All Legendary Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon in order

Legendary Pokémon are iconic - they have the most elaborate designs, the best stats, and some of the mightiest Pokémon cards. While all Mythical and Legendary Pokémon were once few in number, each new game has added more. To help you keep track, we've created this handy list of all 71 Legendaries and 23 Mythicals you can catch or collect.

If you'd like a complete Legendary and Mythical Pokémon list, this guide can provide - but our full 'How many Pokémon are there?' guide covers pocket monsters of all kinds. If you like rare and powerful things, you might also be interested in our guides to rare Pokémon cards and the best Pokémon cards. For now, though, let's meet the legends.

Gen 1 Legendary Pokémon

In Pokémon Red and Blue, Mewtwo was an end-game secret. It appears in the high-level Cerulean Cave, which can only be accessed after beating the Elite Four and winning the Pokémon League.

In the English language version of Pokèmon, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres have names that end in the Spanish words for one, two, and three. Their Japanese names are a lot more descriptive: フリーザー (Furiizaa), aka Freezer; サンダー (Sandaa), aka Thunder; and ファイヤー(Faiyaa), aka Fire.

Gen 1 Mythical Pokémon

Mew was never intended to be a publicly available Pokémon. Developer Shigeki Morimoto added Mew to the code as an Easter egg just for his colleagues at Game Freak, using space on the cartridge that was freed up after debug tools were removed. Some players discovered Mew via glitches, starting rumors of a secret Pokémon that were hard for fans to verify or disprove in the early days of the internet.

The first time players could legitimately catch Mew was in Spring 1996, when Game Freak ran a promotion in manga magazine CoroCoro Comic, offering a few lucky winners the chance to mail in their game cartridge to have Mew added to their Pokédex.

How rare is Mew?

In the world of Pokémon, there is only one Mew. According to the events of Pokémon: The First Movie, Mew is an ancient species of Pokémon long thought extinct.

Mew is generally only available during special events. For example, in September 2023, it was possible to use a Mystery Gift and a code to unlock Mew in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - but that code has since expired. However, it is available in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl if you have save data from Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! or Let's Go: Eevee! on your Switch.

Gen 2 Legendary Pokémon

Four-legged counterparts to the Legendary birds, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune were the games' first 'roaming Pokémon'. Instead of appearing as static encounters, they could be found out in the world.

Ho-Oh was the 152nd Pokémon ever revealed, and the first sign that The Pokémon Company planned to expand beyond the original 151.

Not only was Ho-Oh teased in the CoroCoro magazine, but it also made an appearance in the very first episode of the Pokémon anime. Protagonist Ash Ketchum spots a Ho-Oh, but his Pokédex is unable to identify it.

Lugia is a lead character in the second Pokémon movie 'The Power of One', the leader of the Legendary birds, and the only one who is able to stop their squabbling.

Gen 2 Mythical Pokémon

When the time came for the Pokémon Company to make follow-ups to its unexpected global smash hit game, it had a much better idea of what kinds of things would be popular with fans - and it was determined to repeat the success of the mythical Mew. Enter Celebi, which, unlike its forebear, was planned for in advance.

Which isn't to say it was much easier to get Celebi, at least not in the original release. The critter would only spawn if the player acquired a Great Smith's Ball. Not only was this item only available during a special event, you needed to use the rudimentary cell data transfer from the Game Boy Color's 'Game Boy Mobile' peripheral - something that was only available for the Japanese version of the handheld!

Gen 3 Legendary Pokémon

Rayquaza has the highest base Attack, Special Attack, and the highest total of all base stats, of any Dragon-type or Flying-type Pokémon - but it has sometimes been very easy to catch.

In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Rayquaza was needed to progress the Delta Episode side plot. The developers changed its catch rate from 3 to 45 (higher means easier, so this was a huge change) to ensure players would be able to snatch up the big green noodle. This was reverted in Scarlet and Violet when the mighty dragon reappeared in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.

The Regis, or Giants of Legend, are some of the trickiest Legendary Pokémon to find in the games. In Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald, you have to translate braille and then do a bunch of puzzles to unlock them.

Latios and Latias are, effectively, the same species, with Latios being male and Latias being female - just like the male and female Nidoran evolutionary line.

