Throughout the Pokemon games and anime, Psychic-type Pokemon have been a staple. They’re not the most common type — actually, they tend to be pretty rare to find. However, they can be one of the most powerful when used correctly and are always valuable assets to have on one’s team in any Pokemon game.

Based on intimidation, adorability, and sheer strength, there are a bunch of factors that determine which Kanto-based Psychic-type Pokemon is better than another. But taking everything into account, a trainer can have a pretty good idea. Here’s how they stack up.

Updated October 6, 2022, by Levana Jane Chester-Londt: When it comes to Psychic-type Pokemon, Gen I certainly takes the cake, as their mechanics are so overpowered that the creators toned things down a notch for future Generations. Because most Psychic-types do not need to make physical contact for their moves to be effective, they are considered to be the masters of Special Moves, capable of incapacitating their foes from a distance. In the early days, all Psychic abilities were categorized as Special, automatically giving these Pokemon the upper hand in many scenarios. There is also little that the Gen I Psychic Pokemon had to fear, as their only weaknesses were Bug-types (which generally don’t possess the strongest attacks anyway) and other Psychics (which are a rare find.) However, the addition of new, immune Dark-type and resistant Steel-type Pokemon balanced things out a bit, and developers managed to fix the broken in-game mechanics that made Ghost-type attacks ineffective against Psychic Pokemon in Gen I. The Psychics’ chance of lowering their opponents’ Special Stats also decreases drastically from Gen II onwards, moving from 33.2% down to a more manageable 10% chance of success.

14 Abra

  • HP:
  • 25
  • Attack:
  • 20
  • Defense:
  • 15
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 105
  • Sp. Def:
  • 55
  • Speed:
  • 90

Abra is cute, but the reality is, this Pokemon just isn’t powerful enough to warrant anything other than last place on a list of the Gen I Psychics. In the show, it doesn’t seem to be able to do much until it evolves into Kadabra. This idea is present in the games too, with its only real move being Teleport.

If the player wants any chance of catching this Pokemon, they need to put it to sleep or paralyze it pretty much immediately so it can’t teleport away. It’s worth catching for the evolutions, but since players can’t really battle with it, they might want to attach an experience share.

13 Drowzee

  • HP:
  • 60
  • Attack:
  • 48
  • Defense:
  • 45
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 43
  • Sp. Def:
  • 90
  • Speed:
  • 42

Drowzee is far less cute than Abra but a decent range of attacks means it can be a good asset in battle. Drowzee is fairly common — it can be caught fairly early in some of the games (such as Gold & Silver) and it’s very common in certain countries when it comes to Pokemon GO.

Ultimately, it’ll serve players in battle if they need a Psychic-type Pokemon, but it’s not a special one to chase after.

On the other hand, some fans have found Drowzee’s mechanic quite enjoyable to mess around with in-game, especially if they have a handy Dream Eater TM stored away. Once Drozwee has sufficiently hypnotized its opponent, it can happily heal while the other Pokemon’s HP is slowly depleted, creating an easy win for this underrated Psychic-type.

12 Slowpoke

  • HP:
  • 90
  • Attack:
  • 65
  • Defense:
  • 65
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 40
  • Sp. Def:
  • 40
  • Speed:
  • 15

Slowpoke is a dual-type Pokemon, with both Water and Psychic features at its disposal. This can give it an advantage against Fire-type Pokemon, but a huge disadvantage against Grass or Electric-types. Unfortunately, the Water/Psychic typing doesn’t do much to cover for either type’s weaknesses. What’s more, both the show and the stats demonstrate that this Pokemon is extremely slow, so the dual type isn’t enough to rank it any higher.

However, Slowpoke certainly becomes more valuable from the 2nd Generation onwards, as the introduction of Slowking raises this pink Pokemon’s coolness factor up a notch. Although it is not from a direct evolution, combining a Shellder with a Slowpoke or a Slowbro produces some interesting results.

