30 Years of 'Pokemon': A Look Back At The Most Memorable/Iconic Pokemon Of The Kanto Region

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the original Pokemon games, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Green (a Japanese exclusive) in Japan. An unexpected success arriving late in the lifespan of the original Game Boy, the first batch of Pokemon games, now referred to as Generation 1 or Gen 1, are RPGs taking place in the Kanto region, following a young boy embarking on the journey to become a Pokemon Trainer (later games, and Gen 1 remakes FireRed and LeafGreen, give the option of a female Player Character). This journey involves collecting eight Gym Badges to earn the right to battle Kanto's Elite Four, and being drawn into a battle against the evil Team Rocket.

Another requirement to truly complete the games is completing the Kanto Region's Pokedex, which means collecting all of the Pokemon of the region. This required the help of fellow players, as some Pokemon were exclusive to one version of the game. The Gen 1 games featured 151 Pokemon, and those 151 remain among the most beloved in the franchise. However, there are Pokemon among those 151 that are particularly memorable or iconic.

To celebrate Pokemon's 30th anniversary, let's take a look at some of the most memorable Pokemon from the Kanto region.

Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle

In every Region, new players/trainers are offered a choice between three starter Pokemon. In Kanto, the choices are the grass-type Bulbasaur, fire-type Charmander, and water-type Squirtle. Every player of the original games has a starter they swear by, and while the choice does affect the difficulty of the game's early stages, there is no right or wrong decision.

Due to the enduring popularity of the Kanto starter trio and their evolutions, they have sometimes been made available in later games. In the Pokemon anime, original protagonist Ash Ketchum catches all three, perhaps to avoid disappointing children if the main character did not have their favourite. Only Ash's Charmander fully evolves. His Bulbasaur chooses not to, and while no explicit reason has been given for Squirtle's lack of evolution, it has often been praised as well-raised, so perhaps simply does not need to.

Charizard

Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, the final forms of the Kanto starters, serve as the cover mascots for Pokemon Green, Red, and Blue. While all are loved, it's hard to argue against Charizard as the most well-known. Charizard's design, more or less a classic dragon (although basic Charizard is not, in fact, a Dragon-type), is simple, but effective, leaving it as one of the most recognisable and popular Pokemon in the ever growing National Pokedex.

A large amount of merchandise featuring Charizard has been produced, and it is the subject of many of the most sought after Pokemon trading cards. It also remains a popular and versatile team member in the games, in both solo and competitive play, being the only Pokemon to date with not just one, but two potential mega evolutions.

Charizard was also one of the most popular figures in Ash Ketchum's extended roster. While their relationship was strained for a time following Charizard's initial evolution, Pokemon and Trainer eventually reconcile, with Charizard eventually becoming one of Ash's most loyal Pokemon, to the point that it once flies across Johto, unprompted, to rescue Ash after a News report shows he is in danger in the movie Pokemon 3: Spell of the Unown.

Pikachu

Appearing in the Gen 1 Pokemon Games as number #25 in the Kanto Pokedex, the electric mouse Pikachu was noted almost immediately as one of the cutest Pokemon. However, it wasn't until it was chosen to be protagonist Ash Ketchum's starter and main Partner in the Pokemon anime that it attained icon status.

Now, Pikachu is the most recognisable Pokemon of all, largely considered to be the mascot of the entire franchise. It became the mascot of Pokemon Yellow, a special edition Red and Blue remake inspired by the anime, as well as the spin-off game Detective Pikachu, and the live-action film inspired by said game.

When Ash and Pikachu were retired as protagonists of the Pokemon anime in 2023, the Pokemon Company were afraid to leave the show without the cute and marketable Pikachu, leading to the creation of a new character, Captain Pikachu, owned by Professor Friede in Pokemon Horizons.

Jigglypuff

As hard as it may be to believe now, Pikachu was not the one-and-only obvious choice when choosing a partner for Ash in the Pokemon anime. In fact, before eventually settling on Pikachu, creators seriously considered Jigglypuff as the anime's lead Pokemon. While this was not to be, Jigglypuff ultimately became an icon of the anime in its own right with the appearance of a Jigglypuff who longs for fame, only to become angry when its song inevitably puts anyone in the immediate vicinity to sleep.

This Jigglypuff became a recurring character throughout the Kanto and Johto eras, with its English dub voice, and song, performed by the late Rachael Lillis.

Outside of the anime, Jigglypuff has become a surprise favourite in the Super Smash Bros. series of video games, due to it's talents in aerial combos and the 'Rest' move, which while risky, is devastating when it hits.

Meowth

In the early Pokemon games, Meowth was a common and not all that special Pokemon, although many players did (and still do) take advantage of its signature move, Payday, which allows its Trainer to collect scattered coins post-battle. Otherwise, it was mostly notable as one of the favoured Pokemon of Team Rocket grunts throughout the games.

It was the decision to add a talking Meowth as a member of the anime's Team Rocket that made the character iconic.

