The 10 worst Pokémon of all time

With more than 1,000 Pokemon created over the past 25 years by a variety of creators, it’s inevitable that some don’t quite hit the mark. Even though each Pokemon is special to someone, the poor design of certain ones makes them difficult for most trainers to appreciate.

A ‘Pokémon‘ can have numerous flaws, making them less than ideal for various reasons. They might lack aesthetics, struggle during battles, or be outperformed by other Pokémon. In some cases, they could even be considered worthless, like trash. Essentially, these are the Pokémon we’d only catch to complete our Pokédex, and once that’s done, we’d store them away in the PC for good.

It’s not unexpected that some fantastic Pokémon designs appear less appealing as shinies, given the trend of Game Freak struggling to create attractive shiny versions.

Apologies in advance, Generation 5 fans.

Cryogonal

The delicate charm of snowflakes seen closely makes one think a Pokémon modeled after them would be an instant favorite. However, the design choice was to make it appear unattractive and ominous, with the lore stating it uses icy chains to abduct people. This could’ve been acceptable if it at least had a touch of coolness. Regrettably, its form lacks any semblance of a real snowflake’s elegance, and its glowing eyes seem out of place.

Binacle

Barbaracle, as a Pokémon, is perfectly acceptable, though it may seem a bit eerie. Unfortunately, its pre-evolution leaves much to be desired. Geodude already established the concept of a rock with limbs, which isn’t particularly impressive in design, but it manages to slide by in Generation 1. However, when designing Binacle, it seems someone decided to take Geodude’s design and make it less appealing in every possible way. This was achieved by adding eyes to its hands. Truly a terrible decision.

Vanilluxe

In simpler terms, Vanilluxe is often criticized for being an example of poorly thought-out Pokémon designs. It’s not hard to understand why this is the case. The category of creatures that resemble inanimate objects with faces, such as Palosand and Chandelure, boasts many remarkable members. However, Vanilluxe falls short by simply adding two faces to an ice cream cone without truly capturing what makes those Pokémon special. Instead of imaginatively infusing the object with a sense of awareness, it seems like they just stopped at giving it faces and moved on, which makes it rather uninteresting.

Bruxish

Bruxish is almost three-quarters of an excellent design, but its face, accounting for the final 25%, detracts significantly from its overall appeal. Its multi-colored body offers a distinctive look for a Pokémon, appealing to many, yet it sports one of the ugliest faces imaginable. Enlarged lips that seem out of proportion, overly large teeth, and eyes that pierce right into your soul, make it an unappealing sight to behold.

Lickilicky

It has a tongue as big as its body, which it uses to lick everything nearby. No further explanation needed!

Garbodor

Instead of casually calling Garbodor a “trash Pokémon” due to its literal trash theme, we should consider that such designs can still be cherished. Muk, being a blob of toxic sludge, has a distinct personality and charm that makes fans embrace it. So, what sets Garbodor apart? Its eyes seem artificially attached, which undermines any attempt at an intimidating expression. Additionally, the color scheme on it is downright unattractive.

Slurpuff

Slurpuff could be adorable with some small adjustments, but as is, it falls short significantly. Its perpetually extended tongue gives an unusual appearance – though shorter than Lickilicky’s – and its cotton candy hair doesn’t function as intended. It appears more like a wig rather than a natural part of its body. Overall, there’s something off about its design.

Simisage, Simisear, and Simipour

Labeled as a triple disadvantage, these are three Pokémon that seem almost purposeless in comparison to others. These trio of monkeys appear reminiscent of the starter Pokémon from a lesser-known game. Initially handed out in Black and White versions to bypass the first gym challenge, they swiftly prove to be irrelevant for the remainder of the game. They lack appeal, their strength is questionable, and they fail to measure up against any Starter Pokémon throughout the series.

Spewpa

Mid-evolution Bug Pokemon are intentionally made to be unimpressive, adding humor to the game, but Spewpa falls short even of that standard. Unlike its counterpart Metapod, which can only use Harden, Spewpa possesses no unique abilities, making it essentially worthless. Moreover, Spewpa doesn’t resemble a blend between Scatterbug and Vivillon, instead appearing as an unremarkable entity. Essentially, Spewpa is a placeholder Pokemon, and its existence in the game will not be accepted.

Throh and Sawk

Instead of being Pokémon, these are men dressed in karate outfits. One seems sunburned, while the other has frostbite. While some humanoid Pokémon can be endearing, these characters are far from the best ideas ever created. Their clothing raises many questions that we’d rather not ponder. Are they born with it on? Can they remove it? Is it part of their body? Contemplating such things is uncomfortable and unsettling. Now, let’s all take a moment to look at an image of Eevee to purify our thoughts and feelings.

2025-04-16 17:46