The Most Useless Evolutions In Pokemon Games, Ranked

Key Takeaways

Some Pokemon evolutions, like Electrode and Hitmontop, are unnecessary and don’t add much to the original design or stats.
Evolving certain Pokemon, such as Rhyperior and Slaking, can be time-consuming and may not result in significant improvements.
Some evolutions, like Slowking and Steelix, are considered useless additions to the Pokemon family, offering little benefit to players.

As a seasoned Pokémon trainer with over two decades of battling under my belt, I must confess that some of the evolutions introduced in Generation II left me scratching my head in bewilderment. One such case is Hitmontop, a spinning top Pokémon that evolved from Tyrogue.

The expansive Pokemon universe encompasses numerous games, TV shows, movies, and other media, making it challenging for fans to keep up with everything. With the ninth generation of Pokemon creatures, their total count has soared from hundreds to thousands. While every Pokemon may have a special place in someone’s heart, not all are essential to the overall experience.

Although many evolutionary paths, Mega and Gigantamax transformations, and regional variants exist for Pokemon, not every single one is indispensable. However, it’s not just about quantity; there are certain evolutions that don’t seem to contribute significantly more than their previous forms, making their existence somewhat questionable.

8 Electrode

It’s Just A Larger Ball

The Most Useless Evolutions In Pokemon Games, Ranked

First Appeared In Generation I
Evolves From Voltorb
Electric-Type Pokemon

Despite the strong fondness many people have for the original Pokémon, it’s becoming increasingly clear that some of their designs were quite simplistic. For instance, Voltorb, being a Pokémon resembling a Pokeball, presents a challenge because its evolution only changes its size to a larger ball, which seems rather uninspired and unnecessary.

An electrode receives a slight power upgrade upon evolution, as all evolutions do, but the increase is minor compared to other evolutions within its generation. Its base stat total rises from 330 to 490. Furthermore, Voltorb learns several notable moves such as Spark, Rollout, and even Self-Destruct before transforming into Electrode, which means it isn’t among the top electric Pokemon. In fact, Electrode is a well-designed Pokemon without this unnecessary evolutionary change.

7 Crabominable

A Lesser Design & Difficult Evolution

First Appeared In Generation VII
Evolves From Crabrawler
Ice/Fighting-Type Pokemon

Crabrawler, introduced in the seventh generation, is a delightful Pokemon design that many players enjoy. However, when they discover that its evolution, Crabominable, doesn’t significantly improve its appearance, some feel let down. Granted, the name Crabominable is appealing, but it seems to diminish the beach-themed charm of the original Crabrawler’s design.

The overall stat sum of 338 isn’t particularly noteworthy, and the increase to 478 isn’t either. Moreover, despite being only a fighting type, Crabominable being ice/fighting means it now has twice as many move-type vulnerabilities compared to earlier. However, there are benefits to each evolution, but some of them aren’t commensurate with the effort required, and for many players, the hassle of leveling up in a specific location or using an ice stone makes evolving Crabrawler not worth the trouble.

6 Dugtrio

More Heads Is A Little Better?

First Appeared In Generation I
Evolves From Diglett
Ground-Type Pokemon

In simpler terms, Dugtrio, a subsequent development from Diglett in the Pokemon world, doesn’t seem to bring many significant advancements. Although Dugtrio has more Diglett in its form compared to Diglett, it lacks substantial improvements. The most potent moves that Diglett can learn are acquired early or without evolving, and its type doesn’t alter. Similarly, Magnemite, upon evolving, tends to cluster together due to being magnetic, which makes sense given its composition. This clustering could potentially boost their power.

Diglett is an enjoyable small member of the Pokemon clan. On the other hand, I find Dugtrio redundant. Although Diglett starts with a base stat total of 265, the combined total for Dugtrio at 405 doesn’t seem compelling enough to motivate players to go through great lengths to evolve this character into its current form.

