Spanning eight generations and nearing 900 kinds, Pokémon is a staple of the Nintendo that continues to reel in players from all over the world. Pokémon is one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time, so it's no surprise there are so many Pokémon over the course of 35 games. When it comes down to it, though, which Pokemon are the most powerful in the series?

Well, here is our ranking of the 15 most powerful Pokémon from all of the mainline games. When compiling this list, we took into consideration a combo of game stats and in-game Pokedex entries that give us a sense of the canon abilities these Pokémon have in the larger world of the video games. So, without further ado, here are the 15 most powerful Pokémon.

RELATED: Is Pokémon's Success Holding It Back?

15. Suicune

suicune-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Suicune is a Water type Legendary and one of the three Legendary beasts resurrected by the Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh. (Spoilers: Ho-Oh is also on this list.) Suicune is the most iconic of the three legendary beasts, with appearances in multiple games both mainline and spinoff. In the Pokemon Crystal lore, Suicune is the closest of the Legendary beasts to Ho-Oh, and has the ability to purify water. Suicune is definitely one of the more mellow legendary Pokémon compared to the rest that will be found on this list.

14. Zekrom

zekrom-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Zekrom is the sleek black Legendary Pokémon that is a counterpart to Reshiram in the Pokémon Black and White games. Hailing from the Unova region, Zekrom is one of the less powerful Legendaries, but still useful and popular thanks to its Electric/Dragon type pairing. According to Pokedex entries, Zekrom can create large amounts of electric energy and stop any and all air resistance. Zekrom is definitely the most powerful, even stat-wise, with a large base attack stat. Zekrom is arguably the second most powerful of the Tao Trio from the Black and White games.

13. Solgalelo

solgalelo
Image via Nintendo

Solgaleo is the Legendary Pokémon from Pokémon Sun on the Nintendo 3DS, and is a Psychic/Steel type Pokémon that is on this list as opposed to Lunala because of its typing and abilities. The Psychic and Steel pairing allows the Legendary Pokémon to be resistant to nine different Pokemon types, giving those who capture Solgaleo quite the advantage. Solgaelo, according to his Pokedex entry, is said to be able to hold vast amounts of energy.

12. Calyrex

calyrex-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Calyrex, introduced in the Pokémon Sword and Shield expansions, is on this list because of its inherent ability to merge with fellow Legendaries also introduced in the expansion of the Nintendo Switch entry. Depending on what game a player owns, Calyrex can either merge with Spectrier or Glastrier. The ability to fuse with another Legendary puts Calyrex in a whole other league, making Calyrex immensely more powerful than in its original form.

11. Ho-Oh

ho-oh-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Ho-Oh is an incredibly powerful and iconic Legendary Pokémon. Originally debuting on the second generation of games, Pokémon Gold and Silver, Ho-Oh gets a place on this list thanks to the incredible lore surrounding the Legendary Pokémon. Ho-Oh is the guardian of the skies and, after a terrible tragedy befell three other Pokémon, Ho-Oh used its ability to resurrect the dead to transform them into the three other "Legendary Beasts" in the game: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune.

10. Zacian

zacian-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Zacian, one of the Legendaries from the Pokémon Sword and Shield games, is a Pokémon that has a lot going for it in terms of its interesting design while also being one of the most powerful Fairy types in the game. Add to that its Pokedex entry, which says it has the ability to even slice an ocean in two if need be. This is thanks to its crowned form, a transformation that allows Zacian to be at its full power. This is a truly formidable Legendary.

9. Xerneas

xerneas
Image via Nintendo

Xerneas is another Legendary Pokémon with an absolutely ridiculous Pokedex entry behind it. The first Fairy type Legendary in the franchise, Xerneas is said to be able to grant eternal life. The only reason it isn't higher on the list is that when it is drained of energy, Xerneas turns into a tree and sleeps for 1,000 years. Xerneas also boasts an impressive stat-boosting signature move that increases special attacks and defense.

8. Lugia

lugia
Image via Nintendo

Lugia's ability to control the Articuno, Zapados, and Moltres in the Gold and Silver games is enough reason alone for the Legendary Pokémon to be added to this list as one of the most powerful; factor in its ability to create storms with its massive wings and you have one impressive Legendary Pokémon. It is a cover Legendary that rivals Ho-Oh and asserts dominance over the other three Legendary birds. Impressive feats all around.

7. Kyurem

kyurem
Image via Nintendo

Earlier in the list, it was mentioned that Zekrom was the second most powerful of the Tao Trio from the Pokémon Black and White games. The most powerful would be Kyurem, the third of the trio of Legendaries. Thanks to its incredible dominance over ice, Kyurem is said to be able to control Zekrom or Reshiram. When doing so, it reaches its ultimate form, becoming one of the two Legendaries. Because of that, it ranks high in its ability to take the stats of either of those two Legendaries to make it even more powerful than it already is.

6. Groudon

groudon-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Groudon is an interesting Legendary because it's a Ground type, a rarity among the Legendary Pokémon. With the ability of Primal Reversion and crazy attack stats—plus its lore in the Hoenn region explaining it's able to cause volcanic eruptions and droughts by evaporating water in its surroundings—Groudon is a Legendary Pokémon not to be trifled with.

5. Mew

mew-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

While Mew may be a more lighthearted Legendary, it is still one of the most powerful. This small and adorable Legendary Pokémon is one of the first to be introduced in the series. Mew is technically a "mythic" Pokémon because of how it is obtained, not just by in-game means but through outside real-world events players participate in. Mew is said to hold the DNA of every single Pokemon within itself. Because of that, Mew is definitely one of the most powerful mythic Pokemon in the entire series.

4. Rayquaza

rayquaza-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Rayquaza has a truly unique history, being the Legendary Dragon type that put a stop to the conflict between Kyogre and Groudon that nearly destroyed the Hoenn region and humanity as a whole. Also having a mega evolution, Rayquaza is an incredibly powerful Legendary Pokémon that has been able to put other elemental legendaries in their places, putting it higher up on the list than the previously mentioned Groudon. Rayquaza also has the ability to fly at extreme speeds in the air, making it a dangerous Pokémon.

3. Zyarde

zygarde-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

There seems to be a pattern in the Pokémon franchise with a trio of Legendaries. Two butt heads, and the third arrives to intervene and overpower both. This is somewhat the case for Zygarde, a Legendary with multiple forms that, when combined to 100%, is one of the most powerful Legendary Pokémons in existence. Even more interestingly, the different cores that make up this Legendary Pokemon's different forms all act independently.

2. Giratina

giratina-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

Sporting an absolutely terrifying design and being a combination of Ghost and Dragon type, Giratina is truly a force to be reckoned with. Able to travel through dimensions at will and basically being the embodiment of anti-matter, this Pokémon is without a doubt the second most powerful Legendary Pokémon of all time. There is only one other Pokémon that could be considered more powerful than Giratina, and that's the one who created it.

1. Arceus

arceus-pokemon
Image via Nintendo

This mythic Pokémon is the Legendary to end all Legendaries. Creating Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina to hold domain over space and time, Arceus is literally the representation of God in the Pokémon universe. It is hard to make an argument for any other Pokemon being more powerful than Arceus. Because of that, this Mythic Pokémon responsible for all of creation is inarguably the most powerful in the Pokemon universe.

KEEP READING: How I Learned English by Playing ‘Pokémon Gold’: A Tale of Stubbornness and Frustration