Prepare for the most legendary Pokemon evolution moments in the anime! From Charizard's rebellious transformation to Greninja's epic battle bond, we're counting down the most iconic evolution scenes that defined a generation of Pokemon trainers.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most legendary moments
00:10a Pokémon evolved in the anime.
00:1320.
00:15Gyarados' High Seas Retribution
00:23With a swift kick to the rear, James' hasty purchase went from floundering fish sticks
00:28to oceanic titan.
00:35While any trainer worth their stuff could have told him that Magikarp's useless base
00:39form paves the way to the much-improved Gyarados, he had to learn the hard way.
00:44Ash and the others were there to watch it too, although all it did was nearly push them
00:53to the bottom of the sea.
00:54Despite its ferocity, there's something oh-so-memorable about watching Magikarp evolve right in the
01:00nick of time to show James who's who.
01:03If only so, the Team Rocket grunt never makes that mistake again.
01:0819.
01:10Hariyama flexes on the competition
01:13No one said earning a gym badge was supposed to be easy, but this just feels unfair.
01:18Brawly's Makuhita delivered enough arm thrusts to nearly clean up Ash's whole team on its
01:23own.
01:27Then things went from bad to worse when all the experience helped it grow into a bonafide
01:32punching maniac, also known as Hariyama.
01:43Treecko tried to stand its ground, but all it did was prolong the inevitable.
01:48Brawly's Hariyama finished the match and Ash's poor Grass-type without breaking a
01:52sweat.
01:57Even though Ash claimed the Knuckle Badge in their rematch, Hariyama's devastating
02:02debut isn't easy to forget.
02:0718.
02:11Crocodile grounds the enemy
02:13Determined or not, Ash's Krokorok had a major hurdle to overcome if it wanted to come out
02:18on top of Iris' Dragonite.
02:20It wasn't fully evolved.
02:22However, after raising it from a little sand isle, there wasn't anything left stopping
02:26Ash and his Unovan ace from going all the way to Crocodile.
02:36Now Final Form against Final Form, the battle blazed so bright, it's a wonder Ash didn't
02:41steal his Pokémon shades for himself.
02:44Dragonite's wings didn't make it easy, but Crocodile put its new power to work with a
02:48match-winning, super-effective Stone Edge.
02:56The rubble left a clear message.
02:58Don't mess with a Pokémon in sunglasses.
03:0317.
03:05Butterfree breaks the mold
03:07It just feels right that Ash's very first capture, like ever, was also his first to
03:12reach its final stage.
03:14Of course, we're talking about Butterfree.
03:20The Bug-type started out as a puny Caterpie, but through a few ups and downs, Ash learned
03:26how to nurture a Pokémon from pet to friend to partner.
03:30As exciting as it is to see Butterfree quite literally spread its wings, the moment only
03:35lands because Ash had to first own up to his past mistakes.
03:45This evolution is as much for him as it is for his Pokémon, as Beedrill never stood
03:50a chance against a bond like that.
03:5516.
03:59Goodra's gooey welcome
04:01In contrast to most of Ash's other companions, Goomy had a major role to serve before it
04:06ever joined the team.
04:10It wanted to protect its native wetlands.
04:13From there, Ash's diligent support helped it break through into Sliggoo, but it was
04:17the Pokémon's own memories of its habitat that gave it the final push to… do we even
04:22need to say it?
04:23Ash's Kalos team was absolutely stacked, but there's no way to discuss the arc without
04:28mentioning a certain emotional Dragon-type.
04:34By framing this evolution as part of Sliggoo's own personal journey, Goodra's unveiling
04:40is just as empowering as all his future victories combined.
04:4715.
04:56Gliscor and his Razor Fangs
04:59Ash's Gligar spent most of its Sinnoh days sticking out its tongue and having a good
05:04time.
05:05That doesn't mean it couldn't get serious, though, and after a royal butt-whooping by
05:08Gliscor, it was determined to level up.
05:17That was just the nagging issue of its crippling fear of battle.
05:20Thankfully, it overcame its worries, grabbed a Razor Fang, and showed everyone what a real
05:26Gliscor can do.
05:31It's damn cool, but it doesn't lose the playfulness that made Gligar a fan favourite.
05:41Plus, Gliscor gets the rare distinction of being Ash's only Pokémon to evolve via
05:46an item.
05:48No matter how you look at it, this moment rocks.
05:5314.
05:57Sirfetch'd Raises Its Leek
05:59Leave it to Ash to catch a Pokémon just as it gets a shiny new evolution.
06:04Sirfetch'd had been around since the very first generation, but it was mostly ignored
06:08by both Ash and the wider anime until its Galar variant came along.
06:13When it finally evolved into Sirfetch'd, it made up for lost time and then some.
