In the interest of time and fairness, in order to accurately rank the electric Pokémon, some care must be taken when constructing the list of candidates. I will not be including legendary or mythical Pokémon. It would be much too easy to say “Hey everyone, the big bird that controls electricity is obviously way cooler than the Pokémon that is literally just a rat…”.
I then was still left with a list that was too big to manage, so what next big thing did I do? I grouped them into evolutionary lines, purely for the fact that there were too dang many to work with as individuals, for the most part they retain the same characteristics so it will all rinse out in the Rotom-Wash in the end.
There are 29 groups I have to now work with. Which is still a considerable amount, I even had half a brain to honestly take the Pika-Clones, Pika-Clones are any Pokémon that is supposed to fill the role of Pikachu in every region after Kanto, out completely and rank them separately. Okay NOW we are at a workable number, 22 seems fair.
Criteria will be based on the Pokémon’s ability to use electricity in an interesting or effective way, Pokedex entries from any/all generations, and the Pokémon’s overall rotundness, because no Pokémon is good if it isn’t round!
Now… the gauntlet
I will start with LAST place and that simply goes to
1. Helioptile – Heliolisk
Purely because of its Normal/Electric typing, it makes for a terrible combo, while also genuinely being not a great creature in terms of design and ability. This thing is a solar powered lizard, and to anyone else that would sound like the sickest creature. Well you are WRONG, these two are by far the worst of all electric types and I even bought the plush of Helioptile just to show that I have them all, but god damn I cannot stand the sight of him.
2. Pincurchin
This newbie showed up in the new Sword and Shield games set in the Galar region, and let me tell you, as an electric type trainer who wants to catch ‘em all, I felt nothing towards this round boy whatsoever. It is a monotype which is strange…seeing as it is an urchin, so water? I would have been even more satisfied if it were poison type! A combination I have been begging for (more on that later) but no. This spiked blob of a creature does not have much going for it. At least last generations blob, Pyukumuku, had a redeemable ability AND more of personality.
3. Stunfisk
Stunfisk has been granted leave from the bottom of the list due to those that have come after it. This generation V Unovian Pokémon falls flat haha… pretty much due to its bland design. It’s a flat fish. That is, the only redeeming quality is that it’s a ground type? Which, I guess? That helps protect it from electricity’s only weakness but THAT’S IT. It used to be the bottom of my list for so long and I have attempted to use it in battle, and it just does not feel great. Cillian uses this Pokémon in the anime, I guess? It’s a pass from me.
4. Oricorio
This bird is known across the Alola region for its ability to change its form depending on the nectar of the flowers on its island. Native to Melemele Island, the electric type form of Oricorio feasts on yellow nectar from Melemele Meadow. But therein lies the catch, it is not a true electric type, just a bird posing as one. In this form it is shown to be a cheerleader, with its wings transformed into pom-poms that it uses to generate electricity with. This wannabe electric type is higher up on the list than some natural electric type due to two simple facts. It uses its pom-poms to cheer up those it sees as sad and, quite simply, it’s a bird and I like birds. In terms of rotundness, its pom-poms add the much-needed roundness it needs to climb to this rank.
5. Chinchou – Lanturn
Okay so I actually have fond memories of a Lanturn, I caught and trained for a while, but ultimately replaced it on my team for a stronger water type. These underwater dwelling creatures are unfortunately forgotten by many people due to their difficulty of capturing in Johto. Many people today believe that these Pokémon actually found their origins in Hoenn, but that is only due to their ease of capture. As electric types, they do not actually learn many electric moves naturally. HOWEVER, what they lack in electrical skill, they sure make up for in rotundness.
6. Joltik – Galvantula
Oof, okay this is a tough one. To be fully transparent, I hate spiders. And Galvantula is TWO feet of spider. However, I will not allow this to cloud my judgment of these two. Unfortunately, it falls into the category of “creature that does one thing and then happens to use electricity as a side gig” see: above, however it uses its electricity in an interesting way—it creates sticky webs that it then sends electricity through to shock and paralyze its prey. Pretty nasty, but pretty efficient. It also has SOME rotund elements but the fact that it’s a spider kind negates that entirely.
7. Jolteon
This is a fox that uses electricity. VERY un-rotund, very spikey.
8. Blitzle – Zebstrika
These are zebras that use electricity. Very un-rotund, spikey.
