The land of Pokémon is filled with plenty of creatures that are based in one way or another on animals and objects that exist in the real world. One of the go-to species in Pokémon is birds since they naturally come in many varieties.
Though birds aren’t the type of animal that naturally produces fear or intimidation, that doesn’t mean there aren’t several bird pokémon that don’t exude that type of energy. Let’s now take a look at the 10 fiercest bird pokémon and rank them from worst to best.
10 Talonflame
Birds are dangerous creatures on their own as they come equipped with beaks and talons that can cause serious damage to the unsuspecting or unprepared. Imagine having to fend off those natural bird weapons only to realize the bird you’re trying to swat away can also conjure fire-based moves.
Now you’re not only dealing with the prospect of your eyes getting clawed at, but you might have to roll on the floor to get rid of the fire that’s starting to cover your body. Talonflame isn’t the bird pokémon you want to run into as a new trainer.
9 Unfezant
Have you ever been embarrassed by someone and immediately felt like retaliating with violence? Well, Unfezant is a bird pokémon that seems very prideful and proud and may feel the same way.
The design of the males includes a dazzling face ornament that’s likely used to impress and attract female suitors. If a trainer runs into one and is fighting it in front of female Unfezant, who’s to say that it doesn’t become angry in embarrassment and instead of attacking the other pokémon it goes for the trainer?
8 Mandibuzz
Vultures are often seen as the pests of the sky. They feed on other people’s scraps most of the time and can grow to have some incredible wingspans. Mandibuzz, who is roughly based on the look of vultures, isn’t necessarily the most fierce-looking, but looks aren’t everything.
Sometimes you have to worry about the creatures who don’t have a sense of caution, fear, or self-preservation. Mandibuzz tends to present themselves as the type of bird who will take advantage of any and every situation that presents itself.
7 Noctowl
Since owls tend to be nocturnal and do most of their hunting and activities at night, people often forget how much of a predator they are. Imagine walking through a forest at night and in the middle of the dark, you see two piercing eyes in the middle of the brush.
Now, that Noctowl might understand that you’re a human and should ignore you, or it may feel brave or threatened and want to protect its hunting grounds. Humans aren’t built to survive in the dark, but for owls, it’s their active playground.
6 Braviary
Braviary is often pointed out as being a commentary on Americans, or maybe even just the American government. They’re very prideful, feature a design that includes red, white, blue, and gold, and present themselves as much more of a challenge than they are.
Its design is also strongly based on the American Bald Eagle, which is the symbol of the United States in many ways. It’s always interesting to see how other countries see the United States, and Braviary is arguably Japan’s Pokémon representation.
5 Pidgeot
The entire line of Pidgey evolutions are mostly respected and loved by people who started their Pokémon journey in the original games as they explored the Kanto region.
Since then, the Normal/Flying-type evolutionary line you see early in the given region has become a staple of the series that’s often captured, used, then discarded when stronger creatures come along. That wasn’t the case in Pokémon Red & Blue, as many trainers took their loved but feared Pidgeot into the Elite Four competition.
4 Fearow
When trainers were first introduced to the world of Pokémon in the Kanto region, it was the cute or cool looking creatures that received most of the love and admiration.
Fearow, on the other hand, was immediately recognized as the grump of the bunch. Even in the Pokémon anime, the ferocious bird and its pre-evolution were portrayed as naturally angry and disgruntled. Thankfully Fearow is the result of nature evolving a creature to physically warn others to not come anywhere near them.
3 Skarmory
Normal birds with regular feathers can scare people if they’re aggressive enough. Now imagine a bird whose entire body is made of steel. A regular feather could cause discomfort and possibly break the skin, but if they’re made of steel an angry Skarmory could greatly harm a human simply by accident.
Skarmory, like Fearow, looks like it naturally has a bad disposition. Is it simply a case where that’s just how Skarmory naturally look, or are they aggressive by nature? Seems like it’s better to just avoid them at all costs.
2 Corviknight
Though this pokémon was recently introduced as a natural inhabitant of the Galar region in Pokémon Sword & Shield, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included on this list. Corviknight will be responsible for helping the player fast travel between locations as it will lift and carry the Galar taxi service.
It’s a very large creature, that unlike many other bird pokémon, has one of the more intimidating designs in the region. From design to personality Corviknight is the black knight of pokémon.
1 Legendary Trio
It’s hard to imagine a fiercer set of birds than the 3 legendary ones residing in the Kanto region. Those being Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. They captivated young trainers who hoped to have a chance at even running into them, let alone catching them.
They each represent a particular element, and because they’re legendary it means that canonically they’re the only ones of their kind in existence. When looking at who rules the roost of the Pokémon world, it’s hard not to pick the legendary Kanto trio.
NEXT: 10 Pokémon Fan Theories That Will Creep You Out