Team Rocket's Meowth is snarky and sarcastic, but often displays hidden depths and surprising insights on certain situations, being the only character who can fully understand both human and Pokemon language.

Eevee, Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon

Eevee is a rare and special Pokemon. Only one Eevee is available within the main story of the Gen 1 games, as a gift to the player from Bill, creator of the Pokemon Storage System. Eevee has unstable DNA, and through the use of special elemental stones, it can evolve into one of three different Pokemon: the electric-type Jolteon, fire-type Flareon, and water-type Vaporeon. Collectively, these evolved forms were affectioately dubbed the Eeevee-lutions by fans.

Eeevee's cute design has made it an enduring fan favourite. For many players, the decision of which Eevee-lution to choose was almost as big as which Starter. This decision has only become more difficult with the introduction of five additional Eevee-lutions in future generations, but the original three continue to hold a spot in the hearts of longtime fans.

Gengar

Gengar is #96 in the Kanto Pokedex, the final evolution of the ghost Pokemon Ghastly. This evolution was only triggered via trading Gastly's second form, Haunter, with another player. It's iconic status comes from the fact that it is a combatant in the first Pokemon battle that most Gen 1 players ever saw, with a battle between Gengar and Nidorino the focal point of both Red and Blue's title sequences. This battle has been recreated numerous times since, in both the anime and later games.

Gengar has enjoyed continued popularity over the years, due to it's design and cheeky personality. It is featured in plenty of merchandise, and receives both Mega Evolution and Gigantamax forms in the later games.

More recently, Gengar attracted further attention and popularity when Ash Ketchum caught one in Pokemon Journeys. Abandoned by its previous trainer at the Cerise Lab, Gengar causes mischief until Ash catches it. It soon becomes a loyal and valuued member of Ash's team, participating in the battle that made Ash World Champion.

Psyduck

Psyduck is a dual psychic/water type Pokemon from the Kanto region, known for experiencing constant headaches which eventually emerge in the form of powerful psychic attacks. It grew in popularity when Misty accidentally caught a particularly dopey one in the Pokemon anime.

Since then, it has endured as a surprise favourite among the Kanto Pokemon. A Psyduck appears in live-action as the partner of journalist Lucy, and more recently as a partner to Haru in Netflix's adorable slice-of-life stop-motian animated series Pokemon Concierge.

Magikarp and Gyarados

Magikarp is a fish Pokemon easily obtainable via fishing, with any rod, in most Pokemon games. Unfortunately, it is completely useless out of the water and not really any better in the water. It is widely believed to be the weakest and most useless Pokemon in not just Kanto, but the entire world. It is understandable that many players may have left it boxed on a first playthrough.

However, those willing to put in the work to raise Magikarp to level 20 are rewarded with it's evolution into Gyarados, a powerful water-dragon. Gyarados remains a popular figure in both the games and anime, with great respect often afforded to trainers who own one, precisely because of the amount of work it takes to get it. Gyarados was eventually given a Mega Evolution.

Dragonite

At #149, Dragonite is one of the last Pokemon in the Kanto Pokedex. The final evolution of the Dratini line, Dragonite has long been popular with fans for it's cute design, and the fact that it packs a punch. It was the first in a group that has now become known as Psuedo-Legendaries, Pokemon with abilities and stats near the level of a legendary Pokemon, without actually being one.

In the later stage of his onscreen adventures, Ash Ketchum caught a Dragonite, one of the few psuedo-legendaries owned by him throughout the series.

Mew

Known as the rarest of all Pokemon, and thought to be an ancestor to all Pokemon, the cat-like psychic type Mew was widely believed to be extinct within the Gen 1 games. Mew was programmed into, but omitted from the games, initially only mentioned as part of Mewtwo's backstory. However, it's existence became known when some players accidentally found at caught it due to a glitch, leading to an influx of myths about where to find the mysterious Pokemon. Eventually, Game Freak officially revealed Mew, running contests for players to have it officially added to their game.

Mew has become no less rare or elusive since Gen 1, still only available through events or by the use of special items. However, this, coupled with it's adorable design and sweet nature, have only made it more popular. When Mew does show up, it is almost always there to help, endearing it to any new fans watching.

Mewtwo

Mewtwo is an artificial Pokemon created by Team Rocket scientists in the Cinnabar Island Lab. After escaping the lab, it can be encountered and captured in Cerulean Cave, one of the last major events in the story mode of the Gen 1 Pokemon games.

While capturing Mewtwo is a great achievement for any player, it is perhaps it's starring role in Pokemon: The First Movie. As a creation of Team Rocket, Mewtwo could have been reduced to a typical villain, but instead, it is a much more complex character, exploring some deep philosophical questions about the meaning of life, and what makes someone who they are. This makes it extra memorable to the children who grew up with the film, with Mewtwo still holding a special place in the hearts of many long term Pokemon fans.

Happy 30th anniversary, Pokemon!