There’s a lot I like about Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but my favorite part is that it brings mega evolutions back to the series. Introduced in Pokémon X and Y, the battle gimmick has always been one of the series’ brightest innovations. It doesn’t just change the dynamics of battle, but gives Game Freak and The Pokémon Company a chance to refresh old favorite monsters in unique ways. I’ve long been frustrated at its absence from the series since, but the feature is now back with a bang.
What makes that even more exciting is the fact that Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces 26 entirely new mega evolutions, giving new forms to old favorites like Dragonite and total weirdos like Dragalge. But not all makeovers are for the best, and Z-A contains an equal helping of glow-ups and cosmic horrors never before seen by God or man. After spending dozens of hours studying the new monsters in Lumiose City, here’s how they stack up against one another.
26. Mega Starmie
They gave Starmie legs. Why did they give Starmie legs? David Cronenberg-ass body horror monstrosity. Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Ministry of Silly Walks. A SpongeBob SquarePants gag run amok. I detest this abomination to Monkind with my whole heart. I will dedicate my life to hunting it down, like Van Helsing.
25. Mega Scrafty
I’m just going to call a spade a spade: bro got toilet papered. The Pokédex entry explains that the white cloth around its body is actually skin that’s been shedded, but you’re not fooling me. This sucker got hazed by the local high school football team. With a hood of TP covering up his rebellious mohawk, Mega Scrafty is a poster child for bullying.
24. Mega Pyroar
One of my least favorite mega evolution design philosophies is “the same Pokémon, but a little more.” Sometimes it works (as you’ll see later on this list), but other times it just feels like the designers couldn’t quite think of a good idea and called it a day. Mega Pyroar is a peak example of the latter. The only difference between the base and mega form of the fire lion is that its mane gets bigger. Big whoop buddy, I can do that too by not getting a haircut for a few months. Learn how to jump through a hoop or something.
23. Mega Skarmory
Skarmory is one of those forgotten Pokémon that has an iconic design that I’ll stand by. The idea of a steel bird is neat, and Skarmory delivers on that promise with its sharp wings and fierce demeanor. Mega Skarmory is just the same thing but painted gold. There’s no apparent justification for the color change, as its Pokédex entry makes no mention of its alloy change at all. It’s as tacky as an Oval Office vanity makeover.
22. Mega Feraligatr
The idea here is that Feraligatr, known for its powerful jaws, gets a giant hood over its head that forms a bigger set of teeth when closed. It’s a great idea on paper, and looks great at the right angle, but most of the time it looks like Feralgatr has a really big hat that awkwardly looms over its head. Not exactly fashionable for a Lumiose City resident.
21. Mega Greninja
This is not a mega evolution. Dude is just upside down. You are not fooling me.
20. Mega Chesnaught
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Mega Chesnaught’s perfectly fine design; it’s just that it’s a lateral move for him. The grass starter already has a fairly cool design, with his spikes and armored shell. The mega version changes some shapes and makes those spikes a bit pointier, but it’s more like when a Marvel superhero gets a slight costume tweak between movies to justify a new run of toys.
19. Mega Eternal Floette
Okay look, Mega Eternal Floette is perfectly fine. The sight of a tiny little fairy with an enormous flower that attacks enemies on its own is very funny. But I simply can’t get over the fact that it looks like said flower is attached to it via umbilical cord. Maybe this is my own personal hang-up here and I need to get over it, but I can’t unsee it. I’m sorry.
18. Mega Malamar
I’m a Malamar hater through and through. The psychic/dark creature has always made me a little uncomfortable for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a sea monster with a beak, for some reason. I know squids have beaks in real life, but that just ain’t right and you can’t convince me otherwise. Mega Malamar’s body is definitely a step up with its ribbon-like limbs and its bright rainbow colors. But also, it does look like Megamind, from the 2010 Dreamworks film Megamind. I’m not sure if that’s ultimately better or worse.