06:19Really, its whole storyline felt like a long-winded build-up to this one moment where it could
06:27finally joust with Gallade.
06:34It's a fight unlike anything we'd seen before, and single-handedly justified every single
06:39minute Ash spent training the flying type.
06:41If that's not the hallmark of a fantastic evolution scene, nothing is.
06:5113.
06:54Caterpie's Cocoon
06:56Remember how we said Butterfree was Ash's first Pokémon to reach its final stage?
07:00Well, it lost the title of first-ever evolution to its prior form.
07:04And although Metapod's hardened attack won't be winning Ash any gym badges, the momentous
07:09impact of this turn of events is too great to pass up.
07:19Caterpie's glowing transformation is a firm validation of everything Ash is striving for.
07:29After all, with enough grinding, any trainer can catch them all, but only the elite few
07:34can raise the ones they already have.
07:36Toss out the Pokédex, Metapod's glorious appearance is what it really means to be the
07:42very best like no one ever was.
07:4712.
07:50Noivern Makes Some Noise
07:52Friendship is the catalyst for a lot of Pokémon evolutions, but in this case, Noipak didn't
07:57go full power just for Ash.
08:00No, he was also up against a freaking Zapdos, and about to watch Horlucha plummet to an
08:06early grave.
08:07Things were looking dire, but then Noivern decided to make his grand entrance.
08:19Not only did he save his ally, but he even fended off the legendary bird with a jaw-dropping
08:24boom burst.
08:30If you can make a rampaging Zapdos respect your power, you know you've raised your Pokémon
08:36So, take it from us, when in doubt, find a friend like Noivern.
08:4411.
08:48Igniting Talonflame
08:50Another day, another Kalos flying type evolving against a Kanto legendary bird.
08:55Man, there must be something in the water over there.
08:58Or maybe it's in their fire, considering Fletchinder totally brings the heat against Moltres.
09:03So much so that it rises like a phoenix into the almighty Talonflame.
09:11Handily enough, the Pokémon also picks up the move, Brave Bird, and uses it to show
09:16Moltres it's not the only fire-flying type in town anymore.
09:25Even though Ash and Talonflame can't quite clinch the win, this smouldering battle is
09:30a welcome reminder that nothing burns hotter than a flame-filled evolution scene, especially
09:35one with a legendary.
09:3910.
09:42Lycanroc Howls
09:43What Ash's Rockruff lacked in size, it made up for with its temper.
09:48Luckily, it channeled that rage into something constructive, befriending Tapu Lele.
09:53Then, after a few rocky spas, Rockruff earned some of the legendary's power and finally
09:58grew out of its first stage.
10:07Instead of mirroring Ash's growth, the episode smartly frames this evolution as the culmination
10:13of Rockruff's own journey.
10:14Sure, this wouldn't be the last time Ash's Rock-type lost control, but seeing Rockruff's
10:19efforts manifest in a slick new transformation is still a step in the right direction.
10:31Plus it doesn't hurt that it comes in the shape of the effortlessly cool Duskform.
10:36That epic howl to the sky is very well-deserved.
10:389.
10:46Cinderace Shoots and Scores
10:48There's always something special about a starter's final evolution, and Goh's is no different.
10:58It couldn't have come at a better time, either.
11:00It's in it as he's waking up, Goh's losing ground against Milotic, and his Raboot only
11:06wants to fight with its ineffective Ember attack.
11:09But after Goh learns to embrace his partner's unorthodox style, the newly-minted Cinderace
11:14completely tears up the tiff.
11:17Deep advantages be damned.
11:22That final striking Pyro Ball is as good an end point for their journey as you could ask
11:26for.
11:27In fact, if this were any other match, we'd say Cinderace deserves a red card.
11:32But something tells us there's no ref in all of Galar who could doubt this pair any more.
11:388.
11:41Kingler Unleashed
11:43Ash's Krabby spent most of Kanto warming a spot on the bench, so when it finally got
11:48a chance to shine in the Indigo League, it didn't sink, it swam.
11:58As a matter of fact, it swam all the way to its next form, Kingler.
12:02Then, with a Hyper Beam, a Krabhammer, and a few stomps, Ash's novice partner 3-0'd
12:08Randy out of the entire tournament.
12:13Ironically, this victory is so unforgettable that it almost makes you forget this is Kingler's
12:20first ever fight.
12:21If this is what it's capable of without any real experience, then Kingler is no mere
12:26benchwarmer.
12:27It's a total star player.
12:347.
12:38Sceptile Blooms
12:46This evolution works for all the wrong reasons.
12:49On paper, Grovyle's star-crossed love affair with a Meganium is a great motivator for its
12:55ascendance into Sceptile.
