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Is there even a need to ask? You will find it everywhere you look. What is the strongest Pokemon? Its Arceus. It will always be Arceus in the lore; the rest? Well, it depends. The strongest Pokémon in the lore are usually the legendries, even with the Mega Evolutions and Gigantimax Pokémon. The games are a bit different, and legendries are very strong, don’t get me wrong. Still, with so many intricacies and various typing, not to mention the game’s flow, the answer is a bit more complicated than that. Every generation has its own set of capable Pokémon that are either available early and might be able to sweep every opponent or are known by the end of the game with monstrous stats.
The strength of Pokémon, according to the games and the lore, is different. So in this article, the lore will play a minor role in determining the Pokémon I choose. As for the games, well, I will proceed by generation, including the legendaries of said generations. By focusing on Generations, we can understand how each Pokémon behaves in a particular game and why that specific Pokémon is the strongest.
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How to choose the Strongest Pokemons?
Now the metrics I will use to base the Pokémon’s strength will be its base stats and availability, move learning capability, typing advantage, and effectiveness against gyms and other battles in the game. I will try to include at least one regular Pokémon per generation along with the legendries to keep the list interesting. Let’s get started with the first generation.
Our list of Strongest Pokémons From Each Generation (October 2022)
Generation I – Strongest Pokemon
I know what you’re all thinking. It’s Mewtwo, and obviously, you’re not wrong. While Mewtwo is the strongest Pokémon in Generation I, we obtain it by the end of the game. As with most of the legendaries, it makes sense, but there are other Pokémon who are very strong, which we can obtain early on. First, why is Mewtwo the strongest?
Mewtwo
Generation I didn’t have separate Special Attack and Special Defense stats, so Mewtwo effectively has a particular monstrous stat making it a force to be reckoned with and coupled with the Psychic type being one of the most broken typing in the game. Ghost-type moves didn’t affect them, the dark type wasn’t a thing, and bug types moves were so weak. I mean, leech seed can’t take out Mewtwo; you get it at Level 70. This Pokémon might be the strongest one, in my opinion. Still, since you obtain it so late in the game, you never get to do anything unique with it, so what else is there?
Stats
HP: 106
Attack: 110
Defense: 90
Special: 154
Speed: 130
Alakazam
Alakazam is another psychic Pokémon that benefits from its broken typing in the game. You obtain Abra reasonably early in the game and can also learn various moves. Generation I had a lot of kinks to iron out, and Alakazam benefitted from almost all of them. It comes with the psychic move confusion and later learns psychic, not to mention the heavy-hitting special stat that turns Alakazam into a one-hit KO machine. Alakazam is usually obtained from trade in the Pokémon games, but that’s relatively simple to do these days, so that Alakazam might be your next best bet.
Stats
HP: 55
Attack: 50
Defense: 45
Special: 135
Speed: 120
Generation II – Strongest Pokemon
This generation ironed out many kinks from the previous one and introduced a substantial Pokémon world to explore. The legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh and Lugia are level 60 this time, albeit very strong. They have their weaknesses. I’m not mentioning the Legendary Beasts in the list, but if I do that, the entire list will only have legendary Pokémon. Legendries will always be on top in most generations, so what normal Pokémon takes the crown as the strongest Pokémon in these games? Well, in my opinion, it is Typhlosion.
Typhlosion
Supporting impressive stats from the beginning, Typhlosion has a considerable type advantage in this generation. It can fight against most gyms except Whitney and her Milktank, the countless hours I spent hating her, but we’re moving on from that. Typhlosion has impressive stats, which allows it to become a sweeper, but there’s one more trick up its sleeve. Typhlosion can learn the move Thunder Punch, which gives it an even bigger edge against other Pokémon. Since its speed stat is very high, Typhlosion can quickly become a 1 Hit KO Pokémon for your team.
Stats
HP: 78
Attack: 84
Defense: 78
Special Atk: 109
Special Def: 85
Speed: 100
Alakazam
Alakazam received a lot of debuffs in the game; Dark type became a thing, Psychic is now weak to ghost types, and the separation of Special Attack and Defense made him considerably weak, so why is Alakazam still in the race? It can learn all elemental punch moves, which are special moves instead of physical moves in these games; this makes Alakazam a force against everyone because of its high speed and special attack. Even with all the nerfs made to Alakazam, the weakness of bug-type moves allows it to stay one of the strongest Pokémon in generation II.
