6 best Pokemon designs from Paldea, ranked

With all the major content for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet released, every Paldean creature has made its debut. While this generation stands out as one of the best for competitive play since the fifth, many of the new Pocket Monster designs are quite abstract, even more so than in the previous generation.

This unusual quality can create wonderfully unique creatures in some cases, while others end up rather forgettable or poorly received.

Here are the six best Pokemon designs from the Paldea region, ranked.

Note: This ranking is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions

Top 6 Pokemon designs from the Paldea region

6) Ceruledge

Ceruledge is one of Paldea's best designs, but it does very little different from other decent designs (Image via Game Freak)

Ceruledge is one of two evolutions for Charcadet, depending on the game version. It appears as a dark, shadowy knight with a Fire and Ghost typing. The Pokedex implies the Pocket Monster harbors a grudge against humanity, making it feel a bit too edgy to be taken seriously. However, this doesn't make it a terrible design; it ranks alongside fan favorites like Lucario, Absol, and Zoroark in that regard.

As a Ghost-type knight, Ceruledge could have been more interesting as a hollow suit of armor inhabited by wisps or a ghostly fog, rather than resembling a Minecraft avatar missing dyed leather pants. Still, every region has its edgy design, and Ceruledge is Paldea's candidate.

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5) Wugtrio

Wugtrio is meant to be silly-looking, and is an effective example of "less is more" when designing regional variants (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This is potentially a hot take, but Wugtrio's design is a clever reimagining of Dugtrio's. This makes contextual sense, given how the species has been re-invented as tubeworms rather than moles barely poking out of the ground. With tubeworms collecting on many surfaces on the ocean floor, Wugtrio fits the theme while harking back to its origins.

It’s hard not to smile when you see Wugtrio in the overworld. Instead of being three moles of varying heights, Wugtrio is just three creatures chilling in a rock, popping out to say "what's up." The contrasting colors of the teal rock and Wugtrio's mostly-red body also give the Pocket Monster some visual appeal.

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4) Scovillain

Scovillain is the first Fire and Grass-type Pokemon (Image via Game Freak)

Most longtime fans assumed the first Fire and Grass-type Pokemon would be tied to chilli peppers, given the type combination’s implications. Thankfully, Scovillain does not disappoint.

The Pocket Monster sports two heads with different personalities and some first-gen inspired features like fanged mouths, long snouts, and dark eyes. Its biggest downside is its frail leaf arms; barbed plant stems would have made for a more imposing choice.

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3) Skeledirge

Skeledirge's design takes a strong influence from performing arts (Image via Game Freak)

The final evolution of the Paldea region's Fire-type starter, Fuecoco, Skeledirge has scales resembling a suit and mask. The egg and nest combo from its prior form has hatched, adding a flaming nest around its head and a little bird perched at the tip of its nose.

Though it might seem difficult to make a captivating design out of "crocodile" and "opera singer," Skeledirge does a great job blending these elements subtly, adding unique flair through the perched bird on its nose, a common sight on real-world crocodiles.

2) Clodsire

Clodsire is a brilliant way to reimagine an already-beloved evolutionary line (Image via Game Freak)

Clodsire was an immediate fan-favorite when Pokemon Scarlet and Violet first dropped. Being a regional counterpart of Quagsire, another beloved creature, the Pocket Monster had some big shoes to fill. Thankfully, Game Freak managed to delight fans with this bean bag-shaped freak of nature.

Clodsire is quadrupedal, unlike its counterpart, Quagsire. It also possesses venomous spines in its back that alert trainers when it is threatened.

Evolving from Paldean Wooper, Clodsire was available relatively early in Scarlet and Violet, so many players discovered it during their playthroughs without being spoiled ahead of time. This made the creature a fun and beloved discovery for many fans.

1) Toedscool

Toedscruel is a unique take on Tentacool (Image via Game Freak)

Much like Wugtrio, Toedscool is a regional counterpart of a Kanto native, Tentacool. Where Tentacool is a jellyfish, Toedscool is a mushroom.

Fitting with its land habitat, Toedscool has what used to be its stingers as legs. These are not mere stumps for clumsy waddling; the Pocket Monster is a natural-born runner.

When players stumble across Toedscool in the overworld, the creature will act in shock, actively sprinting away from the player and making it almost impossible to catch. This drastic change from its standard waterfaring counterpart arguably makes it the most iconic design from the Paldea region.