If you’re trying to watch every pokemon films in order, you’ve probably realized pretty quickly that "order" is a relative term in this franchise. It’s not like the MCU where everything (mostly) snaps together like a Lego set. Honestly, it’s more like a pile of spaghetti. You have the main series timeline that ran for decades, then a random reboot timeline, and then a CGI remake that just kind of exists in its own bubble.
Most people just want to know where to start. Do you follow the release dates? Or do you try to wedge them between specific anime episodes so the power levels actually make sense?
The truth is that for the first 19 movies, Ash Ketchum is the constant. But even then, the movies rarely impact the TV show. You’ll see Ash meet a literal god-tier Legendary like Arceus, and then in the next TV episode, he’s struggling to beat a gym leader’s Pidgeotto. It’s weird. But if you want to experience the scale of the world, watching them in the order they hit theaters is usually the way to go.
The Classic Era: Where the Nostalgia Hits Hard
The first few movies are basically the "Golden Age." If you grew up in the late 90s, you remember the hype. Burger King gold plated cards, anyone? These films were massive events.
- Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998)
- Pokémon: The Movie 2000 - The Power of One (1999)
- Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown (2000)
- Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest (2001)
- Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias (2002)
Mewtwo Strikes Back is the heavy hitter here. It’s surprisingly dark for a kids' movie. You’ve got clones, existential crises, and that scene where Pikachu tries to shock a petrified Ash back to life. It still hurts to watch. The Power of One is where the stakes shifted to global weather catastrophes, and Spell of the Unown experimented with a more psychological, dream-like story.
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Interestingly, Pokémon Heroes was the last film to get a wide theatrical release in the United States for a very long time. After that, the movies mostly shifted to TV airings or direct-to-DVD releases in the West, though they remained huge theatrical "events" in Japan every July.
The Middle Years: Gems and Giant Robots
As the games moved into the Advanced Generation (Hoenn) and Diamond and Pearl (Sinnoh) eras, the movies started getting a bit more formulaic, but the animation quality spiked.
- Jirachi — Wish Maker (2003)
- Destiny Deoxys (2004)
- Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005): This one is actually important. It introduces "Aura," which becomes a recurring plot point for Ash much later in the Journeys series.
- Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (2006)
- The Rise of Darkrai (2007)
- Giratina and the Sky Warrior (2008)
- Arceus and the Jewel of Life (2009)
- Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010)
The "Sinnoh Trilogy" (Darkrai, Giratina, and Arceus) is actually a rare case where the movies have a continuous plot. They aren't just standalone adventures; they actually lead into each other. If you skip one, the next one feels a bit confusing because the space-time rift issues just keep escalating.
When Things Get Complicated: The Alternate Timelines
Around 2017, The Pokémon Company decided they’d had enough of the 20-year-long continuity. They launched a reboot timeline for the films to celebrate the 20th anniversary. This is where your pokemon films in order list gets split in two.
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The Reboot Continuity
These movies take place in a universe where Ash is still 10 (obviously), but his journey starts differently. He meets different friends, and some of his classic adventures are reimagined.
- Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (2017): A retelling of the first episode but with Marshadow and Ho-Oh involved.
- Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018): A much more character-driven story set in Fula City. Honestly, it's one of the best-written films in the whole franchise.
- Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2020): This features Koko, a boy raised by a Zarude. It’s basically Pokémon meets Tarzan.
The CGI Outlier
Then there’s Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution (2019). This is a shot-for-shot 3D CGI remake of the very first movie. It’s not "new" in terms of story, and it doesn't fit into the reboot timeline or the original timeline particularly well. It’s just... there. It’s worth a watch if you like the modern aesthetic, but many fans find the original 2D art style way more expressive.
How to Actually Watch Them Without Getting Lost
If you're a completionist, the best way to handle the pokemon films in order is to follow the Japanese release years. The English dubs sometimes lagged behind, which could lead to spoilers for the TV show. For example, a movie might show a Pokémon evolving before it happens in the aired episodes in your country.
A Quick Reference for the Rest:
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- Black—Victini and Reshiram / White—Victini and Zekrom (2011): Two versions of the same movie. You don't need to watch both unless you're a hardcore fan; they just swap some Pokémon and minor details.
- Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice (2012)
- Genesect and the Legend Awakened (2013)
- Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (2014)
- Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (2015)
- Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (2016)
The "Final" Movie?
As of early 2026, Secrets of the Jungle remains the last traditional "Ash Ketchum" movie. Since the anime transitioned to Pokémon Horizons with new protagonists Liko and Roy, the yearly movie cycle has slowed down significantly. There’s a lot of debate among fans whether we’ll see a Liko-led film soon or if the era of theatrical Pokémon movies has shifted toward streaming specials like The Distant Blue Sky.
Pro Tip: If you're watching on Netflix or other streaming sites, pay attention to the titles. They often drop the numbers, so using the release year is the only way to stay sane.
If you want to dive in right now, start with the I Choose You! reboot. It’s a clean entry point that doesn't require you to know 25 years of lore. From there, you can go back to the 1998 original to see how much the tone has changed over the decades.
To keep your watch list organized, grab a simple note-taking app and check them off by release year. It’s the only way to ensure you don’t accidentally skip something like Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, which—honestly—is too good to miss.