The 26 Most Useless Pokemon, Ranked

Highlights

• Some Pokemon are just not worth the investment due to poor stats, design, and moveset limitations.

• The Pokemon Company’s success shows the strength of the franchise, with beloved Pokemon overshadowing the worst ones.
• Useless Pokemon like Sunflora, Jumpluff, and Luvdisc struggle to compete in terms of viability and strength.

While most Pokemon have a use, both in competitive or regular play, there are sadly still some that just aren’t worth the time and resources it would take to make them somewhat worthwhile. And while that doesn’t mean that players handle them the same way they handle creatures in a game like Palworld, it does mean these Pokemon are ignored for the most part. Typically these Pokémon spend their entire lives in the storage system, are dropped off at Day Care, or on rare occasions are used on the team for one very specific purpose.

The Pokemon that made this list did so due to horrible designs (at least compared to some of the best), mediocre stats, their inability to cause real damage, or their lack of utility even in specific competitive builds.

Updated July 28th, 2024 by Jacob Buchalter: The Pokemon franchise is probably one of the most well-known franchises on the planet. In fact, the Pokemon Company earned the 7th slot on the Top 10 Global Licensors of 2024, making a staggering 10.8 billion in 2023. In comparison, Nintendo’s net sales for the same year made them about 11 billion. This means, that with a single IP, the Pokemon Company almost outsold Nintendo as a whole, and that’s just ridiculous.

This IP is just too iconic and there are too many beloved Pokemon that people have strong attachments too. However, we’re not here to talk about those Pokemon today, rather, we’re going to be going over some of the worst Pokemon in existence. These are the Pokemon that are entirely forgettable in design, have horrible stats, or perform horrendously in the competitive scene. So, without further ado, let’s take a look.

26 Cosmog

Number 789 Pure Psychic Type

First up is Cosmog, which might seem like an unusual inclusion given what it evolves into. But, if we’re purely talking about stats and available moves, Cosmog has to be one of the worst Pokemon in existence, this little puffball of space dust can’t seem to do anything right. Its stat total of 200 is uniquely low, with the only other Pokemon having this being Feebas, Magikarp, and Scatterbug.

When it comes to moves, it literally learns nothing at any point, starting out with only Splash and Teleport. Normally that would be fine if it didn’t take long to evolve, but it takes forever. Magikarp, for example, only needs to be carried to level 20 before it evolves into Gyarados but players will need to carry around this useless little pre-evolution until it reaches a whopping level 43 before it’ll evolve into either Solgaleo or Lunala. Yes, it’s very cute and it being useless is sort of the point of the Pokemon, but on a list that talks about useless Pokemon, it just wouldn’t make sense if Cosmog wasn’t on here somewhere.

25 Unfezant

Number 521 Normal & Flying Type

Next up is a Pokemon that’s on here due to its poor performance in a competitive sense more than in a standard Pokemon playthrough sense. In any Pokemon game’s mainline story, Unfezant will likely seem alright as it boasts some pretty respectable Attack and Speed, but that’s really about it. In comparison to the other starter bird types from other Generations such as Pidgeot or Talonflame, Unfezant is just nowhere near as strong.

And, as soon as someone tries to take this Pokemon into competitive battles, they’ll quickly see just how bad it is. Unfezant has a pretty poor movepool to choose from, only a couple of decent STAB options, and when battling against other Max EV/IV Pokemon it’ll always fall short. In general, it seems anyone who does use Unfezant usually does with a support-style setup centered around it having Hypnosis. The only problem is Hypnosis is a very unreliable move to have as the ‘core’ of a Pokemon’s moveset due to its poor accuracy. Overall Unfezant is far from the worst Pokemon on this list, but it still absolutely deserves a spot on here.

24 Sudowoodo

Number 185 Pure Rock Type

Sudowoodo is one of those Pokemon that seems designed as a ‘trickster’ type who is ‘intended’ to be stronger than what they’re masquerading as but is somehow actually worse. While Sudowoodo is more of a rock than a plant, it likes to disguise itself as a tree, the only problem is that it’s absurdly weak to Water-type damage. Not only that, but it’s also weak to the same Grass-type Pokemon it’s pretending to be a part of, as well as Fighting, Ground, and Steel Pokemon. Even outside of its large amount of type disadvantages, Sudowoodo is relatively weak in just about every other department as well.

All of its abilities are lackluster, its stat total is a mediocre 410, and there aren’t really any ‘builds’ that it excels in over other Pokemon. Sure, using a Grass Tera Orb to make a Terrastallized Sudowoodo can get rid of its normal weaknesses. But, it’s not like Sudowoodo has many ‘amazing’ Grass-type moves to use and pure Grass types also have a lot of type disadvantages as well. This is one of those Pokemon that has desperately needed an evolution for generations now but has never got one while Pokemon with evolutions that seemed like good stopping points, such as Ursaring, are getting more evolutions instead.