Kyogre is one of many Legendary Pokémon we're labeling as a 'potential apocalypse'. It has the ability to control the level of the oceans, and is believed by some to be the creator of the oceans in primordial times. In Pokémon Sapphire and Emerald, team Aqua has the very normal goal of finding Kyogre and using it to raise the sea levels to create more homes for aquatic Pokémon (never mind how many countries get flooded in the process!).

Groudon and Kyogre famously don't get on, as the former is said to have fallen into a long slumber after an apocalyptic battle with the latter. Perhaps it's because Groudon is, in myth, considered to be responsible for creating continents. Land and sea are just too different, it seems.

Gen 3 Mythical Pokémon

Jirachi is a bit like a mythical genie, a Pokémon that sleeps for a thousand years at a time before waking up to grant three wishes. While all the anime stories about Jirachi centre on this wish-granting ability - and what happens when people abuse it - in game, it stands out for a very different reason. It's the only Pokémon capable of learning the move Doom Desire, a damage dealing Steel type move.

Is Deoxys even a Pokémon, when it evolved from an extra-terrestrial virus? It's in the Pokédex, so we guess it still counts. This strange Pokémon does not evolve, but it can change between four Formes by being exposed to different meteorites: Normal Forme, Attack Forme, Defense Forme, and Speed Forme. And though it's never appeared in a game, in the comics it's capable of creating clones of itself!

Gen 4 Legendary Pokémon

The Legendary Pokémon that appeared in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl really push the power level for the franchise. Dialga has the ability to control time, Palkia can warp space, and together they are capable of creating new universes.

Meanwhile, Giratina can rip holes in reality and lurks in the Distortion dimension. Many fans think of him as Pokémon's equivalent of the devil.

Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are the three Lake Guardians of the Sinnoh region. Their Pokédex entries reveal they are associated with knowledge, emotion, and willpower respectively. This is a reference to the 'three sacred treasures' of Japan, artifacts that belong to the Imperial Japanese household and can be traced back to ancient myth - a mirror that represents wisdom, a jewel that represents benevolence, and a sword that represents valor.

Heatran is believed to be the physical embodiment of the planet's core. It would apparently go on a magma-fueled rampage if a Magma Stone didn't keep it sealed in a volcanic crater. So, you know, it's the perfect companion for a 10-year-old Pokémon trainer.

Cresselia has slightly more chill. This ethereal lunar Pokémon specializes in healing, and its feathers even give someone who holds it pleasant dreams.

On both ends of the 'chill vs not chill' scale is Regigigas, a Pokémon with far too many Gs in its name. This legendary is credited with creating a legion of other legendary giants. While it can be calm and thoughtful, Regigigas can also cause immense devastation when rampaging - and has the power to override the authority of any puny human who might think they control one of Regigigas' creations.

Gen 4 Mythical Pokémon

Arceus is perhaps the most powerful Mythical Pokémon: it's worshiped as a deity by some humans, who may actually be right - it could be the creator of the Pokémon universe.

On the less powerful side is Darkrai, who is apparently harmless but likes to keep people away by inflicting them with horrific nightmares. These can be stopped with a feather from Darkrai's lunar counterpart, the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia.

Shaymin saw everyone calling Mew adorable and said 'hold my drink'. This shy cutiepie avoids interacting with others by disguising itself as a flower, and its petals are capable of absorbing toxins and pollution.

Manaphy is an unusual Mythical Pokémon, not just because it's inspired by the colorful slugs known as sea angels, but also because it's capable of breeding. Because its gender is unknown, Manaphy can only breed with Ditto. When this happens, it produces a Phione!

Gen 5 Legendary Pokémon

Known as the 'Swords of Justice', the three Fighting type Legendaries Cobalion, Terrakion,and Virizion are inspired by the Three Musketeers. Which makes it a bit strange that they appeared just one Generation before the France-inspired region.

Thundurus, Landorus, and Tornadus are collectively known as the 'Forces of Nature' and would be joined by a fourth member, Enamorus, a couple of generations later. While their 'incarnate' forms are almost identical, each one also has a more animalistic 'therian' form which sets it apart and changes its stats.

Tornadus also has the honor of being the first pure Flying type Pokémon, indicating that it's not just a creature that flies, but an elemental intrinsically connected with air.