9. Electrike – Manetric
These are dogs that use electricity. Very un-rotund, spikes are rounded.
10. Yamper – Boltund
These are dogs that use electricity. Rotund, no spikes.
11. Shinx – Luxio – Luxray
This family of felines are a big hit with long time Sinnoh fans. They are a member of a large cat species giving them unparalleled physical strength as well as a pretty nice special attack for those non-physical electric type moves. The real strength of these three lies in their ability to bite. They not only have access to the powerful move Thunder Fang, but Ice and Fire as well. These Pokémon also have the power to see through walls and are extremely loyal. Shinx is a cat-like Pokémon for new trainers, while Luxray, as powerful as it is, can be an amazing child care expert. Any good electric type trainer looking for a versatile Pokémon with both skills on and off the battlefield should look towards this family.
12. Dracozolt
I was not sure where to put these two next ones as they are atrocities. They are TECHNICALLY electric types, but wholly by mistake. These are two Fossil Pokémon that were fused together and then revived. They are more than just animals with the ability to use electricity, however we never truly see the full electric type creature that gives them these powers. I put them in this order simply because one see below: Arctozolt is MUCH more rotund than its brother atrocity, Dracozolt. They both harbor the unique move Bolt Beak which means that the creature responsible for its electricity MUST be some type of bird.
13. Arctozolt
See above.
14. Tynamo – Eelektrik – Eelektross
This is an interesting trio of Pokémon, they are all based on eels, but have no water typing. They are hard to train and finding them to begin with isn’t all too easy. However, something has drawn me to them for so long. Not only do they have access to some of the best electric type moves, but they can use an extremely diverse move set, and they also have the ability Levitate, which negates all ground-type damage, and as mentioned it is electricity’s ONLY weakness. This bunch is a solid group. I cannot help but feel on the fence about them though. They are strong in their own right, but something doesn’t scream electric Pokémon to me, as someone who has been using them almost exclusively for years. If given the chance, I would recommend catching one and testing them out yourself.
15. Geodude – Graveler – Golem
Now I know what you are thinking, Bren, how can three rock/ground types be on this list, let alone this high up? Well allow me to explain. We are looking at their Alolan forms, the ones with the goofy mustache/eyebrow like ones. These are actually rock/electric type Pokémon and boy do they hit hard. With the rock type providing a high defense and electricity putting out high attack, this group of dudes know what’s up. The rocks that make up their bodies are actually magnetized, allowing them the power of electricity, and without going into a physics lesson on electromagnetism, we can all still say that this is pretty neat actually. Golem in particular loves to launch boulders using its newly formed railgun cannon, and when it can’t do that, it turns to the lil Geodudes laying around as ammo. Pretty sweet! In terms of rotundness, they score mid to high range, they are still jagged rock types, but over all you can clearly see a very round shape.
16. Voltorb – Electrode
These OG electric types have been around forever. With their recognizable Pokeball-like appearance and angry faces, these explosive creatures have been the bane of many trainers’ existences since the days of Ye Ole Red and Blue. Electrode for a long time boasted the fastest speed in all games until ninjask came along and has maintained a solid special attack since then. Its access to many electric types moves such as Thunderbolt and Thunder as well as its famed moves Explosion have secured it in this high spot. Not to mention these Pokémon are by definition the MOST round Pokémon to date. You really can’t beat being just an orb.
17. Toxel – Toxtricity
For YEARS I have been begging Game Freak to give us a Pokémon that is both an electric and poison. Think of the possibilities, a Pokémon that uses some sort of neurotoxin to poison or paralyze its opponent. Yes, HOWEVER, it’s a Rockstar. Two kinds to be exact. This Pokémon comes in two forms, Amped and Lowkey. Meaning it is either playing a loud electric guitar sound on its chest organs, I swear it makes sense if you see a picture, or it’s playing bass. It can use the poison in its body to create electricity to then make the instrument sounds, it is SO strange and its design is beyond wild, crossing into Digimon territory. Toxel, its pre-evolution is literally called the BABY Pokémon, it’s wearing a diaper and it’s adorable and that’s that on THAT.
