Now Ash Ketchum’s Pokémon The journey is officially over, there’s never been a better time to look back at anime and rank the best Pokémon sets. The Pokémon anime has evolved a lot over the years, both in the main series featuring Ash and in the various side projects that have been animated. It goes from adventure to action to comedy and back again, but fans have stuck with it throughout. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some fan favorites.
While each season and series brings something new to the world of Pokémon, some stories naturally stand out more than others. With 25 years of content gone, ranking these ten Pokémon series is no easy task, but in the end, the seasons and miniseries listed below are the ones that really leave an impression. fan.
10 Pokémon Evolution (2021)
Pokémon Evolutions serves as the spiritual successor to Pokémon Generations and animates specific scenes or concepts directly from the video game. There are eight episodes in total, each dedicated to one of the Pokémon regions at the time. Many of these episodes, such as Sword and Shield’s Leon centered “The Champion,” offer unique character perspectives that enhance and amplify key moments in the franchise. The beautiful animation complimented by the unique storytelling method for Pokémon also helps make it one of the best Pokémon series.
9 Wings of Twilight (2020)
Pokémon Twilight Wings is the perfect anime for fans of the Pokémon Sword & Shield games. There are eight episodes in total, the first seven serving as prequels to the story seen in the Sword & Shield games. The final episode takes place after the main story and shows what Leon will do after he loses the top spot. These episodes add a deeper layer to the story of the Galar region and help show different sides of characters as different as Leon, President Rose, and Oleana. Despite its short run, it’s still one of the best Pokémon series to date.
8 Pokémon: XY (2013-2016)
Pokémon XY sees a large fan base returning to the anime series, although many Pokémon fans don’t love the Pokémon X & Y video games. Its action and engaging storyline make it an instant hit. i.e. ranked among the best Pokémon series available. The series has been retooled in tone, making it more action-focused and in a more traditional shounen anime format. Ash usually has a new major opponent in each series, and for XY, one of his new rivals is a fan-favorite trainer named Alain, one of the most powerful Pokémon trainers in the series. anime, his staple Pokémon is Charizard which can super-evolve. Alain has had a significant impact on the series and is the only original anime character alongside Ash to later appear in the Masters Eight Tournament.
7 Advanced Generation (2002-2006)
Pokémon: Advanced Generation is a great next step for the Pokémon series, as it fuels Ash’s journey to the Hoenn region, shocking the main cast for the first time when Ash says goodbye to Misty and gives May and Max enter. The series has been one of the most engaging for Ash’s character development, and he’s been a lot less arrogant and more of a humble Pokémon trainer. The battles Ash goes through are some of his most memorable, like Ash’s rematch with Brandon at Battle Pyramid. The key lessons that Ash learned in this series are also very relevant to the next series, which has certainly aided Ash in naming the best Pokémon series.
6 Journeys (2019-2022)
The Pokémon journey gives way to one of the most exciting events the anime franchise has ever witnessed – the Masters Eight Tournament. This tournament sees a champion from each region compete as they battle to win and become the Monarch. Even people who normally only play video games jump in to watch, as the tournament features many prominent characters from the game. With this being the series that earned Ash the title of World Champion, it’s hard for Journeys not to rank as one of the best Pokémon series.
In addition to Masters Eight, Journeys also saw Ash travel the world, encounter countless legendary Pokémon, and build one of his all-time greatest Pokémon teams. It completely breaks the gym formula, and as a result it delivers a breath of fresh air.
5 Hisuian Snow (2022)
Pokémon Hisuian Snow is a three-length miniseries focusing on the Hisui region featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This vibrant and colorful anime series is one of the best made for Pokémon and does an excellent job in adding lore and story to familiar world players such as Pokémon Alpha.
The miniseries shows very well the struggle between Pokémon and humans, and how difficult it is for the two to coexist, this is also portrayed throughout the game. It’s also a unique opportunity for fans to see some of the best forms of Pokémon Hisuian from Legends: Arceus in animated form. Even taking into account its short duration, Hisuian Snow deserves to be considered as one of the best Pokémon cartoons.
4 Original series (1997-2002)
It’s hard to stay on top of the original Pokémon series that started it all. “Original Series” is generally defined as all the episodes set in the Kanto and Johto regions. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the Indigo League and seeing a Pokémon for the first time, and it’s still one of the best Pokémon series ever. New fan or not, the Indigo League is the perfect starting point for any Pokémon fan. It’s a good introduction to the Pokémon world, features many of the series’ most iconic characters and Pokémon like Ash’s Charizard, and is generally one of the most dedicated and loyal projects undertaken for the franchise. commercial.
3 Diamonds & Pearls (2006-2010)
The Pokémon Diamond & Pearl era has long been considered the best era in Ash’s series. The battles of Diamond & Pearl are among the most exciting of the series with more tactics and strategy in the game. The story is one of the best choreographed, and there’s plenty of foreshadowing and detail throughout to build upon key moments later in the series. Many of Ash’s Pokémon also make more of an appearance in the plot, such as Ash’s Chimchar and its relationship with Ash’s former trainer and rival, Paul. Even Brock finally got noticed before his departure, which lifted Diamond & Pearl to the forefront of the best Pokémon series of all time.
2 Generations of Pokémon (2016)
Pokémon Generations is an 18-episode miniseries that animates various major events throughout the Pokémon video game series. Created as a 20th anniversary project, it doesn’t gear the story like a regular anime, but rather a nice tribute to the Pokémon games that serve as the backbone of the franchise. The animation is gorgeous and has a higher quality than many of the official Pokémon movies. Fans of the video game and broader franchise should check it out, if only to see some of the most exciting Pokémon opponents like Blue, N, and Barry in action in one of the best Pokémon series. .
1 Pokémon Origin (2013)
Pokémon Origins is the anime series fans have been asking for for years. This four-episode animated series covers the main events of the original Kanto video game. It’s a trip back up the memory lane for fans of classic video games, while also featuring stellar battles and great Red and Blue characterization. While the anime can showcase iconic moments from the original video games, it also introduces new concepts, like fan-favorite Mega Evolution, as seen when Charizard’s mega Red evolves for the first time during his battle against Mewtwo. Many fans believe this is one of the best Pokémon anime projects ever, and showing it to would immediately explain why.
There are many other anime installments and smaller miniseries projects worth mentioning, but these ten are ranked as the best. Even those who are not huge fans of Ash Ketchum may find something on this list that they will enjoy, and many of these miniseries are specifically designed to appeal to fans of the game. . Anyone who has a love of Pokémon It is their responsibility to watch any best Pokémon anime that they may not be familiar with.
