis

The Legendary Titans, also known as the Regis, were each made from a different image by Regigigas in its image. One was made from an ice mountain, one was made from pure stone, one from magma, one from raw electric energy, and one from condensed draconic energy. Each one of these Regis has an immense amount of power on their own, as well as absurd amounts of durability. In the Lucario and the Mystery of Mew movie, all three of the original Regis showed off just how powerful they are, while Regieleki and Regidragon were able to show off their power in the Split-Decision Ruins of the Crown Tundra Sword and Shield DLC. And, since they always seem to appear together, it’s like having the literal elements themselves as your enemy.

13 Eternatus

Pokemon Sword Shield Legendary

Remember the Dynamax and Gigantamax mechanics introduced in Sword and Shield? Well, they’re entirely thanks to Eternatus and the Galar Particles it emits. The only problem is, Eternatus isn’t really a benevolent being, but rather a destructive one. When it’s free and able to roam our reality, Eternatus causes what’s called the “Darkest Day”, in which random Pokemon in an area around it are unconsciously forced to Dynamax and run wild. Because Eternatus can control the Pokemon around it in this fashion, and it can turn into Eternamax Eternatus, given enough energy, this Legendary “alien” Pokemon could be apocalyptically destructive given the right circumstances. Fun fact, it’s also one of the only Pokemon in the anime to use 3D animation rather than 2D, proving that it’s an existence that’s foreign to the Pokemon world.

12 The Legendary Beasts

The three Legendary Beasts, consisting of Entei, Raikou, and Suicine of Generation II are amazingly well designed and have a very unique backstory. But, in comparison to something like Giritina or even Rayquaza, they may not seem like they should stand in the same realm. But, remember, most Generations of Pokemon have a Legendary duo/trio and a lesser Legendary duo/trio that either roam the map or are found in a specific area. Well, the Legendary Beasts are the strongest of these “lesser” Legendary types, easily outclassing the Lake Guardians of Sinnoh, the Eon Duo of Hoenn, or the Swords of Justice from Unova.

11 Yveltal

anime dark flying type legendary

Keeping things moving, coming up is the poster Legendary for Pokemon Y, Yveltal. Right off the bat, Yveltal is the opposite of Victini, it can absorb an infinite amount of energy from whatever's nearby, rather than generating an infinite amount. Plus it doesn’t really “share” this energy, it hordes it. When it reaches the end of its lifespan Yvetal siphons the life energy away from everything around it and sleeps for 1000 years, which can be pretty devastating depending on the area. And if it needs to fight, Yveltal can use the energy it stole to cause cataclysmic amounts of damage. Overall Yveltal is a Legendary that was designed to cause trouble.