Ask a group of kids at a playground who the strongest Pokemon is, and you’ll hear a lot of "Mewtwo" or maybe "Rayquaza." Ask a hardcore VGC pro, and they might start ranting about Incineroar’s utility or Calyrex-Shadow’s absurd speed tier. But honestly? The answer depends entirely on whether you’re looking at the lore, the raw math of the video games, or the chaotic world of the anime. It’s not a single name.
Basically, the "strongest" title is split across a few different crown-holders. You’ve got the literal god of the universe, a genetically modified psychic nightmare, and a dragon that eats meteorites for breakfast.
Arceus: The God Who (Technically) Started It All
If we are talking about pure lore, it’s Arceus. No contest. According to Sinnoh legend, Arceus hatched from an egg in a place where there was nothing and then proceeded to shape the entire universe. It created time (Dialga), space (Palkia), and antimatter (Giratina). In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, we learned that the physical form we actually catch in a Poké Ball is just a tiny "avatar" or fragment of its true, unknowable self.
That’s kinda terrifying.
Even in the games, Arceus is a beast. For a long time, it held the highest Base Stat Total (BST) of any non-Mega, non-Primal Pokemon at a flat 720. Every single one of its stats is 120. It doesn't have a weak point. Plus, with its Multitype ability, it can become any of the 18 types just by holding a plate.
Imagine a god that can change its entire elemental DNA just because it's holding a piece of a stone.
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The Math Problem: Mega Rayquaza and Ultra Necrozma
While Arceus has the lore win, the actual numbers in the games sometimes tell a different story. If you look at the raw Base Stat Totals, Mega Rayquaza and both Mega Mewtwo X and Y actually sit at 780. That’s higher than Arceus.
Mega Rayquaza is widely considered the most "broken" Pokemon ever released in a mainline game. It was so strong that Smogon—the community that sets competitive rules—had to create a whole new tier called "Anything Goes" just to get it out of the standard Uber tier.
Why? Because it doesn’t need to hold a Mega Stone to evolve.
It just needs to know the move Dragon Ascent. This means it can hold a Life Orb or a Choice Band while also being a Mega, which is basically like bringing a rocket launcher to a knife fight.
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Then there's Ultra Necrozma. This thing is a light-consuming dragon from another dimension with a BST of 754. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the boss fight against it is notoriously one of the hardest in the entire franchise. It hits like a freight train and has a signature Z-Move, "Light That Burns the Sky," that can delete almost anything in its path.
The Competitive Reality: Who Actually Wins Matches?
In the current 2026 meta, "strongest" means "who is winning the most tournaments." It’s rarely about who has the biggest laser beam.
- Calyrex-Shadow Rider: This ghost-horse is everywhere. It’s incredibly fast and its ability, As One, combines Unnerve with Grim Neigh. Basically, it stops you from eating berries and gets stronger every time it KOs one of your teammates.
- Zacian-Crowned: Even after the nerfs in Gen 9, Zacian remains a physical powerhouse. Its Fairy/Steel typing is arguably the best defensive combo in the game, and Intrepid Sword gives it a free Attack boost just for showing up.
- Miraidon: The cover legend of Pokémon Violet is a monster in the current restricted formats. Its Hadron Engine ability sets up Electric Terrain and boosts its Special Attack. It’s not just strong; it’s efficient.
Honestly, the competitive scene changes so fast that today’s king is tomorrow’s benchwarmer. But these three have consistently stayed at the top of the usage charts because they provide immediate, overwhelming pressure.
Is Mewtwo Still in the Conversation?
Poor Mewtwo. Back in the Red and Blue days, Mewtwo was the undisputed king. If you didn't have one, you lost. Period. It had no real weaknesses because Ghost moves were bugged and Bug moves were terrible.
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Nowadays? Mewtwo is still very strong, but it has been power-crept by the literal gods that came after it. Its Mega Evolutions are still top-tier, but in a standard "no gimmicks" fight, it struggles against the sheer bulk and utility of newer legendaries.
It’s the classic "Old School vs. New School" debate.
The Weird One: Eternamax Eternatus
We have to mention the elephant in the room. Or rather, the giant skeletal dragon in the room. Eternamax Eternatus, the final boss of Pokémon Sword and Shield, has a Base Stat Total of 1,125.
That is not a typo.
It has 255 HP, 250 Defense, and 250 Special Defense. It is, by the numbers, the most powerful entity ever programmed into a Pokemon game. However, you can’t actually use this form in a normal battle. It’s a "boss-only" state. If you could use it, the game would be over in three turns.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re trying to build the "strongest" team or just want to dominate your friends, don't just look at the Base Stat Totals.
- Check the Speed Tiers: A Pokemon that hits like a god but moves like a snail is just a target.
- Type Coverage is King: Even Arceus can get dropped by a well-timed Fighting-type move if it’s in its Normal-type form.
- Focus on Synergies: The strongest Pokemon isn't a lone wolf; it’s the one that works best with its teammates.
Go look at the current VGC (Video Game Championships) usage stats on sites like Pikalytics. You’ll see that sometimes a "weak" Pokemon like Incineroar or Amoonguss is actually the "strongest" because it controls the flow of the battle better than any legendary dragon ever could.