By Joe Julians

Published: Monday, 19 December 2022 at 12:00 am


We all have our favourite types of Pokémon, assuming you actually like Pokémon that is, and one of the more popular types are the dragons – because we can all agree that dragons are awesome, right?

But there are a lot of them in the franchise, all with their own strengths and weaknesses, so which ones are the best of the best?

Everybody will have a different list, of course, but here are our picks for the 11 best Dragon-type Pokémon. And apologies to the many that weren’t able to secure a spot on our list – there was just too much choice! Just to note, these are 11 of the best, but they aren’t ordered in preference on the list.

The 11 best Dragon-type Pokémon

Mega Charizard X

""

For years, Charizard was not technically a Dragon-type Pokémon. But for all intents and purposes, it is. It looks like a dragon, moves like a dragon, breathes fire like a dragon – it’s a dragon in our minds. However, it was first introduced as a Fire and Flying-type, and it stayed that way for years.

2013’s Pokémon X and Y, the sixth generation of games in the main RPG franchise, remedied the situation in a major way by introducing Mega Charizard X, a Fire and Dragon-type blend that is among the greatest Pokémon designs to date. Finally, our boy is a dragon!

Dragonite

""

One of the easiest to recognise as team Dragon, as it has the word in its name, is Dragonite. And it could not look more like a dragon if it tried. Dragonite is a great looking Pokémon in both its orange and green forms, and we love the whole evolutionary train of this one. For many, it’s the dragon Pokémon.

Reshiram

""

Reshiram ticks all the boxes. It’s a legendary Pokémon, it has some great moves up it sleeves to help you in battle, and it is one of the coolest looking Pokémon you can find. Sometimes ones that are legendary do not quite live up the title, but that is certainly not the case with Reshiram.

Salamence

""

A water Pokémon here but also definitely a dragon, Salamence is another fun Pokémon that can be super helpful in battles providing it has the right move sets – and if you were wondering what it evolves from when you are undertaking your next Pokéhunt, keep an eye out for Shelgon!

Dragapult

""

Dragapult is one of the more recent Pokémon on the list, and one that you may well have not come across yet unless you have sunk some time into Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch. This is a Dragon and Ghost-type ‘mon, and one that we are sure will be making the leap to other games in the franchise before too long.

Palkia

""

Another legendary for the list in Palkia who also happens to be another Pokémon that falls into the Water and Dragon-type list. A really cool design, this is one that we are still on the hunt for a shiny variation of whenever it comes up at a raid battle in Pokémon Go.

Dialga

""

This is a steed that we wish to mount and fly all over the lands with – a real beast of a Pokémon that may well be our overall favourite on this list. And it is a really tough beast too, with excellent attack and defense moves. Get Dialga in your collection as soon as you can if you don’t already!

Garchomp

""

Garchomp marches into the fray with Dragon and Ground-type stats, which means you would be far better off with one on your team than you would be being pitted against one. Draco Meteor is one of the moves you can get with it, and it is a super powerful one.

Haxorus

""

Earthquake and Dragon Rage are two moves that Haxorus can have to take down opponents, and both are super powerful moves that can cause a devastating amount of damage. It’s easy to see why this Dragon-type Pokémon is a popular choice with dragon lovers.

Rayquaza

""

Rayquaza is a tank of a Pokémon, fierce in battle, strong in defence, and about as badass they come when talking about visuals and style. And that’s before we even get into how strong this Pokémon is when evolved into its mega form – you’ll be confident in battles with it, let’s put it that way.

Giratina

""

We have to admit, it’s Giratina’s majestic flowing locks that help us love this one so much – but a potential deal with a shampoo company aside, this would still be a menacing and sinister looking Pokémon even if were bald. And it is great to take into battles as it’s capable of knocking out some of the toughest Pokémon in the game.

Read more on Pokémon:

Hungry for more gaming? Visit our video game release schedule, or swing by our hubs for more Gaming and Technology news.

Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.

The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.