It’s extremely rare that a franchise of any medium, let alone video games, is able to connect on as universal of a level as Pokémon. The quirky RPG title has steadily expanded its scope to dominate other mediums and it’s exciting to see how Pokémon has changed over the years to become a braver and more ambitious property. Each new Pokémon title typically brings with it some new features and Pokémon, but the concept of Legendary Pokémon has been present since the start of the series.
Legendary Pokémon are usually the strongest and most elusive creatures from each game, but these guidelines can sometimes get quite lax. Legendary Pokémon still represent the best of the best, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some Legendaries that squander their status and don’t seem very special.
10 Heatran Fiery Attitude Isn’t Enough To Stand Out From The Crowd
Legendary Pokémon like Heatran can appear to be dangerous due to their aggressive appearances and it doesn’t hurt that Heatran is both a Steel and Fire-Type Pokémon, which can be on the more dangerous side. Heatran is strangely compromised by abysmal attack and speed stats, as well as a signature move that doesn’t really make much of an impact. Heatran benefits from an immunity to Poison-type attacks, but he’s so weak to Ground-type and other attacks that it’s not really worth it. Heatran feels derivative and inferior to similar Pokémon, like Volcanion.
9 Virizion Is Needlessly Rare & Suffers From Too Many Liabilities
There have now been so many Pokémon games that Legendary Pokémon draw inspiration from much more creative places, and in the case of Generation V, the Swords of Justice Legendaries are meant to draw parallels to the Three Musketeers. The Swords of Justice aren’t all flawed, but Virizion suffers from the lowest overall stats of the group and a myriad of weaknesses to Fire, Ice, and Psychic-type attacks, with Flying-type moves being especially deadly. On top of all of this, Virizion’s catch rate is under 0.5%, which makes it needlessly uncommon and not worth all of the effort.
8 Uxie’s Intelligence Isn’t Enough To Protect It Against Other Legendary Pokémon
Pokémon games like to not just debut new Legendary Pokémon, but it’s common for them to get introduced as trios with comparable abilities. Pokémon’s fourth generation conjures up the Lake Guardian Trio, who serve an altruistic purpose. Uxie represents intelligence out of the group and can technically erase individuals’ memories.
However, when it comes to gameplay, Uxie is considerably less practical and greatly hindered by subpar stats and ineffective movesets. Uxie is a Psychic-type, but it has a heavy weakness against multiple types, like Dark, Ghost, and Bug, which is a serious setback.
7 Regice’s Advantages Get Lost By Its Dreadful Speed & Attack Stats
Generation III of Pokémon brings forward some intimidating Legendaries for the Hoenn region. Regice is a Legendary that sometimes fools Pokémon trainers because of its formidable special defense stat, but the rest of its numbers are so low that they render this special defense perk moot. Regice is a behemoth, but this also means that its speed is compromised and its attack takes a major hit, which is often enough for the opponent to gain the upper hand. Aesthetically, Regice just looks a lot more basic than its contemporaries, and it doesn’t necessarily carry the aura of a Legendary Pokémon.
6 Entei Benefits From Strong Lore But Suffers From Too Many Weaknesses
When it comes to popularity, Entei is likely one of the more memorable Legendary Pokémon since it appears in the second generation’s Johto region and plays a vital role in one of the earlier Pokémon movies. Entei is technically superior to Suicine and Raikou in certain areas, but overall, it’s the most regrettable of the trio. Entei suffers from intense weaknesses to certain Pokémon types, but it also has embarrassing attack stats. What this means is that most other Fire-type Pokémon can deliver more damage than Entei, which shouldn’t be the case for a Legendary.
5 Tornadus Is A Force Of Nature That Feels More Like A Whimper
The Unova region out of Pokémon’s fifth generation introduces many creative new Pokémon and the series attempts to get a little more complex with its Legendaries. Generation V has three Forces of Nature, all of which have the option of two distinct forms that they can switch between.
These Forces of Nature look intimidating, but it’s mostly bluster, especially with Tornadus, the weakest of the Legendary trio. Tornadus is such a hassle because its stats are generally weak, especially when it comes to attack. To make matters worse, Tornadus is also extremely susceptible to Rock, Electric, and Ice-type moves.
4 Type: Null Is Proof That Man-Made Pokémon Don’t Always Result In Miracles
History is often doomed to repeat itself and this is no different in the world of Pokémon. Mewtwo is a man-made Pokémon that goes terribly awry and becomes a liability to both humans and Pokémon alike. Mewtwo’s power and rage doesn’t deter more gene experimentation with Pokémon, and Generation VII introduces the abomination, Type: Null. This Legendary is an attempt to recreate the magic of Silvally, but it pales in comparison in every department. Type: Null is also a Normal-type Pokémon, which isn’t exactly exciting for a Legendary.
3 Mesprit Can Become Decent Support But Flounders On Its Own
Mesprit is another member of Generation IV’s Lake Guardian Trio and despite how it’s a Psychic-type, there are still many other powerful Pokémon to defend Sinnoh than this one. Mesprit is a mixed bag that is not extremely terrible, but it also doesn’t excel in any area and feels like the epitome of mediocrity. Mesprit is able to learn some decent attacks, such as Healing Wish, which can be a helpful asset for the rest of a trainer’s party. That being said, there’s still not enough power here for what a Legendary Pokémon should command.
2 Articuno’s Impact Gradually Means Less & Less
The original Pokémon titles establish a small sect of Legendary Pokémon and each creature feels substantial in its own way. Articuno works nicely alongside Zapdos and Moltres as powerful elemental Bird Pokémon, but it also has become increasingly compromised in each passing title. Articuno excels in Generation I, but so many new Pokémon and changes have entered the franchise that its best days are behind it, and it’s a sad shell of its former self. Articuno still looks impressive, but those who examine the Pokémon understand that its glory days are over.
1 Cosmog & Cosmoem Set A New Precedent For How Weak Legendaries Can Be
Pokémon’s Generation VII gets quite experimental with some of the Pokémon that qualify as Legendaries. Cosmog and Cosmoem are complementary Legendaries from the Alola region, but the Pokémon that they bear the most in common with is something like Magikarp or Metapod. Cosmog and Cosmoem are extremely limited in their moves and have useless skills like Splash and Cosmic Power at their disposal. Part of the reason that Cosmog and Cosmoem are so weak is that their evolved forms, Solgaleo and Lunala, are powerhouses, but it’d be better if they just existed without their unnecessary previous evolutions.