11 Exeggcute

  • HP:
  • 60
  • Attack:
  • 40
  • Defense:
  • 80
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 60
  • Sp. Def:
  • 45
  • Speed:
  • 40

Exeggcute is a dual type, which gives it some advantage. Otherwise, though it doesn’t rank very highly in terms of Psychic-type power. What’s more, its Grass/Psychic combination gives it a 4x weakness to Bug-Type attacks.

Its move set isn’t particularly impressive and, let’s be honest, the Pokemon itself isn’t too aesthetically pleasing. Exeggcute’s stats are mediocre at best; however, this Pokemon improves drastically when it evolves into Exeggutor.

10 Hypno

  • HP:
  • 85
  • Attack:
  • 73
  • Defense:
  • 70
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 73
  • Sp. Def:
  • 115
  • Speed:
  • 67

Drowzee’s evolution, Hypno, isn’t that uncommon but can be very powerful. It can learn some awesome status attacks such as Hypnosis, which can be really handy when struggling against another Pokemon. There’s nothing special needed to evolve Drowzee into Hypno; simply raise it to level 26.

While Hypno’s offensive capabilities are somewhat lacking when compared to the likes of those higher on this list, its solid Special Defense can withstand an opponent’s Special Attack-focused offense. This psychic Pokemon can be a good asset to any team, but it’s not necessarily worth a trainer’s time to go out of their way to get it.

9 Slowbro

  • HP:
  • 95
  • Attack:
  • 75
  • Defense:
  • 110
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 100
  • Sp. Def:
  • 80
  • Speed:
  • 30

Fans are told that Slowbro is a peaceful Pokemon, but that doesn’t mean it can’t pack a punch when it needs to. Considerably more powerful than Slowpoke, Slowbro is an asset to have on any team. It’s a dual Water/Psychic-type and has some interesting lore to it too. With usually defense stats and some powerful moves, it’s worth having, especially against a fire Pokemon. Just avoid those grass and electric moves, because they’ll take it down quickly.

Competitively, one of the biggest selling points to Slowbro is its mega evolution, which is an incredible physical wall. This form boasts 180 defense and access to the Shell Armor ability, which prevents it from suffering damage from critical hits.

8 Mr. Mime

  • HP:
  • 40
  • Attack:
  • 45
  • Defense:
  • 65
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 100
  • Sp. Def:
  • 120
  • Speed:
  • 90

For those who’ve watched the show, Mr. Mime has a special place in the hearts of fans. Ash Ketchum’s mother owned a Mr. Mime who seemed to do her housework and, well, everything else she needed, so he’s been a permanent fixture in the hearts of fans. In the games, he boasts decent Special Attack and Special Defense and has access to some good Psychic-type moves.

Mr. Mime is pretty rare in Pokemon GO too (an exclusive to the continent of Europe), so if players can get their hands on one, he’s pretty special. Sadly, he’s not the most powerful, but he’s a lovely novelty nonetheless.

7 Starmie

  • HP:
  • 60
  • Attack:
  • 75
  • Defense:
  • 85
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 100
  • Sp. Def:
  • 85
  • Speed:
  • 115

Starmie catches many unsuspecting trainers off guard, as this mystical Water-Type has some secret Psychic-type moves tucked up its… sleeves? This Mysterious Pokemon is believed to draw its esoteric powers from the gem residing at the center of its body, which can also conveniently change colors depending on the situation.

Starmie’s bulky physique makes defense a breeze while its speed is almost unparalleled, along with a selection of intimidating attacks that make it a worthy foe. Apart from the unexpected Psychic-type abilities, Starmie also has a Poison-type attack to add to its aquatic selection. This top-tier starfish is the perfect counter to many opponents, and, although it may have been slightly nerfed, Starmie has maintained a respectable reputation over the years.

6 Kadabra

  • HP:
  • 40
  • Attack:
  • 35
  • Defense:
  • 30
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 120
  • Sp. Def:
  • 70
  • Speed:
  • 105

Kadabra is the evolution of Abra, and is considerably more useful than its unevolved form. It’s a powerful Psychic type that, even though it hasn’t reached its final evolution yet, can be tough to beat. Ash and company certainly have trouble fighting it in the show.

