Pokémon Mythical VS Legendary: Which Pokémon is better?

As my love for Pokémon grew over the years, so did my knowledge of the different mons there are in the game. To my understanding, there are a variety of different Pokémon under different categories from basic to fully evolved Pokémon. But there are two variations of Pokémon that I have always struggled to understand, and those are the mythical and legendary Pokémon.

When I was new to the franchise, I often confused mythical Pokémon with legendary ones. I kept wondering, were they the same? What were the differences between them? Which one was better? Was one more powerful than the other?

These were just a few of the questions I asked, which I believe are the same questions that led you to this article. But now, after over a decade of playing Pokémon, researching, and joining various forum discussions about these two variations, I can finally say I have a better understanding of how they differ. That is why I wrote this article to share the insights I have gathered over the years. So, keep reading until the end to get the answers to your questions regarding mythical and legendary Pokémon.

Pokémon Mythical VS Legendary – How They Compare

First, here is a quick look at the summarized comparison between the two, and the variations we will discuss in detail later in the article:

Features	Legendries	Mythicals
Acquisition	Rarer than normal Pokémon but not as rare as Mythicals. Can be acquired easily in-game or post-game.	Rarer than both legendaries and normal Pokémon. Can mostly only be acquired through special events, promo codes, or mystery gifts.
Variety	Over 60 in total including: Articuno Entei Groudon Ho-Oh Kyogre Latias Latios Lugia Mewtwo Moltres Raikou Rayquaza Suicune Zapdos	Only 22 in total including: Arceus Celebi Darkrai Deoxys Jirachi Keldeo Manaphy Mew Phione Shaymin Victini
Lore	Considered iconic and important figures in the Pokémon world. Play a significant role in the game’s main storyline.	Considered elusive mystiques and possibly nonexistent in the Pokémon world. Don’t always play a significant role in the main storyline.
Abilities	Strong, powerful abilities that represent the forces of nature.	Unique abilities and attributes that set them apart.

What are the differences between Pokémon Mythical VS Legendary?

In the Western world, the difference between the two Pokémon only came after the release of the fifth generational game, Pokémon Black and White. However, in Japan, there has always been a distinction between the two and a separate category for them. Even so, many people, especially casual players or TCG players, still struggle to fully grasp how the two differentiate, given that they share certain similarities.

But as you immerse yourself in the role-play games, you begin to realize that legendary Pokémon have certain distinct differences from mythical Pokémon, as discussed below:

Acquisition

The biggest difference between the two Pokémon is the method of acquiring them. Unlike with normal Pokémon, encountering both a legendary or mythical Pokémon is very rare. The difference, however, is that mythical Pokémon are even more rare than legendries.

While legendries can be acquired in-game or post-game, in the past you could only encounter or capture a mythical during special events or through special promotions and promo codes. This was how mythicals were originally introduced in each generation.

There are, however, some exceptions like Keldeo who was available in-game in Pokémon Sword and Shield in Crown Tundra. There was also, Deoxys who could be encountered post-game in ORAS. Additionally, today, encountering a mythical is slightly easier thanks to the Nintendo DS and the introduction of things like Mystery gifts.

Still, I would have to say, Mythical Pokémon are rarer to come by and therefore harder to acquire compared to legendary Pokémon which can be found in-game and don’t need additional devices or special events to acquire them.

Variation

Aside from rarity, another big distinction between the two is the variety of legendries and mythicals that exist. Although both combined aren’t as many as the normal Pokémon, the legendries still have a wider variety compared to the mythicals.

This is mainly because, in each generational release, multiple legendaries are available in the games, whereas there will only be one or two mythicals released in the same generations. I believe Gen VII had the largest number of legendries and mythicals but even then, the ratio was 11:5 respectively. Also, to my knowledge and according to different sources, as of Gen VIII, there are a total of 65 legendary Pokémon and only 22 mythical Pokémon.

