Preston Smith
The Pokemon anime has been running for twenty years now and accompanying it has been a slew of animated films. One of these feature films generally releases each year, so with twenty movies out, some are bound to be better than their brethren. Here, we rank the twenty Pokemon films!
20. Genesect and the Legend Awakened
We love the juxtaposition between Genesect and Mewtwo, but ultimately this film just ended up being one drawn-out battle.
19. Kyurem vs. The Swords of Justice
This film’s lackluster comes in the form of the plot, which is next to nonexistent. Keldeo wants to fight Kyurem, and that’s about it. Compared to the other films which are complex, this one just doesn’t compare.
18. Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
We actually enjoy this film, but its lack of plot force this one to the bottom of the list. Instead of being plot or character-driven, the film is mostly just one giant battle between legendary Pokemon.
17. Black: Victini and Reshiram / White: Victini and Zekrom
Even with two variations of this film, this one was less than satisfying. The beginning battle festival was entertaining, but from there the film began to lose its footing.
16. Jirachi: Wish Maker
The reason this film has landed so low on the list is because it feel somewhat disjointed. The mythos surrounding Jirachi is so fun, and a film starring it could have been so much better.
15. Celebi: Voice of the Forest
While this film is a lot of fun to watch (and includes a young Professor Oak which is really cool), we find it to be one of the less memorable films, especially when so many of the others immediately come to mind when we think of the Pokemon anime movies.
14. Destiny Deoxys
Another fine film, this one felt somewhat lackluster with its fights between Deoxys and Rayquaza. We were left wanting more from this film.
13. I Choose You!
This retelling of the beginning of Ash’s journey is interesting and colorful, but overall we wish there was more character development for all of the characters. It felt superficial at times.
12. Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
This pirate/seafaring tale is a wild ride in a great way. While it is so much fun to watch, it’s very straightforward and in this way we wanted more from the plot.
11. Zoroark: Master of Illusions
This one has a great story and characters. No complaints here.
10. Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Marking the middle of the list, Arceus and the Jewel of Life is here because while it does build lore around Arceus, we would have loved to see even more. It was sufficient, but there was still room for more outside of the time travel.
9. Pokemon Heroes: Latios and Latias
We don’t have a single bad thing to say about this film. It’s well-executed, has great villains, Latias and Latios are perfect, etc. We just simply received more entertainment from the others under it.
8. Spell of the Unown: Entei
This film is in this spot simply because of the complexity of the film. As you watch it, it becomes blatantly clear how much thought and effort was put into making it.
7. Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
We weren’t sure how Magearna and Volcanion would work together, but as soon as we started this film we were showed that they absolutely work well together. The villain and his inventions are interesting, and the situations the characters are put into are fresh.
6. Mewtwo Strikes Back
The original movie. Mewtwo Strikes Back sees a lot of tragedy, and it’s a real tear jerker. It also has great action between Mew and Mewtwo. Because of this, it’s toward the top of this list.
5. Giratina and the Sky Warrior
Here viewers are introduced to Giratina, Shaymin, and the Distortion World – and what a ride it is! This film’s villain, Zero, is one of our favorite Pokemon villains yet. Giratina and its relations to the Distortion World, Shaymin, and Dialga are also fascinating.
4. Diance and the Cocoon of Destruction
Diancie and everyone else in this film are balanced wonderfully. The animation is great, and the plot was good. This film is easily in the top 5 for us.
3. Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
Coming from the third generation, this film introduces wonderful characters and it builds a strong lore that a lot of the other films struggle to do. It’s a standout to say the least.
2. The Power of One
One of the original films, this one has a great villain, great action, and a great plot without ever feeling cheesy or forced.
1. The Rise of Darkrai
And here we are at number one. The Rise of Darkrai perfectly balances the characters, drama, devastation, humor, and plot. It also sets up the next three films after it, which was the first time Pokemon connected its films in this way. It’s an all-around knockout film and we’d recommend it to anyone.
The Pokemon Company already has twenty films under their belt, but shiny number twenty-one is on the horizon. Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us, which was released in Japan in July, is premiering for the first time in the United States in select theaters in November. Check out the trailer here:
Do you love the Pokemon films? Which are your favorite? Comment below and tweet us @Fuzzable with all of your PokéOpinions!