Although most Kadabras that players come across in the games won’t be as all-powerful as Sabrina’s in Saffron City, this Pokemon definitely isn’t to be taken lightly. Its Special Attack is decently high, and it has plenty of Special moves to use.

5 Exeggutor

  • HP:
  • 95
  • Attack:
  • 105
  • Defense:
  • 85
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 125
  • Sp. Def:
  • 75
  • Speed:
  • 45

A powerful Grass/Psychic type with different variations as the generations go on, this is a Pokemon worth having — especially if players can use the types to their advantage. It has a more powerful move set than its previous evolution and has pretty high stats that make it a tough battle. It’s still not the cutest Pokemon, but it’ll serve a trainer well.

Through its Grass/Dragon typing and high Special Attack, Alolan Exeggutor can be a solid offensive addition to a team as well. This powerhouse can break through an opponent’s defenses with the likes of Draco Meteor and Leaf Storm.

4 Jynx

  • HP:
  • 65
  • Attack:
  • 50
  • Defense:
  • 35
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 115
  • Sp. Def:
  • 95
  • Speed:
  • 95

While the Pokemon’s usefulness has fallen by the wayside in recent generations, Jynx was a potent Ice/Psychic type threat in Gen I. With a unique (at the time) dual typing, Jynx could deal serious damage with both Blizzard and Psychic, covering a wide variety of weaknesses that players encounter.

Additionally, with access to its signature move, Lovely Kiss, Jynx can reliably put opposing Pokemon to sleep. This makes excellent use of its comparably high speed and allows it to attack without receiving damage in return.

3 Mew

  • HP:
  • 100
  • Attack:
  • 100
  • Defense:
  • 100
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 100
  • Sp. Def:
  • 100
  • Speed:
  • 100

The 151st Pokemon of the first Generation of Pokemon games, Mew is incredibly well-rounded, is capable of learning every move, and boasts a 100 in every stat. In the first-gen games, despite what truck-related rumors may have said, it was impossible to acquire Mew through traditional means without the use of an exploit. When battling, Mew’s flexibility allows it to serve whatever role a player may need in their team. Still, it is far from the most overpowered Psychic-type Pokemon to appear in the series, or even in Gen I.

Mew can essentially mimic the abilities of its opponent, which it is capable of doing due to its unique genetic structure that encompasses the DNA of every type of Pokemon. Much like a Ditto on steroids, Mew can replicate the necessary move set to overpower its foe (or just play around a bit for amusement’s sake).

2 Alakazam

  • HP:
  • 55
  • Attack:
  • 50
  • Defense:
  • 45
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 135
  • Sp. Def:
  • 95
  • Speed:
  • 120

It can be a pain to get Kadabra to evolve into Alakazam. Most of the games required Kadabra to be traded, so it’s not as simple as leveling up the Pokemon. But when it does evolve and gets those higher stats, it’s one of the most powerful Psychic-types. Just wait until Kadabra has learned some awesome movies to trade it and evolve it — and make sure that players get the Pokemon back.

Within the first generation of Pokemon, Alakazam was an absolute menace, dealing absurd amounts of damage and doing so quickly through its high speed stat. Even in recent generations, Alakazam is still quite useful. It gained even more power in the form of a Mega Evolution, which grants it a stellar combination of 175 Special attack and 150 Speed.

1 Mewtwo

  • HP:
  • 106
  • Attack:
  • 110
  • Defense:
  • 90
  • Sp. Atk:
  • 154
  • Sp. Def:
  • 90
  • Speed:
  • 130

Mewtwo is a particularly unique Pokemon because he’s created by man, a clone of another Pokemon. He was the fixture and main antagonist of the original Pokemon movie and had the ability to communicate with humans in a way that other Pokemon did not. He’s exceedingly rare in the games, and players who have one in any version of the franchise will want to hold onto him. He’s a very powerful addition to any team.

While banned outside of battles of the “Uber” tier of competitive play, Mewtwo is on another level entirely. With an impressive move set and the perfect stat distribution to compliment it, Mewtwo is a Psychic-type with no glaring shortcomings. As if it wasn’t already strong enough, its two different Mega Evolutions turn it into a Special or Physical powerhouse respectively.