23 Watchog

Number 505 Pure Normal Type

A Pokemon from the Black & White era of Pokemon games (as in Pokemon Black & White, not games in black and white), Watchog is a Pokemon people often forget about. Filling the role of the most basic-of-all-basic Normal-type quadruped Pokemon of the generation, Watchog is somehow more forgettable than all the other examples of this Pokemon trope from other generations. This is of course in reference to Pokemon like Ratata, Bidoof, Zigzagoon, Sentret, Yungoos, Skwovet, and even Lechonk.

Usually, these rodent-type early Route Pokemon have awful stats but a great movepool so that players use them for a bit and enjoy their moves enough to get attached, but eventually move on to Pokemon with better stats. However, Watchog is a unique example because it somehow manages to have both awful stats and a truly barren movepool. There really aren’t any builds for this Pokemon that people use in competitive settings because most people don’t even remember this little creature exists.

22 Wormadam

Number 413 Bug & Grass Type

Who in their right mind looks at Burmy, then sees the two Pokemon it can evolve into between Mothim and Wormadam and still picks Wormadam? Sure, this Pokemon has the whole cloak system that gives it different ‘Forms’ based on the cloak Burmy was in while evolving, but that’s just simply not enough.

Granted, Mothim also doesn’t have a ton going for it outside of the design, but at least it’s comparable to other good Pokemon like Vivillion. To start, Wormadam has Anticipation, an ability to simply let the Pokemon know it’s about to be run over by its opponent. Then despite it having three different type combinations with Bug/Grass, Bug/Steel, and Bug/Ground, all three are relatively weak combinations. And finally, Wormadam just doesn’t have a great movepool outside of maybe Quiver Dance, so in every respect, this Pokemon is just not worth using.

21 Lunatone & Solrock

Numbers 337 & 338 Rock and Psychic Types

Lunatone and Solrock, as a duo, are another example of two Pokemon designed to be a ‘pair’ with one representing the sun and the other representing the moon. And, as far as this paired-Pokemon concept goes, Lunatone and Solrock are very well-designed (this is including their Shiny color palettes as well). This is especially when they’re compared to some other duos that were designed as a pair like Plusle/Minun, Volbeat/Illumise, and Passimian/Oranguru.

However, as Pokemon that do well in battle, they’re pretty forgettable. Their stats aren’t horrible but they’re not good enough to be considered ‘great’, their move pool can only be described as odd, and they’re not even great as a pair in Duo Battles. Both Pokemon have Levitate and some strikingly powerful moves available to them such as Acrobatics or Baton Pass, so it’s not all bad. But, in general, these are just two more Pokemon that have been thrown to the wayside by Nintendo and desperately something like a Regional Form or new Evolution in a future game.

20 Azurill

Number 298 Normal & Fairy Type

Ah, here’s the weakest of all the baby Pokemon, Azurill. This list has tried to avoid throwing shade at Pokemon that aren’t at the end of their evolutionary line, but Azurill is one of those ‘special exceptions’. While adorable, this Pokemon (for a while at least) had the lowest base stats out of any Pokemon. It’s a bit different nowadays, but not by much as Azurill has only moved up 2 spots from the bottom, surpassing the Solo Form Wishiwashi, which makes sense, but also surpassing another forgettable Pokemon, Sunkern.

There are quite a few ‘baby’ Pokemon out there such as Elekid, Smoochum, Mime Jr, or Munchlax, and all of them have at least a bit of viability in a team or in the competitive scene. Azurill, however, has none at all, as the only thing it could possibly compete in is a competition to find the cutest Pokemon across all the generations, and in that competition, it would at least have a decent shot of winning as long as the iconic mascot of the franchise wasn’t competing as well.

19 Dudunsparce

Number 982 Pure Normal Type

Moving on to one of the only Pokemon on here that actually has some usage in competitive, but is useless because it tends to be ignored anyway. Dunsparce is a Pokemon that was first seen in the second generation and, since then, fans have been asking for Dunsparce to get the same new evolution treatment that Pokemon like Lickitung, Tangela, Electabuzz, Magmar, and Rhydon all got in the fourth generation.

Well, after more than two decades, Game Freak has finally done it, and the result is…Dudunsparce. It’s just such a cheeky move on Game Freak’s part, and the sheer absurdity of Dudunsparce (whether the two or three-segment version) just being a longer Dunsparce is almost worth using it for that reason alone. That said, encountering one is pretty rare, but once players do they’re at least relatively easy to catch, at least compared to some other Pokemon.

And, as far as builds go, Dudunsparce is pretty decent. It has good bulky stats, access to Roost, Serene Grace as a potential ability, and can also learn powerful Normal-type moves like Hyper Drill and Boomburst. But, it’s still on the lower end in terms of powerful Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet and Dudunsparce is almost equally ignored as its pre-evolution always was.

