Top 10 Greatest Psychic Type Pokémon

Since Bug-types were pretty weak and the Special stat had yet to be split into Attack and Defense, Psychic Pokemon were at their most broken during Generation I. While not the strongest Water or Psychic-type, Slowbro's duality makes it an effective option not only in the original games but most of the subsequent entries, with Slowking proving to be an interesting Gen II alternative. Slowbro also got a couple of moments to shine in the anime, including a win over a Machamp and a few run-ins with Team Rocket. It did not end well for them.

In "Pokemon's" early days, legendaries and Psychic-types went hand-in-hand. As the main attraction of the second Pokemon movie, Lugia arrived on the scene like a hurricane, making the legendary birds look timid in comparison. With a memorable design that has an air of nobility and backed by some cool lore, Lugia left an incredible first impression that proved to be long-lasting. In the games, Lugia is a tank with high Defense and fantastic Special Defense, while its Psychic and Water dual-typing gives access to a robust collection of moves.

"Pokemon" loves to stick to the status quo, so anything a bit different tends to be rather appealing. Deoxys stands out due to its multiple forms, as the normal version can be converted into alternatives that focus on attack, defense, or speed. While these forms were initially limited to specific Generation III games, they could be swapped in subsequent adventures. Deoxys is not only an incredibly versatile Pokemon, but its alien-esque bipedal design is also eye-catching in a positive rather than baffling way. It’s appearances are rare but are always a treat.

Certain Pokemon are notorious but also simultaneously loved for wrecking challengers in the games. In Hoenn, that honour belongs to Metagross. A pseudo-legendary as well as the secret weapon of the region’s League Champion, Metagross is a Steel and Psychic tank of a Pocket Monster with great Attack and Defense stats. It’s the kind of beast that can radically improve any team and also tends to be a fun opponent to face off against, even if it too falls prey to Pikachu’s type-defying thunderbolts every now and again!

The "Pokemon" anime proved that a one-word vocabulary is enough to create legends, and Wobbuffet uses this limitation to produce comedy gold. Whenever Jessie's forever saluting Pokemon pops out of a Poke Ball for a spontaneous name call, the anime is always better off for it, especially when Wobbuffet takes part in a legitimate battle and surpasses expectations. Although its stats are pretty low and it has no attacks of its own, Wobbuffet is a potential ace in the hole, one that uses its opponents' moves against them.

Introduced in Generation II, Espeon is just one of Eevee's nine evolutions, all of which are rather iconic in their own right. In many ways, Espeon highlights the general strengths and weaknesses of Psychic-types: it has a killer Special Attack stat, some hard-hitting moves, impressive speed, and it is also kind of fragile. Like nearly all of Eevee's evolutions, Espeon's design is elegant and practically perfect, which is probably why it tends to pop-up in the anime pretty frequently. While it is up for debate whether Espeon should take precedence over the likes of Sylveon or Jolteon, it’s proven itself to be a worthwhile option all the same.

#4: Mew

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Top 10 Greatest Bug-Type Pokémon

As the first mythical Pokemon and the subject of many Generation I rumors, Mew has plenty to offer besides being cute enough to threaten Pikachu. Playful and mischievous, Mew is a delight in the anime, particularly the first movie. When it comes to the games, Mew's uniform stats mean it is a jack of all trades and a master of none. Although not a powerhouse, Mew's capacity to learn all of the TMs and HMs is valuable, while the move "Transform" can be a gamechanger if used correctly.

For a Pokemon that is not all that great, Ralts more than makes up for its failings by growing into two great final evolutions in Gallade and Gardevoir. Out of the two, Gardevoir earned a slight edge in Generation VI when it was turned into a Psychic and Fairy dual-type, a combination that elevated the Pokemon to unexpected heights. Like most Psychic-types, Gardevoir cannot take much of a hit, but it delivers when it comes to Special Attack, especially once Mega Evolution was added to the mix!

One of a handful of evolutions that required trading in Generation I, Alakazam took some work to obtain but proved to be worth it. Even after all these years, Alakazam is still a force to be reckoned with, even if there are arguably better Psychic-types out there. The introduction of Mega Evolution and the move Psyshock gave Alakazam new leases on life, making it one of the fastest and most destructive Pokemon around. Outside of the games and Sabrina's Gym, Alakazam has appeared sporadically in the anime and is generally regarded as a true classic of the franchise. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Reuniclus It Stood Out In A Generation That Was Not Great For Psychic-Types Celebi It Continued The Trend Of Mythical Pokemon Being Cute And Powerful Solgaleo It’s A Lion That Creates Wormholes Hatterene Proves The Franchise Is Not Yet Out Of Psychic-Type Ideas

Despite being a clone of Mew, Mewtwo has eclipsed its source material to become something even greater. Immortalized by its villainously nuanced yet sympathetic portrayal in the first Pokemon movie, the Generation I Psychic-type set the standard for legendaries and still ranks among the most dominant in the in-game universe in terms of stats, design and legacy. Only second to Pikachu as a media icon, Mewtwo's anime appearances have been kept sparse enough so every time the big man does show up, it’s an event!