This article will refer to the English-translated versions of characters and events. Pokémon has grown to be one of the most iconic and highest-grossing media franchises of all time, between the video games, trading card games, animated series, and feature films, there is no shortage of exceptional Pokémon content out there. There are now over a thousand different Pokémon creatures that make up the vast and expansive world of Pokémon, yet there is still something special about the original set of 151 Pokémon that has fans enamored 25 years later.

Being the first set of Pokémon released, many of these creatures have become icons not just of the humble beginnings of the franchise, but icons for the entire series as a whole, even going beyond the popularity of Pokémon itself. Popularity is far from a defining factor when it comes to favoritism, as every individual is going to have their favorite Pokémon, it just so happens that these frequently find themselves as favorites over their contemporaries.

15 Butterfree

Pokédex No. #012

One of the core facets of Pokémon is the concept of evolution, with Pokémon evolving and growing into more powerful creatures as they train and become stronger, with many young trainers' first experience with evolution being Butterfree. The Bug and Flying-type Pokémon is the final evolution of Caterpie, a Pokémon commonly found in the early parts of a trainer's journey, which when combined with the short time it takes to evolve, becomes many trainers' first fully evolved Pokémon.

Ash finds himself catching a Caterpie and evolving it all the way up to a Butterfree in the early episodes of the anime, culminating in one of the most iconic episodes of the series, "Bye Bye Butterfree". Ash having to let his Butterfree go to live alongside the other wild Pokémon is one of the most emotional moments in the entire Pokémon anime, giving weight and significant value to Butterfree as one of the most iconic bug-type Pokémon.

14 Arcanine

Pokédex No. #059

Arcanine is the dog-like evolution of Growlithe via Fire Stone, being one of the most popular of the already massively popular fire-type Pokémon in the series. In the anime, Gary's Arcanine debuted in EP63 "The Battle of the Badge," where it took on Team Rocket leader Giovanni in a gym battle. Arcanine may just be the most iconic singular Pokémon in Gary's team, frequently being used in battles and taking down anything that stands in its path.

Known for its speed and loyalty, the anime showed the badass Arcanine's protective side as it hid food in its mane to take to its young. In Red, a Growlithe can be evolved to attain Arcanine, but in Blue, it must be traded for. It is the only Pokémon species to have "Legendary Pokémon" as the Pokémon category, but unfortunately, it is not considered one of the Legendary Pokémon (like Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo).

13 Vaporeon

Pokédex No #134

As the poster child for varied and completely different evolutions, nearly every member of the Eevee family is iconic in its own right, yet the one from the first generation that stands out the most has to be Vaporeon. The Water-type member of the family, Vaporeon combines the more aquatic attributes of a sea-animal with the cutesy pet appearance of an Eeveelution to create one of the cutest designs among fully-evolved Pokémon.

Vaporeon most commonly appears in the anime alongside the other Generation 1 Eeveelutions, Jolteon and Flareon, such as in their debut episode, "The Battling Eevee Brothers". Even well after its debut, various trainers in Ash's adventures find themselves including a Vaporeon to round out their team, with the Pokémon only getting that much more notoriety as more Eeveelutions were added over the years. It's a Pokémon that has grown increasingly popular as time has passed, widely considered a fan-favorite among water types.

12 Gengar

Pokédex No. #094

Spooky boy Gengar is the final evolution of Gastly and Haunter, the line of Pokémon most prominently known for being the only ghost-type Pokémon out of the first 151. Gengar is the face of ghost-type Pokémon for many fans of the series, with its haunting and sinister smile leaving a lasting impact as one of the few faces of undeniable evil and despair in the series. The ghostly trio first made their appearance in EP23 "The Tower of Terror," a briefly banned episode due to its name and proximity to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Gengar is one of the two first Pokémon to be shown in battle during the anime opening and games Green and Red, the other being Nidorino. Ken Sugimori, the illustrator of the original 151, has said that Gengar is his favorite Pokémon. Various masterful ghost-type trainers would find themselves using Gengars throughout the series, such as Gym Leader Morty and Elite Four member Agatha. Ash would even use a Gengar of his own in Pokémon: Journeys, making effective use of its then-new Gigantimax form.

11 Blastoise

Pokédex No. #009

The mascot of Pokémon Blue and the final evolution of the water starter Pokémon Squirtle, Blastoise has always been a fan-favorite thanks to its starter status, being many trainers' core Pokémon on their first journey. The Pokémon features a duo of cannons coming out of its back that shoot water-based attacks at foes, an ingenious design that has only made it more of a fan-favorite among newer fans of the series. The Pokémon has frequently received love over the years, receiving a Mega Evolution in Generation VI and a Gigantimax form in Generation VIII.