Nicknamed the 'Tao trio' by fans, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem are all prevalent mythological creatures in the Unova region. Reshiram has potentially world-ending fire powers and a serious commitment to truth, while Zekrom has potentially world-ending lightning powers and a dedication to noble ideas.

Gen 5 Mythical Pokémon

Victini has a unique gimmick. Whereas most Legendary and Mythical Pokémon show up at the end of the Pokédex, this is the first Unovan Pokémon - with National Dex Number #000.

There's some in-game dialogue about that number letting it 'bring victory' to the holder of the 'dex, but it's not very convincing: more likely is the designers just wanted to mark it out as special.

Keldeo is actually the adopted ward of the three Swords of Justice, who took the poor 'lil pony in after a fire separated it from its parents. That's the saddest backstory we've heard since the days of Cubone.

Meloetta actually has two formes, Aria forme - a Normal / Psychic type Pokémon - and Pirhouette forme, which is Normal / Fighting type. Aria forme is how you will first encounter Meloetta, and it needs to learn the unique move Relic Song before it can transform for the duration of a battle.

Genesect is a man-made Mythical Pokémon. A sort of robot counterpart to Mewtwo, it was resurrected from a fossil and then modified by the evil Team Plasma. Genesect's signature move Techno Blast changes type depending on the item you give to this Pokémon.

Gen 6 Legendary Pokémon

These three Legendary Pokémon are known as the Aura Trio by fans. They obviously resemble the letters X, Y, and Z, but are often theorized to be inspired by creatures from Celtic or Norse mythology as well, with Zygarde in particular being linked to the World Serpent Jormungandr.

Zygarde is a particularly interesting Legendary, as it developed considerably between its first appearance in Gen 6 and its return in Gen 7.  On its first appearance, it had only its scaly, slithery appearance - but when it returned it had three 'Formes'.

See, Zygarde is actually composed of multiple components: the sentient Zygarde Cores that control its behavior and the non-sentient Zygarde Cells that make up its body. Depending on how many of these are gathered together, it can appear as a hound-like 10% Forme, the serpentine 50% Forme, and a Power-Rangers-style Complete Forme.

Xerneas' form transformation is much less dramatic. This deerlike Pokémon spends most of its time in Normal mode, and when it transforms into Active mode its antlers and the go-faster stripes on its legs glow. In this mode it has the power to bestow eternal life, but it also looks like a Christmas decoration.

Xerneas is part of a pair tasked with overseeing the balance between life and death. Its partner is Yveltal, the physical embodiment of death and destruction that absorbs the life of other creatures to survive. That's very metal, but we're not sure this is a Pokémon we'd want to keep around.

Gen 6 Mythical Pokémon

The Mythical Pokémon Volcanion was the first Fire and Water type ever created, and three generations later, it's still the only one in the game. Which is a shame, as it's a pretty sweet type combo, with three 4x resistances.

In fact, all three of Gen 6's Mythicals broke new ground in terms of typing. Diancie is the first Rock / Fairy type, aside from the related Carbink, and Hoopa is the first Psychic / Ghost.

Gen 7 Legendary Pokémon

The four Tapu Pokémon are guardian deities of the four islands that make up the Alola region. While most Legendary Pokémon are pretty loose in their ties to real-world mythology or religion, these four are quite clearly inspired by the four great gods of Hawaiian religion. Each has a 'shell' it can close up to form a stylized animal head.

Cosmog is a very unusual Legendary Pokémon, as it has an evolutionary line. First it becomes Cosmoem, which is tied with Celesteela as the heaviest Pokémon at 999.9kg. Despite this, in the anime, Ash Ketchum carries the thing around effortlessly. So I guess we can add super-strength to the boy's list of superpowers, right next to 'never ageing'.

Cosmoem can then evolve into two different Legendaries, Solgaleo and Lunala, which are conspicuously styled after the sun and moon respectively.

Generation stablemate Type: Null is another evolving Legendary Pokémon, thought its line is considerably shorter - it caps out once it evolves into Silvally. It's a chimera created from cells from every known Pokémon, and was intended to fight against the dimension-leaping Ultra Beasts.

Gen 7 Mythical Pokémon

Generation 7 really went overboard with the Mythical Pokémon, with a whopping five of them.

Zeraora is actually the first Mythical Pokémon with the Electric type. Impressive to be a first so late in this game's life!

