Pokémon’s 7th generation debuted in 2016 with Pokémon Sun & Moon. These games take fans to the tropical archipelago of Alola, drawing heavy inspiration from the real life destination of Hawaii. The generation 7 Pokémon titles introduce a slew of new features, such as powerful Z-moves. These potent abilities are usable only once in a battle, but they can quite easily turn the tide of a fight. The games also marks the debut of the Rotom Pokédex, a special new kind of Pokédex inhabited by a Rotom. The presence of this helpful creature opened up several new features to deepen the functionality of this iconic device.
Of course, the biggest change heralded by these titles was the addition of 81 new Generation VII Pokémon. The franchise is nothing without its creatures, of course, and the new arrivals include several new favorites. Whether it be due to adorable appearances or potent combat prowess, the Pokémon roster always includes something for everyone. Pokémon Sun & Moon is no exception. Creatures like the adorable Grass-type starter Rowlett and the tragically sweet Mimikyu captured hearts before the game even launched, and it’s far from the only one. Here are the top ten best Generation 7 Pokémon for you to look for as you explore Alola and beyond.
#10: Alolan Exeggutor
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One of the big changes that came to the Pokémon franchise in Sun & Moon was the introduction of regional variants. These creatures are redesigns of pre-existing characters that have changed to fit the specific environment. While they debuted in Alola, every generation since has had its own regional variants to spice things up. That said, the epitome of regional variance in Alola was undoubtedly Alolan Exeggutor.
While Exeggutor is technically a Generation 1 Pokémon, its redesign in Generation 7 stands out in the best way. Taking inspiration from the palm trees common to tropical locales like Alola, this version of Exeggutor is ludicrously tall. In-lore, this preposterous height makes it the tallest Grass-type Pokémon known to exist. Its ridiculous appearance made it a fan-favorite, and eventually led it to feature as a summon in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In that game, its height lets it serve as a nearly insurmountable obstacle.
#9: Rowlet
Every Pokémon generation has three starter Pokémon, and these creatures often quickly become fan favorites. It’s easy to see why. In addition to their frequent appearances in marketing, these starters are the first Pokémon players encounter when they start the game. One of the three starters accompanies you throughout your entire journey, growing and learning right by your side. Even with the natural affection this role tends to spark, however, Rowlet is in a league of its own.
This Generation 7 Pokémon is adorable. Its spherical shape, bowtie of leaves, and wide, trusting eyes made it a fan favorite as soon as it was revealed. Many memes were created praising this tiny creature’s design. Its popularity even led to it appearing in the 2022 spinoff Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it reprised its role as one of three starter Pokémon for the player to select. This release even gave Rowlet a new alternate form for its final evolution Decidueye.
#8: Silvally
This legendary Pokémon is an unusual beast, even by Pokémon standards. It was created in a lab to battle Ultra Beasts, strange extradimensional Pokémon on par with Legendaries. It does so by shifting between multiple different Pokémon types, depending on the Memory disc it holds. Unfortunately, the experiment failed, and the result, a chimeric cyborg known as Type: Null, was sealed away. Over the course of the story, you discover and recruit a Type: Null, which can be evolved into Silvally with high friendship.
Silvally’s unique RKS system allows it to change type freely as long as you have the corresponding Memory. This ability makes it an extremely versatile addition to your Pokémon team. As long as you have the right Memory disc, Silvally will always have the type advantage in combat. It also knows the unique move Multi-attack, which is a powerful attack capable of dealing high damage of whatever type Silvally is currently using.
#7: Tapu Koko
Tapu Koko is another legendary Generation 7 Pokémon, appearing as one of the guardian deities of the islands that make up the Alolan archipelago. It is a dual-type Electric/Fairy Pokémon, and since legendary Fairy-types are relatively rare, this alone makes it a valuable addition to any roster. Its high speed stat is also a strong asset, allowing it to rush out powerful attacks before its opponents can act. With access to powerful Electric-type moves like Shock Wave, boosted by its unique Electric Surge ability, Tapu Koko can be an absolute dynamo under the right circumstances.
Pokémon Sun & Moon made some surprising additions to the cosmology of the franchise. The introduction of extradimensional Ultra Beasts is just one example of how the lore has developed in this entry. Being able to appease and recruit an island deity is just another example of how much these games have extended the cosmos of the Pokémon world. Tapu Koko’s striking identity and powerful moveset earned it a guest appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it appeared as a summonable ally.