Gary is the owner of the first Blastoise we see in the anime series. He has leveled up the Squirtle he received from Professor Oak and battles with him in EP269, "The Ties That Bind." Gary's Blastoise quickly becomes one of the most defining Pokémon on Gary's team, acting as the foil to Ash's own starter Pokémon that he's received throughout his journey. Various other trainers have found themselves using Blastoise in battle throughout the anime series, such as Tierno's Blastoise in the X and Y series and the iconic clone Blastoise design in Mewtwo Strikes Back.

10 Snorlax

Pokédex No. #143

Sluggish Snorlax had no evolutions until Munchlax was introduced in Gen IV. He is the heaviest Gen 1 Pokémon, weighing 1014lb, and often falls asleep in inconvenient places. Its simple design, lovable attitude, and unexpectedly immense strength have made Snorlax a fan favorite since the very beginning. Snorlax has proven to be so popular that it has an entire mobile app, Pokémon Sleep, that uses it as the central figure and mascot.

In Red and Blue, players are first introduced to the sleeping giant when he is found blocking Route 12 and another blocking Route 16. Ash has his own Snorlax in the anime, which he catches in episode 14 of Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands. Ash's Snorlax proves to be one of the most effective and strongest members of his team, with him even sometimes going and bringing it back in later generations to win a tough fight against other Pokémon, such as when he had to defeat Greta of the Battle Frontier.

9 Ditto

Pokédex No. #132

With a relatively simple and cute design, Ditto's signature gimmick of transformation quickly made him one of the quirkiest yet beloved Pokémon from the original 151. The pokemon's simple, blobby design is due to its signature abilities as a Pokémon, being able to transform its body to take the shape and appearance of anything it wants. The animated series especially has lots of creative fun with this, with Ditto transforming not just into other Pokémon, but trainers and even household objects.

However, in the anime, Ditto's transformations can always be spotted thanks to its signature simple face, adding his own unexpected cute factor to any Pokémon that it takes the form of. While it may seem strange to believe that popularity can find itself attaching to a Pokémon whose entire gimmick is to change its appearance to fit others, it all comes together to create an undeniable charm for Ditto.

8 Squirtle

Pokédex No. #007

Turtle-like Squirtle is one of three starter Pokémon available to players of Red and Blue. Out of all Kanto starter Pokémon, Squirtle has been trained by Ash, May, Gary, and Tierno, making it one of the most popular starter Pokémon. Squirtle can also attribute some of its popularity to being playable in various entries in the Super Smash Bros. series, being a part of the Pokémon Trainer character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Ultimate.

"Here Comes the Squirtle Squad!" is one of the highest-rated episodes from the Kanto anime series, first introducing Ash to his Squirtle and audiences to the much-loved trouble-making gang, who have since garnered mentions throughout the Poké-verse. Even after Ash catches the iconic Squirtle, it continues to be a valuable asset to his team for his journies in Kanto, never evolving and continuing to stay in the cute yet powerful first form.

7 Dragonite

Pokédex No. #149

Long before dragon-type Pokémon would be commonplace and widely explored throughout each generation, Dragonite was the quintessential Pokémon dragon, being the final evolution of the only line of Dragon types in the series when it debuted. Dragonite debuted in the anime EP13 "Mystery at the Lighthouse" as an unknown giant Pokémon that Bill was fascinated by. Various legendary trainers have had the iconic dragon as a part of their teams, most notably being a central part of the team of Lance, the champion of the Johto region.

During the original anime series, Dragonite is most famously seen being held by the trainer Drake, in a fierce and powerful battle against Ash, taking down a good portion of his team before eventually falling to Pikachu. Ash eventually got a Dragonite of his own during Pokémon: Journeys, as the lovable dragon proved to be one of Ash's strongest Pokémon and a core member of his final team.

6 Mew

Pokédex No. #151

The original mythical Pokémon and the final Pokémon out of the original 151, Mew was never truly obtainable in the original games by standard means, transforming it into a real-life legend of the Pokémon world. The Pokémon is often cited and considered to be one of the first Pokémon of all time, being an ancestor to every Pokémon species, while at the same time being incredibly powerful in its own right. Mew can learn just about every Pokémon move imaginable, and has an unexpected carefree attitude as it travels around the world in mystery and glee.

Mew is an icon of mythical Pokémon, frequently finding itself appearing in Pokémon movies due to its status, such as in Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back and Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. While its expansive mythos and status and role in the franchise as a whole certainly plays a part in its iconic status, the Pokémon's undeniable cute factor also goes a long way in making it one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time.