Stats
HP: 55
Attack: 50
Defense: 45
Special Atk: 135
Special Def: 95
Speed: 120
Lugia
Lugia, a Psychic flying type, has a few weaknesses, but its main strength comes from its high stats and large move pool. I only included Lugia instead of Ho-Oh because of its typing. Since Lugia can use moves like Surf or water Pulse, Ho-Oh stands less chance of survival. It is obtained by the end of the game and is one of the strongest Pokémon in this generation.
Stats
HP: 106
Attack: 90
Defense: 130
Special Atk: 90
Special Def: 154
Speed: 110
Generation III – Strongest Pokemon
Generation III had a lot of variations to the Pokémon we could catch, including the Legendries. Still, we will stick to Pokémon Emerald as it is the definitive one. The strongest Pokémon, well, you guessed it, it’s Rayquaza. The Legendary space dragon that destroys meteorites and fights off intergalactic threats to protect the world? Of course, it’s Rayquaza. Now Groudon and Kyogre are both strong, and Rayquaza is stronger. Let’s leave that debate and focus on the other Pokémon. If you’ve played the game as much as I have, this starter knows how to sweep.
Swampert
This tanky Pokémon has one of the best typing in this generation. The water and ground typing make it immune to electric moves and resists most other types. Swampert effectively becomes a powerhouse against most gym leaders and even the elite four. Using his high attack stats, Swampert quickly takes the cake this generation and ends up being my favorite choice as a starter and my main Pokémon.
Stats
HP: 100
Attack: 110
Defense: 90
Special Atk: 85
Special Def: 90
Speed: 60
Rayquaza
Please look at those stats and tell me how this isn’t a monster. Rayquaza is the strongest Pokémon in the game and knows extreme speed, allowing it to attack first even if the opponent has a faster speed stat. Dragon types have always had an advantage in the earlier games, but Rayquaza is in a league of its own. With the variety of moves it learns, It is the strongest Pokémon in generation III.
Stats
HP: 105
Attack: 150
Defense: 90
Special Atk: 150
Special Def: 90
Speed: 95
Generation I (Re-Makes) – Strongest Pokemon
The Pokémon games became more streamlined, and Alakazam got nerfed. Yes, Psychic-type wasn’t as overpowered as before, and bug-type got moves like Megahorn. We have already talked about Mewtwo, so that we won’t be mentioning him again. So who takes the crown? We know Venausaur is the best starter in these games; even if everyone likes Charizard, the best Pokémon is Nidoking, and the Dragonite is a close second.
Nidoking
It has a huge move pool, especially from TM’s, and its physical and special attacks are solid. Nidoking is available early in the game, and you get one at level 16 by using a moonstone on it. Of course, since the games got balanced pretty well as the generations progressed, it’s not as broken as it once was. But Still, I would choose Nidoking for my team, and most speed runners also use Nidoking since it’s available so early on.
Stats
HP: 81
Attack: 102
Defense: 77
Special Atk: 85
Special Def: 75
Speed: 85
Dragonite
One of the best Pokémon in the game, but the only reason it’s below Nidoking is that obtaining it in-game is a bit rough. You would have to buy a Dratini from the game corner, which might take a lot of grinding, and then you will have to level it up. The reward is great, but the effort required is a lot. With that said, Dragonite has impressive stats much higher than other Pokémon in this generation, making the total a whopping 600. It learns various moves and can also serve as a sweeping powerhouse for your team.
Stats
HP: 91
Attack: 134
Defense: 95
Special Atk: 100
Special Def: 100
Speed: 80
Generation IV – Strongest Pokemon
In the generation where god was introduced, like we did with Pokémon Emerald, we will discuss the definitive version, Pokémon Platinum. The answer in this generation is a no-brainer, it’s Arceus, but you’re not traditionally able to catch an Arceus. Arceus in the games was made to be an event Pokémon, so I will leave the decision of it being the strongest up to you; however, what about the other Pokémon? To simplify, Giratina has the highest stat total, and for the standard capture, it’s Garchomp. I’m sorry, Lucario fans, but wait; I promise you he will get his moment.
