Charizard has been named the most popular Pokémon on the internet overtaking previous victor Greninja.
The research, carried out by online gaming experts at Solitaire Bliss analysed search data from Google, Bing and Yahoo to determine which Pokémon is the most popular on the internet.
| Rank | Pokemon | Google searches | Bing searches | Yahoo searches | Total |
| 1 | Charizard | 234,000 | 3,000 | 3,700 | 240,700 |
| 2 | Gardevoir | 152,000 | 2,500 | 3,900 | 158,400 |
| 3 | Sylveon | 131,000 | 1,900 | 4,400 | 137,300 |
| 4 | Lucario | 122,000 | 2,000 | 2,200 | 126,200 |
| 5 | Gengar | 110,000 | 1,700 | 1,800 | 113,500 |
| 6 | Umbreon | 109,000 | 1,700 | 2,300 | 113,000 |
| 7 | Garchomp | 92,000 | 800 | 900 | 93,700 |
| 8 | Mimikyu | 80,000 | 1,800 | 2,500 | 84,300 |
| 9 | Rayquaza | 80,000 | 1,100 | 1,300 | 82,400 |
| 10 | Greninja | 70,000 | 1,400 | 1,700 | 73,100 |
Pokémon.com found the 10 most popular Pokémon amongst fans in 2020 and the researchers at Solitaire Bliss sought to find out where the same Pokémon ranked two years on.
Charizard tops the rankings and is the most popular Pokémon on the internet with 240,700 combined monthly searches on Google, Bing and Yahoo.
This first generation has been at the forefront of the Pokémon universe for over 25 years and has appeared across multiple Pokémon titles, most recently in the spin-off game Pokémon Unite.
The second most popular Pokémon according to the research is third-generation legend Gardevoir, the successor to Kirlia. Gardevoir amassed a total of 158,400 monthly searches across the three search engines
In third place comes Sylveon, the fairy-type Pokémon introduced in the sixth generation. Searches for Sylveon add up to 137,300 on average per month across Google, Bing and Yahoo.
Lucario was named the fourth most popular Pokémon on the list, down one place from the 2020 rankings. On average Lucario is searched 126,200 times a month across the three search engines.
The fifth most popular Pokémon on the internet is Gengar who has moved up five positions since 2020. This first-generation ghost/poison Pokémon totalled 113,500 monthly searches. Gengar has become a prevalent figure in pop culture, especially amongst the rap community who frequently reference the purple Pokémon in songs.
Umbreon is unmoved from two years ago as the sixth most popular Pokémon. This second-generation Pokémon averaged 113,000 monthly searches.
Garchomp ranked as the seventh most popular Pokémon, another unmoved entry from two years ago. The dragon-type Pokémon averaged 93,700 searches per month.
Representing Pikachu in some capacity on the list is Mimikyu who placed as the eighth most popular Pokémon. Searches for Mimikyu totalled 84,300 monthly across Google, Yahoo and Bing.
The game mascot of the extremely well-loved Pokémon Emerald, Rayquaza, was named as the ninth most popular Pokémon on the internet. The Sky High Pokémon fell one place from its 2020 fan ranking and currently averages 82,400 searches per month.
The former number one Pokémon Greninja falls all the way to tenth place in the popularity rankings. The final evolution of the water-type Froakie was introduced in Pokémon X and Y in 2013. Greninja owes its popularity to its presence in anime and averages 73,100 searches per month.
A spokesperson for Solitaire Bliss said: “Over the last few decades Pokémon have become increasingly popular, despite the age of the franchise.
“Credit can definitely be given to the emergence of social platforms like TikTok that highlight their nostalgic importance amongst particular age groups.
“It may be surprising to some that Pikachu didn’t make the top ten. This character has become so synonymous with the brand, even to those who have never played the video games or watched the shows.
“But it’s always good to see Pokémon from all generations gain popularity, that’s what it’s all about. Enjoying all of the Pokéverse, every character, every game, every episode and just admiring what an impressive body of work it is and continues to be.”
Credit to solitairebliss.com.
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