Therefore, in terms of variety, I would say there are a lot more legendries to pick from as opposed to the limited number of mythicals.

Lore

I believe the best way to differentiate the two is by looking at the Pokémon mythology. According to Pokémon lore, the difference between the two Pokémon is right in their name. Legendries are simply that, legends in the Pokémon world. They are like iconic personalities with many folk tales and myths written about them. Some are even treated like deities and are sometimes worshiped. Good examples are Diagla and Palkia

On the other hand, think of mythical Pokémon like unicorns or Big Foot in the real world. You hear about them but have never really seen them. Based on the lore, these Pokémon are considered rarer than legendries. So rare that people even doubt their existence.

Unlike legendaries, they often do not have a lot of legends or tales written about them. Also, they aren’t as iconic or considered deities apart from a few exceptions like Celebi, who was worshipped by the people of Johto as a forest god. There was also, Arceus who according to Bulbapedia and many Sinnoh legends, is believed to be the single Pokémon who created the Pokémon world.

Additionally, another distinction worth noting is that when it comes to the storylines, especially in RPGs, the Legendries are often at the heart of the story or play a significant role in the storyline. While the Mythicals also have their backstory, they are more elusive and most times (aside from a few exceptions) don’t have as significant a role to play as legendries in the game’s story.

Therefore, Legendries have more stories and tales written about them in Pokémon Lore and also often play a more significant role in the game’s storyline compared to Mythicals.

Abilities

This isn’t much of a difference but I believe is worth noting. Both Legendries and Mythicals are powerful creatures. When compared to normal fully evolved Pokémon they have significantly better stats overall. Now, when it comes to the question of who is more powerful, I guess it will depend on who you ask and which Legendary and Mythical you pit against each other.

But there is a distinction I have noticed when it comes to the abilities and overall designs. Generally, I would say, Legendries are designed to be strong, iconic, and important figures in the game. They are often powerful and represent various forces of nature, hence why some are probably considered deities.

Mythicals on the other hand, I believe, are generally designed to be unique. Not only do they possess unique abilities, but they also have unique attributes that set them apart from other Pokémon including Legendries. I guess, this adds to their fairy-tale-like illusion.

Overall, there isn’t one that’s better than the other. I believe both legendries and mythicals are equally powerful with different abilities and strengths.

Final Verdict: So, Which is better? – Pokémon Mythical VS Legendary

To sum up, the biggest difference between Legendary and Mythical Pokémon is how you can acquire them. When it comes to which one is better, that is a matter of preference. Both are powerful Pokémon if you were building a team.

However, on the one hand, Legendries are easier to encounter and therefore easier to acquire. Additionally, there’s also a wider variety of them. On the other hand, Mythicals are rarer and therefore more valuable to have. So, if you are a collector, capturing a mythical one would be better than a legendary one. As they say, all mythicals can be legendary Pokémon but not all legendaries can be mythical Pokémon.

FAQ Section

Which is more popular Pokémon legendary or mythical?

Depends on which Pokémon legendary or mythical you refer to. Both Mythicals and Legendries are equally popular. For example, the Legendary Mewtwo is as popular as the Mythicals Arceus and Mew.

Who came first between Pokémon legendary and Pokémon mythical?

According to Pokémon Lore, Arceus, a mythical, is considered the first Pokémon to have existed and the creator of the Pokémon universe. However, based on the game series, Mew was the first Mythical to be introduced, along with several legendries like Mewtwo and Zapdos in Gen I.

Are Pokémon mythical stronger than Pokémon legendary?

It depends on the specific Pokémon you look at. For example, Mew is a mythical with a base total of 600, whereas Mewtwo is a legendary with a base total of 680. But, Arceus is a mythical with a base total of 780. Therefore, although Mewtwo is stronger than Mew, Arceus is stronger than Mewtwo.

Are mythical Pokémon rarer than legendary Pokémon?

Yes, Mythicals are rarer than legendaries, so much so that some people don’t believe in their existence.