Balancing is a tough concept in games, but especially when it comes to Pokemon, there are so many factors involved. Different moves, nerfs, buffs, and mechanical changes between games have led to some Pokemon becoming completely overpowered, while others have managed to hold their title as OP Pokemon since their debut.

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There are simply far too many different Pokemon now, and it’s plenty clear they are not created equal. Nothing even remotely close to some of the strongest Pokemon that have appeared through the history of the series, as OP Pokemon have become a true tradition in every new Pokemon game since the very beginning of the series.

Updated June 21st, 2021 by Gene Cole: The most broken Pokemon in the game are hardly just playground legends, as many of the most classic Pokemon remain stronger than most new Pokemon to this very day. With new games and the changing online metagame, many of the most OP Pokemon have managed to stand the test of time, and a few new ones have been uncovered in the most recent Pokemon generations.

25 Mewtwo

Mega Mewtwo Y flying upward in the Pokemon anime

No list of powerful and overpowered Pokemon can go without mentioning Mewtwo, the iconic legendary Pokemon at the end of Red & Blue’s Cerulean Cave and star of the first Pokemon Movie. This powerful Pokemon is unlike any other Psychic-type, having balanced stats and a wide list of moves that’s only increased over each generation.

If that wasn’t enough, it also gained the gift of two Mega Evolutions in Pokemon X & Y, one capitalizing on its unique physical attack moves and another making it a telepathic special attacker. Both of these lead it to the highest stat totals of any legendary Pokemon, but there are many other overpowered Pokemon that are definitely more unique.

24 Spiritomb

Spiritomb using a Fire Blast attack in the Pokemon anime

Spiritomb has essentially been taken out of the running for modern competitive play thanks to the introduction of Fairy-type moves. Before this, it was one of the rare few Pokemon with no weaknesses, meaning it could be used as a powerful tool against any foe without needing to worry about Super Effective attacks.

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It also has a ton of unique priority moves to get around its low speed, namely Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch. When added with some status moves like Confuse Ray or Trick to mess up your competitive foe’s strategy, it can be an absolute menace to fight against, and still infamous as one of Champion Cynthia’s best Pokemon.

23 Metagross

Metagross dashing at an opponent from the Pokemon Anime

Much like Mewtwo, Metagross has gotten nothing but gifts since it first debuted, but even without its Mega Evolution and powerful buffs through Dynamax, it’s still an easy choice for those wanting an OP Pokemon on their team. Its Steel and Psychic-type combination leads it to a lot of weaknesses, but somehow even more resistances, and this can make it really difficult to fight against for most opponents.

With the Mega Evolution and Dynamax letting it take Super Effective moves without losing too much health, its Attack stat manages to be the main feature of this metal monster. It’s certainly one of the most iconic Steel-type Pokemon in the history of the series, but more than that it’s a perpetually overpowered Pokemon in whatever game it’s available in.

22 Eternatus

eternatus in altered form

As the proper main legendary of Pokemon Sword & Shield, Eternatus is quite fitting as the most OP Pokemon in the game, and thankfully it’s rarely been allowed to show up in most official tournaments. This Pokemon’s only restriction is that it can’t be Dynamaxed, which is great since its unique Gigantamax form from a story moment has enough stats to stand above nearly any other Pokemon in the series.

On its own, though, it still is remarkably powerful and has several moves that make the Poison and Dragon-type combination worth the many weaknesses it has. With an added item of a Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, or Choice Band to give fifty percent more of a stat, it can easily outrun or outfight anything in its way.

21 Dragapult

Dragapult dashing through the air in the Pokemon anime

The Galar region is host to a lot of Dragon-type Pokemon, but it’s clear that its non-legendary ones are just as pushed as its legendaries. Dragapult might seem quite vulnerable with its lower defensive stats and Ghost and Dragon-type pairing, but this spirit dragon has an inexplicably high Speed, Attack, and Special Attack stat combination with a wide moveset to use it.

RELATED: The Top Competitively Viable Galar Region Pokemon

It’s shown up in all kinds of competitive play as a support player with moves like Reflect and Will-O’-Wisp, physical aggressors with moves like Dragon Darts and Psychic Fang, and even as a special attacker through access to elemental attacks like Surf and Flamethrower. This OP Pokemon is nearly unstoppable in most one-on-one matchups, and feels more like a mistake than a fun addition to the metagame.

20 Incineroar

Ash's Torracat in the Pokemon Sun & Moon anime

Incineroar is easily one of the most OP starter Pokemon in the entire Pokemon series, having excellent defenses that don’t cause any detriment to its offensive power. That said, you can use it as much more than just a beefy luchadore with Flare Blitz and Darkest Lariat, as its hidden ability of Intimidate and a Dark-type trait give it the opportunity to act as a great support player.

