Table of contents
- Every Pokémon movie in release order
- Do you have to watch the Pokémon movies in order, and are they canon?
- Which Pokémon movies are remakes or retellings?
- Which movie features which legendary Pokémon?
- What is Pokémon: 4Ever and when is the Blu-ray out?
- What is Pokémon: Wild Card?
- Is Detective Pikachu part of the anime movies?
- Where can you watch the Pokémon movies?
- Pokémon movies FAQ
Every Pokémon movie in release order
The 23 animated films run from 1998 to 2020. Years in the table are the original Japanese release years, and English-language releases often came a year or more later.
| # | Movie | Year | Era | Story in one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon: The First Movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back | 1998 | Original series | Ash and friends are invited to New Island, where the cloned Pokémon of Mewtwo wait. |
| 2 | Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One | 1999 | Original series | A collector captures the legendary birds and upsets the balance of the world, until Lugia steps in. |
| 3 | Pokémon 3: The Movie, Spell of the Unown | 2000 | Original series | The Unown create an Entei for a lonely girl, and Ash’s mother is caught inside their crystal tower. |
| 4 | Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi, Voice of the Forest | 2001 | Original series | Celebi pulls a boy from the past into the future while the Iron-Masked Marauder hunts it. |
| 5 | Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias | 2002 | Original series | Ash protects Latios, Latias and the Soul Dew in the canal city of Alto Mare. |
| 6 | Jirachi: Wish Maker | 2003 | Advanced Generation | Max befriends Jirachi, which wakes for only seven days every thousand years. |
| 7 | Destiny Deoxys | 2004 | Advanced Generation | Deoxys and Rayquaza clash over a high-tech city. |
| 8 | Lucario and the Mystery of Mew | 2005 | Advanced Generation | Ash wakes the sealed Aura Guardian Lucario to rescue Pikachu from Mew. |
| 9 | Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea | 2006 | Advanced Generation | Ash and a Ranger guard Manaphy on its way to the Sea Temple. |
| 10 | The Rise of Darkrai | 2007 | Diamond and Pearl | Dialga and Palkia fight in the real world, and Darkrai becomes a town’s unlikely protector. |
| 11 | Giratina and the Sky Warrior | 2008 | Diamond and Pearl | Shaymin joins Ash and Dawn as Giratina is dragged out of the Reverse World. |
| 12 | Arceus and the Jewel of Life | 2009 | Diamond and Pearl | Ash travels back in time to fix a broken promise between Arceus and a town. |
| 13 | Zoroark: Master of Illusions | 2010 | Diamond and Pearl | Zoroark’s illusions threaten Crown City while a businessman chases the legendary beasts. |
| 14 | Victini and Zekrom / Victini and Reshiram | 2011 | Black and White | Two Japanese versions of one film, set in the Kingdom of the Vale. |
| 15 | Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice | 2012 | Black and White | Keldeo and the Swords of Justice face Kyurem. |
| 16 | Genesect and the Legend Awakened | 2013 | Black and White / XY | A group of Genesect clashes with Mewtwo in New Tork City. |
| 17 | Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction | 2014 | XY | Ash helps Diancie create a new Heart Diamond while Yveltal awakens. |
| 18 | Hoopa and the Clash of Ages | 2015 | XY | Hoopa’s rings summon legendary Pokémon and set off a battle of legends. |
| 19 | Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel | 2016 | XY | Ash is chained to Volcanion while they rescue the artificial Pokémon Magearna. |
| 20 | Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! | 2017 | Alternate continuity | A retelling of Ash and Pikachu’s first journey, with new companions and a chase after Ho-Oh. |
| 21 | Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us | 2018 | Alternate continuity | A seaside wind festival goes wrong, and locals work with Ash to save the city, with help from Lugia. |
| 22 | Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back, Evolution | 2019 | Alternate continuity | A CG remake of the first movie. |
| 23 | Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle | 2020 | Alternate continuity | Ash meets Koko, a boy raised by Zarude in the jungle. |
Do you have to watch the Pokémon movies in order, and are they canon?
No, you do not have to watch them in order, because almost every film stands on its own. The first 19 movies feature the same Ash and Pikachu as the TV anime and are side stories that fit between episodes, so they are loosely tied to the series but not required viewing. Movies 20 to 23 are set in their own continuity, starting with I Choose You!, which retells Ash’s first days as a trainer.
If you want a simple path, watch 1 to 19 in release order, then 20 to 23 as a second group. Many of the early films also played in theaters with a short Pikachu film, for example Pikachu’s PikaBoo with 4Ever.
Which Pokémon movies are remakes or retellings?
Two are. I Choose You! (2017) retells Ash and Pikachu’s first journey, and Mewtwo Strikes Back, Evolution (2019) is a CG remake of the very first film. Both sit in the alternate continuity group rather than the original one.
| Movie | What it redoes | Group |
|---|---|---|
| I Choose You! (2017) | Ash and Pikachu’s first journey, with new companions | Alternate continuity |
| Mewtwo Strikes Back, Evolution (2019) | Movie 1, rebuilt in CG animation | Alternate continuity |
Which movie features which legendary Pokémon?
