Top 20 Iconic Pokemon Evolution Scenes

With a swift kick to the rear, James’ hasty purchase went from floundering fish sticks to oceanic titan. While any trainer worth their stuff could have told him that Magikarp’s useless base form paves the way to the much-improved Gyarados, he had to learn the hard way. Ash and the others were there to watch it, too. Although, all it did was nearly put them at the bottom of the sea. Despite its ferocity, there is something oh-so memorable about watching Magikarp evolve right in the nick of time to show James who’s who. If only so the Team Rocket grunt never makes that mistake again.

No one said earning a Gym Badge was supposed to be easy, but this just feels unfair. Brawly’s Makuhita delivered enough arm thrusts to nearly clean up Ash’s whole team on its own. Then, things went from bad to worse when all that experience helped it grow into a bonafide punching maniac. Also known as Hariyama. Treecko tried to stand its ground, but all it did was prolong the inevitable. Brawly’s Hariyama finished the match, and Ash’s poor grass type, without breaking a sweat. Even though Ash claimed the Knuckle Badge in their rematch, Hariyama’s devastating debut isn’t easy to forget.

Determined or not, Ash’s Krokorok had a major hurdle to overcome if it wanted to come out on top of Iris’ Dragonite - it wasn’t fully evolved! However, after raising it from a little Sandile, there wasn’t anything left stopping Ash and his Unovan ace from going all the way to Krookodile. Now final form against final form, the battle blazed so bright, it’s a wonder Ash didn’t steal his Pokemon’s shades for himself. Dragonite’s wings didn’t make it easy, but Krookodile put its new power to work with a match-winning, super-effective Stone Edge. The rubble left a clear message; don’t mess with a Pokemon in sunglasses.

It just feels right that Ash’s very first capture - like, ever - was also his first to reach its final stage. Of course, we’re talking about Butterfree. The bug-type started out as a puny Caterpie. But, through a few ups and down, Ash learned how to nurture a Pokemon from pet to friend to partner. As exciting as it is to see Buterfree quite literally spread its wings, the moment only lands because Ash had to first own up to his past mistakes. This evolution is as much for him as it is for his Pokemon. Those Beedrill never stood a chance against a bond like that.

In contrast to most of Ash’s other companions, Goomy had a major role to serve before it ever joined the team. It wanted to protect its native wetlands. From there, Ash’s diligent support helped it breakthrough into Sliggoo, but it was the Pokemon’s own memories of its habitat that gave it the final push to… do we even need to say? Ash’s Kalos team was absolutely stacked, but there’s no way to discuss the arc without mentioning a certain, emotional dragon type. By framing this evolution as part of Sliggoo’s own, personal journey, Goodra’s unveiling is just as empowering as all his future victories combined.

Ash’s Gligar spent most of its Sinnoh days sticking out its tongue and having a good time. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t get serious, though, and after a royal butt-whopping by a Gliscor, it was determined to level up. There was just the nagging issue of its crippling fear of battle. Thankfully, it overcame its worries, grabbed a Razor Fang, and showed everyone what a real Gliscor can do. It’s damn cool, but it doesn’t lose the playfulness that made Gligar a fan-favorite. Plus, Gliscor gets the rare distinction of being Ash’s only Pokemon to evolve via an item. No matter how you look at it, this moment rocks.

Leave it to Ash to catch a Pokemon just as it gets a shiny, new evolution. Farfetch’d had been around since the very first generation, but it was mostly ignored by both Ash and the wider anime until its Galar variant came along.When it finally evolved into Sirfetch’d, it made up for lost time, and then some. Really, Farfetch’d’s whole storyline felt like a long-winded buildup to this one moment where it could finally joust with Gallade. It’s a fight unlike anything we’d ever seen before, and singlehandedly justified every single minute Ash spent training the flying type. If that’s not the hallmark of a fantastic evolution scene, nothing is.

Remember how we said Butterfree was Ash’s first Pokemon to reach its final stage? Well, it lost the title of first ever evolution to its own prior form. And, although Metapod’s Harden attack won’t be winning Ash any Gym Badges, the momentous impact of this turn of events is too great to pass up. Caterpie’s glowing transformation is a firm validation of everything Ash is striving for. After all, with enough grinding, any trainer can catch ‘em all. But, only the elite few can raise the ones they already have. Toss out the Pokedex; Metapod’s glorious appearance is what it really means to be the very best like no one ever was.

Friendship is the catalyst for a lot of Pokemon evolutions. But, in this case, Noibat didn’t go full-power just for Ash. No, he was also up against a freaking Zapdos, and about to watch Hawlucha plummet to an early grave. Things were looking dire. But, then, Noivern decided to make his grand entrance. Not only did he save his ally, but he even fended off the Legendary Bird with a jaw-dropping Boomburst. If you can make a rampaging Zapdos respect your power, you know you’ve raised your Pokemon right. So, take it from us: when in doubt, find a friend like Noivern.

Another day, another Kalos flying type evolving against a Kanto Legendary Bird. Man, there must be something in the water over there! Or, maybe it’s in their fire, considering Fletchinder totally brings the heat against Moltres. So much so, it rises like a phoenix into the almighty Talonflame. Handily enough, the Pokemon also picks up the move Brave Bird, and uses it to show Moltres it’s not the only fire-flying type in town anymore. Even though Ash and Talonflame can’t quite clinch the win, this smoldering battle is a welcome reminder that nothing burns hotter than a flame-filled evolution scene. Especially one with a Legendary.