17. Mega Scolipede
Scolipede’s makeover mostly involves the bug getting an extra layer of armor and some longer antenna that better show off its venomous power. It’s a pretty standard mega form that doesn’t leave much room for critique. If I’m docking points for anything here, it’s that it now looks like it’s wearing a big old bib as it prepares to chow down on some lobster.
16. Mega Excadrill
Excadrill is one of those designs that’s hard to iterate on, because it already feels like the right conclusion for the Drilbur evolutionary line. It’s a rad mole with steel limbs that could gut you like a fish in seconds. Mega Excadrill overdoes it, making those appendages much longer and seemingly more unwieldy. That said, the trade-off is that it can bring its arms and head hood together to form an enormous drill, which could probably kill you even faster. And really, that’s the only metric I care about when it comes to Excadrill.
15. Mega Eelektross
Mega Eelektross is so gross that I actually kind of respect it. When evolving, you’ll notice that the electric eel gets a bit of a Magneton treatment, with two additional fish attaching to it. Those are actually appendages made out of its mucus. Yep, that’s a snot rocket, friends.
14. Mega Dragalge
To be honest, I’m throwing Mega Dragalge at the center of the list because I have no idea what’s going on with this sucker. The living kelp monster gets a maximalist final form in Z-A, complete with antlers and an enormous purple cape. It is a totally surreal piece of sea life that feels like it was born from one of those websites that fuses random Pokémon together. I don’t understand it, but it compels me.
13. Mega Barbaracle
Usually I’d be against a mega evolution that’s just the same monster with a little more, but Mega Barbaracle gets a pass. His ultra form grows twice as many arms, creating a nightmarish image that really sticks with you. But what I’m mostly happy about here is that the barnacle monster gets a serious posture check when it evolves, with its awkward wide stance getting closed off and making the thing look more elegant. Barbaracle is finally ready for the ballet.
12. Mega Clefable
If you asked 100 monkeys to figure out a design for Mega Clefable, you would have to wait one million lifetimes for them to produce this. The bipedal fairy basically turns into Mothra when exposed to its mega stone, sprouting giant pink wings made possible by the power of moonlight. It feels like a left-field turn, but it’s one that makes a lot more sense when you study Clefable’s design and realize it had wings all this time. Though, oddly enough, Mega Clefable can’t actually fly. It just levitates, making those giant wings more of an unnecessary statement piece than anything.
11. Mega Dragonite
Mega Dragonite was immediately the subject of ridicule when it was first revealed, but I’m here to come to its defense. Is putting wings on its head not just confusing from an evolutionary standpoint, but also impractical? Yes. But also, this is Pokémon. Since when are we policing physics? I think the new version of Dragonite looks rather elegant — regal even! — with its Victorian hairstyle and bejeweled tail that better connects it to Dragonair.
10. Mega Meganium
Okay, this one is just straight up funny and that can go a long way, so long as you’re not a walking Starmie. Meganium’s final form makes sense on paper, with more flowers blooming around the grass dinosaur’s neck. But it seems that a few too many have sprouted, making Meganium look like a kid who has been covered in pool floaties by overprotective parents. It’s incredibly silly, but Meganium looks overjoyed about it, so who am I to stop it from living its best life?
9. Mega Complete Zygarde
How do you make X and Y’s ultimate lifeform even more powerful? Give it a giant frickin’ gun. That’s basically what you get with Mega Complete Zygarde, who plays a big role in Z-A’s finale. The creature’s body undergoes a bit of a transformation, but the important part is that it gets a giant, black cannon that I’m pretty sure could blast a hole through the Earth’s core. It’s an evolution fit for a legendary.
8. Mega Emboar
Emboar has always been a fun bit of design, paying tribute to Chinese history with a look inspired by Zhang Fei. The pig’s mega form only dials that up, really making him look like a warrior of the Three Kingdoms. Aside from his more fiery look, Mega Emboar also gets a very cool flaming staff (that also looks a bit like a strip of bacon). If we ever get a Pokémon Dynasty Warriors crossover, he’s a first-ballot pick for the roster right alongside Greninja.
