The Best Fish Pokémon: A Deep Dive Into The Aquatic World Of Pokémon

There are 1,025 Pokémon now, and a bunch of them are fish. Our list of the best fish Pokémon trawls the seas of the Pokémon world and fishes up some top-tier scaly fellas. We’ve got some Pokémon that are just… a fish, we’ve got weirder swimmers that represent the monstrosities at the bottom of the ocean, and we finally have a dolphin!

For more great Pokémon guides, be sure to check out our articles covering Pokémon Scarlet and Violet mystery gift codes, the best monkey Pokémon, cat Pokémon, bear Pokémon, and find even more lovely puppy pals with our guide to the best dog Pokémon.

Let’s dive into our list of the best fish Pokémon.

Magikarp

The original and possibly still the best, Magikarp, was something of a joke back in the early days. A trainer would sell you one in Pokémon Red and Blue, a deal that felt like a scam when you realized this little orange guy could only splash around and was pretty much helpless in battle. Luckily it gets the best glow-up in Pokémon, as this often underestimated gen 1 Pokémon fish transforms into the terrifying and powerful Gyarados with a bit of love and patience.

What cements Magikarp as a classic for so many Pokémon trainers is this initial helplessness, constantly flailing around just like a fish out of water. It has an inherent sadness to its pathetic demeanor that often endears people to it. But as we all know, Gyarados is a fish you don’t mess with and has become a classic in its own right with several scary anime appearances. I’ll never forget catching a red Gyarados in Pokémon Gold & Silver, and I’ll always love this particular line of Pokémon.

Sharpedo

Introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the region infamously known for having a lot of water, Sharpedo is one of many fish Pokémon from this generation but stands out thanks to its stellar design.

It’s a wonder we didn’t have a shark Pokémon sooner, but this one looks seriously menacing, especially in its monstrous mega evolution form. It evolves from Carvanha, a cool piranha gen 3 Pokémon but one which doesn’t stand out quite as well.

Barraskewda

One of the Pokémon added in the gen 8 Pokémon games Sword and Shield, Barraskewda, is based on the evil-looking barracuda and also sports a spinning tail reminiscent of a ship’s rudder. Surprisingly, this ‘mon is incredibly fast and actually has a place in the meta if you know what you’re doing.

It also manages to accurately portray the sinister look of the fish it’s based on while still having an interesting look in its own right. I feel sorry for any Cramorant that tries to gobble one of these…

As a pure water type, you’ll need our water Pokémon weakness guide to take it down in battle.

Feebas

While it could be mistaken for just another fish Pokémon, Feebas became beloved in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire thanks to two important reasons. First, this water Pokémon is incredibly hard to find, only being available in a few select blocks of the ocean, depending on the weather, and changing at random. Seriously, good luck catching these guys.

Secondly, Feebas evolves into the serpentine and seriously cool Milotic, a bulky water type that brings to mind the sirens from old sailors’ stories. Having a Milotic on your team back in the day was a real badge of pride, and it had the stats to match the effort put in to find and evolve one.

Wailmer

YES. I know whales aren’t fish. Let me live. Plus, it’s the Pokémon world, so who knows how the science holds up? Just look at this guy’s little smile, what an angel. Surfing the waves of Hoenn was always a joy, and every time a Wailmer popped up, I was filled with joy. I