Over the years,a ton of Legendary Pokemon have been introduced. These powerful creatures are typically known to be one-of-a-kind, incredibly strong, and famous among the population for their power, role in the creation of the world, or other legendary lore. There is no official definition for a Legendary Pokemon, but they’re typically understood to be well-known unique beings that are important in the legends of the in-game universe.
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This has led to some confusion overwhat constitutes a Mythical Pokemon, as they were formerly considered part of the same group, but are now separate. There are also some Pokemon that seem like they should be Legendary Pokemon for various reasons. Here are some of the Pokemon that seem Legendary, but actually aren’t, and why.
Updated June 30, 2025, by Rain Egan:Now thatPokemon Scarlet & Violethave been released and fully explored by fans, there is even more confusion as to what constitutes a Legendary Pokemon.Thanks to the release of Gen 9, there are now over a thousand Pokemon in the Pokedex - and of course, even more with complex lore typically reserved for Legendaries. With an increasingly competitive scene, there also seems to be an increase in the number of Pokemon with high enough base stats to rival those of some Legendaries. As a result, the number of Pokemon that should be Legendary but aren’t continues to grow larger.
20Palafin
Gen 9’s Palafin checks a number of boxes of Legendary Pokemon in generations past. Ithas an exclusive ability, an interesting transformation gimmick, is the first-ever dolphin Pokemon in the franchise, and has an impressively high base stat total of 650.
Palafin is a favorite in the competitive scene for its incredibly high base stats, but these base stats can only be accessed through the Pokemon’s gimmick. Once the Pokemon is switched out of battle, then switched back in, it transforms into a Hero Form that packs one hell of a punch.
19Baxcalibur
Baxcalibur is Paldea’s Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon. Like every other pseudo, Baxcalibur has a base stat total of exactly 600, though it is slightly different in terms of stat distribution. Typically, Pseudos have an even stat distribution, but Baxcalibur’s is all over the place. It has an incredibly high Physical Attack of 145, a decent HP stat of 115, and then everything else is painfully average.
Still, it’s another Pokemon often confused with a Legendary. In recent games especially,Legendaries tend to be Dragon-typeswith super high base stats, and the Dragon/Ice-type Baxcalibur ticks both of these boxes.
18Iron Valiant
Iron Valiant is one of thePokemon Violetexclusive paradox Pokemon and a Fairy/Fighting-type Pokemon that’s based on Gallade and Gardevoir. This Pokemon has a pretty unique typing -in that it is currently the only Pokemon in the series withthe Fairy/Fighting-type combination.
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Aside from being unique in that regard, Iron Valiant boasts an impressive 590 base stat total. While that’s not enough to justify Legendary status, many have argued that more of the Paradox Pokemon should hold Legendary status, as they hold an important place in the lore ofPokemon Scarlet & Violet.
17Ditto
Ditto is a classic, Gen 1 Pokemon that is often confused with a Legendary because of its unique transformation ability. It typically has one move - Transform - which allows it to transform into the Pokemon that it’s battling, gaining its stats, move pool, and ability in the process. A Pokemon with such a powerful ability is a prime candidate for Legendary status.
In terms of game releases, it’s the only non-Legendary Pokemon inPokemon GOfrom the Kanto region that wasn’t available with the game’s release. This, in turn, lead to hype and confusion among newer fans surrounding the Pokemon’s Legendary status.
16Mimikyu
Mimikyu is a fan-favorite Pokemon fromPokemon Sun & Moonthat makes more sense as a Legendary than a regular Pokemon. While it doesn’t have the base stats to justify Legendary status, it does have the uniqueness and lore that is typically only associated with Legendaries.
It’s believed that seeing its true form will lead to a mysterious illness or painful death. Because of this, it’s always covered by a disguise of the Pokemon mascot Pikachu in the hopes of gaining friends through deception.
15Dragonite
Not only is Dragonite one of the most powerful Pokemon in the first-generation Pokemon games, but it’s also one of the series' very first dragon-type Pokemon, and definitely has that Legendary Pokemon look about it. What’s more, its placement in the Pokedex is also a little suspicious.
Together with its earlier evolutionary forms, Dragonite is sandwiched between the three legendary birds and Mewtwo and Mew; the first five of the series' Legendary Pokemon. This has led some to speculate that Game Freak had originally planned for the Pokemon to be legendary as well, although there’s very little evidence to back this up other than its Pokedex position.
14Tyranitar
One ofthe strongest Pokemon in the Monster egg group, Tyranitar boasts some incredible base stats. Together, they add up to 600 and make the armor Pokemon stronger than many of the series' earlier Legendary Pokemon. For comparison, the three legendary birds' stats only total 580.
One of the other things that make the Pokemon stand out is its unique type combination; with no other Pokemon possessing the rock and dark-type pairing. It also has some of the series' most powerful moves in its learnset, evolves at a very high level, and has one of the coolest-looking Mega Evolutions so far.
13Metagross
Much like Tyranitar, Metagross is an incredibly powerful Pokemon with stats that are on par with most of the series' legendary creatures. Where it sets itself apart though is through its solid physical attack and defense stats, whichfew others can rival.
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It takes an awful lot to bring down a Metagross and it’sthis kind of durabilitythat people often associate with Legendary Pokemon. What’s more, at just 1.6%, it has the exact same catch rate as some of those with Legendary status like Articuno and Mewtwo.
12Garchomp
Sometimes a Pokemon just looks like the should be Legendary, and that’s definitely the case with Garchomp. The gold star emblazoned on the front of its head suggests there’s something special about it while the intricacies of its design are far more ornate than the average Pokemon.
As with most of theother Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, it has very high base stats and excels when it comes to physical attacks as well. It also has access to some solid moves, has a decent type combination, and is up there with some of the very best Pokemon in the series when it comes to competitive play.
11Goodra
From its high base stats to its high-level evolutionary requirements, there are plenty of reasons why some confuse Goodra for a Legendary Pokemon. The main one though is that,like many of the monsters found throughout the series, Goodra is seemingly based on a real-world legend.
The Pokemon shares many similarities with a creature called the Lou Carcolh from French folklore; most notably its retractable tentacles and elongated body. There’s also a legendary Japanese creature called the Shussebora which is not too dissimilar to Goodra.