Giratina
Giratina is the strongest Pokémon you can catch in the games, the ruler of the dark realm itself. The moves it’s able to learn are beneficial. Giratina is very strong, going into Rayquaza territory in the games, not the actual lore of the games. The base stats are much higher than Dialga and Palkia, and its move set and typing allow it to always come out on top.
Stats
HP: 150
Attack: 100
Defense: 120
Special Atk: 100
Special Def: 120
Speed: 90
Garchomp
I know how impressed everyone was with Cynthia’s Garchomp, and so was I. This is for good measure; Garchomp has excellent typing and is a quick, hard-hitting Pokémon. It has a large arsenal of moves, not to mention its striking appearance, it does nothing in the games, but it sure looks intimidating. Garchomp quickly takes the list and is well worth it even if you have to evolve it from a Gible.
Stats
HP: 108
Attack: 130
Defense: 95
Special Atk: 80
Special Def: 85
Speed: 102
Arceus
Just look at those stats; not much needs to be said about Arceus, the literal god of well. This Pokémon can change its typing and has a huge move pool to choose from. Its stats add up to 720, the highest stat a Pokémon has that hasn’t been Mega evolved (it wasn’t a thing in this generation.) It is hands down the strongest base Pokémon you can obtain in almost any Pokémon game.
Stats
HP: 120
Attack: 120
Defense: 120
Special Atk: 120
Special Def: 120
Speed: 120
Generation V – Strongest Pokemon
This generation is arguably the best Pokémon game ever released and had two releases, the second one building upon the first. Both games had their share of legendary Pokémon that were extremely strong. Still, at a base level, this generation’s fighting types shined. The best starter and Pokémon that you could use for Generation V is Tepig, who evolves into Emboar.
Emboar
You might wonder why I chose Emboar since there are other Pokémon with higher stats. The games Black and white series has a lot of Pokémon in Gyms and the Elite Four who are weak to fighting type Pokémon. Tepig, once evolving into Emboar, gains the fighting type and fire typing, which makes it very helpful throughout the game. Team Plasma has a lot of Dark-type Pokémon that Emboar can effectively take out. This advantage helps the entire play and allows Emboar to shine even if it isn’t technically the strongest.
Stats
HP: 110
Attack: 123
Defense: 65
Special Atk: 100
Special Def: 65
Speed: 65
Reshiram
One of the strongest Pokémon and legendary of the region along with Zekrom. Their existence allowed Unova to come into being. Zekrom and Reshiram are very strong, but the fire typing allows Reshiram to come out on top. Kyurem, who has the original dragon’s power rested within, might arguably be very strong in the Pokémon lore. Still, in the games, it has a much lower base stat and, as such, fails to reach the mark. This allows Reshiram to come out on top of the three dragons.
Stats
HP: 100
Attack: 120
Defense: 100
Special Atk: 150
Special Def: 120
Speed: 90
Generation VI – Strongest Pokemon
This is the generation that changed it all; the entire list I curated above would be obsolete if we went based on stats alone since Mega Evolutions were introduced. They changed the stats of Pokémon for a small amount of time and allowed them to reach their peaks. It was a welcome change to the formula, so what Pokémon are the strongest in these games?
Mega Lucario
This Pokémon is a monster. Mega Evolutions changed the game, and there’s no denying that, but Mega Lucario has many tricks up its sleeve. Its attack stats are very damaging, and it has high speed, which allows Mega Lucario to effectively 1 Hit KO most of the Pokémon it fights. One more thing it has up its arsenal is that once it mega evolves, Stab moves used by it do two times the damage making it a powerhouse. To add more to the flame, Riolu is obtained relatively quickly. You get Lucarionite after the third gym, effectively having a hugely strong Pokémon in your team.
Stats
HP: 70
Attack: 145
Defense: 88
Special Atk: 140
Special Def: 70
Speed: 112
Mega Mewtwo Y
It is a bit unexpected that the main legendaries aren’t as strong as Mew Two, but it is for good measure. First off, Mew two can mega evolve into two forms, X and Y, X being the Psychic-fighting type and Y being the pure Psychic type. While both are extremely strong, Mew two Y wins because of its better special attack and speed stat. It allows Mega Mewtwo Y to quickly take out its foes along with the excellent move variety it possesses that complements its stats. If you teach it a calm mind, the defense goes up, creating a legendary psychic powerhouse.