#6: Bewear
The imposing Bewear is another Generation 7 Pokémon that earned a reputation for its endearing appearance. This Normal/Fighting type beast evolves from the adorable Stufful, and while its evolved form is still quite cute, it’s also extremely dangerous. Bewear boasts extremely high HP and attack stats, meaning it can hit like a truck and withstand damage like one too. These stats are offset by its relatively low speed, which makes it unlikely to strike first in a fight. Of course, thanks to its towering HP, it’s hard to take Bewear out quickly. If it can survive the first attack against it, Bewear can strike back with intense force.
Bewear’s combination of lethal strength and adorable features made it another fan favorite when Pokémon Sun & Moon released. Like Tapu Koko above, Bewear appears as a summon in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As befits its imposing nature, Bewear in that game will lumber slowly across the stage when summoned, and decimate anyone it crosses paths with using an intensely strong uppercut.
#5: Zeraora
This Mythical Pokémon wasn’t introduced until Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, enhanced versions of the original Generation 7 Pokémon games that launched a year later. As a Mythical Pokémon, it’s impossible to catch Zeraora under normal circumstances. You can only obtain it by attending a special online event. This scarcity makes Zeraora a hot commodity now that subsequent generations have been released. Like Tapu Koko above, Zeraora is a very speedy Electric-type Pokémon. Electricity is its sole type, however. Zeraora is a powerhouse on offense, due not only to its high speed but to its access to potent Electric moves like Plasma Fists.
#4: Mimikyu
Mimikyu is another fan favorite due to its endearing nature. This Ghost/Fairy Generation 7 Pokémon spends much of its time hiding under a ragged cloth veil made to look like a Pikachu. The lore explains that Mimikyu is extremely lonely, and bases its disguise off of Pikachu since that creature is arguably the most popular Pokémon there is, at least in-lore. By mimicking Pikachu, Mimikyu hopes to get close to people and finally make friends. This heartbreaking story has earned Mimikyu many friends in the Pokémon community, and it’s now one of the most popular creatures on the roster.
In combat, Mimikyu’s main strength comes from how hard it is to hit. Its Ghost/Fairy nature makes it immune to several attacks, and it has a latent ability called Disguise which affords it even more defense. In essence, Disguise allows the first hit this Pokémon takes to be absorbed by its Pikachu disguise, preventing it from taking damage. Unfortunately, once you get through that, Mimikyu isn’t a particularly powerful Pokémon, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming an icon. It’s also another Pokémon that appears as a summon in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
#3: Lycanroc
Lycanroc is another fan-favorite Generation 7 Pokémon. Its design plays into the theming of Pokémon Sun & Moon in a big way, as this Pokémon takes inspiration from the legendary werewolf. The adorable canine Rockruff can evolve into one of three distinct versions of Lycanroc, depending on various factors including the time of day. Its Midday Form looks like a more standard wolf, while its Dusk Form gives it colorful orange fur. The werewolf inspiration is most apparent in its Midnight Form, which is a menacing, blood-red wolf with a slouching, bipedal posture and ominously glowing red eyes. The Dusk Form was introduced in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, and is arguably the most prominent version due to its role in helping protagonist Ash win his first ever Pokémon championship.
#2: Solgaleo
This Psychic/Steel Generation 7 Pokémon is the flagship legendary for Pokémon Sun. Like Bewear, it boasts incredible HP and base attack, making it an offensive powerhouse that can also shrug off a lot of considerable blows. Since it’s a flagship legendary, its high power is essentially guaranteed. Fans of Solgaleo can find it in Pokémon Ultra Sun as well, alongside the new legendary Pokémon Necrozma. The two Pokémon can fuse to create Dusk Mane Necrozma, another potent addition to the Pokémon roster.
#1: Lunala
Lunala is Solgaleo’s counterpart, as the flagship for Pokémon Moon. This Psychic/Ghost type Generation 7 Pokémon is another powerhouse in combat. Its dual typing gives it a good spread of resistances, with the unfortunate downside of being extra susceptible to Ghost and Dark type damage. Despite this vulnerability, its extremely high HP lets it endure a considerable amount of punishment and dish out some serious blasts in exchange. Like Solgaleo, this creature can also fuze with Necrozma in Ultra Moon, creating Dawn Wings Necrozma.