20 Cutest Pokémon of All Time, Ranked

Cuteness in Pokémon is an exact science, by which we mean it is not a science at all and everyone will disagree with this list. That has never stopped anyone ranking them. Across nine generations of round babies, sleepy starters and Pokémon that look like plush toys that escaped the factory, these are the twenty we would defend in an argument.

The countdown

20. Torchic

A tiny orange chick that is basically a pom-pom with ambitions. Torchic is all fluff and optimism right up until it evolves into a kickboxing rooster.

19. Togepi

The original baby Pokémon, still walking around in half of its own egg. Misty's Togepi spent the anime being carried everywhere and somehow made that a personality worth loving.

18. Chikorita

A green bean with a leaf on its head and the energy of a puppy that has never been told no. Chikorita's whole design is one soft curve after another.

17. Shinx

An electric kitten with star-tipped ears and the biggest, bluest eyes in Sinnoh. Shinx looks like it is permanently hearing a treat bag open in the next room.

16. Sylveon

The one Eeveelution that chose ribbons over menace. Sylveon is pink, bow-covered and affectionate enough to evolve through friendship — it is basically a valentine that fights.

15. Purrloin

A smug little cat burglar with crossed arms and zero remorse. Purrloin's cuteness is the mischievous kind: it knows it stole your wallet and it is posing about it.

14. Luxio

Shinx's teenage phase — shaggier, cooler, still secretly adorable under the dramatic mane. Think of a house cat that has joined a rock band but kept the big eyes.

13. Dedenne

Take a hamster, add whisker antennas and cheek pouches that spark. Dedenne is the roundest of the Pikachu lookalikes, which is saying something in a crowded field.

12. Pawmo

A chubby little red panda of a Pokémon with tiny paws it uses to box with electricity. Pawmo's fighting style only makes it cuter, which feels unfair to its opponents.

11. Mew

The original mythical is a floating pink kitten that giggles, plays with bubbles and can learn every move in the series. Mew has been melting hearts since 1996.

10. Spheal

A perfectly round seal that rolls everywhere because walking is for Pokémon with knees. Spheal's clapping, cheerful uselessness has earned it a permanent spot in fans' hearts.

9. Makuhita

A tiny sumo wrestler with a knot on its head and a permanent grin. Makuhita trains by slapping trees and looks delighted about every second of it.

8. Gastly

Controversial, but hear us out: Gastly is a floating ball of gas with goofy eyes and a huge lolling grin. It is less a horror and more a balloon animal that haunts houses.

7. Jigglypuff

The balloon Pokémon and the anime's greatest running gag — a pink puff whose beautiful singing puts everyone to sleep, after which it draws on their faces in revenge.

6. Pichu

Pikachu, but smaller, with ears too big for its head and cheeks it has not learned to control yet, so it keeps shocking itself. Baby versions should not work this well.

5. Growlithe

A loyal fire puppy with tiger stripes and a cream-coloured tuft. Growlithe is the Pokémon most likely to be a very good boy, and the Pokédex basically says so.

4. Hoppip

A pink sprout with long leaves that spins like a helicopter when the wind picks up — sometimes whether it wants to or not. Hoppip is so light it drifts, and so cheerful it does not mind.

3. Bulbasaur

The very first Pokémon in the Pokédex and still one of the sweetest designs in it: a gentle little frog-dog with a flower bud growing on its back.

2. Eevee

A fluffy fox-cat with a cream ruff, huge ears and eight possible futures. Eevee is cute in a way that feels deliberately engineered, and honestly, it worked on everyone.

1. Pikachu

It was always going to be Pikachu. The chubby cheeks, the zigzag tail, the voice — the mascot of the entire franchise earned the crown decades ago and no generation since has seriously threatened it.

Honourable heartbreaks go to Piplup, Rowlet, Sobble and every other starter that starts arguments in our comments. Tell us which one we robbed.