10 best Box Art Legendary Pokemon of all time, ranked

Box Art Legendaries are some of the most popular Pokemon across the entire franchise. These creatures are the primary selling point for the mainline games since they are printed directly on the game's box (hence the name). However, over time, these Legendaries have become more important in the game's lore through world-building.

As such, many of these Legendary Pokemon have become much more memorable than others. With Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk expansion bringing back so many of these creatures of legend, it can be nostalgic to look back on some of them and recollect their grand entrances.

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Pokemon's top 10 Box Art Legendaries

10) Suicune

Suicune as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Suicune is the mascot creature for the Crystal version of the Generation Two titles. Being the secondary release of the generation, this game comes complete with a new player avatar, a new side story, and it's also the first game in the main series to include animated 2D sprites. Crystal's fame in the community carries over to Suicune, who many players feel a strong nostalgic attachment to.

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9) Palkia

Palkia as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Palkia is the mascot for the Pearl and Shining Pearl main series games. This powerful legend was created directly by Arceus to oversee space alongside Dialga, who oversees time. Although it is an incredibly powerful monster, its typing of Water and Dragon is rather weak compared to its counterpart's Steel and Dragon typing, making it considerably less popular in the community.

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8) Ho-oh

Ho-oh as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Although its battling viability may be questionable, Ho-oh is still one of the most beloved monsters in the franchise. The creature initially appearing at the end of the first episode of the anime before its game was even announced, Ho-oh is a majestic bird who descends from the heavens upon hearing the song of the Clear Bell from the top of Tin or Bell Tower, depending on the version players have.

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7) Dialga

Dialga as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The mascot for the Diamond rendition of the main series, Dialga is popular due to its being a part of the more popular version of the Sinnoh games, as well as its role in the Mystery Dungeon series. As the ruler of time, Dialga is a force to be reckoned with, especially after the release of its Origin form in Legends: Arceus.

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6) Reshiram

Reshiram as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The mascot for the Black version of the Gen 5 games, Reshiram has a very similar treatment as Dialga, as it was the mascot for the more popular version. However, Reshiram itself sports a very interesting design and has the stats and power from its signature move, Fusion Flare, to match its status. Its Turboblaze ability spares no one from its fiery onslaught, even those with Flash Fire.

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5) Groudon

Primal Groudon as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Hoenn Legends are arguably the most cinematic Legendaries to ever grace the franchise in the original Hoenn games and their remakes. Both Groudon and Primal Groudon are amazing Legendaries in terms of design and strength. Being able to summon sunny heat waves thanks to its ability, Drought, Groudon is a must-have for VGC sun teams.

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4) Kyogre

Primal Kyogre as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

While Groudon is the mascot of Ruby, Kyogre is the mascot for the Sapphire version of the Hoenn games. Much like Groudon, Kyogre possesses a Primal Reversion and the ability to summon weather. In the case of this beast, it summons torrential downpours capable of drenching Fire-types and nullifying their attacks.

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3) Lugia

Lugia as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The caller of storms, Lugia, sleeps deep in the depths of the Whirl Islands behind a great waterfall. It is up to the player to rouse this powerful beast from its slumber. While the theatrics of Lugia make it one of the coolest Legendaries in the franchise, its stats and Psychic-Flying typing leave it as one of the best defensive legends in the competitive scene.

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2) Rayquaza

Rayquaza as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Even after all the years that have passed since the release of the Emerald version of the Hoenn games, Rayquaza is still one of the most beloved Legendaries, with many players fondly remembering the feeling of scaling the dangerous Sky Pillar for the chance to battle it. The Hoenn remakes even went above and beyond and gave Rayquaza and its Mega Evolution a special story in the Delta Episode.

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1) Giratina

Giratina as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The mascot of the Platinum version of the Sinnoh games, Giratina is the Legendary with arguably the best lore and the most iconic design. Being the first of the Sinnoh legends to sport an Altered and Origin form, Giratina definitely does it the best, with both forms offering different playstyles and stat spreads. Its role in the story of the aforementioned Platinum game also earns it a spot on top of the list.