5 Pokémon That Barely Appear In the Anime (But We’d Love to See More Of)

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The Pokémon anime has been a part of pop culture for nearly 30 years. Similar to the video games that started it all, the show features a huge number of Pokémon – so many that most fans couldn’t possibly name them all! Some, like Pikachu and Meowth, have become iconic symbols of the franchise, largely because they were so popular in the anime.

While the Pokémon anime has boosted the popularity of many Pokémon, some haven’t received the attention they deserve. Because the anime often differs from the games and has been running for so long, many Pokémon have been overlooked, and it’s disappointing that some still haven’t gotten their chance to shine.

5) Hoopa

Hoopa is a legendary Pokémon that first appeared in the sixth generation of games. It used to be incredibly powerful, but most of its strength was contained within a special item called the Prison Bottle. Now, in its usual form, known as Hoopa Confined, it’s a relatively harmless trickster who enjoys teleporting people and Pokémon around.

Mythical Pokémon aren’t usually central characters in the anime, and this is particularly true for Hoopa. It’s mostly appeared as a way to introduce new legendary Pokémon to the story, aside from its appearance in a movie. However, with Hoopa set to be featured in the DLC for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, there’s a chance it could have a more significant role in the anime going forward.

4) Ho-Oh

I always thought Ho-Oh was a really special Pokémon in the anime, even though it didn’t show up all that often. I remember seeing it right at the start of Ash’s adventure – he thought it was a good sign for his journey! And it kept popping up throughout his career, at important moments, all the way until he finished competing. It felt like Ho-Oh was watching over him the whole time.

The anime series didn’t really feature Ho-Oh in the main storyline, which is surprising considering how important it was to Ash’s overall adventure. While Ho-Oh played a key role in the movie Pokémon: I Choose You!, that movie isn’t considered part of the official anime canon. Ho-Oh does help move Ash’s journey along, but fans are still disappointed by how little it actually appears.

3) Raikou

I’m a huge fan of Raikou! It’s one of the original Legendary Beasts from the Gold and Silver games. The story goes that it was reborn after the Brass Tower burned down, thanks to Ho-Oh. Along with Entei and Suicune, Raikou basically keeps an eye on things when Ho-Oh isn’t around, and they all jump in to protect people whenever trouble strikes and Ho-Oh is busy. They’re like a heroic emergency response team!

I’ve noticed Entei and Suicune have really stood out in the Pokémon anime and movies, but Raikou hasn’t had the same chance to shine. Its biggest role was in Pokémon Chronicles, which a lot of fans probably haven’t even seen. Still, Raikou is just as well-known as the other two, and I’m hoping it gets a bigger spotlight eventually.

2) Xerneas

Xerneas is a legendary Pokémon featured on the cover of the Pokémon X and Y games. Along with Yveltal and Zygarde, it’s part of a trio known as the Aura Trio. Xerneas has the unique ability to create life with its aura before entering a 1000-year slumber, which differs from Yveltal, who absorbs life before hibernating.

The anime significantly altered the story of X and Y, leaving Xerneas with almost no role – it only appeared briefly in the movie and a single, unimportant episode detailing the history of Kalos. Even the new game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, focuses on Zygarde instead of Xerneas and Yveltal, making it unlikely the anime will ever give Xerneas a more important part.

1) Porygon

Porygon is a unique Pokémon first introduced in the very first games, Pokémon Red and Green, back in 1996. It’s an artificial Pokémon created from computer programming, which is why it looks so blocky. This digital origin also allows Porygon, and its evolved forms Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, to actually enter computers – almost like a computer virus!

Porygon first appeared in a notorious Pokémon episode that caused seizures in hundreds of children due to rapidly flashing lights. Because of this incident, Porygon and its evolved forms rarely appear in the anime. It’s particularly unfortunate because the problematic scene actually featured Pikachu and Team Rocket, not Porygon itself, yet Porygon still receives very limited screen time.

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2025-10-21 16:45