Almost every film is built around one legendary or Mythical Pokémon. Use this table to find the movie for a specific Pokémon.
| Pokémon | Movie (number) |
|---|---|
| Mewtwo | The First Movie (1), Evolution (22), and Genesect and the Legend Awakened (16) |
| Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres | The Power of One (2); Lugia also helps in The Power of Us (21) |
| Entei and the Unown | Spell of the Unown (3) |
| Celebi | 4Ever (4); it also appears in Zoroark: Master of Illusions (13) |
| Latios and Latias | Pokémon Heroes (5) |
| Jirachi | Wish Maker (6) |
| Deoxys and Rayquaza | Destiny Deoxys (7) |
| Lucario and Mew | Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (8) |
| Manaphy | Temple of the Sea (9) |
| Dialga, Palkia and Darkrai | The Rise of Darkrai (10) |
| Giratina and Shaymin | Giratina and the Sky Warrior (11) |
| Arceus | Arceus and the Jewel of Life (12) |
| Zoroark | Master of Illusions (13) |
| Victini, Zekrom and Reshiram | Victini and Zekrom / Reshiram (14) |
| Kyurem and the Swords of Justice | Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice (15) |
| Genesect | Genesect and the Legend Awakened (16) |
| Diancie and Yveltal | Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (17) |
| Hoopa | Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (18) |
| Volcanion and Magearna | Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (19) |
| Ho-Oh | I Choose You! (20) |
| Zarude | Secrets of the Jungle (23) |
What is Pokémon: 4Ever and when is the Blu-ray out?
Pokémon 4Ever is the fourth animated Pokémon movie, released in Japan in 2001 as Celebi: A Timeless Encounter. VIZ Media announced on November 4, 2026 that it is coming to Blu-ray in North America on January 5, 2027.
In the film, Ash, Misty and Brock meet Sam, a boy Celebi carried forty years into the future. The Iron-Masked Marauder, a Team Rocket member, hunts Celebi with Dark Balls that turn Pokémon evil, and Suicune also plays a part. It reached North American theaters through Miramax the following year.
What is Pokémon: Wild Card?
Pokémon: Wild Card is the next animated Pokémon movie, announced on August 30–31, 2026 at the closing ceremony of the Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco. It follows a Pokémon Trading Card Game player and their partner Mimikyu, and it is set for a worldwide release starting in 2027. An exact date has not been announced.
- First in years: it is the first new animated Pokémon movie since Secrets of the Jungle in 2020.
- New studio: CloverWorks is animating it, instead of the studio behind the earlier films.
- New focus: it is built around the Trading Card Game rather than a trainer’s journey.
Is Detective Pikachu part of the anime movies?
No. Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) is a live-action film, separate from the animated series and movies, and you can watch it without seeing anything else. Ryan Reynolds voices Pikachu, and the story follows Tim Goodman as he looks for his missing father in Ryme City.
Where can you watch the Pokémon movies?
Streaming rights for the Pokémon movies differ by country and change often, so there is no single service that has all 23. In the US, some films stream on Netflix or Hulu while others are only available to rent or buy digitally. Secrets of the Jungle, for example, has been on Netflix in the UK. Check the official where-to-watch page on pokemon.com or a tool like JustWatch for your country.
In August 2026, Disney+ announced a global distribution deal with The Pokémon Company International. It covers the series Pokémon the Series: The Beginning and a new stop-motion series planned for 2027. The announcement did not list the movies.
Pokémon movies FAQ
How many Pokémon movies are there?
There are 23 animated Pokémon movies, from Mewtwo Strikes Back in 1998 to Secrets of the Jungle in 2020. Pokémon: Wild Card, due in 2027, will be the 24th.
What is the first Pokémon movie?
The first is Pokémon: The First Movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back, released in Japan in 1998. A CG remake, Mewtwo Strikes Back, Evolution, came out in 2019.
What is the newest Pokémon movie?
The latest released animated movie is Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2020). The next one, Pokémon: Wild Card, is set for 2027.
Do you need to watch the Pokémon movies in order?
No. Each movie is mostly a standalone story, so you can watch them in any order. Release order is the simplest way to follow the franchise.
Are the Pokémon movies canon to the anime?
Movies 1 to 19 feature the same Ash and Pikachu as the TV anime and work as side stories between episodes. Movies 20 to 23 are set in their own continuity.
Is Detective Pikachu one of the Pokémon movies?
It is a Pokémon movie, but it is live-action and separate from the 23 animated films. It can be watched on its own.
When does Pokémon: 4Ever come out on Blu-ray?
VIZ Media says the Blu-ray releases on January 5, 2027.
When does Pokémon: Wild Card come out?
It is scheduled for a worldwide release starting in 2027, and no exact date has been announced. CloverWorks is animating it.