7. Mega Falinks
Perhaps this placement will be a bit controversial, but I’m absolutely tickled by Mega Falinks. I never really understood the brassy caterpillar’s appeal in Sword and Shield, but the mega form really sells the goofiness just right. The little troopers come together to form a bipedal swordsman with a shield. It looks absolutely ridiculous, but endearingly so. These reject Astro Bot enemies are trying so hard to look intimidating! Look at them go! And shout out to the little guy in the middle who is exerting a lot of effort to hold the whole operation together. I love the little fellow.
6. Mega Froslass
Talk about a glow up! Froslass has always been a design that’s felt like a stage two evolution looking for its third form. It’s basically meant to look like an ice maiden wearing a kimono, but it always looked more like a shy kid hiding behind a Cubone mask. Mega Froslass brings that design to its natural conclusion, turning her into a towering vision of grace. It’s the kind of design that’s going to send a certain subsect of fans into a feral frenzy. Expect decades of fan art to emerge from this.
5. Mega Delphox
Maybe this is just the Halloween season speaking through me, but I love a good witch design. That’s basically what you get with Mega Delphox. Part of its fur turns black and it gets a giant flaming broomstick that it can fly around on. On top of that, it surrounds itself with flaming twigs that can absolutely incinerate its foes. Like Mega Emboar, it’s a top-notch final form for a starter that fully realizes the original concept.
4. Mega Drampa
I’m so happy for Drampa, man. Even since its debut in Sun and Moon, it has been one of the doofiest looking Pokémon in the entire series. Considering that just about every dragon Pokémon is straight-up cool, Drampa always felt like it drew the short straw. Mega Drampa finally rectifies that injustice with a fierce new look that goes toe-to-toe with the best dragons out there. Its goose-like neck straightens out, it gains a body that looks like a thundercloud, and it gains the ability to manipulate the atmosphere. Its Pokédex entry says that all this is possible because it regains its youth, so we’re basically seeing what Drampa looked like before it was an eternally old man.
3. Mega Chandelure
I’ll admit that I have a bit of a bias here. Chandelure has always been one of my favorite Pokémon designs. As far as “inanimate object ghosts” go, it nails the haunted chandelier assignment with its visually pleasing purple and black design. Mega Chandelure just takes that great idea to its ultimate form, turning it into an even more extravagant lighting fixture. But what really earns it a top spot on this list is the fact that its Pokédex entry goes unbelievably hard: “One of its eyes is a window linking our world with the afterlife. This Pokémon draws in hatred and converts it into power.” It perfectly encapsulates the existential crises sweeping the residents of Lumiose City.
2. Mega Hawlucha
Hawlucha is one of those Pokémon that’s hard to screw up. The fighting bird ranks among the very best design-wise as a flying luchador inspired by Mexican professional wrestling. Mega Hawlucha keeps that tradition sacred, giving it a golden mask fit for a champion. It looks exactly like the kind of ring gear someone like Rey Mysterio would don for a main event championship match. If you want to see just how true to lucha libre tradition it is, look up Pokémon’s recent crossover with wrestling promotion CMLL, where Mistico wore ring gear inspired by Hawlucha.
1. Mega Victreebel
Tweaking anything about the original 151 Pokémon is a tall task. You have to figure out how to change already perfect designs, while butting up against player nostalgia that often isn’t kind to new ideas. Mega Victreebel is a masterclass in how to nail that assignment. The pitcher plant’s final evolution is gut-bustingly funny, a little horrifying, and delightfully grotesque. It turns into a rotund gourd full of purple acid that spills uncontrollably from its tiny mouth. There’s a good reason that its straight-up terrifying reveal video had fans buzzing for a good week. This is one of those designs that proves that Game Freak and The Pokémon Company still have plenty of weird, iconic ideas left in the tank. It almost makes up for Mega Starmie. Almost.