Pokemon is usually a what-you-see-is-what-you-get affair. Most Pokemon species come in a package everyone is familiar with and can identify. However, some Pokemon have the ability to mix things up with different forms that not only have different designs, but can do different things on the battlefield.
While most Pokemon with form differences are Legendary or Mythical, this list will shine the spotlight on the little guys. Some non-Legendary Pokemon nonetheless stand out with different forms, whether permanent or interchangeable within a battle. These ten have it the best, with certain form differences that make a bigger difference than others, some of them even gaining notable competitive viability.
Note: This list will not include regional variants, Mega Evolutions, or Gigantamax forms.
10 Cramorant
Cramorant has a bunch of different forms that work in tandem with its Gulp Missile ability. The easy way to explain it is: use Surf or Dive, get a Pokemon caught in your throat, take a hit, and spit the Pokemon at your attacker for some extra damage.
What that Pokemon is depends on the Cramorant’s health. If Cramorant has at least half of its HP, it catches an Arrokuda, which, when hurled at an attacker, drops their Defense by a stage alongside the extra damage. If its HP is below half, Cramorant catches a Pikachu, which inflicts paralysis on an attacker instead of a Defense drop.
9 Minior
Minior’s stats during a battle are very dependent on the form it takes on, which is either the Meteor Form or Core Form. That’s a product of its Shields Down ability, and, in turn, is also dependent on whether or not its HP is above or below half.
Minior starts a battle in its Meteor Form, which is a purely defensive form (high Defense and Special Defense). As the battle goes on and its HP drops to below half, it breaks out and turns into its Core Form, which is a purely offensive form (high Attack, Special Attack, and Speed).
8 Gourgeist
The first spectrum of alternate forms based solely on the Pokemon’s size, Gourgeist comes in four sizes: Small, Average, Large, and Super. They have a bearing on the Gourgeist’s stats, particularly with HP, Attack, and Speed. How those stats are distributed are about what you’d expect; the bigger the Gourgeist, the higher the HP and Attack, and the lower the Speed.
Each size is useful in its own right, but the one-size-fits-all concept is kind of true with Gourgeist’s movesets. No matter what size it is, it’s best to run it as an attacker; the size mainly determines whether Gourgeist is a mid-level sweeper or tanky wallbreaker.
7 Oricorio
Aside from the Legendary Island Guardians, Alola also has this bird species as a unique way to distinguish between its four islands. Oricorio’s style generally depends on where it was caught, and that changes both its primary type and the type of its signature move, Revelation Dance.
The Electric-type Pom-Pom style can be found in Melemele Island, the Fire-type Baile style in Ula’ula, the Psychic-type Pa’u style in Akala, and the Ghost-type Sensu style in Poni. All their stats are the same, so whichever one is more viable kind of depends on their typing. In a vacuum, that would make Pom-Pom the winner, with Electric/Flying being an excellent type combo.
6 Mimikyu
While Mimikyu ticks quite differently compared to the other Pokemon on this list that just have straightforward different forms, it’s nonetheless become a difficult Pokemon to deal with. Its Disguise ability technically constitutes a form change, with base form (also known as Disguised Form) Mimikyu turning into its Busted Form after taking a hit and preventing it from taking any damage.
While the two forms in question are barely different from each other from both a design and stats standpoint, the ability to take a free hit virtually unscathed is huge. It turns Mimikyu from an otherwise mediocre Pokemon to an unexpected candidate to sweep your team, as that free turn allows for either setting up or dealing extra damage.
5 Darmanitan
This doesn’t refer to the Unovan and Galarian regional variants of Darmanitan, but rather, the Zen Mode that each of them takes on when they run with their hidden abilities. Both regional variants’ Zen Mode forms function quite differently in respect to their base forms.
Unovan Darmanitan’s Zen Mode switches its Attack and Speed stat investment into Special Attack and the two types of defenses, while Galarian Darmanitan’s boosts its Attack and Speed stat further. Both also gain extra types, with the Unovan becoming a Fire/Psychic-type and the Galarian becoming an Ice/Fire-type. While the former is a bit taxing thanks to the drastic stat switch-up, the latter is incredibly powerful and an excellent alternative to its Choice Band-esque Gorilla Tactics ability.
4 Lycanroc
Rockruff and Lycanroc are on par with Eevee, Espeon, and Umbreon when it comes to Pokemon with time-based evolution methods. The two or three forms of your choosing really make you think about what time of the day you want to evolve a Rockruff.
There are two forms of Lycanroc that can be achieved relatively normally: Midday Form, which is achieved when leveled up to level 25 in the daytime, and Midnight Form, which is achieved when leveled up at night. There’s also the event-exclusive Dusk Form, which is only achievable with an Own Tempo (its hidden ability) Rockruff that levels up between 5:00 and 5:59 PM. While Dusk Form is the competitive standout, all are excellent Rock-type options for playthroughs.
3 Rotom
The little appliance possessor has Lycanroc beat in terms of having multiple forms with different functions. Hardly anyone in the competitive scene even uses Rotom’s base form anymore; it’s all about which of the five enhanced forms suit your fancy.
Of course, said five forms change Rotom’s secondary type and main attacking move. Heat Rotom is a Fire-type with Overheat, Wash Rotom a Water-type with Hydro Pump, Frost Rotom an Ice-type with Blizzard, Mow Rotom a Grass-type with Leaf Storm, and Fan Rotom a Flying-type with Air Slash. All forms aside from the base form share the same stat spread, which gives them nice bulk and defenses.
2 Aegislash
No other Pokemon switches between its alternate forms more often than Aegislash. That’s thanks to its signature ability, Stance Change, and the move that works in conjunction with that — King’s Shield.
Of course, the two forms in question are its Shield Form, which has high defenses, and its Blade Forme, which has high attacking stats. The ability to switch between a defensive stance to an offensive stance and vice versa in a snap has made Aegislash incredibly viable over the years. It’s essentially a defensive wall and an offensive freight train all at once, and is much harder to stop because of it.
1 Greninja
If you want to talk about special treatment, look no further than Greninja being the only starter with this kind of alternate form. The Ash-Greninja form is truly one of a kind, and works excellent as a Mega Evolution equivalent.
This special form is achieved with the Greninja given out in the Sun & Moon games with the Battle Bond ability. It activates after knocking an opponent out, and you get huge stat boosts to its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, turning it into a spectacular offensive Pokemon. The fact that you get to choose between a very strong Battle Bond ability and the equally viable Protean ability is just unfair.
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