5 Eevee

Pokédex No. #133

Evolution is one of the most important aspects of the Pokémon world, with Pokémon changing and growing stronger with each subsequent form. No individual Pokémon shows off the potential and excitement of evolution quite like Eevee, being able to transform into a wide variety of different Pokemon, each iconic and beloved in their own right. It also helps that Eevee is undeniably one of the cutest Pokémon out there, with its fuzzy fur and long ears delighting fans ever since its debut.

In Pokémon Red and Blue, the trainer can only receive a single Eevee in the secret entrance to Celadon Mansion. During its initial debut, Eevee had three possible evolutions: Jolteon (via Thunder Stone), Flareon (via Fire Stone), and Vaporeon (via Water Stone). Ash's first introduction to Eevee was in the episode "The Battling Eevee" in the anime. He didn't attain his own until Pokémon Journeys: The Series, making it his seventy-fifth Pokémon overall.

4 Bulbasaur

Pokédex No. #001

It's hard to be more iconic than the very first Pokémon in the Pokédex, with Bulbasaur being another cute Pokémon massively elevated by its status as one of the first starter Pokémon. What makes Bulbasaur specifically more popular than Squirtle and Charmander has less to do with its evolutionary line and instead to do with its increased cute factor and frequent reappearance throughout the franchise. Bulbasaur is

Ash's Bulbasaur was the third Pokémon he caught in the Kanto region and his fourth overall in the anime. It was also his first grass/poison type and first of the three starter Pokémon. Ash's Bulbasaur was in his party for 215 episodes, making it the second-longest Pokémon he has owned. On top of Ash's Bulbasaur, other mainstay trainers like May and Shauna would use Bulbasaurs on their own, increasing the popularity and longevity of the widely beloved starter.

3 Mewtwo

Pokedex No. #150

While Mew may be considered the ancestor to all Pokémon, the tragic and emotional backstory of the all-powerful Mewtwo has helped it become that much more iconic than its cutesy counterpart. Created in a lab as an attempt to clone Mew, Mewtwo soon turned against his creators and escaped into the unknown, as depicted in Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back. With potent psychic abilities and a hatred for humanity, Mewtwo is widely considered one of the most powerful Pokémon of all time.

While many villains in the Pokémon franchise take the form of humans looking to exploit or capture Pokémon, Mewtwo is one of the only true villains that happens to be a Pokemon itself. Its insurmountable strength has made it a staple for the most powerful teams in Pokémon history, as well as given its frequent appearances being playable in the Super Smash Bros. series. Mewtwo's fan favorite status has only grown as it has received many different forms over the years, including two different Mega forms in Pokémon X and Y and a jet-black shadow form in Pokken Tournament.

2 Pikachu

Pokédex No. #025

Pikachu exists on a level of popularity and pop culture significance that goes beyond the realm of Pokémon itself, being the mascot for the entire franchise and one of the most recognizable media characters of all time. The electric-type rodent will continue to be a mainstay for the entire Pokémon series, with its lovable design and shockingly powerful abilities making it a perfect fit to get new viewers and audiences interested in the franchise.

The most iconic Pikachu in the franchise is easily the one used by Ash Ketchum throughout the entirety of the anime series, as from the very beginning, the duo of Ash and Pikachu would go on various adventures and become perfect partners. Pikachu is featured in just about every episode of the Pokémon anime, participating in many battles and being the linchpin that ties all of Ash's battling teams together. Pikachu has also found itself playable in just about every Pokémon spinoff imaginable, as it's hard to find a piece of Pokémon media that doesn't feature Pikachu in some way.

1 Charizard

Pokédex No. #006

While Pikachu may be more popular when it comes to the worldwide recognition and perception of Pokémon as a franchise and brand, among Pokémon fans themselves, there is no denying the popularity and impact of Charizard. Charizard is the final evolution of the starter Pokémon Charmander and Chameleon, being the most popular of the initial starter trio and being the core part of many people's first experience playing Pokémon. The fire/flying type has also been playable in various other forms, most notably being a mainstay of Super Smash Bros. since its introduction in Brawl even remaining playable when its fellow starters Squirtle and Ivysaur were removed.

Charizard became a fan favorite during his run, being disobedient to Ash in the anime, ignoring the young trainer who is deemed as unworthy. This mirrors how Pokémon behave in-game if a player doesn't have enough badges to control them. While it took a while for Ash's Charizard to warm up to him, it would quickly become one of the defining members of his team and a part of some of the most iconic moments during the original run of the anime series. In 2020, one of the rarest cards, the 1999 'Shiny Charizard' (First Edition Shadowless holographic Charizard #4), sold for over $220,000.

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