10 most unpopular Pokemon of all time, ranked

The Pokemon franchise has introduced more than 1000 Pocket Monsters, of which many have grown into fan favorites, while some have become unpopular. Being uncherished doesn't mean everyone has forgotten about them, but they are less talked about in the community or used in competitive play. If you look back to the first generation, even with all 151 monsters, some didn't captivate the eyes and hearts of fans. The same is true with every generation of fighters the franchise has put out.

For a creature to gain popularity, it has to be presented to fans in several forms: anime, movies, games, cards, and more. With these presentations, fans get a chance to connect with these critters, regardless of how undesirable they initially seem to be.

From having a great backstory to possessing incomprehensible power, many creatures have stood out over the years because of their intriguing lore, strength, ability, design, and more. On the contrary, some failed to shine due to weak power stat, ability, worst design, etc. This article ranks the 10 most unpopular Pokemon ever considering these factors.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Ranking the ten most unliked Pokemon of all time

10) Raichu

Although Raichu is the evolved form of Pikachu, it doesn't get the same amount of love and consideration as the latter. This is because Pikachu has been around throughout the entire anime series, displaying what a bond and friendship with a trainer looks like. Raichu, on the other hand, is overshadowed by the presence and dominance of its unevolved form. The same can be said about the first stage of this family.

Raichu possesses considerably higher stat than the game mascot, but it is still less preferred in the competition. One example to support this entry is that Pikachu, with the item Light Ball, has a double attack and sp attack, making it a more offensively reliable option than Raichu.

9) Sawk And Throh

Sawk and Throh (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Identifying Pokemon types by looking at their appearance and design is sometimes easy. The two Fighting-type Pokemon, Sawk and Throh, can be easily identified as Fighting-type thanks to their design and clothing. In the community, they are called Bert and Ernie, who were born with clothes as part of their body. Similar to Hitomonchan with boxing gloves and a light purple tunic and kilt, Sawk and Throh have a body made up of a Judo/Karate outfit.

Many fans consider this design unimpressive and a knockoff of Hitomonlee and Hitomchan. Though they wear martial arts uniforms, they are just humanoid Pokemon with nothing unique about their design. Moreover, their movepool and abilities are not as diverse as other Fighting-types.

8) Silcoon and Cascoon

Pokemon Ruby and Saphhire introduced more than 135 new Pocket Monsters, of which the two worst monsters from the same family are Silcoon and Cascoon. Their design is hardly impressive, and they don't have the ability and stat to perform in competitive battles. Ruby and Saphire were designed to replace some commonly available wild creatures, but things didn't turn out as expected. These two Pocket Monsters are not used competitively and have no spot in that scene.

The other two unpopular Pokemon that are just as bad as Silcoon and Cascoon are Metapod and Kakuna. One big reason why these cocoon-shaped creatures are lesser known is because they can only learn one move once they evolve.

7) Squawkabilly

One may argue that Squawkabilly is an excellent monster with four variants that have diverse colors and designs. However, this is different from what many in the community think. They expected the franchise to put effort into the design. However, in the case of Squawkabilly, the developers have just changed colors and nothing else. Even the beak's shade remains the same in all four forms.

Moreover, Squawkabilly's stats spread isn't impressive, as none of its powers cross a baseline of 100. The dual typing also doesn't help it become a solid and iconic monster. Lastly, it cannot even evolve.

6) Spidops

There are many reasons why some fans dislike Spidops. From poor statistics to bad design, this Bug-type creature is so flawed that some people prefer to avoid catching it or using it for competitions. When it comes to its overall stats, none of them are any good at all. With only 40 HP, 79 Attack, 92 Defense, and none of the other stats reaching a baseline of 100, trainers are bound to face hard times if they use Spidops to challenge opponents.

The big reason to detest this creature is because it evolves from a genuinely cute monster to one of the ugliest. Sidops is supposed to look like a spider, and if we remove the sticky webs from the design, one may find it difficult to even recognize it as a spider. On top of that, the color combination ruins its overall appearance, making it one of the most disliked designs of all time.

5) Garbodor

Garbodor (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The developers of the franchise do know what they are doing to create a Pokemon concept, design, and backstory. The monster with one of the worst designs is Garbodor, though it has a good explanation to defend its features. This Poison-type monster is built around the concept of pollution and waste, making it a subject of discussion among the fans. Many considered this design as one franchise's unique way of spreading the message about the adverse effects of pollution.

Additionally, some enthusiasts felt that a pile of garbage could have been a creative and appealing design if it had the charm and imagination. From an aesthetic standpoint, the pipes and smokestack-like structures on Garbodor's body make it uncool and unattractive.

4) Vanilluxe

Many fans consider the fifth generation as the one with some of the worst Pokemon designs and concepts. The company could have brainstormed new ideas regarding its simple ice cream cone structure. However, the end result was not something players were excited about. While many thought this design to be unique, others felt that the idea was uncreative.

An intriguing origin and backstory can increase a Pokemon's popularity. However, in Vanilluxe's case, it's just a turn-off design, even after finding the story to support it.

3) Klelfki

Due to its appearance, Kelfki receives a mixed reaction from Pokemon fans worldwide. No one could have thought that they'd see a monster like this with bizarre and uncreative design. The developers created this Steel and Fairy-type Pocket Monster as a keyring with a set of keys attached. This new design could be more impressive if it had the beauty, aesthetic, and essence of traditional design.

Another reason for Kelfki's diminishing fanbase is that the design feels less original. Instead, many claimed that the franchise needed to showcase creativity and imagination. Numerous fans do not like the idea of turning everyday objects into a Pocket Monster. One example is the design of Hoedge, which resembles a sword.

2) Jynx

Jynx as it appears in the anime (Image via TPC)

For reasonable measures, the design of Jynx was changed as it faced early controversy due to the body figure being racially insensitive. This human-like Pocket Monster resembles the mythical creature Yuki-onna from Japan. Initially, it looked different as it had a black face and dark blue hands, which led to its unpopularity among fans.

The franchise had to change its color palette to make it more desirable and less problematic. However, the community still talks about Jynx being one of the most controversial Pokemon designs.

1) Sunkern

Because of Sunkern's reputation as an unpopular Pokemon, enthusiasts hope to receive a beastly sunflower monster evolution for it in upcoming updates or generations. This monster has meager base stats, where none of the stats cross the baseline of 30, making it one of the weakest critters regarding the battle capacity. Trainers cannot gain any advantage with such base stats in competitive play.

Sunkern's lack of versatile movesets makes it a less reliable choice. Trainers can't teach it other robust type moves, and most moves it learns are Grass-type. Even after the evolution, the form is still weak and can easily be overpowered by Pokemon stronger than it. Remember, Sunkern is less attractive than other Grass-type creatures and has nothing to offer in a competitive scene.