Marshadow stands out thanks to its awesome Ghost/Fighting typing, and its spooky, shadowy appearance. Unusually, this Pokémon's shiny looks completely identical to the regular version. The difference is only noticeable when it enters its Zenith form - it's a nightmare to catch!

Marshadow's not the only Mythical here with multiple modes. Along with its silver form, the clockwork Magearna also has a painted Original Color variant, with gold metallics, and a red and white dress designed to look like a Pokéball.

Meltan and Melmetal are Mythical Pokémon that made their first appearance in the app Pokémon GO, which is still just about the only way to get them - though they can be imported to the console games Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee via the GO Park, and Pokémon Sword and Shield via Pokémon Home.

Gen 8 Legendary Pokémon

Zacian and Zamazenta are best known in their Crowned Shield/Sword forms, which they transform into when given special items to hold. They then get an additional Steel typing, as well as a sizeable stat boost.

Not counting Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon, Eternatus is the tallest known Pokémon. It's actually the source of the Dynamax phenomenon that causes Pokémon to temporarily turn gigantic in the Galar region in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

On the smaller side is Kubfu, an adorable 'lil martial arts bear that evolves into one of two different types of Urshifu (Fighting/Water or Fighting/Dark) depending on where and how you train it.

Regieleki and Regidrago are two of the golem Pokémon created by the legendary Regigigas. Both were once worshiped by humans, but these fanatics eventually sought to contain and seal away the powerful creatures instead.

Glastrier and Spectrier are two proud and rather cruel horse-like Pokémon that, were it not for Calyrex, would still be terrorizing parts of the world from Pokémon Sword and Shield. Despite presenting them as quite menacing, Pokédexes everywhere are keen to point out that the horses also love a good snack.

Lastly there's Enamorus, who might sound like it's eligible to be in the 'largest Pokémon' club, but their name is instead tied to themes of renewed love - fitting for a supposed god of Springtime.

Gen 8 Mythical Pokémon

Zarude was added to Pokémon Sword and Shield in the Isle of Armor DLC. It has a unique move, Jungle Healing which restores health and removes status conditions to all your Pokemon in battle, making Zarude great for double battles.

Gen 9 Legendary Pokémon

The core Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games added six new Legendary Pokemon Pokémon.

Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, Chi-Yu are known as the Calamity Pokémon.These badass Legendaries are actually cursed artifacts that absorded negative human emotions, came to life and formed bodies for themselves.

Koraidon, and Miraidon, meanwhile represent the past and future respectively. Dependent on game version, one of the two joins the player early on in Scarlet & Violet, becoming a Pokémon motorbike they can ride.

More Legendary Pokémon were added later in September 2023's Teal Mask DLC, forming the main storyline of that expansion's Kitakami region. These were the mask-wearing Ogerpon and its opposing numbers Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti - the so-called Loyal Three.

Terapagos was added in the December 2023 Indigo Disk DLC. It's the  Legendary responsible for the 'Terastal phenomenon', which causes Pokémon to take on various new, jewel-like forms which alter their usual Pokémon types. These Terastal forms play a major part in the Pokémon TCG Stellar Crown set.

Gen 9 Mythical Pokémon

Pecharunt was added to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Epilogue: Mochi Mayhem DLC, released in January 2024.

Unlike most Mythical Pokemon, which can easily be obtained via Mystery Gift, Pecharunt's event involved actual PLOT. You had to battle your way through trainers which Pecharunt had possessed with poisoned mochi, in order to eventually catch it.

Legendary Pokémon FAQ

How many Legendary Pokémon are there in total?

There are currently 71 Legendary Pokémon and 23 Mythical Pokémon.

What are Legendary Pokémon?

While there's no 'official' definition in Pokémon lore as to what exactly makes a Pokémon legendary, the general idea is that they're unique species (only one individual of each Legendary Pokémon exists) and are unusually powerful, although their power is often hidden, situational, or subtle in nature.

Legendaries often have some inherent, mystical connection to an aspect of the Pokémon world, in the manner of an animistic nature spirit, or the guardian deity of a human settlement or region.

In terms of game mechanics, they're usually non-evolving (single stage) Pokémon with unusually high in-game stats in one area or another, and they're usually genderless - although, as you read the rest of this section, you'll find that's not always true.

