While Water-, Fire- and Grass-types are deeply ingrained in the starter species of Pokémon, the Dragon typing has a similar level of synonymity with Legendary Pokémon. Dragons are known for being fearsome, but it took Pokémon until Gens III & IV to properly develop a deep-enough Dragon-type roster, as previous Dragon specialists were often using non-Dragon types in their teams.
Now nine generations deep, Pokémon has so many iconic Dragon types that Dragon-type Trainers are spoiled for choice. However, there are still a select few that are more relevant and iconic than others, whether through their game or anime appearances, or even a mixture of both.
10 Koraidon & Miraidon Are The Formidable New Faces Of Gen IX
Koraidon and Miraidon are the latest cover Legendary Pokémon to grace the franchise, and their different designs and typings are actively representative of their specific games. Koraidon represents the ancient past of Pokémon Scarlet as part of a formidable lineup of ancient Paradox Pokémon. Koraidon is a Dragon/Fighting type, favoring physical offense and bulk above all else.
Miraidon on the other hand represents the distant future and leads a whole new cast of Paradox Pokémon in Violet. Miraidon’s futuristic design is a perfect representation of its Dragon/Electric typing. Both Gen IX Legendary Pokémon are prominently featured throughout their respective stories and are easily cemented as iconic species worth remembering from Scarlet & Violet.
9 Eternatus Is The Face Of The Darkest Day
Pokémon Sword & Shield introduced the concept of Dynamax and Gigantamax to the franchise, and the battle gimmick was an active part of the main Gen VIII storyline. At the core of it all was the Legendary Pokémon Eternatus. The Gigantic Pokémon was the big threat of the games, especially in its colossal Eternamax form.
Eternatus wasn’t seen as a cover Legendary Pokémon, with that honor going to Zacian and Zamazenta, but it was still an epic and terrifying showcase of what this Poison/Dragon-type legendary is capable of. From both the games and Pokémon Journeys, Eternatus is synonymous with The Darkest Day, as a legitimate threat caused by the naivety and ignorance of Chairman Rose’s actions.
8 Kyurem Brings Chaos & Destruction With The Absofusion Process
While Zekrom and Reshiram are the Dragon-type cover Legendary Pokémon for White and Black respectively, Kyurem is the other piece of the Tao trio and is the cover legendary for Black 2 & White 2. The Dragon/Ice-type Boundary Pokémon is featured with the Absofusion process, allowing it to merge with Zekrom or Reshiram, making Black Kyurem and White Kyurem.
All the Tao trio are iconic Dragon types in their own right, but Kyurem gets to not only represent itself but parts of the other two as well. Kyurem’s already formidable base stat total of 660 is boosted to 700 in these new forms, with Black Kyurem possessing terrifying physical Attack and White Kyurem Special Attack.
7 Garchomp Is A Dragon-Type With Frightening Offensive Power
Garchomp has been presented as a battling behemoth over the years, mainly as the ace of Sinnoh’s Champion, Cynthia. This Champion battle has often been regarded as one of the toughest in the Pokémon games, but Garchomp and Cynthia also proved to be just as formidable in the anime. In fact, her loss to Ash at the Masters Eight Tournament was a shocking occurrence.
Garchomp is the Mach Pokémon, a Dragon/Ground type with only three weaknesses to Ice-, Dragon-, and Fairy-types. Garchomp has a cool and memorable design as it blends hammerhead shark and dragon. Garchomp doesn’t evolve from Gabite until level 48 but is one of the most sought-after Pokémon in the games.
6 Salamence Is A Quintessential Dragon-Type With A Mean Streak
Like Garchomp, Salamance is another of the main pseudo-legendary Dragon types to lead the way in terms of being an iconic representation of their typing. While other Dragon types put creative spins on what it means to be a dragon, Salamence’s design is rooted in simplicity and the traditional appearance of a dragon.
Salamence is a formidable Dragon/Flying-type in its original form, but in recent years it has encouraged cool new spins, in the form of Mega Salamence and the ancient Paradox Pokémon relative, Roaring Moon. Most of Salamence’s anime appearances have been alongside villainous groups and individuals, as one was the despicable Hunter J’s ace.
5 Latios & Latias Are The Mysterious Eon Legendaries
Latios and Latias are the Dragon/Psychic pair of Legendary Eon Pokémon, introduced back in Gen III. Both are very similar in many ways, except for Latios being the male form and Latias the female. Latios has had quite the impact in the Pokémon anime, being a surprise part of Tobias’ team at the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh.
Latias, on the other hand, has rarely been seen, having previously only been in Pokémon movies and a special episode alongside Nurse joy. Latias has taken an interest in Ash during his final few episodes of the anime, in the Aim To Be A Pokémon Master miniseries, and Ash catching her would be the perfect way to end his long Pokémon journey.
4 Giratina Is The Pokémon Embodiment Of Other-Worldly Carnage
Dialga and Palkia may have been the cover Legendary Pokémon of Diamond and Pearl respectively, but Giratina was always the third piece of the puzzle as the mascot of Pokémon Platinum. In fact, Giratina’s involvement eclipses that of its Diamond & Pearl counterparts, as it has a more ominous presence in its story with the leader of Team Galactic, Cyrus.
Giratina is the Dragon/Ghost-type Renegade Pokémon, with a memorable design that ranks among the very best Legendary Pokémon. Giratina was even a formidable presence in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, joining Volo’s powerful team in a shocking twist in the game’s latter stages.
3 Rayquaza Is The Powerful Answer To Kyogre & Groudon’s Destruction
Rayquaza was the cover Legendary Pokémon of Emerald, the third installment to the Gen III mainline games. Ruby & Sapphire were driven forward by their version-specific villainous organizations trying to enact their own plans while utilizing Groudon and Kyogre respectively, but in Emerald, Rayquaza was seen as a more powerful presence and the only hope in stopping the others.
Rayquaza is by no means the only draconic Pokémon to have a serpentine form, but nevertheless, its green and yellow missile-like design remain iconic. Rayquaza is anything but generic, and will always be remembered as a different kind of Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon. Its Mega Form even packs an unbelievable base stat total of 780.
2 Dragonite Was The First Dragon-Type Battler & Became An Inspiration Through The Generations
The Dragon typing started off modestly in Pokémon‘s Gen I, with only the Dratini line including Dragonair and Dragonite as Dragon-type representatives. Dragonite was the first pseudo-legendary to arrive with its base stat total of 600 and really set the precedent for more to follow in later generations.
Dragonite have been used by powerful Trainers over the years, from Lance, Drake, and Iris, to even Ash himself as recently as the Pokémon Journeys series. Through its various iterations, Dragonite has been able to show off its attributes, moves, emotional side, and sheer battling prowess, and truly is an iconic Dragon-type Pokémon.
1 Mega Charizard X Finally Embraced The Dragon Typing
Charizard is one of the main iconic Pokémon of the entire franchise but has long been the subject of debate over what typings it should actually be. The Fire/Flying-type has been popular since its introduction back at the very start in Gen I, as it could learn the HM Fly. Charizard has since been used by Dragon-type Trainers, but without actually being a Dragon-type Pokémon.
However, with the introduction of Mega Evolution in Gen VI, Charizard got two new forms: Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y. Y kept the original’s type combination and color scheme, but Mega Charizard X instead sought to exploit the draconic features and become a Fire/Dragon-type. Mega Charizard somehow managed to make Charizard more intimidating and cool.
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