Stats
HP: 106
Attack: 150
Defense: 70
Special Atk: 194
Special Def: 120
Speed: 140
Generation VII – Strongest Pokemon
It is a lot simpler in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Still, all that changes in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon since basically almost every legendary Pokémon is available to be caught in the game. This effectively neutralizes Solgaleo and Lunala’s existence since you’ve gotta catch em all. The game’s direction with legendries is a bit different. Still fun nonetheless, so let’s just talk about a Pokémon that would help throughout the base game.
Hawlucha
Dark typing dominates these games, and Hawlucha’s fighting typing is an excellent countermeasure against it. It performs well against most of the player’s challenges and its obtainable reasonably early in the game. The fighting flying type Pokémon has a nice variety of physical moves. Due to its strong speed stat, it makes Hawlucha a great partner for the series.
Stats
HP: 78
Attack: 92
Defense: 75
Special Atk: 74
Special Def: 63
Speed: 118
Zoroark
Game Freak made this Pokémon easy to obtain in the Sun and Moon series. The ability illusion allows Zoroark to take on the form of the last Pokémon in your party, effectively confusing your opponent. Its speed and special attack allow this Pokémon to defeat most of its foes. While it can’t be the team’s sweeper, it helps significantly in this series in which Dark-type Pokémon dominate.
Stats
HP: 60
Attack: 105
Defense: 60
Special Atk: 120
Special Def: 60
Speed: 105
Generation VIII – Strongest Pokemon
The latest generation of Pokémon introduced Gigantimaxing, which, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a massive fan of, but some people seemed to enjoy. There is much to unfold in sword and shield, including the legendries who have their weaknesses, but without further ado, the best Pokémon would be
Dragapult
The dragon ghost typing gives it an edge over the other Pokémon. You can utilize its base attack stat for various plays. Now Aegislash is another strong choice for the strongest Pokémon. Still, the game is well-balanced enough that it mostly boils down to personal preference. I have always liked dragon-type Pokémon.
Stats
HP: 88
Attack: 120
Defense: 75
Special Atk: 100
Special Def: 75
Speed: 142
Eternatus
Stats
HP: 140
Attack: 85
Defense: 95
Special Atk: 145
Special Def: 95
Speed: 130
The strongest Pokémon in the game, with its Eternamax form being stronger than any other Pokémon’s stats (1110). It is the strongest Pokémon in sword and shield, even though its Eternamax form is unobtainable. The base stats add up to 690, more than most other legendaries on the list. Its move set allows Eternatus to quickly take up the spot of the strongest in the Galar region.
The Strongest Pokémon in the Games by Stats
We’ve talked about all the generations and their respective Pokémon, how about simplifying it a bit. Let’s put aside the in game intricacies Pokémon has to offer and come up with an answer. Who is the strongest Pokémon? It is Mega Mewtwo Y. I explained it while writing about Generation VI, this special focused Pokémon is an absolute powerhouse with a stat total of 780. Mega Rayquaza is a close second but Mewtwo wins by a tiny margin because of its speed and special attack. Now, if we ignore Mega Evolutions and focused purely on their base stats the list of Pokémon will be:
1. Arceus (720)
2. Zamazenta (720)
3. Zacian (720)
4. Zygarde (708)
5. Kyurem (700)
6. Eternatus (690)
7. Rayquaza (680)
8. Mewtwo (680)
9. Giratina (680)
10. Ho – Oh (680)
Final Thoughts
So who’s the strongest Pokémon of them all? As you can see, it depends on a lot of things. We can call it a day, and I can start listing Mega Evolutions since most have stats adding up to 780, but I believe each generation has its charm. Pokémon for a play-through and strong Pokémon aren’t directly proportional, so the games have an excellent way of leaving the best for last. As for base stats, the mythical Pokémon Arceus (yes, it is mythical, not legendary, because it was obtained from an event) is the strongest base stat Pokémon. While many other Pokémon are almost tied for the top spot, for some reason, I always think Charizard is the strongest, even if that’s far from true.