18. Charjabug – Vikavolt
I personally am not a fan of bugs or their bug type counterparts. That being said, Charjabug and Vikavolt have had my back for as long as I can remember Alola came out in 2016, 4 years is as far back as I can remember honestly… These two electric types have a perfect synthesis of electricity fused with an animal (insect?). Charjabug acts as the cocoon stage that many early game bug types share, however he is oh so much more. Charjabug acts as a BATTERY for Vikavolt to use for extra power. It has also been shown that the electricity that Charjabug stores can be used for loads of practical uses such as powering a car. Vikavolt is no joke either, it boasts large pincers that double as both grabbers and a functional railgun for those powerful electric blasts. The only place these two are lacking are in the rotund dept. If they weren’t bugs AND round, they would be my number one.
19. Magnemite – Magneton – Magnezone
For long time fans of the series, going back to Red and Blue, chances are that your first experience with electric types came in the form of Magnemite full disclosure the first electric Pokémon would be Pikachu, HOWEVER its spawn chance is so low that it’s incredibly easy to miss this one eyed metallic baby does everything you want in an electric type and does it well. These three all have extensive electric type moves and are extremely round. These three employ the ability to use magnetism, which comes in handy when dealing with those pesky ground types. They can cause themselves to float to completely avoid the ground and since they are part steel, they can hit hard back! Not only are they useful in battle, but out of battle? They generate their own electricity through magnetism, imagine having a best friend that is also a generator? It’s also been seen that Magnezone is sturdy and strong enough to carry a whole adult human around on its back, meaning you have your own UFO! These three may also seem expressionless to the untrained eye, but these three can be very affectionate and expressive if you show them the care they need.
20. Elekid – Electabuzz – Electivire
This group of powerhouses know no bounds when it comes to both raw physical and special attacks. They generate their own electric energy in their own special ways. Elekid, who in my opinion is the most baby on this list, generates electricity but rapidly spinning its arms in a windmill motion, this little 2 ft tall kid is the most adorable rotund boy, but watch out, it is quick to anger and when I say it knows how to hit, it can HIT. Like the Shinx family, the Elekid family has access to a whole slew of elemental punches stronger and more coveted than the elemental bite moves and can dish out heavy damage. Electabuzz sits at an awkward middle school, teenager stage, but once it grows out of it and becomes Electivire. Not only can he hit HARD, but he is fast, and FLUFFY. Across the board the three of these Pokémon rates high on the rotund scale.
21. Mareep – Flaaffy – Ampharos
This group of Pokémon is known for their absolute adorableness, but what many people do know realize is the power these sheep hold. Mareep alone cannot be touched due to the sheer amount of static electricity stored in its wool. Flaaffy has the same power, except the pink parts of its body have rubber like qualities, preventing it from being electrocuted itself. Finally, Ampharos has the power to glow so bright that many port towns and cities would rather use an Ampharos instead of lighthouse lights. Its light is so bright that it can be seen from SPACE. Think of the power that this creature holds in terms of sheer electricity. This Pokémon can even Mega Evolve into a DRAGON type and further increase its capabilities for massive amounts of electrical power. Not only can these creatures be formidable opponents in battle, out of battle they each prove a service that is crucial to society, whether it be providing wool or protecting sailors, these three Pokémon really encapsulate what it means to be an electric type Pokémon. Not ONLY are they cute and powerful, they are absolutely rotund and round or any form of the word you want to use, they are so close to the epitome of the perfect Pokémon.
22. Rotom
The only Pokémon that can out do the Mareep family is Rotom. Rotom is a very special Pokémon, in that not only is it an electric type but it’s also a mischievous ghost type. But Bren what does being a ghost mean to it being an electric type? Oh, dear reader, absolutely everything. Quick recap, what is something we all know ghosts can do? Possess things. Now what if that ghost has the power to control electricity? Well then you have a Pokémon that can now take over appliances that have a MOTOR oh it’s all coming together now Rotom can possess different appliances and use the element they are associated with to attack. Currently in battle, we have a Lawnmower (Grass), Fridge (Ice), Fan (Flying), Washer (Water), Oven (Fire). Not only can Rotom take over these objects, but they can IMPROVE the quality or ability of the object. This ability to change to any type to fit the situation is incredibly versatile and downright scary. Outside of battle Rotom has been seen to take over phones, computers, drones, and TVs. This Pokémon not only has the ability to power them but imagine having a phone with unlimited data, or a computer that needs no WiFi! The ultimate utility. On the scale of rotundness, in its pure form, Rotom consists of just a small round body with a single spike coming out of it. IT IS PERFECT.