What Ash’s Rockruff lacked in size, it made up for with its temper. Luckily, it channeled that rage into something constructive: befriending Tapu Lele. Then, after a few rocky spars, Rockruff earned some of the legendary’s power and finally grew out of its first stage. Instead of mirroring Ash’s growth, the episode smartly frames this evolution as the culmination of Rockruff’s own journey. Sure, this wouldn’t be the last time Ash’s rock-type lost control. But, seeing Rockruff’s efforts manifest in a slick new transformation is still a step in the right direction. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that it comes in the shape of the effortlessly cool Dusk form. That epic howl to the sky is very well deserved.

There’s always something special about a starter’s final evolution, and Goh’s is no different. It couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Eternatus is waking up, Goh’s losing ground against Milotic, and his Raboot only wants to fight with its ineffective ember attack. But, after Goh learns to embrace his partner’s unorthodox style, the newly-minted Cinderance completely tears up the turf. Type-advantages be damned. That final, striking Pyro Ball is as good an endpoint for their journey as you could ask for. In fact, if this were any other match, we’d say Cinderance deserves a red card. But, something tells us there’s no ref in all of Galar who could douse this pair anymore.

Ash’s Krabby spent most of Kanto warming a spot on the bench. So, when it finally got a chance to shine in the Indigo League, it didn’t sink, it swam. As a matter of fact, it swam all the way to its next form, Kingler. Then, with a hyper-beam, a crab-hammer, and a few stomps, Ash’s novice partner 3-0’d Mandi out of the entire tournament. Ironically, this victory is so unforgettable that it almost makes you forget this is Kingler’s first ever fight. If this is what it’s capable of without any real experience, then Kingler is no mere benchwarmer. It’s a total star-player.

This evolution works for all the wrong reasons. On paper, Grovyle’s star-crossed love-affair with a Meganium is a great motivator for its ascendance into Sceptile. The only thing is, Sceptile doesn’t get the girl, and it doesn’t get a power-boost, either. Instead, Grovyle’s evolution is unable to use any of its old moves. Having Sceptile learn, grow, and adapt to its new form added a weight to this evolution that we’d never gotten before. And yet, it’s precisely because of that struggle that makes Sceptile’s debut so gratifying. Yes, Sceptile completely falls on its face, but it’s all in service of a much greater character. That end-result even makes this embarrassing showcase feel worthwhile.

From an abandoned Chimchar to a moody Monferno, this Sinnoh fire-type developed one of the greatest storylines of any of Ash’s partners. But, the best part is that it didn’t stop there. When Monferno’s blaze ability sets it off on yet another fiery rampage, Ash becomes the first trainer capable of quelling its flames. After everything Monferno went through, there’s just nothing better than seeing it finally evolve into the proud Infernape. Especially since it christens the new form by sending Team Rocket flying off again. This moment works because it understands that neither Inferape or Ash got here alone; they did it as partners.

It doesn’t matter whether it came out hard-boiled, scrambled, or sunny side up; the fact of the matter is that Togepi finally spread its wings. Literally. It had some help from a colony of Togepi, but really, this moment is more about Misty's efforts as a trainer. After all, she spent most of her time in the series holding Togepi close to her chest. So, seeing it finally take flight feels like the visualization of everything Misty brought to the show. It’s a shame Misty and Togetic part ways at the end of the episode, but at least they ended things on one hell of a high note.

Most of the time, last-minute evolutions turn exciting moments into extraordinary ones. That still happens here, just not in the way most expected. Rest assured, the showdown between Ash’s Torracat and Kukui’s Incineroar is still incredible. And, given the matchup, it’s only natural that it ends with Ash’s partner evolving into Incineroar itself. The only issue is that, by the time Torracat shapes up, it’s already been K.O.’d. Even though this marked a disappointing end to Torracat’s fight, this scene strikes the perfect balance of hilarious and heartfelt. If anything, it gets props for delivering one of the most unexpected evolutions in the whole series, and that’s saying something.

One of Ash’s best partners ever deserved an equally iconic debut. Thankfully, the show delivered, and then some. Against a group of rogue shinobi, Ash’s Frogadier decides to show them what a real Water Shuriken looks like. But, Greninja’s slick entrance isn’t even the most epic part. The twist of this episode is that it’s two evolutions for the price of one. Just as soon as Greninja appears, he and Ash awaken to their battle bond form. As the first time anything like this ever happened in “Pokémon,” the hype is impossible to resist. After a debut like this, it’s really no surprise Greninja became the de-facto scene-stealer of the Kalos arc.

Ash has caught plenty of Pokémon in his day, but none of them compare to the one he actually raised. He nurtured Riolu from an egg to a baby to a trusted member of his team. In return, Riolu leapt into battle to protect its trainer from Chairman Rose. Along the way, it also happened to unlock a jaw-dropping evolution into Lucario. The aura Pokémon wraps things up with plenty of style, but the fight’s not the point of this scene. The real heart of it all is the culmination of Ash and Riolu’s bond. Seeing their relationship reach such an epic climax is easily representative of “Pokémon” at its very best.

Charmeleon’s final evolution is rightfully a big deal. Just not for Ash. See, the fire-type was in the middle of a rebellious hot-streak, and instead of growing out of it, Charizard was more disobedient than ever before. In the whole franchise, this might be the only one of Ash’s partners to evolve without him doing anything. And yet, it’s because Charmeleon grows on its own that makes this moment feel so monumental. It chose to evolve, just like it chose to save Ash from becoming a splat on the ground. In doing so, this one scene emphasized everything that Ash and Charizard would eventually become, and you can’t get any better than that.


What’s a Pokemon you desperately wanted to evolve in the anime? Let us know in the comments below!