Pokémon Unite launched in July 2021 and was the Pokémon franchise's first foray into the MOBA genre. Small teams of Pokémon battle it out in an arena to score points gained by capturing wild Pokémon and defeating other players. The game is fast-paced, easy to pick up, and accessible for fans new to MOBA games.
The game is not without pitfalls, however, and one of the most glaring is its small roster of playable characters. Thus far, only 25 Pokémon are playable within the game. When compared to other MOBAs like Smite or League of Legends, this number is laughably small. Pokémon has an enormous catalog of characters to choose from, and the more available in Unite the better.
10 The Other Two Galar Starters Are Feeling Left Out
Cinderace was playable in Pokémon Unite at launch, leaving some fans wondering where his Generation 8 starter companions were. The September 2021 addition of Blastoise completed the Kanto starter trio, so it seems only fitting that the Galarians get the same treatment. The only thing standing in their way is perhaps redundancy: Inteleon is hard to picture as anything other than a ranged attacker, a role Cinderace already fills. Rillaboom can be a melee attacker, all-arounder, or even defender, depending on which moves it carries.
9 Golurk Could Be Another Ghost Fighter
This ghost-ground type would be only the second ghost-type Pokémon added to the game after Gengar, and it's easy to imagine it stomping around the battlefield. Golurk makes sense as a melee all-arounder or attacker, using its Iron Fist ability to rain down Shadow Punches and Hammer Arms on the competition. It also has demonstrated an ability to turn its legs into rockets, potentially providing a mobility-based move.
8 Ditto Can Be Anything It Needs To Be
Ditto is among the most unique Pokémon, being one of only a handful able to learn the move Transform. In Pokémon Unite, this could represent a drastic change to gameplay, with several different ways it can play out.
Ditto could be implemented as simply a versatile all-arounder, transforming into a handful of Pokémon to fill different roles at different points in the match. It could also have the ability to steal moves from wild or enemy Pokémon, making for an unpredictable and exciting fighter.
7 More Eeveelutions Are Always A Win
Added in October 2021, Sylveon was the first of the iconic Eevee family to be added to Pokémon Unite. Currently, there are eight possible evolutions to the "Evolution Pokémon." The other eeveelutions could fill every role in the game between them if added as separate characters. The branching evolution path also opens the door for a mechanic where the player has a choice of which eeveelution to evolve into mid-match depending on team needs.
6 Dragonite Is An Old Favorite With A Great Ability
The classic dragon-type from Generation 1 would be the second dragon added to the game and a welcome addition. Dragonite has a diverse move pool, but its Multiscale ability makes it a prime candidate for the defender role. In the main series games, Multiscale reduces incoming damage when the Pokémon is at full health, an effect easy to recreate in Pokémon Unite.
5 Slaking Changes Role Throughout The Match
This gorilla-sloth hybrid has an interesting arc across its evolution line that would make for a unique addition to Pokémon Unite. Slaking begin life as Slakoth, a lazy little sloth-like creature. Their middle evolution, however, is the spritely and active Vigoroth, who is "simply incapable of remaining still" according to its Pokémon Saphire Pokédex entry.
Upon final evolution, Slaking finally calms down into laziness once again. This arc has the potential for a character that begins slow, plays a very aggressive mid-game, then retreats to the defensive in the final minutes of the match.
4 Metagross Could Be The Game's First Mixed Attacker
Introduced in Generation 3, Metagross is said to be "smarter than a supercomputer" in its Pokémon Emerald Pokédex entry. In addition to being a genius, Metagross has the unique advantage of being a mixed attacker, possessing roughly equal Attack and Special Attack stats. Pokémon Unite has yet to introduce a character that mixes the two avenues of attack, and Metagross would be a great candidate for their first foray into this design space.
3 Dusknoir Doesn't Often Get To Shine
Dusknoir belongs to an unfortunate club of Pokémon who are outshone in the main games by their pre-evolved forms. It is a fairly bulky defensive Pokémon, but its pre-evolution, Dusclops, surpasses it in defense when equipped with an Eviolite.
Pokémon Unite could be a place for Dusknoir to stand out without being overshadowed by its smaller counterpart. Dusknoir's learnset would let it function as either a defender or support, using terrifying powers to control the enemy.
2 Amoonguss Is A Prime Tank Candidate
Following in a long tradition of Pokémon that disguise themselves as Poké Balls, Amoongus is a grass-poison type that is perfectly suited o the defender role. It could be the first Pokémon in the game to use the move Rage Powder, which draws attacks to itself. This taunt-like ability is a common one, and would make Amoongus a unique threat in the arena.
1 Aegislash Brings A Unique Mechanic
Aegislash's Form Change ability alone makes it an intriguing addition to Pokémon Unite. In the main series games, Form Change alters Aegislash's stats depending on if it is about to use offensive or defensive moves. There are a number of ways to translate this to Pokémon Unite. One option is to have a short form change animation when the player triggers a move, much like in the main games. Alternatively, the player could trigger the change themselves depending on the needs of the situation.