10 Most Iconic Pokémon From Gen 2

The second generation of Pokémon games had a lot to live up to. By the time Gold and Silver released, Pokémon had taken the world by storm, and everyone was eager to see what new creatures awaited us. For many fans, Gen 2 is nearly as nostalgic as Gen 1, and if these were your first Pokémon games, you might love the Johto region more than any other.

The Gen 1 Pokémon games had iconic designs, and Gen 2 built upon that by not only introducing new Pokémon but also giving new evolutions to existing ones (and introducing us to a batch of Baby Pokémon too). There’s a lot to love about Gen 2, which is why it was sometimes difficult to narrow this list down to just ten. We took into consideration things like their importance with the games, anime, manga, and the overall Pokémon universe while also looking at merchanidise.

10

Steelix

Gen 2 saw multiple Kanto Pokémon getting new evolutions, mostly through items. Thanks to Brock, Onix was already a memorable Gen 1 Pokémon, and its Steelix evolution upped its popularity even more. Steelix has appeared in most mainline games and most recently showed up in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

The Johto region has some really memorable Pokémon, but Steelix’s myriad appearances in the games have helped give it an edge. Mega Steelix has also helped, since it’s one of the more powerful Mega Evolutions out there.

9

Chikorita, Cyndaquil, & Totodile

Yes, these are technically three Pokémon, but the Starters deserve to be in a three-way tie. The Gen 2 starters of Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile are arguably some of the weakest designs in the entire franchise unless you grew up with Gold and Silver, but no matter how you feel about them, Starters are always going to be some of the most memorable Pokémon to come out of any generation.

They’ll never be as iconic as the Gen 1 Starters, but they’ve since appeared as Starters in Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Cyndaquil) and Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Chikorita and Totodile), so they’re at least back in the zeitgeist again. Their designs are certainly cute, and their evolutions are cool, so they certainly have their merits.

8

Scizor

Like Steelix, Scizor was a new evolution for a cool Gen 1 fan-favorite. Scyther’s new form was given a red design that added to the cool factor. Thanks to gimmicks like Terastallization and Mega Evolution, we’ve gotten some pretty cool designs for Scizor through the years. Fans have adored Scizor for decades, and its debut appearance in Gen 2 certainly had something to do with that.

Although Scizor has been a favorite part of the games, it hasn’t had too much to work with inside of other Pokémon media, which is why it doesn’t rank higher on this list. Still, there’s no denying Scizor is one of the coolest Pokémon to come out of the Johto region.

7

Donphan

Donphan was pretty memorable when it debuted for an entire generation of fans during the opening of Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back. If you were in theaters back then (like I was), seeing Donphan appear came with a jolt of excitement because we’d never seen one before. Perhaps that’s why Donphan has withstood the test of time.

Donphan has since appeared in several mainline games, and it even got two new designs thanks to Paradox Pokémon in Gen 9 in Great Tusk and Iron Treads. No matter how many elephant designs we get, Donphan is always going to be the OG that sticks in people’s minds.

6

Marill

Marill never became the Pikachu 2.0 it was so clearly supposed to be, but it’s still one of the most iconic Pokémon to come out of the Johto region. It has an admittedly cute design, and it’s also one of the first Gen 2 Pokémon that American audiences ever got to see, even if it never reached Pikachu-levels of popularity.

Since Gold and Silver, Marill has appeared in most mainline games and several spin-offs. It’s also been a part of the anime, official merchandising, and other Pokémon media. There’s no doubt Marill is popular — it just has the downside of being this generation’s Pikachu clone.

5

Delibird

Delibird feels like a weird choice, but it’s simply one of those Pokémon that the franchise won’t let us forget. From a pretty iconic appearance in the anime to its futuristic Iron Bundle design in Scarlet and Violet, Delibird has a long history with the series. And because it’s an Ice-type that carries around presents, it’s basically become Pokémon‘s Santa Claus.

Maybe that’s why Delibird has remained a core part of the franchise. It routinely gets heavy placement in official holiday merch, even starring in multiple items from Pokémon Center this past holiday season. Despite having no evolutionary line, Delibird has carved out a niche within Pokémon that keeps it relevant.

4

Pichu

The Gen 2 games introduced a ton of Baby Pokémon into the mix, giving us cutesy new base evolutions for some of Gen 1’s most memorable creatures. Pichu has some competition thanks to Magby, Elekid, and Smoochum, but it was always going to be a tall order for any of them to beat out a baby form of Pokémon‘s mascot.

When Gold and Silver first came out, it took some getting used to the fact that Pikachu wasn’t a base Pokémon anymore, but Pichu has appeared in almost all games since. Baby Pokémon were a huge part of the Gen 2 games, and Pichu is easily the most iconic Baby Pokémon of them all.

3

Suicune

The three Legendary Beasts were kind of a repeat of the Legendary Bird Trio in Gen 1, but that didn’t stop them from being awesome. Although Entei got a starring role in the third Pokémon movie, Suicune stands out from the pack. This was largely due to Suicune’s appearance on the cover of Pokémon Crystal Version in 2001 (2000, in Japan).

Since then, Suicune has appeared in several games alongside its fellow Legendary Beasts. It’s also been regularly featured on merchandise and on cards within the Pokémon TCG. When many people think of Gen 2, there’s a reason Suicune is one of the first Pokémon they think of.

2

Togepi

For many fans, Togepi was the first Gen 2 Pokémon we ever saw. Its debut in the anime was mysterious and exciting, and as it followed Misty around, a ton us became attached to this little guy. Misty’s Togepi was a major part of the anime, even though Gold and Silver didn’t release until over a year later.

Maybe that’s why Togepi remains such an iconic Gen 2 Pokémon. We all remember the mystery surrounding Togepi, trying to figure out why the heck we couldn’t catch one in our Gen 1 games, and also wondering where exactly the anime was going with all this. The lead-up to Togepi’s egg hatching is still one of the most anticipated arcs the anime ever had, as we all had to wait to see what came out of that mysterious egg.

1

Lugia

Lugia was on the cover of Pokémon Silver and also had the top billing in Pokémon The Movie 2000, the franchise’s second feature-length film. It has one of the coolest designs and backstories in the entire series, and also got a resurgence thanks to its memorable appearance in Pokémon Journeys that saw Ash and Goh riding on its back.

Lugia has gotten plushes, figures, and all sorts of other merch. It’s been a core part of the TCG and was central to the Gen 2 arc in the official manga. If you can only think of one Pokémon from the Gen 2 games, you’re most likely thinking of Lugia. It’s easily the most iconic Pokémon to come from the second generation of Pokémon games.

Released

October 15, 2000

ESRB

Everyone // Mild Cartoon Violence, Simulated Gambling

Developer(s)

Game Freak

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Number of Players

1