Incineroar can easily tank hits with a purely defensive build, lowering physical attack with its ability while entering battle and weakening Special Attacks with Snarl. It can also retreat from battle easily with Parting Shot, which cuts a huge amount of damage from an opponent before swapping to another teammate. Incineroar is hard to defeat, but even harder to hold advantage over.

19 Zacian

Zacian Using Behemoth Blade.

While cover legendary Zamazenta from Pokemon Shield might be a little underwhelming, the Steel and Fairy-type Zacian from Pokemon Sword is definitely known as the more overpowered member of this duo of brave Pokemon heirs. Without any stat boosts, this Pokemon already has one of the highest Attack stats in the game, but holding its Rusted Sword item will give it a new stronger form and an entry bonus of fifty percent more Attack.

This gives it the ability to hit harder than nearly any Pokemon, barring any resistances that your foes might have. That said, thanks to a great selection of Steel, Fairy, and Fighting-type moves, it’s impossible to see Zacian as anything but a one-hit killing machine that won’t give your opponent enough time to set up their strategy.

18 Urshifu

Urshifu using Surging Strikes in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Easily the most overpowered Pokemon from Sword & Shield has to be Urshifu, an addition from the Isle of Armor DLC. Its mix of Fighting-type with either Dark or Water might seem fairly unexciting, but this bear has a remarkable amount of Speed and Attack and some signature moves that counter all kinds of strategies.

RELATED: Pokemon: The Best Moves Introduced In Sword And Shield

These would be Surging Strikes and Wicked Blow, two moves that deal critical damage every time to raise its power and negate various stat changes. This makes Urshifu unable to be put down by abilities like Intimidate or Growl, and with an ability that lets it hit through defensive moves like Protect, it can break through any wall that your opponent can set up.

17 Porygon2

A freshly evolved Porygon2 from Pokemon Sword and Shield

Perhaps the least-suspecting OP Pokemon in the series is Johto’s own Porygon2, a unique second-evolution that is used far more than the later iteration of Porygon-Z. This Pokemon was already quite strong thanks to some great defenses and utility moves, such as Recover and Trick Room, which can mess with your foe’s damage and speed strategies quite significantly.

When the Eviolite item was introduced, though, Porygon2 got a boost that put it far above any other tank in the game. This held item raises defensive stats by fifty percent if the holder isn’t fully evolved, meaning Porygon2’s pushed stats suddenly become as high as legendaries like Cresselia.

16 Aegislash

Aegislash ready for a battle in the Pokemon X Y Anime

Aegislash isn’t as OP as it used to be thanks to a nerf in Pokemon Sword & Shield, but it’s still a competitive staple since Pokemon X & Y. Its unique signature ability, Stance Change, allows it to use status moves with increased defensive stats, while its slow speed lets it attack without leaving itself open to damage.

Its native moves essentially let you dictate its speed and power, with fast moves like Shadow Sneak letting you hit hard quickly or King’s Shield returning you to defensive mode immediately. It requires some careful strategy to use properly, but it’s too often an OP Pokemon when it’s in the right hands.

15 Mega Kangaskhan

Mega Kangaskhan, Pokemon XY ORAS

Mega Kangaskhan was one of the most infamous members of Pokemon X & Y’s competitive scene, much thanks to its unique Parental Bond ability that let it deal a second weaker attack with all of its moves. With the advent of Pokemon Sun and Moon, Parental Bond’s effectiveness was reduced, but that’s not to say it was no longer worth using.

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This ability made it unlike any other Mega Evolution, as its upgraded stats were only secondary to the more astonishing effects that could come with a second Fake Out, Giga Impact, or even Drain Punch. OP Mega Evolutions like Kangaskhan’s are very likely why they didn’t end up returning in Sword & Shield.

14 Blaziken

May Blaziken Pokemon Battle Frontier Anime

Here’s one example of a Pokemon that had no great shakes at first, but was given a huge burst of power in later iteration. It started as a solid mixed attacker that was strong on the playground and in Nuzlocke runs, but as a competitive Pokemon it tended to faint easily due to its many weaknesses.

Blaziken’s saving grace was its hidden ability in later games, Speed Boost, which let it gain fifty percent more speed at the end of each turn. This could combo with other status moves or defensive moves like Protect to let it build up speed before annihilating foes in its Mega Evolution form, leading to an unstoppable speedy force.

13 Mega Rayquaza

Pokemon ORAS Animated Trailer Mega Evolution Rayquaza

When the whole concept of Mega Evolution was first revealed, fans had all kinds of mixed feelings about how it would be implemented. Would it be a positive change for the game? Or would it be an overpowered mechanic? After its recent retirement in recent Pokemon games, it’s clear that fans adored it greatly, but it made many powerful Pokemon like Rayquaza impossible to deal with.

