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Everyone who’s ever had an interest in Pokémon has one character in particular that they think is the cutest. And the case can be made that, in their original forms, almost every single Pokémon is somewhat cute. There is a general trend, though, that Pokémon get less cute as they evolve. For instance, Squirtle is undeniably downright adorable, whereas Blastoise is a much more menacing and imposing creature, especially with those military-grade water cannons poking out of its shell. However, this trend is not consistent across all Pokémon. One could argue that Dragonite (the third stage of Dratini) is even cuter than its original form.
Many Pokémon enthusiasts have also argued that the later design style of Pokémon is not as cute as the original 151. Ken Sugimori is one of the designers often credited with designing (in watercolor) some of the first-generation Pokémon, and some superfans claim that his designs rate highest on the cuteness scale. However, a woman named Atsuko Nishida was also one of the original designers (and the one responsible for creating Pikachu), and she has her fair share of devoted acolytes.
But, over time, as Pokémon grew more popular, they needed to hire more designers, and that meant a larger range of influences. Many believe that this led to Pokémon designs losing their original character and also becoming less adorable. Wherever you stand on this issue, it’s clear that the question of which Pokémon are the cutest has no simple answer.
Yet, in this article, I’m going to set out to do the impossible: identify the 8 cutest Pokémon of all time. And I understand that everyone has their own preferences, so feel free to roast me in the comments and tell me that my selections are a load of bullshit. Let’s go.
1. Piplup
As a lover of penguins, I’m definitely partial to Piplup, a Generation IV Water-type Pokémon that you could pick as a starter in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Yes, I started this list with Generation IV Pokémon. That’s sure to ruffle some feathers. Pun intended.
Once Piplup starts evolving, though, it immediately gets considerably less adorable. Its next stage is Prinplup, who looks far larger and more fearsome. The next stage is Empoleon, which looks like it could be one of Ganondorf’s henchmen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Still, Piplup is heartbreakingly cute with its rounded little break and bright eyes.
2. Igglybuff
Now, for you Pokémon purists out there, I have selected Igglybuff as one of the cutest Pokémon of all time. Of course, Igglybuff was technically a Generation II Pokémon, but it’s the previous stage of Jigglypuff, which is a Generation I Pokémon. And, unlike Piplup, Igglybuff doesn’t really get any less cute as it evolves. Its second stage is Jigglypuff, who’s freaking adorable, and its third stage is Wigglytuff, which has super cute rabbit-like ears.
How could Igglybuff not appear on this list, considering it literally has an ability called Cute Charm? Up until Generation VI, Igglytuff was considered a Normal-type Pokémon. However, in Generation VI, Igglybuff and the rest of its family became dual-type Normal/Fairy Pokémon.
3. Diglett
Diglett has always held a special place in my heart because of the simplicity of its design. Presumably, Diglett is supposed to be based on a mole. However, considering it’s essentially a brown semicircle with eyes and a nose, I wouldn’t be surprised if Diglett was supposed to be a sentient mound of dirt.
Diglett was a Ground-type Pokémon (obviously) when it was introduced in Generation I. It evolved into Dugtrio, which one could argue is even cuter than Diglett because it looks almost identical to Diglett, except there are three of them. Diglett also has a regional form, Alolan Diglett, a dual-type Ground/Steel type Pokémon.
4. Eevee
It would probably piss a lot of people off if I omitted Eevee from this list because it’s one of the most beloved Pokémon of all time. Eevee is a Normal type Pokémon with one of the most interesting evolutions. When exposed to Water Stone, Eevee will evolve into Vaporeon. When exposed to Thunder Stone, Eevee will evolve into Jolteon. And, when exposed to Fire Stone, Eevee will evolve into Flareon. And those are only the Generation I evolutions. In Generation II and beyond, the creators added many more possible evolutions for Eevee.
And, while many of Eevee’s evolutions are pretty cute in their own right, none are as cute as the original form. Eevee has some big ears, a poofy tuft of fur around its neck, and a voluptuous tail.
5. Shaymin
Introduced in Generation IV, Shayin is a Grass-type Mythical Pokémon that’s very clearly based on a hedgehog (one of the most adorable animals in the real world). But, to make Shaymin even cuter, it’s got grassy green hair instead of spines and a big pink flower behind its ear. Shaymin looks like a hedgehog dressed for a luau, and it’s cute enough to bring you to tears.
Shaymin has two forms: Land Forme (pictured above) and Sky Forme. Personally, I think its Land Forme is far cuter, but its Sky Forme is a pretty cool canine-like Pokémon that has the ability to fly (which it gains when Gracidea flowers bloom).
6. Cubchoo
When you think of an adorable plushie toy, a teddy bear is probably the image that pops into your mind. Well, Cubchoo is essentially just a blue teddy bear that can walk and fight. Oh, and it’s got a massive drop of snot dripping out of its nose (which it sniffles up sometimes but never goes away).
Cubchoo was introduced in Generation V as an Ice-type Pokémon. At level 37, though, it evolves into Beartic, which I would argue is one of the least cute and worst-designed Pokémon ever. Its design style reminds me more of Phineas and Ferb than it does Pokémon. But I have no negative things to say about Cubchoo. That little ice bear is cute as hell.
7. Tepig
The curly tail with the little ball on the end. The pair of ears that looks like a sprout. The smushed nose. The bright eyes. Tepig is perfect. Also introduced in Generation V, Tepig is a Fire-type Pokémon that evolves into Pignite (which is just fantastic wordplay) and then into Emboar (which is not as good a wordplay but still pretty solid).
Tepig is one of the three starter Pokémon of Unova available at the beginning of Black and White. Tepig also has the ability Thick Fat (which was first introduced in Generation III), which just adds to the cuteness. Who doesn’t love a chubby little pig?
8. Squirtle
In terms of the most famous Pokémon of all time, Squirtle ranks pretty high up there. And it also definitely deserves to be considered one of the cutest Pokémon to ever appear in the iconic game series. He’s an adorable turtle-looking Water-type Pokémon who evolves into Wartortle (who looks a bit more fierce) at level 16 and then Blastoise (a borderline-scary militarized turtle) at level 36.
Squirtle also gets bonus points for being a Generation I Pokémon and one of the three starter Pokémon of Kanto available at the beginning of Red, Green, and Blue. Squirtle may have a hard exterior and be a tough fighter, but it sure is a cutie.
