The first Pokémon games, Pokémon: Red and Pokémon: Green, came out in Japan in 1996, followed quickly by Pokémon: Blue. A couple of years later, the games received slight alterations and debuted in other regions of the world in its Red and Blue versions. These titles featured some iconic Pokémon, many of which are still among the most popular today. Some of these beloved creatures are the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon of the franchise's Kanto region.

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These Pokémon are sometimes available outside of the Kanto region as well. This accessibility makes them viable picks for several main-series games. All of them are capable in a playthrough, but certain ones are stronger than others. It may be a while in-game before trainers can acquire them, if at all, but if they can, players can feel confident when have these powerhouses on their teams.

Articuno

Articuno glistening in an ice cave in the Pokémon anime.

Since Kanto was the first region introduced in the Pokémon series, it is only natural that it is one of the more simple in terms of layout. While it may not be the coolest out of every Pokémon region, the Legendary Pokémon that originated here certainly are fascinating. The Ice/Flying Articuno has relatively high defensive stats, and its Special Defense could even be categorized as great. Its Speed is decent but not incredible, which makes its ability to take a hit all the more valuable.

Offensively, Articuno's Special Attack is superior to its Attack, but only slightly. Neither stat is exceptional, though. It can use both offensive stats fairly effectively, helping in matchups where one or the other is less effective. Though Articuno's HP and defensive stats give it solid bulk, Articuno suffers from four type weaknesses, one of which is an extreme vulnerability. Paired with only two type resistances, Articuno often does not have great matchups in battle. It is a strong Pokémon, but when compared to some of the strongest in the region, Articuno can sometimes fall short.

Moltres

Moltres flies in the Pokemon anime

While Articuno's stats help it defensively, Moltres's help it offensively. Its Special Attack stat is great, making some of its Special moves, like Hurricane and Heat Wave, all the more powerful. Its Attack is also fairly high. Moltres is only slightly faster than Articuno, so while it often out-speeds opponents, there are many times when it does not. When it needs to rely on its defensive stats, it can be in trouble. Both the Physical and Special sides are fine, but neither provides Moltres with the bulk to reliably tank multiple attacks.

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Moltres has one less type weakness than Articuno, but it still has one extreme vulnerability. However, its typing of Fire/Flying gives it six resistances, which can help it tremendously. In addition, Moltres can have Flame Body, which became its Hidden Ability in Generation V when Hidden Abilities were introduced. Flame Body has a chance to inflict the Burn condition on an enemy that makes contact with an attack. This can be very helpful in battle.

Zapdos

Zapdos flies in front of dark clouds in the Pokemon anime

When ranked compared to every Pokémon Legendary trio, the Legendary birds are somewhere in the middle, but the strongest among them is Zapdos. As an Electric/Flying-type, the Legendary only has two type weaknesses and boasts five resistances. It is quite fast, which allows it to often move before its opponents and strike using its great Special Attack stat. Its Attack stat is less impressive, but it is almost as high as Articuno's highest offensive stat, making it not exceptional but still decent.

Defensively, Zapdos is not as impressive. Its HP is the same as its counterparts, but its Defense and Special Defense are both lackluster compared to others of its classification. However, as previously stated, Zapdos only has two type weaknesses, giving it fewer enemies that can take it down in one hit. Furthermore, if it has Static, which is its Hidden Ability beginning in Generation VI, opponents that make contact with an attack have a chance to gain the Paralysis condition. Zapdos can handle many situations very well, and it is considered one of the best dual-type Electric Pokémon for a reason.

Mew

Mew holds its paws to its face in the Pokemon anime

As a Mythical, Mew is one of the hardest Pokémon in the entire franchise to obtain. If trainers can get one, though, Mew can be an invaluable member of the team. The pure Psychic-type may not look intimidating, but it can be a dangerous opponent. Each of its stats has the same fairly high value, making it consistently strong in every department.

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One of the biggest draws of Mew is its move pool. While its level-up options are limited, Mew can learn most moves in the series through other means. As such, it can have incredible utility. It does not excel in any one area, but its reliability can make playing through the main series games much less challenging, as long as trainers can find a way to obtain one.

Mewtwo

Mewtwo floating over a city at night

Mewtwo received two Mega Evolutions in Generation VI, and Mega Mewtwo Y is the undisputed strongest pure Psychic Pokémon in the series by a long shot. Even without this upgrade, though, Mewtwo would still be the strongest of its typing. The Legendary's only downside is that its defensive stats are not as stellar as those of some other Legendaries or Mythicals, but Mewtwo more than makes up for this with its other capabilities.

Its Speed is fantastic, and its Special Attack is absurdly high. Using these stats, Mewtwo can devastate with some of the excellent Special moves to which it has access. Even though Mewtwo's Attack stat is much lower, it is still high relative to those of many other Pokémon. Mewtwo is one of the most iconic Generation I Pokémon, and it is clear why.

NEXT: 10 Most Underrated Starter Pokémon