5 Slaking

Just Snorlax But Even Lazier

First Appeared In Generation III
Evolves From Vigoroth
Normal-Type Pokemon

Typically, as a Pokemon evolves, it grows larger and becomes more menacing. However, unlike most, Vigoroth transforms into the largest version of itself, earning the title Slaking. Instead of becoming a fearsome fighter, Slaking prefers to take breaks during battles, making him less effective in combat.

Slaking’s design and performance are similar to Generation 3’s Snorlax, yet he is burdened with numerous additional hassles that make him not worth the effort. The high base stat total of 670 doesn’t justify the increased planning difficulties, and his creation seems rather uninspired from developers who had already achieved the sleepy icon masterpiece in Snorlax.

4 Rhyperior

A Long Awaited, Unnecessary Upgrade

First Appeared In Generation IV
Evolves From Rhydon
Ground/Rock-Type Pokemon

In simpler terms, it seemed illogical to introduce another evolution for Rhyhorn in the fourth generation, as Rhydon was already a beloved upgrade and the new evolution didn’t offer any significant improvement in design.

Rhyperior is an excellent Pokemon, but the base stat total of 535 isn’t a huge jump at all from Rhydon’s 485, and in lore terms, Rhyperior has a smaller brain than Rhydon. The lack of design improvement or huge upgrades means that evolving Rhydon, which requires a trade while holding a special item, simply does not feel worthwhile.

3 Hitmontop

Another Unnecessary Evolution Adding Nothing

First Appeared In Generation II
Evolves From Tyrogue
Fighting-Type Pokemon

In the initial generation of Pokémon, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, each representing distinct abilities and types of combat, formed an impressive duo. Introducing Tyrogue as a pre-evolved form for both of them in the second generation was logical, but adding Hitmontop as an additional potential evolutionary stage in that line seemed superfluous.

The choice between evolving Tyrogue into Hitmonchan or Hitmontop was already plenty, and their mastery of punching and kicking doesn’t feel like it translates well to a spinning top Pokemon such as Hitmontop. His design isn’t great, he isn’t considered more powerful, having the same base stats as Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee, and with the branching possibility from Tyrogue already, a third addition feels unnecessary.

2 Steelix

Actually Became Weaker And A Lesser Design

First Appeared In Generation II
Evolves From Onix
Ground/Steel-Type Pokemon

In the world of Pokemon games, Onix is often perceived as a less-than-impressive choice due to his relatively low combat power compared to his towering appearance. This discrepancy between his stature and strength can make him seem somewhat forgettable for fans. Regrettably, the creators didn’t enhance Onix significantly by introducing an evolution in the second generation, which may have given him a more notable role.

Steelix, despite its reputation, surprisingly lacks strength, and while his steel type offers some benefits, it introduces several fresh complications. For instance, it reduces the number of vulnerabilities from six, as with Onix, to four. However, this reduction doesn’t provide enough advantage to justify its use, given that Onix was intentionally made weak for being the first boss in Pokemon Red. If Steelix is supposed to be an upgrade of Onix, it should have been a more significant improvement to make it worth the effort.

1 Slowking

Already Had Everything It Needed

First Appeared In Generation II
Evolves From Slowpoke
Water/Psychic-Type Pokemon

In the initial release of Pokémon games, Slowpoke and Slowbro were an intriguing pair. To begin with, the presence of Shellder on Slowpoke’s tail as a precursor to its evolution was peculiar. However, the introduction of Slowking into their lineage in the second generation seemed even more illogical.

Previously, Slowking was known for being challenging to manage, sporting unique appearances, and displaying an eccentric personality, which didn’t contribute positively to its family. To obtain Slowking, one must trade a Slowpoke while holding a King’s Rock, bypassing the evolution stage that leads to Slowbro. Despite the extra effort required for Slowking’s evolution, many players consider Slowbro to be slightly superior in terms of overall performance. Thus, most perceive Slowking as an unnecessary evolution.

2024-10-23 13:34