What seems to unite all Legendary Pokémon is that people in the Pokémon world tell stories about them, for one reason or another; they have a legend. Hence the name.

What's the difference between Legendary and Mythical Pokémon?

Legendary Pokémon are incredibly rare, but Mythical Pokémon are so rare that people in the Pokémon world doubt their very existence. In gameplay terms, Mythicals were once only available to catch during exclusive events.

However, some of them have appeared in mainline games, like the recent Generation-nine Pecharunt, which is available in DLC. Others are added to mainline games on the Switch if it contains a save file for another Pokémon game.

Does Pokémon Legends Z-A add new Legendary Pokémon?

No, Pokémon Legends Z-A doesn't introduce any completely new Legendary Pokémon species to the setting.

However, the game does include a brand new Mega Evolution form for one existing legendary: you can catch Zygarde in this game and evolve it into Mega Zygarde with a Zygardite Stone. Though the Legendary Pokémon shows up in the story much earlier, you can't trap it in your balls until the post-game. The tutorial below shows how:

Data miners have also uncovered evidence in the game's code referring to three other Mega Evolved legendaries: Mega Darkrai, Mega Heatran, and Mega Zeraora. These aren't present in the main game, however, so we'll have to wait for the upcoming Mega Dimension DLC and other future expansions to see if they're really coming.

What is the strongest Legendary Pokémon?

All the Legendary Pokémon are pretty powerful, but in terms of pure raw stats, Arceus is the strongest. With 120 in every single statistic, Arceus has a base stat total of 720.

That said, other Legendary Pokémon have various forms that can match or even surpass the god of the Pokémon universe. Zacian and Zamazenta can match it in their Crowned Sword and Crowned Shield forms, for instance, and Terapagos comes close, with 700 stats in its Stellar Form.

But Mega Rayquaza and both forms of Mega Mewtwo are even stronger than Arceus, with combined stats totalling 780.

These are the most powerful Legendary Pokémon that a player can harness in-game, but even they are dwarfed by Eternamax Eternatus, which has a ridiculous stat total of 1,125. This is purely a boss fight however; the player cannot harness this legendary power themselves.

What's the weakest Legendary Pokémon?

Fans generally agree that Cosmog is the weakest Legendary Pokémon in the videogames. Its basic stats are pitiful and it can only learn two moves: Teleport (which switches it out of the battle) and Splash (which explicitly doesn't do anything).

Like Magikarp, its raison d'être is purely to evolve into stronger forms. In Cosmog's case, that's Cosmoem, followed by one of the twin Gen 7 Legendaries, Solgaleo and Lunala.

In the Pokémon TCG, Cosmog has a little more going for it. Some Cosmog cards allow you to draw cards and prevent damage to it while it's on your Bench. Ultimately, though, it's still a pitiable weakling that's only there to evolve into more powerful 'Mons.

What's the rarest Legendary Pokémon?

In the world of Pokémon, all the Legendary Pokémon are equally rare: there's just one of each of them. The Mythical Pokémon aren't rarer, they're just much less widely known about, and generally sighted more rarely by people in the world of Pokémon.

In our world, the rarest Legendary Pokémon from the videogames is most likely Diancie. The last time you could get a Diancie was at a 2016 South Korean real-world event, as a gift for Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire.

If we're talking Pokémon TCG, the rarest Legendary card, by value, is First Edition Neo Genesis Holo Lugia, from the year 2000. Experts reckon there are only 41 copies in the world that are graded at the PSA 10 'pristine' level - and one sold at auction in 2021 for a terrifying $114,300.

Do Legendary Pokémon come in groups?

Many Legendary Pokémon are members of a group, usually introduced to the setting at the same time, as part of the same generation of Pokémon. Examples of these groups include the original Gen 1  Legendary Birds, a trio of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, and Gen 7's 'Legendary quartet' of Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele - known as the Guardian Deities.

With some exceptions - like the Lunar Duo of Darkrai and Cresselia - Mythical Pokémon are not organized into groups, but stand alone as their own entities.

Who was the first Legendary Pokémon to exist?

The first Legendary Pokémon to exist in the Pokémon world was either Arceus or Mew - but there's no way to be sure which, and fan theories abound on either side.

Arceus, the 'god' of Pokémon, is said via in-game descriptions to have created the universe and every Pokémon in it; but Poké-scientists also believe Mew to be the 'ancestor' of all the other species.