This new form gave it a huge boost in its stats, but more importantly is its new ability to create a windy weather condition that was entirely unique to this Pokemon and eliminated the weaknesses of Flying-types, making it as invulnerable as it was destructive.

12 Therian Landorus

Landorus in its Therian Form in the Pokemon anime

Landorus and its Therian Forme tend to run rampant in just about every battle format it’s allowed in. The reason for this is perfectly clear, of course. It’s got the whole package from an excellent Intimidate ability, great Ground-type moves like Earthquake, power and speed, and great item options for both defensive and offensive strategies.

RELATED: Pokemon Sword & Shield: Every Pokemon That Can Change Its Form

It quickly took hold over all of Pokemon Sword & Shield once it was revealed to return in the Crown Tundra DLC. It might not be the most visually appealing Pokemon out there, but it’s one of the hardest to cut from your team if you want a great mix of strength and utility.

11 Xerneas

Xerneas as it appears in the Pokemon anime

Xerneas hasn’t had too much time in official battle formats due to its status as a full legendary, but it’s secretly one of the most OP Pokemon to ever show up on the box art of a game. This primarily is because of its Geomancy move, which doubles its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed after one turn of charging.

This charge time might make it seem vulnerable, but with items like the Power Herb you could accomplish this instantly, and with its Fairy Aura ability it could blast foes with Moonblast for ridiculous damage. It doesn’t show up in official battles often, but when it does, Xerneas can hit some absurdly overpowered states in just one turn.

10 Alakazam

Mega Alakazam standing in a regal battle stadium from the Pokemon Anime

If you’re an older Pokefan from the very beginnings of the franchise, you’ll likely be plenty familiar with how overpowered Psychic-types were in the first generation of Pokemon. Dark and Steel-type Pokemon were introduced just to nerf the weakness-free Psychic Pokemon of the franchise, and the stats on nearly every Psychic-type were extremely pushed.

Alakazam was the absolute king of this OP Pokemon type, being a super fast, super powerful special attacker that was mostly invulnerable to other Special Attacks. It’s still plenty viable in most competitive Pokemon circles, but it still holds a legacy as one of the first non-legendary OP Pokemon.

9 Heatran

Heatran surrounded by a Magma Storm in the Pokemon Generations anime

Heatran is just a metallic workhorse and will always get the job done. More defensive Heatrans that stall foes through status moves like Stealth Rock can disable your foes without trouble, while aggressive modern Heatrans can use Dynamax to take hits without sacrificing damage.

RELATED: The Strongest Fire-Type Pokemon You Can Catch In Each Region, Ranked

It can definitely be the most vulnerable to popular Ground-type moves, but that’s not to say Heatran is unplayable thanks to items like the Air Balloon or Shuca Berry that negate and weaken Heatran’s vulnerabilities. Much like Landorus, its strengths outweigh any weaknesses and it’s quickly a competitive staple in any format it’s allowed in.

8 Greninja

Greninja using Water Shuriken in the Pokemon Anime

When Pokemon X and Y’s starters were revealed to the world, poor old Froakie was soon relegated to meme status. It was quite small and had a relatively bubbly appearance, so very few people expected it to be as dominant as it has been in Pokemon, as well as the Smash Bros series.

Not only is Greninja the edgiest edgelord in all the land, it’s a real threat with its hidden ability, Protean. This offsets its moderate offenses by giving it STAB (same type attack bonuses) on every move it uses, giving it an obscene amount of power, and makes its weaknesses unpredictable thanks to the wide variety of moves that Greninja can quickly use to change with.

7 Mega Charizard Y

The Drought Inducing Mega Charizard Y in the Pokemon Anime Kalos League Championship

For a good while, Charizard saw almost zero use thanks to Stealth Rock, a common entry hazard that takes out half of Charizard’s health. Its weaknesses to so many moves made it risky to run, even though its aggressive potential and anime fame make it an appealing option for many teams.

To compensate for this, Pokemon X and Y gave this fan favourite two different Mega Evolutions. Charizard X was certainly famous for its addition of the fitting Dragon-type, but Charizard Y was far more notable and OP, being a fearsome sun sweeper which sets its own auto-weather and fries all comers to a crisp with moves like Flamethrower and Solar Beam.

6 Primal Groudon

Primal Groudon standing over a Volcano in the Pokemon anime

For Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Groudon and Kyogre got themselves a Mega Evolution of sorts, known more properly as a Primal Form. It works in largely the same way, but gave these Pokemon absurdly greater stats and fully unique abilities that negated certain move types and couldn’t be replaced by other weather effects.

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Primal Groudon was incredibly centralizing, giving Rock and Ground-types more safety from Water-type moves and letting Grass-types with Solar Beam and Solar Blade run rampant. If that wasn’t enough, its physical offense and speed were absurdly higher than nearly any other Pokemon in its generation, making it a must-run in many unofficial battle formats.