Face it: There are so many Pokémon. As of this writing, there are more than 1,000 unique Pokémon in the National Pokédex, and if you’re coming to this article years after we’ve published, there’s a solid chance that number is way higher. Personally, the days of being able to name every Pokémon off the top of my head are long gone — I can just about do the original 151, albeit not in order — and while that’s partially due to how many there are, it’s also because some of them are just so damn forgettable.
Seriously, not all Pokémon are created equal. There are, believe it or not, some Pokémon that have no fans whatsoever. Which makes sense, because some Pokémon are outright terrible. And they deserve to be recognized — not for greatness, but for awfulness. It’s a feat in and of itself to be in the bottom ten out of 1,025.
So as Pokémon is at the height of its popularity, and as fans around the world sing praises of their favorite Pokémon, I’m taking the opposite tack. Below, see a completely unbiased, definitely objective, and very serious list of the top 10 worst Pokémon of all time. And if your favorite is featured… I can only apologize.
10
Unown
Alright, starting off with one I know is going to be controversial, but hear me out: Unown is true bottom-tier. And I’m not talking about its design, because, in theory, having 28 different versions of a Pokémon all representing the letters of the alphabet (and two punctuation marks ‘cos why not?) is extremely cool… but not in a video game sense. I don’t wanna collect ’em all.
If you’re a completionist and you want to fill the Pokédex to its absolute maximum, finding each form of Unown is such a pain in the ass in almost every game it features in. Completing puzzles, different locations or rooms for each letter, or simply being only obtainable via trading, is a grind. Not to mention if you want a shiny version of each letter. Also, it’s completely useless in battle, because it has diabolical stats and only one subpar move. C’mon Game Freak, give us an Unown evolution next gen.
9
Lopunny
You all know why Lopunny is on this list, and in the same way I struggle to enjoy the generally clever Rick and Morty, Lopunny is one of the worst Pokémon because of its fans. Stop being horny over Pokémon, folks. Also it’s normal-type, and it really isn’t particularly great in battle either.
8
Starly
Most Pokémon generations feature a Pidgey-like — a low-powered flying-type Pokémon you meet at the start of each game. Unfortunately, Starly is the worst. It’s just boring. Pidgey itself could arguably go here, but in its favor, Pidgeot is absolutely badass; the same goes for Pidove and its eventual final form, Unfezant. Meanwhile, Fletchling does something interesting by evolving into a fire-type (and it was my first shiny in Legends: Z-A so I have a soft spot for it), and Pikipek becomes Toucannon, which could well be deserving of a spot on the list of top 10 best Pokémon of all time.
So, I’m sorry Starly, but you’re dull. Staraptor has nothing on the other final-stage evolutions, and surely nobody is opting for Starly in Gen 4 over the absolute legend that is Bidoof.
7
Lickilicky
Lickitung is a fantastic Pokémon. Just a weird guy with a massive tongue, the shock factor of how absurd it is, especially for a first-gen Pokémon, is excellent. Not to mention its hilarious appearance in Detective Pikachu.
That said, Lickilicky is an abomination. Why is its tongue so rigid? Why does it have a WiFi symbol on its belly? Why does it have an Elvis-style quiff? The mysteries around Lickilicky go on, not to mention its name. That one Judge Rinder meme did not need to be made into a Pokémon.
6
Miltank
Miltank, on the whole, is mostly fine. It’s just a cow, after all. But unfortunately, Miltank as a Pokémon species takes the brunt for one specific Miltank: Whitney’s.
Longtime Pokémon players will understand exactly what I mean. Whitney, the third gym leader in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, has Miltank as her second Pokémon, and it is so much more difficult to beat than any foe you’ve faced before, in any Pokémon game out by then. At level 20, it’s considerably higher than your Pokémon are expected to be by that point, it has ridiculously high stats, and its moveset — Rollout, Attract, Stomp, and Milk Drink — is relentless. Pokémon games these days may be a little too easy, but Whitney’s Miltank went too far in the other direction.
5
Guzzlord
Visually, Guzzlord is actually pretty cool, which can’t be said for all of the Ultra Beasts. But let’s be fair: the name “Guzzlord” is painful. It’s the sort of thing your mates would call you sarcastically one night, and then you’d bristle at it too openly, and then oops, you’re stuck with the nickname for life. And can you imagine if Pokémon were real and you had to shout “Go, Guzzlord!” every time you entered battle?
4
Bruxish
There are plenty of extremely cool fish-based Pokémon, but Bruxish is nothing short of daft. Compare it to Seaking, Carvanha, Relicanth, Basculin, hell, even Magikarp is a much better design, despite its inferiority before it evolves into Gyarados.
Bruxish looks like an artist accidentally spilled all of their paints onto a poor unsuspecting fish, resembling that colorful shimmer you get in puddles of gasoline sometimes. At least it’s only available in two games.
3
Klefki
Klefki, Vanillish, and Trubbish are peas of the same pod, but while the latter two are adorable and can get a pass, Klefki is the worst version of the “let’s make household items into Pokémon” trend. It’s not a bad Pokémon in battle, but it’s such an uninspired design, and since it doesn’t evolve, including it in your team doesn’t feel particularly fun, as there’s little progress to be made.
Also, I need to shine a light on some of its Pokédex entries. It apparently “threatens attackers by fiercely jingling its keys” — oh no, I’m so scared! — and also sneaks into homes to steal keys for its collection. So Klefki is also just a thief. Great.
2
Noibat
Zubat was the only first-generation Pokémon to be considered for this list, but then I remembered Noibat exists. Zubat is annoying as hell, constantly showing up in places like Mt. Moon and Rock Tunnel, so why did we need another one?!
Noivern, its evolution, may look pretty cool, but given it takes until level 48 to evolve, it’s a Pokémon you need to keep on you and use for absolutely ages to eventually get the far better version of. It also has an underwhelming moveset, and once again, I need to stress: We really didn’t need Zubat 2.0.
1
Gholdengo
This is just a string cheese with wide hips. Need I say more?
