Ash Ketchum’s journey officially ends on December 23, and many Pokémon fans aren’t ready to say goodbye. Although this is the end of his long adventure, it is far from the end of Pokémon. A new anime series will debut in 2023 focusing on two new protagonists from the Paldea region.
Ash has been the main protagonist of most of the main series of the various Pokémon anime. Its series aren’t the only ones, however, and there are other great Pokémon anime out there that tell different stories from the Pokémon world, often giving an adaptation even closer to the video games.
Evolutions (2021)
Pokémon Evolutions serves as a spiritual successor to Pokémon Generations and animates specific scenes or concepts directly from the video games. There are eight episodes in all, each focusing on one of the Pokémon regions at the time.
Many of these episodes, like The Champion, offer unique character perspectives that help intensify and amplify important franchise moments. The beautiful animation complemented by its unique storytelling for Pokémon also helps propel it as one of the best Pokémon series.
Twilight Wings (2020)
Pokémon Twilight Wings is the perfect animated series for all fans of Sword & Shield video games to watch. The first seven, of eight episodes, serve as a prequel to the Sword & Shield games story.
The final episode itself takes place after the main story and shows what Leon does after losing his position as champion. These episodes add a deeper layer to the Galar region and help better showcase various characters like Leon, President Rose, and Oleana.
XY (2013-2016)
Pokémon XY saw a resurgence of fans for the anime series and although many Pokémon fans were not enamored with the Pokémon X & Y video games, they found the anime series to be much more compelling. Especially the amazing and beloved Mega Evolution.
In each Pokémon series, Ash usually has a major new rival. One of his new rivals is a fan-favorite trainer named Alain, one of the anime’s most powerful Pokémon trainers, whose Pokémon ace includes a Charizard that can Mega Evolve. Alain had a significant impact on the series and was the only original anime character alongside Ash to later appear in the Masters Eight tournament.
Advanced Generation (2002-2006)
Pokémon Advanced Generation was a great next step for the upcoming Pokémon series as it advances Ash’s journey through the Hoenn region. This series was one of the most compelling for Ash’s character development, and he became much less arrogant and more into a humble Pokémon trainer.
The fights suffered by Ash are some of his most memorable, especially at the Battle Frontier, such as Ash’s rematch against Brandon at the Battle Pyramid. The important lessons Ash learned in this series played out very well in the following series as well.
Travels (2019-2022)
Pokémon Journeys gave way to one of the most exciting events the anime franchise has ever seen: the Masters Eight tournament at the end of the World Coronation series. This tournament saw a champion from each region fight to win and become the monarch.
Fans of the video games alone even jumped in to watch as they know most of the champions taking part in the tournament. This tournament was a perfect way to wrap up Ash’s journey and become the world’s strongest trainer after his battle against Leon in Pokémon Journeys Best Match.
Hisian Snow (2022)
Pokémon Hisuian Snow is a 3-episode series focusing on the Hisuian region featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This vibrant and colorful anime series is one of the best ever made for Pokémon and does a great job of adding lore and story to the world players know in Legends: Arceus as the Pokémon Alpha.
The show does a great job of showing the struggle between Pokemon and humans with the difficulty for them to co-exist, which is also portrayed throughout the game. It’s also the only chance for fans to see some of the best Pokemon Hisuian forms from Legends: Arceus in animation.
The Original Series (1997-2002)
It’s hard to top the original Pokémon series, and it’s still one of the best Pokémon series of all time. It contains all the seasons located in Kanto and Johto regions. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the Indigo League for the first time.
Whether a fan is new or not, the Indigo League is a perfect starting point for any Pokemon fan. It showcases the world of Pokémon well and is one of the most passionate and faithful projects done for the franchise. Many fans will rewatch the series from here as Ash Ketchum makes his exit as the protagonist.
Diamond and Pearl (2006-210)
The Pokémon Diamond & Pearl animated series has long been considered Ash’s best series. This era in general has always been widely popular with Pokémon Platinum, one of the best Pokémon games, being a huge fan favorite alongside Diamond & Pearl.
Diamond & Pearl’s battles were some of the most interesting in the series with a lot more tactics and strategies involved. The story is one of the best presented and has a lot of foreshadowing and detail throughout the series which accumulate at significant points later in the series.
Generations (2016)
Pokémon Generations is an 18-episode series that covers various major events throughout the Pokémon video game series. While it’s not as story-driven as a regular anime series, it’s a nice homage to Pokémon video games.
The animation is gorgeous and higher quality than most official Pokemon movies. Fans of the video game and the franchise should check it out to watch characters like some of the coolest Pokémon rivals such as Blue, N, and Barry as well as other characters in action in new ways they haven’t. never seen before as Lance in an undercover missions.
Origins (2013)
Pokémon Origins was the anime series fans had been asking for for years. This anime has a total of four episodes and covers the events of the Kanto video games. It’s a trip down memory lane for video game fans and has excellent battles and great characterization of Red and Blue.
While the anime was able to feature iconic moments from the original video games, it was also able to show off new concepts like the beloved Mega Evolution where Red’s Mega Charizard evolves for the first time against his battle against Mewtwo. It’s the best anime series in the Pokémon franchise and more series like this have to happen.
10 Best Pokémon Anime Series, Ranked | Pretty Reel