What are the best Mythical Pokémon? It’s a good question. Mythical Pokémon are an enigma; you can’t help but feel entranced by the mystery that surrounds them, and the fact that there are all kinds of rumors about secret ways to unlock them only adds fuel to the fire. Today, we’re here to discuss who the best mythical creatures are, looking at each and every generation to determine who truly stands tall above the rest.
For even more great Pokémon guides (and questionable picks), be sure to check out our guides covering the best starter Pokémon, snake Pokémon, monkey Pokémon, Bird Pokémon, spider Pokémon, and dog Pokémon. What can we say? We just love Pokémon!
Here are the best mythical Pokémon:
Mew
You can’t beat the original gen 1 Pokémon. Before there was Mewtwo, there was Mew. In fact, there are breadcrumbs alluding to the existence of Mew littered throughout research notes all over the region of Kanto. That’s some amazing world-building and exciting development of a Pokémon before we see them that the Pokémon games have rarely done since. Think about it, basing your legendary Pokémon all around another mythical Pokémon that you can’t even catch in the game. A stroke of genius.
Both Mew and Mewtwo gained even more notoriety in the incredibly successful (within my friendship group, at least) Pokémon The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. Mew was shown to be a cat-like and endearingly innocent creation, almost ambivalent towards the humans of the world, but still a force for good. I’ll never forget the adorable little ‘mew’ noise the creature lets out, and I’ll also never forget the playground rumors of using strength to find a Mew hidden under a truck by the S.S. Anne.
An interesting thing to note about Mew is that it’s number 151 in the Pokédex, meaning it closes out the Kanto entries. For the longest time, experts believed Mew to be nothing more than a mirage due to how rare it is to see it. However, as the years rolled by, it became more apparent that this creature only presents itself to those who are pure of heart. Plus, it’s apparently the ancestor of all Pokémon, and that’s pretty cool if you ask me.
Celebi
Now I’ve got a real soft spot for Celebi, not least because I think the gen 2 Pokémon games, Gold and Silver (or more specifically Heart Gold and Soul Silver), are still the pinnacle of Pokémon games. The protector of the forest with the ability to travel through time, Celebi takes a more proactive approach than many Pokémon, concerned with the fate of the environment it lives in, and is visibly affected by its destruction.
Yes, it might look like a flying onion, but Celebi is still a charming choice and added that much-needed air of mystery to Pokémon Gold and Silver, a generation that already features the best legendaries of any generation. Argue with the wall, any generation with Lugia and Suicune is just automatically the best. Celebi also had its time to shine in the great Pokémon: 4Ever, and has a beautiful pink shiny that takes up pride of place in my Pokémon boxes.
As number 251, Celebi is the last entry in the Johto portion of the Pokédex. It’s known to wander across time, causing trees and grass to flourish wherever it goes. More than that, if Celebi visits a forest, it’s said that it leaves an egg there from the future. If you want to cast your eyes on this magnificent creature, you need to be in a peaceful place, as Celebi only appears when things are calm and serene.
Jirachi
I’m one of the seven people who bought Pokémon Channel on the Gamecube (three of which are on the Pocket Tactics team), played through whatever that game is, and watched loads of episodes of the Pokémon anime just to unlock the wish Pokémon for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Jirachi just looks ethereal and mystical, fitting the mythical brand perfectly.
If you didn’t know, the gen 3 Pokémon is based on the Japanese ‘Tanabata festival’ an event where people make wishes on small strips of paper called tanzaku, place them on bamboo, and either let them drift off in water or set them alight in the hopes that the wishes come true. This is why I love Jirachi so much, it’s a cute Pokémon that has a very real origin, and one filled with hope and joy.
Though it’s number 385 in the Pokémon, Jirachi isn’t the one to close out the Hoenn section – that honor belongs to Deoxys (more on that ‘mon in a minute). Jirachi is very much a fight-or-fight creature, as even when it’s asleep, it still fights if it feels threatened. According to the legend, if you write a wish on the notes attached to its head, it will make that wish come true when it awakes. Others claim it can grant any wish for just one week every thousand years.