12:56The only thing is, Sceptile doesn't get the girl, and it doesn't get a power boost either.
13:02Instead, Grovyle's evolution is unable to use any of its old moves.
13:10Having Sceptile learn, grow, and adapt to its new form added a weight to this evolution
13:15that we'd never gotten before.
13:17And yet, it's precisely because of that struggle that Sceptile's debut is so gratifying.
13:22Yes, Sceptile completely falls on its face, but it's all in service of a much greater
13:27character.
13:28That end result even makes this embarrassing showcase feel worthwhile.
13:336.
13:43Infernape Blazes to Life
13:45From an abandoned Chimchar to a moody Monferno, this Sinnoh fire-type developed one of the
13:50greatest storylines of any of Ash's partners.
13:54But the best part is that it didn't stop there.
14:01When Monferno's Blaze ability sets it off on yet another fiery rampage, Ash becomes
14:06the first trainer capable of quelling its flames.
14:10After everything Monferno went through, there's just nothing better than seeing it finally
14:14evolve into the proud Infernape.
14:22Especially since it christens the new form by sending Team Rocket flying off again.
14:27This moment works because it understands that neither Infernape or Ash got here alone.
14:32They did it as partners.
14:375.
14:40Togetic Spreads Its Wings
14:42It doesn't matter whether it came out hard-boiled, scrambled, or sunny-side up.
14:47The fact of the matter is that Togepi finally spread its wings.
14:51Literally.
14:52It had some help from a colony of Togepi, but really, this moment is more about Misty's
15:04efforts as a trainer.
15:05After all, she spent most of her time in the series holding Togepi close to her chest.
15:10So seeing it finally take flight feels like the visualization of everything Misty brought
15:15to the show.
15:23It's a shame Misty and Togetic part ways at the end of the episode, but at least they
15:27ended things on one hell of a high note.
15:324.
15:33Incineroar's Knockout
15:35Most of the time, last-minute evolutions turn exciting moments into extraordinary ones.
15:41That still happens here, just not in the way most expected.
15:45But rest assured, the showdown between Ash's Touracat and Kukri's Incineroar is still
15:49incredible.
15:58And given the matchup, it's only natural that it ends with Ash's partner evolving
16:03into Incineroar itself.
16:05The only issue is that, by the time Touracat shapes up, it's already been KO'd.
16:19Even though this marked a disappointing end to Touracat's fight, this scene strikes
16:23the perfect balance of hilarious and heartfelt.
16:26If anything, it gets props for delivering one of the most unexpected evolutions in the
16:31whole series, and that's saying something.
16:423.
16:44Greninja Awakens
16:46One of Ash's best partners ever deserved an equally iconic debut.
16:50Thankfully, the show delivered, and then some.
17:05Against a group of rogue shinobi, Ash's Frogadier decides to show them what a real water shuriken
17:11looks like.
17:12But Greninja's slick entrance isn't even the most epic part.
17:16The twist of this episode is that it's two evolutions for the price of one.
17:20Just as soon as Greninja appears, he and Ash awaken to their battle bond form.
17:33As the first time anything like this ever happened in Pokemon, the hype is impossible
17:38to resist.
17:39After a debut like this, it's really no surprise Greninja became the de facto scene
17:43stealer of the Kalos arc.
17:482.
17:49Lucario Bulks Up
17:50Ash has caught plenty of Pokemon in his day, but none of them compared to the one he actually
17:55raised.
17:56He nurtured Riolu from an egg to a baby to a trusted member of his team.
18:06In return, Riolu leapt into battle to protect its trainer from Chairman Rose.
18:11Along the way, it also happened to unlock a jaw-dropping evolution into Lucario.
18:19The aura Pokemon wraps things up with plenty of style, but the fight's not the point
18:24of this scene.
18:25The real heart of it all is the culmination of Ash and Riolu's bond.
18:29Seeing their relationship reach such an epic climax is easily representative of Pokemon
18:35at its very best.
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18:551.
18:56Charizard Takes Flight
18:57Charmeleon's final evolution is rightfully a big deal, just not for Ash.
19:08See, the Fire-type was in the middle of a rebellious heart-streak.
19:13And instead of growing out of it, Charizard was more disobedient than ever before.
19:24In the whole franchise, this might be the only one of Ash's partners to evolve without
19:28him doing anything.
19:30And yet, it's because Charmeleon grows on its own that it makes this moment feel so
19:34monumental.
19:36It chose to evolve, just like it chose to save Ash from becoming a splat on the ground.
19:41In doing so, this one scene emphasized everything that Ash and Charizard would eventually become.
19:47And you just can't get any better than that.
19:52What's a Pokémon you desperately wanted to evolve in the anime?
19:56Let us know in those comments below.