18 Castform

Number 351 Pure Normal Type

Castform is a gimmick Pokemon designed with a single purpose in mind: to show off the variety of weather effects that Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire’s new tech put on display. Its ability, Forecast, allows it to change forms and types depending on the weather in the current battle or even the weather in the area the battle is taking place. It has three forms, a Sunny, Rainy, and Snowy form, each of which changes its single type to the associated element (Fire, Water, and Ice).

However, despite an interesting gimmick and a wide movepool, Castform just doesn’t stack up either in terms of its stats or as a general weather-based Pokemon. If a person wants a fantastic weather-centric Pokemon on their team, there are much better options such as Tyranitar or Hippowdon. And, while the weather system introduction was great, as far as Pokemon designs related to a gimmick go, it’s one of the weakest, especially compared to other examples such as Fossil Pokemon or Paradox Form Pokemon.

17 Sunflora

Number 192 Pure Grass Type

Sunflora. the sentient sunflower Pokemon, is another one that actually has some builds that work for it and would (in the right circumstances) have a decent amount of potential. The only problem is, sadly, that every role Sunflora could possibly fill is exponentially better to use a different Pokemon in. Every other Chlorophyll user is a better choice than Sunflora, its pure Grass typing is a rough sell (it should really be Grass/Fire), and even the unique ability it has, Solar Power, can be used by Charizard.

People do like Sunflora, both in design and concept, but Game Freak really needs to buff it somehow whether thats through another evolution, a regional variant, or some other method.

16 Delibird

Number 225 Ice & Flying Type

Now here’s the start of the awkwardness of talking about ‘useless’ Pokemon after the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. One of the mechanics introduced in these games is Paradox Pokemon, off-shoot versions of well-known Pokemon that are either incredibly futuristic or prehistoric (think dinosaur-esque) in nature. And, Delibird actually has a Paradox Pokemon based on it called Iron Bundle. Now Iron Bundle is actually one of the best Pokemon that players can use in Scarlet and Violet, and that includes the competitive scene. But Delibird, the Pokemon it’s ‘based’ on, is still as useless as ever.

Just to immediately make it clear why Delibird is laughably weak compared to its Paradox counterpart, just look at their stat totals. Iron Bundle has an absurd 570 total stat points while Delibird has a measly 330. Delibird’s highest stat is its Speed, which is mediocre at best, and all the rest of its stats are relatively evenly spread, making them all weak in comparison to most other Pokemon in general, let alone the rest of the Ice-type Pokemon. It’s cute, sure, and the joke of its name being close to ‘delivered’ is creatively adorable, but Delibird is not going to be the anchor of any team.

15 Ledian

Number 166 Bug & Flying Type

Ledian, the evolution of one of Pokemon Gold and Silver’s bug-type Pokemon that can be found early on, is a one-stat wonder. Normally, this could be useful if the stat was something like Speed, HP, Attack, or Special Attack. Unfortunately, that stat is Special Defense, which might as well not even be a factor with its low HP and crippling weakness to the (primarily physical) Rock-type. It learns a lot of punch-based and multi-hit attacks but those hits are about as hard as a tumbleweed in a gentle breeze.

Ledian is likely a forgotten Pokemon because despite a cool design it has nothing to offer to any trainer. It’s depressing when its equally terrible pre-evolution, Ledyba, has more niche case uses than it. Ladybug fans will be disappointed to find that Ledian just can’t cut it in either competitive or casual play. Though, with its design, it’s easy to imagine this Pokemon getting some sort of new variant, form, or something in-between in future games.

14 Spidops

Number 918 Pure Bug Type

Sadly one of the more visually interesting new inclusions of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Spidops, is on here for many of the same reasons Ledian is. These two Bug-type Pokemon just don’t have the stats they deserve, and are one of the primary examples fans point to when asking for better early-game Bug Pokemon.

Not only that, but Spidop’s ability, Stakeout, sounds great in certain situations at first, but because of its truly horrendous Speed, and general movepool, Spidops is a hard sell for anyone to use over something like Lokix.

13 Vespiquien

Number 416 Bug & Flying Type

Next up is an inclusion that’s a bit of a tragedy, purely because Vespiquien has such an incredible design. But, unfortunately, this Pokemon is on here mostly because Bug/Flying-type Pokemon are almost at as much of a disadvantage as the infamous Grass/Flying combination (Grass Pokemon really just have it rough), but they’re just a bit better against Ice-types.

Still, Vespiquien ‘s high Defense and Special Defense stats, as well as its absurdly low Speed make it seem like it should work as a ‘damage sponge’. But, if someone wanted a Pokemon to fill that role it their team, there are just so many better options to choose from. Ultimately, Vespiquien suffers from a lack of identity in terms of its utility. It has all these signature moves such as Attack Order, Defend Order, and (sometimes) Heal Order but none of them are really worth using given its mediocre Attack and HP stats.

