If Legendary Pokémon are the gods of the Pokémon universe, Mythical Pokémon are its most elusive secrets. Unlike Legendaries, which are woven directly into the narrative of the main games and can be encountered through normal gameplay, Mythical Pokémon are historically so rare that their very existence was often debated on early internet forums. They are the event-exclusive, hidden-data wonders of the franchise—creatures distributed only through special promotions, movie tie-ins, and obscure real-world events.

From Mew, the original secret hiding beneath the truck (or so the playground rumors went), to modern additions like Pecharunt in Paldea, Mythical Pokémon represent the pinnacle of exclusivity. Their designs often lean heavily toward cute, mysterious, or deeply bizarre, distinguishing them from the typically aggressive or majestic Legendary Pokémon. Our Favorite Mythical Pokémon Picker provides the definitive way to rank these elusive treasures.

Using our mathematical Elo ranking algorithm, you will evaluate pairs of Mythical Pokémon in head-to-head matchups. With only around 20 true Mythical Pokémon in existence, this picker provides a fast, intensely focused session that quickly produces an accurate tier list of the rarest creatures in the franchise. Once you're done, be sure to also check out our Legendary Pokémon Picker to rank the broader pantheon!

The Playground Rumors: A History of Mythical Pokémon

The concept of Mythical Pokémon was entirely accidental. Mew, the very first Mythical Pokémon, was secretly programmed into Pokémon Red and Green by developer Shigeki Morimoto at the last possible minute, using a tiny fragment of leftover cartridge space after debugging was finished. It was not intended to be obtainable by players. When players discovered it via glitches, Nintendo leaned into the mystery, launching official distribution events that arguably established the entire promotional event framework that sustains Pokémon to this day.

Generation 2 expanded this concept with Celebi, the time-traveling forest guardian, establishing a recurring trope: the "cute," 100-base-stats-across-the-board Mythical Pokémon. This template—a small, psychic or fairy-like creature with exactly 600 base stat total (100 in HP, Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, and Speed)—was repeated with Jirachi (Gen 3), Manaphy (Gen 4), Shaymin (Gen 4), and Victini (Gen 5).

Later generations broke this mold to introduce darker or more conceptually complex Mythicals. Deoxys is an alien virus mutated by a laser beam, featuring four distinct forms with extreme stat distributions. Darkrai is the literal embodiment of nightmares. Arceus, technically classified as a Mythical rather than a standard Legendary, is the creator deity of the Pokémon universe. The evolution of Mythical designs reflects Game Freak's increasing ambition, moving from "cute secret" to "lore-defining anomaly."

Event Exclusive Power: Mythical Competitive Strategies

In competitive Pokémon formats like the Smogon ladder, Mythical Pokémon occupy a unique space. Unlike standard Legendaries (which are almost universally banned to Ubers), the "cute" Mythicals—with their flat 100-across-the-board stats—are often permitted in standard OverUsed (OU) play because their stats are well-rounded rather than overwhelmingly min-maxed.

Jirachi is perhaps the most notorious OU Mythical. Its Steel/Psychic typing provides excellent defensive utility, but it is its Serene Grace ability that defines it. Serene Grace doubles the chance of secondary effects occurring. This turns Iron Head—which normally has a 30% chance to cause the opponent to flinch and lose their turn—into a 60% flinch chance move. Paired with Thunder Wave for paralysis (which also prevents movement 25% of the time), "Para-Flinch Jirachi" is universally despised by opponents for its ability to completely lock them out of playing the game.

Magearna, the artificial Pokémon from Generation 7, proved too powerful for OU. Its Steel/Fairy typing is arguably the best defensive typing in the game, and its Soul-Heart ability boosts its Special Attack every time any Pokémon faints. This made it an unstoppable snowballing sweeper that was eventually banned. Marshadow, the Ghost/Fighting Mythical from Alola, features unresisted STAB coverage and the move Spectral Thief, which steals the opponent's stat boosts before hitting them—a uniquely powerful anti-setup mechanic that also led to its ban.

Because Mythical Pokémon are so rarely legal in VGC (official Nintendo doubles) formats, their primary competitive legacy is forged in Smogon singles, where their unique signature moves and abilities create incredibly distinct, often controversial strategies.

The Top 5 Fan Favorite Mythical Pokémon

These five Mythical Pokémon are the most sought-after and beloved event-exclusives in franchise history.

1. Mew

The original secret. Mew's DNA contains the genetic codes of all Pokémon, allowing it to learn literally every Technical Machine (TM) and Technical Record (TR) in the game. This unparalleled versatility, combined with its role as the genetic template from which Mewtwo was cloned, gives it ultimate prestige. The rumors of Mew hiding under a truck near the S.S. Anne in Pokémon Red and Blue represent arguably the most famous video game urban legend of the 1990s.