Some fans theorize that they created each other in the time before time existed in the Pokémon universe - i.e. before Arceus created Dialga, the godlike Legendary Pokémon with power over time. But ultimately which came first - Arceus or Mew - will likely always remain a mystery.

Is Arceus really a god?

To all intents and purposes, Arceus is a god within the Pokémon world. In Pokémon canon, Arceus is believed to have created the universe and all other Pokémon - which implies that it also created the humans that call this universe their home.

Your philosophical definitions of 'god' may vary, but in our books, a pre-existing, ultra-powerful entity that created the universe and at least some of the living things in it qualifies as one.

Can Legendary Pokémon evolve?

Yes, some Legendary Pokémon can evolve - but most can't, and the ones that can sometimes do it in unusual ways, compared to regular Pokémon.

Gen 6's Type: Null (evolving into Silvally) and Cosmog (evolving into Cosmoem) were the first to do it, with Cosmoem going on to evolve into either Solgaleo, in Pokémon Sun, or Lunala in Pokémon Moon.

Do Legendary Pokémon have genders?

No, most Legendary Pokémon have no gender - but there are some exceptions.

Four Legendaries can canonically only be female:

• Cresselia
• Enamorus
• Latias
• Ogerpon

Seven can only be male:

• Fezandipiti
• Landorus
• Latios
• Munkidori
• Okidogi
• Thundurus
• Tornadus

And three can be male or female:

• Heatran
• Kubfu
• Urshifu

Is Mew a boy or a girl?

Like most Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, Mew has no gender. Mew is a perfect, faultless, innocent interdimensional baby and must be protected at all costs. Mew shows us a state of existence as it could be, untroubled by mortal concerns like the social construct of gender, at one with past, present, and future. Be like Mew.

Why does Mewtwo hate Mew?

In the original 2000 Pokémon movie, Mewtwo hates Mew because of jealousy, because Mew is the 'original' Pokémon and Mewtwo believes itself to be an imperfect clone.

However, after a dramatic battle with Ash Ketchum at the climax of the first movie, Mewtwo experiences a major change of heart, softening his hatred of humans and shifting his burning resentment for Mew into a place of understanding.

In the Mewtwo Returns TV series, first aired in the US in 2001, Mewtwo's character becomes more nuanced and even heroic at times, with the once murderous Legendary 'mon rescuing both humans and Pokémon, and aiming to avoid combat at all costs.

Who is stronger, Mew or Mewtwo?

When Mew and Mewtwo face off in Pokémon: The First Movie, the fight ends inconclusively. All the Pokémon are horrified by the (temporary) death of Ash Ketchum, and the battle stops.

In the Pokémon games, the answer is simple - Mewtwo wipes the floor with Mew. It just has much more powerful stats. Mew, like many Mythical Pokémon, has 100 in every base stat. With 130 Speed and 154 Special Attack, Mewtwo gets to act first and deals way more damage.

Does Mew evolve into Mewtwo?

Mew does not evolve into Mewtwo. Mewtwo is a cloned Pokèmon made using samples of Mew's DNA: they're related, but not necessarily the same species.

Are there Legendary Pokémon cards?

Yes, Legendary Pokémon from every generation appear in a whole variety of cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The more popular Legendary or Mythical 'mons often get picked for the fancier foil and illustration card treatments saved for the rarest printed cards, meaning they can end up being the most desirable to collect.

However, it's important to remember that that's not a rule in the TCG. 'Legendary' is not actually a Pokémon card rarity type, and Legendary and Mythical Pokémon have appeared in cards of all rarities, including standard common cards.

What are Pokémon LEGEND cards?

Briefly, during the HeartGold & SoulSilver card sets of the early 2010s, the Pokémon TCG introduced a small set of variant cards which exclusively featured Legendary Pokémon - their most distinctive aspect being that each 'card' was in fact two cards, of the regular Pokémon card size, which created a combined artwork when laid edge to edge.

Of the nine such two-card combos released, seven featured a pair of Legendaries together (one on each half). The other two are the two Gen 2 Legendary birds Ho-Oh and Lugia - with the wild-looking, two-part Lugia LEGEND now one of the most valuable Lugia cards.

If you found this guide handy, you might also enjoy our look at all the different Pokémon card types.