12 Luvdisc

Number 370 Pure Water Type

When thinking of useless Pokemon, few come to mind as quickly as Luvdisc does. Luvdisc has a unique situation where it has a memorable design (at least more memorable than all the other aquatic Pokemon that are basically just fish) but is unmemorable just about everywhere else.

The pink, heart-shaped fish is certainly adorable, and the Pokedex says that sharing it with people is a sign of affection. However, most trainers, upon receiving this Pokemon, will likely just toss it in their box after grabbing the Heart Scale from it.

Swift Swim is an ability that increases its one not-terrible stat to levels that are decent enough. However, with no offensive stats and wafer-thin defense, this heart gets broken by everything and everyone. The only thing it’s useful for is fighting it to steal its Heart Scales, and even then that’s a mechanic that was primarily only useful in older games like Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald.

11 Jumpluff

Number 189 Grass & Flying Type

Out of all the type combinations out there, Grass/Flying-type Pokemon like Tropius, Shaymin, or even Jumpluff have it the hardest. This type combination means that the Pokemon in question have 5 different types of weaknesses to worry about, with one of those weaknesses (Ice) being 4 times as powerful against them. Take that innate disadvantage, put it on top of a forgettable Pokemon design with decent base stats but a poor stat spread, and the result is a primarily useless Pokemon named Jumpluff.

Jumpluff isn’t all bad, however, as the Pokemon does have a pretty impressive Speed stat as well as a Special Defense stat. But, their move pool, ability pool, and both their Attack and Special Attack stats are so lackluster. Granted, if the lightest fully-evolved Pokemon out there was actually a powerhouse in disguise, it wouldn’t make much sense anyway.

10 Wugtrio

Number 961 Pure Water Type

Here’s the thing, Wugtrio is probably one of the funniest Pokemon introduced into the franchise in quite a while. The fact that it looks like a regional variant of Dugtrio, yet somehow isn’t, and the fact that it’s highly aggressive with such a dopey appearance makes Wugtrio so immediately likable. The only problem is, it’s not a great Pokemon to use overall. Dugtrio is already not a great Pokemon either, even including its Alolan regional variant, but it at least has Arena Trap going for it.

Meanwhile, Wugtrio has the exact same stat spread but without the support move options Dugtrio has, a poor offensive move pool due to its mono Water-typing, and is bulky in terms of Defense and Special Defense but not nearly bulky enough to justify using it over other Pokemon in the same role.

9 Toedscruel

Number 949 Ground & Grass Type

Toedscruel and its pre-evolution Toedscool, despite looking absurdly similar to Tentacool and Tentacruel, are apparently entirely different Pokemon. That does make sense, considering that Tentacruel has some usage in the competitive scene while Toedscruel seems to be pretty weak overall.

This Pokemon has one ability, Mycelium Might, which basically means that status-affecting moves will always go last, despite the speed difference between Toedscruel and their opponent, but the moves will ignore any abilities that would otherwise cause the status effect to miss or be ignored.

Sadly, priority is everything in Pokemon, so this ability actually hinders a Spore or Toxic build for Toedscruel rather than improves it. Combine that with the fact that Ground/Grass is just a bad type combination (another one that’s 4 times weak to Ice) and it should be clear why this new Pokemon is sadly lackluster.

8 Unown

Number 201 Pure Psychic Type

Gimmick Pokemon are fun to observe, and may even be neat to mess with for a while, depending on the gimmick and game they’re introduced in. Castform, for example, does have a wide movepool and can adapt to any of the forms it takes on, making it fun to at least use for a bit. However, one of the original gimmick Pokemon is only fun in the sense it was cool in a movie unrelated to the games. That would, of course, be all the different variants of the alphabetic Unown.

In its appearances, its only move is Hidden Power, which can only be a single type. This limitation, combined with embarrassingly low base stats for such a mythical Pokemon, means it’s worthwhile to use in virtually zero situations. It only served as a unique living gimmick for the puzzles in the ruins of Pokemon Gold and Silver and is almost always ignored otherwise.

7 Spinda

Number 327 Pure Normal Type

Spinda may be one of the worst Pokemon Game Freak has ever put into the games, and it’s good that other games that are similar to Pokemon didn’t follow their lead. Its stats are terrible — an even 60 across the board (equaling 360 total). Spinda does have a wide selection of moves to use poorly, but having too many options when none of the choices actually matter doesn’t amount to much.

Despite being introduced all the way back in the third generation, Spinda still hasn’t received an evolution, variant, or even a new form to make the Pokemon relevant again. And, worst of all, Spinda looks like it should be a pre-evolution to a larger Pokemon, such as how Teddiursa is with Ursaring, but a new evolution never came.