2. Deoxys

An alien virus that fell to Earth on a meteor and underwent a DNA mutation upon exposure to a laser beam. Deoxys shattered the "cute Mythical" mold of Generation 3 with an aggressive, jagged design. Its ability to shift between Normal, Attack, Defense, and Speed forms made it mechanically unique. The climax of Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire—where the player rides Rayquaza into space to destroy a meteor and battle Deoxys—is widely considered one of the greatest moments in franchise history.

3. Darkrai

The Pitch-Black Pokémon from Generation 4 is the embodiment of nightmares. Darkrai's design—a shadowy, ghostly figure with a piercing blue eye and a collar of red spikes—is one of the most beloved Dark-type designs ever created. Its signature move, Dark Void, puts opponents to sleep, while its Bad Dreams ability passively drains the HP of sleeping enemies. This horrific synergy made it an absolute terror in competitive play until Dark Void was nerfed in Generation 7.

4. Celebi

The Voice of the Forest. Introduced in Generation 2, Celebi established the blueprint for the "100-all-stats" cute Mythical archetype. Known for its ability to travel through time, it serves as the guardian of the Ilex Forest. In the Pokémon Crystal version, players could actually encounter it natively if they possessed the GS Ball item (originally exclusive to Japanese mobile events but restored in the modern Virtual Console release).

5. Arceus

The Alpha Pokémon. According to Sinnoh lore, Arceus hatched from an egg in a place where there was nothing, and then shaped the universe. Despite its god-like lore, it is classified mechanically as a Mythical Pokémon because it was originally intended to be distributed via the Azure Flute event (which was never officially released). Its Multitype ability allows it to change into any elemental type by holding the corresponding Plate, making it incredibly versatile.

How the Mythical Picker Algorithms Uncovers Your Favorite

With only about 20 Mythical Pokémon spanning the entire history of the franchise, this category is the smallest and most exclusive pool in our picker application. However, because their designs range from the tiny, cute Jirachi to the massive, terrifying Hoopa Unbound, ranking them manually is surprisingly difficult—you're often comparing apples to extraterrestrial oranges.

The Favorite Mythical Pokémon Picker utilizes the Elo rating system to cut through this complexity. Every Mythical Pokémon begins with a 1200-point baseline. By forcing you to make direct binary choices (e.g., Mew vs. Darkrai), the algorithm captures your true aesthetic and nostalgic preferences without requiring you to maintain a mental list of all 20 options simultaneously.

Because the pool is so small, you can achieve a highly accurate tier list in as few as 15 to 25 clicks. This makes the Mythical Picker one of the fastest and most satisfying tools on the site. The final result is a mathematically sound ranking of the rarest Pokémon in existence, fully exportable as a high-resolution PNG image to share with the community. You can also explore our Eeveelution Picker for another highly focused, specialized ranking session!

Mythical Picker FAQs

What is the exact difference between Legendary and Mythical Pokémon?

In Western terminology (which was formalized around Generation 5), Legendary Pokémon are creatures found naturally during the course of the game (e.g., Mewtwo, Lugia, Rayquaza). Mythical Pokémon are event-exclusive creatures that cannot be caught during normal gameplay without attending a real-world event, entering a promotional code, or downloading a mystery gift (e.g., Mew, Celebi, Darkrai).

Why was the Azure Flute event for Arceus never released?

Game Freak director Junichi Masuda stated in interviews that the Azure Flute event (which would have allowed players to encounter Arceus natively at the Hall of Origin in Diamond and Pearl) was fully programmed but ultimately scrapped because developers thought the method of accessing it was "too confusing" for players. Arceus was instead distributed directly via Mystery Gift.

Are Mythical Pokémon legal in competitive play?

In official VGC (Video Game Championships) doubles formats sponsored by Nintendo, Mythical Pokémon are almost always banned, regardless of the series rules. In the Smogon singles community, Mythical Pokémon are tiered based on their power just like any other Pokémon—many are allowed in standard OU (OverUsed) play, while the more powerful ones (like Magearna, Darkrai, and Arceus) are banned to Ubers.

Is Deoxys a Legendary or a Mythical?

Deoxys is officially classified as a Mythical Pokémon. However, it occupies a unique grey area because Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire allowed players to encounter and catch it during the Delta Episode story climax, effectively treating it as a Legendary in that specific game. Despite this, its official designation remains Mythical.

Why are there so few Mythical Pokémon compared to Legendaries?

Mythical Pokémon serve a specific promotional purpose—they are designed to drive engagement, movie ticket sales, and merchandise outside the core games. Game Freak typically introduces only one to three Mythical Pokémon per generation, keeping them artificially scarce to maintain their prestige and event-driving power.

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