Top 5 Pokemon movies of all time

Pokemon has just about had an MCU amount of movies of its own. It seems as though just about every legend has been the subject of its own film. Ash and Pikachu have certainly gotten into their share of adventures through these films.

While some are praised as strong doses of nostalgia if nothing else, others didn't get the greatest reviews. Which of the Pokemon films were the standout ones, though?

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Which Pokemon movies were the greatest?

5) I Choose You

This movie may be a simple pool of pure, unadulterated nostalgia, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I Choose You basically reimagined much of the anime's opening season through a modern lens. Thanks to that, fans got to see some special moments done in higher definition than they were shown in 1998. The updated animation is what mostly sells this film.

That being said, though, the search for Ho-oh was something that was waiting to be elaborated on from episode one, and I Choose You explores this in an interesting way.

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4) Pokemon 2000

While a movie featuring Lugia is certainly enough to sell tickets, the fact that the legendary bird trio was incorporated into this film made it all the better. This film has one of the more simpler plots (it’s basically an elaborated fetchquest), but it lead to some great moments.

The movie also makes a character of Slowking (who can apparently talk). Watching the birds fight each other was stunning, and who can forget Misty and Melody bickering with each other?

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3) Pokemon Heroes

This surprisingly ended up being one of the darker entries in the series. Ash and Pikachu’s efforts to protect the Lati twins definitely hold a special place in fans' hearts, though.

Most of the movie follows Ash and friends battling against the cleverly named Annie and Oakley, who want to use Latias and Latios for more nefarious purposes. There are some very memorable scenes here, though, including Ash discovering a hidden grove within a city.

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2) Lucario and the Mystery of Mew

Fans sometimes argue if there’s an actual Pokemon timeline, but historians usually point to this film as evidence. Lucario and The Mystery of Mew showed a prehistoric war that added a decent amount of lore to the canon. The movie also features a nice amount of legendaries: even Regirock, Registeel, and Regice show up at one point.

There is a more serious side as to why this movie is a favorite among fans. This film portrays a Lucario who's faith in humanity has been heavily bruised. Struggling with this issue was some serious territory that the films really haven't dipped into since.

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1) Pokemon: The Movie

Nostalgia aside, this movie is a masterpiece. Even for those who aren’t fans of the series, the film poses some poignant questions about humanity, it’s just nice to see it through the lens of Pikachu and Mewtwo.

This movie saw the first of many times Ash Ketchum died, and many eight-year-olds were on the verge of tears in theaters in 1998. It's a great film for veterans of the series, and it’s also great for newer fans to revisit.