Pokemon: Every Pikachu Clone, Ranked

From the very beginning, Pikachu the electric mouse has been the poster child of the super-popular Pokemon franchise. You’ve seen Pikachu everywhere, from riding Ash’s shoulder to solving mysteries in Detective Pikachu to floating through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Needless to say, Pikachu has one of the most recognizable faces in Pokemon.

In fact, Pikachu shares its iconic face with a bunch of other Pokemon who have been consistently added to the Pokedex throughout the years. Whether these clones are electric rodents or imposters in disguise, their designs were definitely intended to replicate the original mascot you know and love. Which of them, then, is the best?

Updated on April 26, 2025 by Casey Foot: Pikachu is the most famous Pokemon ever, so it’s no surprise that Game Freak designed more Pokemon that use elements of its design. We saw a little more of Pokemon Legends Z-A this past Pokemon Day, and though there was no new Pikachu clone announced just yet, who’s to say a new Pikachu variant won’t appear sometime soon? In any case, we’ve updated our ranking of every Pikachu clone so far to include some more information about them in the meantime.

Honorable Mention – Pichu

Back in the first generation, when there were only 151 Pokemon, Pikachu’s evolution line was straightforward, where it would simply evolve into Raichu. It wasn’t until the generation after that a baby Pokemon named Pichu would be added into the mix.

Pichu is the definition of a ‘mini-me’ Pikachu with the same yellow fur and red cheeks. It’s tinier overall, though its ears are oversized to mimic the features of a baby animal. That being said, Pichu is extremely weak and cannot contribute much in battle aside from distracting the opponents with its charm.

Honorable Mention – Raichu

Due to the fact that Ash’s Pikachu hasn’t evolved for as many years as Ash stayed ten years old, sometimes you might forget that the beloved mascot can actually evolve into Raichu at any time with the use of a Thunder Stone. Ash’s Pikachu just chooses not to.

If Ash’s Pikachu were to evolve, it would see a large boost all-around, with a base Speed over 100 and decent offensive stats. In addition, Raichu is one of the original Pokemon to get a unique Alolan variant. While the standard Raichu is pure Electric, Alolan Raichu is Electric and Psychic.

9

Plusle

Plusle is one of two electric rodents introduced in the Hoenn Region. Generally, Plusle and its ‘minus’ counterpart, Minun, are found and associated together due to their near-identical characteristics. However, they do have some differences that set them apart.

Of the two, Plusle has the higher stats in Attack and Special Attack, which means it can make better use of its powerful Electric attacks, such as Thunder. Its offensive boost also goes hand in hand with its Hidden Ability, Lightning Rod, which absorbs all Electric moves on the battlefield to raise its Special Attack stat even more.

8

Minun

In contrast to Plusle, Minun has higher Defense and Special Defense stats, making it able to survive more hits. Its Hidden Ability, Volt Absorb, is similar to Lightning Rod where it absorbs Electric attacks but heals HP instead of boosting Special Attack.

This means Minun would make a good supportive teammate in a double battle. Known as the Cheering Pokemon, Minun can use Helping Hand to boost its partner’s damage output or Thunder Wave to slow the opponent down. If Minun is fighting alongside Plusle, they can take advantage of their signature Plus and Minus Abilities.

7

Togedemaru

The roundest of the Pikachu clones is Togedemaru, who looks as soft and cuddly as the rest but is actually part Steel-type. The Steel-typing helps give Togedemaru a lot more resistances, though it becomes an even easier target for Ground attacks.

Aside from typing, Togedemaru has a collection of spikes on its back that prove to be quite handy during battle. It gets access to a suitable defensive move, Spiky Shield, to protect itself from an incoming physical attack while also damaging the opponent in the process. Its ability, Iron Barbs, works similarly.

6

Emolga

Pure Electric-type Pokemon have a single weakness in Ground attacks. The only Pikachu clone that is completely immune to Ground-type moves is the flying squirrel, Emolga. Thanks to its Flying-typing, it can avoid Earthquakes and High Horsepowers that would otherwise demolish it.

In addition, Emolga is a very speedy little guy. It can glide through the skies while simultaneously absorbing other Electric attacks, converting them into handy speedy boosts with its Hidden Ability, Motor Drive. With enough speed, Emolga will surely be able to outspeed its opponent.

5

Dedenne

Introduced in the sixth generation, Dedenne came with the wave of Fairy-types and is one of the few two Electric/Fairy Pokemon currently in the games. Dedenne may be the shortest of the electric rodents, but its adorable chubby cheeks hold a lot more power than you would assume.

Dedenne’s Ability, Cheek Pouch, works great if it’s holding a berry to eat during battle. Once the berry is consumed, its Cheek Pouch Ability will heal a good portion of its HP along with the usual effects of the berry to help it out of sticky situations.

4

Morpeko

Morpeko is an eighth Generation Pokemon who arrived with the launch of Sword & Shield. While it may look super friendly and cute on a full stomach, things escalate quickly when it starts to feel hungry.

Unlike most Pokemon, Morpeko has the Ability to constantly change forms between each turn in a battle. In its Full Belly mode, Morpeko is cheerful and its signature move, Aura Wheel, will be Electric-type. In its Hangry mode, Morpeko turns purple in fury, and Aura Wheel will switch to Dark-type.

3

Pachirisu

Pachirisu is a blue and white squirrel who, at a glance, does not seem to have anything that truly sets it apart from the rest of the Pikachu clones. It’s a pure Electric type like Pikachu, Pichu, Raichu, Plusle, and Minun, and two of its Abilities, Run Away and Pickup, are completely useless in a competitive setting.

However, Pachirisu rose to fame in its incredible performance at the Pokemon World Championship in 2014. Pachirisu not only won the championship title but also took on major threats like Tyranitar and Salamence.

2

Pawmi, Pawmo, Pawmot

Pawmi definitely doesn’t lack points in the cuteness department. It was introduced in the ninth Generation, and you can have it on your team in Scarlet & Violet. Besides Pichu and Pikachu itself, Pawmi is the only Pikachu clone that can evolve, with its next two evolutions being Pawmo and Pawmot. It starts off as a pure Electric type, gaining Fighting as a secondary typing as it evolves, and has a good balance of speed and attack power.

Its Abilities make for good passive skills that can unexpectedly help out. Its Hidden Ability, Iron Fist, gives 20 percent more power to punching moves. This makes Pawmi a great team member in the early game of Scarlet & Violet, and its evolutions allow it to keep up with the rest of your team, too.

1

Mimikyu

Unlike the other Pikachu clones who naturally look like Pikachu by design, Mimikyu’s eerie resemblance to the mascot has more to do with its backstory. Mimikyu is a rather timid Pokemon who desperately wishes to make friends, as implied by its signature Z-move, Let’s Snuggle Forever.

But because it has a hard time making friends on its own, it disguises itself as the popular Pikachu in hopes of attracting more attention. This disguise happens to be a great asset in battle, as it allows Mimikyu to take a power hit without damage until its disguise is broken.