Two recent Pokémon games, Pokémon Legends: Arceus and New Pokémon Snap, broke the franchise’s trend of making all monsters roughly the same size. The Pokédex has always listed average size information, but it meant little when almost every creature was homogenized on screen.
Showing Pokémon as close to an accurate scale does a lot to impose their intimidating presence on enemies. While some creatures grow larger than their peers temporarily vie Dynamax or Mega Evolution, the following Pokémon ones are always impressively tall or long.
Milotic (20′04″)
As you’ll see in this list, Milotic fits the “long and slinky” form that tends to be the longest Pokémon in the series. Though it’s the smallest entry on this list, the Water Pokémon still measures a formidable 20′04″ in length.
Milotic now evolves from the fish Pokémon Feebas while holding a Prism Scale, but before Black & White, the way to evolve it was to maximize its Beauty state with Poffins. And it’s easy to see why: this large Pokémon is, indeed, beautiful with its long blue tail and regal pink eyebrow-like fins.
Gyarados (21’04”)
There have been a few Pokémon released throughout the eight current generations that have some sort of evolutionary gimmick or surprise, but Gyarados was the first back in Pokémon Red and Blue. Many fans were surprised when their incredibly weak Magikarp evolved into one of the best Pokémon from Gen 1.
Gyarados is a furious-looking water serpent that also gains the flying type in an apparent homage to mythological stories about fish that climb up waterfalls to become dragons. The “Atrocious Pokémon,” as the Pokédex nicknames it, is 21’4” long and remains a fan favorite today.
Giratina (22’08”)
Giratina is the box-art mascot for Pokémon Platinum, and its impressive size matches its intimidating lore. It was banished from the ordinary world sometime in ancient history as punishment for its violence, but Giratina eventually returned from the shadowy realm that it was sent to. In-game lore indicated that Giratina rules over Dark Matter.
The Renegade Pokémon has two different body shapes depending on where it is or what item it holds in the games. “Regular” Giartina only stands about 14 feet tall, but its more powerful Origin form stretches out to 22’8′.
Rayquaza (22’08”)
Rayquaza was first introduced to the Pokémon franchise in Ruby and Saphhire, and it was featured on the cover of the upgraded version, Pokémon Emerald. This serpentine monster flies through the sky with a frame that measures 22’08” feet long, and its Mega Evolution stretches 12 feet farther.
Rayquaza is one of several Pokémon seemingly inspired by mythology; its look and role as the ruler of the heavens make it similar to the Aztec Quetzalcoatl. This powerful offensive combatant maintains balance between the Earth and the Sea.
Wishiwashi (26’11”)
Wishiwashi may technically be a group of hundreds of fish that form a bigger shape by sticking together, but the Pokédex considers the whole thing one creature for the sake of classification and measurements. Each individual fish is only eight inches long, but together they reach 26’11”.
In the games, it’s possible to see each member of the school individually. Only one fish will remain if the collective unit drops below 25 percent health. Luckily, anything that raises health above that threshold will have Wishiwashi return to full strength.
Onix (28’10”)
Onix isn’t only one of the biggest Pokémon, it’s also one of the first enemies that many fans saw if they started playing the games or watching the anime when they were first released in the late 1990s. The Rock Snake Pokémon is one of Brock’s trusted team members, and his high Defensive stats and Rock typing make him tough to take down.
Onix gets even larger when it evolves, but even this primary stage of its evolutionary line is 28’10”. Fans looking to see an accurate depiction of Onix’s size can find him in Pokémon Snap‘s Sweltering Sands and Barren Badlands.
Celesteela (30’02)
Pokémon such as Deoxys (from outer space) and Porygon (created in a computer lab) show that the franchise has never been afraid to experiment with strange origins for its monsters. Sun and Moon‘s Ultra Beasts continued this trend by introducing eleven creatures from another dimension.
The largest of these Pokémon is Celesteela, whose appearance seems to draw inspiration from bamboo and rockets. This colossal being can fly through the sky via combustion propulsion, and its 30’02” frame makes it easy for people on the ground to see.
Steelix (30’02”)
Though Pokémon Gold and Silver introduced several new monsters to the franchise, it also gave new evolutions to a few that didn’t already have one. If players gave their Onix a Metal Coat to hold during a trade, it would evolve into the larger and stronger Steelix.
As its name implies, Steelix loses the Rock half of Onix’s typing and trades it for Steel. The Iron Snake Pokémon lives much of its life underground to compress and toughen its body, which averages 30’02” in length.
Primal Kyogre (32′02″)
Kyogre’s regular size is a measly 14′09″, which wouldn’t land it a spot on this list. However, Primal Kyogre is an entirely different beast, with an impressive size that’s nearly double at 32′02″. The Pokémon appears in Pokémon Sapphire and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, and can turn into its Primal form by holding a Blue Orb.
The large blue whale-like Pokémon is one of the three Super-Ancient Pokémon of the Hoenn region, and the cover mon for Sapphire. As such, it makes sense that the Pokémon is such an impressively large size. Since this Primal form is its original form, we’ve decided it’s worth including it here since it’s not a Mega evolution or Dynamax.
Alolan Exeggutor (35’09”)
Pokémon Sun and Moon were a significant step for the franchise because they were the first games to have regional variants. These exciting new characters reimagined previously-released Pokémon with new typing to match a different environment.
Alolan Exeggutor was met with mixed reactions from the fanbase when it was first revealed because of its comically large size. The original Exeggutor was stocky and about the size of an average adult, but the Alolan version has a long palm-tree-like neck that stretches up over 35 feet. Interestingly, Alolan Exeggutor was one of the most powerful dual-type Pokémon in Gen 7 because it gained a secondary Dragon typing.
