Gotta catch ‘em all! That’s the mantra drilled into our heads for over 25 years thanks to the unstoppable and enormously successful media franchise that isPokémon. It started as a pair of modest Game Boy games back in 1996 butgrew into a global phenomenonspanning video games, trading cards, anime series, movies, merchandise, and so much more.Pokémon, which tells the story of Ash, Pikachu, and countless other pocket monsters, is a part of pop culture.
And with the sheer success and longevity ofPokémon, it’s easy to understand that the franchise has attracted a lot of imitators over the years. Particularly in the late 1900s and early 2000s, there were a lot of series in the anime world that shamelessly ripped offPokémonby featuring young protagonists surrounded by a variety of collectible creatures. Some made their own history and others remainedPokémon’sshadow. This list takes a look at 10 of the most blatantPokémonrip-offs the anime world has ever seen.
10‘Yo-Kai Watch’ (2014 – 2018)
Based on the video game of the same name developed by Level-5,Yo-Kai Watchis a children’s anime series spanning 36 episodes. It follows a young boy named Nate Adams, who stumbles upon a mysterious watch that allows him to see and interact with creatures called the Yo-Kai. He makes friends with two of these little creatures, Whisper and Jibanyan, and sets out on a journey to collect as many more as he can while solving problems caused by mischievous Yo-Kai.
Extremely Transparent ‘Pokémon’ Rip-Off
Yo-Kai Watchshamelessly borrows fromPokémon’s“gotta catch ‘em all” formula and features equally humorous collectible creatures and whimsical episodic adventures. The storyline mirrors the catch-and-train concept and the characters are all manners of strange and amusing. The slight twist in the narrative and the inventive mythology are what help the anime carve out its own identity though, which is how the series also finds popularity and expands into a multimedia franchise.
9‘Dragon Drive’ (2002)
The protagonist ofDragon Drive, Reiji Ozora, is a lazy, apathetic high school student and a quitter. He often starts something new and gives up without second thought, and seeing this, Reiji’s childhood friend, Maiko Yukino, introduces him to a virtual reality game called Dragon Drive, where players train andbattle with dragonsin a fantastical world. Even though he gets a seemingly weak dragon, Chibi, at first, Reiji powers up and gets better.
A Forgotten Early 2000s Anime
Starting as a manga, serialized in Monthly Shōnen Jump back in 2001,Dragon Drivewas turned into an anime series a year later. While the core concept of young protagonists bonding with and training fantastical creatures for competitive battles is straight out of thePokémonplaybook,Dragon Drivestands out by setting itself in a futuristic, VR-driven world. Of course, it did not reach the same heights of success. But the series still manages to entertain everyone with its action-packed episodes.
8‘Medabots’ (1999 – 2004)
Released merely to profit off Pokémon video games,Medabotstakes place in a world where advanced titular robots have become an integral part of everyday life. They are owned by children who organize battles and compete with one another. The series follows a young Medabot enthusiast named Ikki Tenryou who dreams of becoming the world champion, but first, he must defeat other exceptional opponents and win rare medals with his Medabot partner, Metabee.
Robots in Battles for Supremacy
BothMedabots, and the secondadaptation of the role-playing video game franchise, Medarot Damashii, mirrorPokémon’s structure and format. Except the former manages to carve itself out of the mold by swapping cuddly pocket monsters with advanced, customizable robots and offers a fresh spin to the battles and world-building and the overall vibe of the series. It generated a decent following and led to several other games, manga series and magazines.
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7‘Fighting Foodons’ (2002)
Fighting Foodonsis the quirkiest of the lot. It is an anime series where chefs create magical dishes and those dishes transform into powerful creatures called “Foodons.” A young aspiring chef named Chase competes in culinary battles with his Foodons and tries to defeat evil chefs and ultimately save the world falling into the trap of the Glutton Empire.
Combat Between Culinary Creatures
Fighting Foodonsis about Chase’s journey, but it is filled with epic battles, culinary adventures, and humorous encounters, all revolving around the unique concept of fighting with food-based creatures. The show’s premise is amusing and bizarre and while it delivers a heavy-dose of culinary-themed weirdness that’s fun for a younger audience to watch. The creativity is remarkable, too, because each character and their food warriors are distinct.
6‘Magi-Nation’ (2007 – 2010)
InMagi-Nation, we follow young Tony Jones, who has always been a bit of a daydreamer, with his head perpetually in the clouds. When he gets transported to the magical world of Magi-Nation,, Tony discovers that he’s destined to become a powerful leader and save this magical land from the evil Magi Shadow, Agram. Along with his new companions, Edyn and Strag, Tony sets off on a quest to unlock his powers and fight the ultimate battle.
A Magical Twist on Creature-Collection
Agrand, high-stakes anime seriesthat shamelessly rips offPokémonbut also remains distinct and imaginative,Magi-Nationis somewhat a must-watch. It casts Tony in a role similar to Ash Ketchum and features him capturing, training, and battling Dream Creatures. Despite its enchanting premise, rich world-building, and memorable characters, Magi-Nation was canceled during its second season due to low ratings.
5‘Dinosaur King’ (2007 – 2009)
It seems as ifPokémonrip-offs have explored every theme, from mechas to virtual reality. So it’s only fitting that it would now center around the prehistoric creatures as well.Dinosaur Kingcenters on Max Taylor, Rex Owen, and Zoe Drake, young archeology enthusiasts and members of the D-Team, who discover dinosaur cards and a stone that allows them to revive and control dinosaurs. What they do next is collect unique monsters and use their strength in a series of dino-centric battles against the villainous Alpha Gang.
Dinosaur King Is Basically Prehistoric ‘Pokémon’
Much likeMagi-Nation,Dinosauris not a well-knownPokémonclone, but it delivers a delightful, funny, and unique spin on the tried and tested format of collecting and battling creatures. It swaps out cute monsters with ferocious, awe-inspiring dinosaurs and features engaging adventures that are also innovative and thrilling. In a way,Dinosaur Kingis a hidden gem worthy of recognition.
4‘Monster Rancher’ (1999 – 2001)
Adapted from Tecmo’s Monster Rancher video game franchise,Monster Rancherfollows the adventures of Genki Sakura, a young boy who loves playing video games. When he’s thrust into the world of one, though, he realizes that he must find a way to connect as many ancient discs as he can, unlock new monsters, revive the legendary Phoenix, defeat the evil Moo, and restore peace in the world.
Well-Executed and Entertaining Rip-Off
Although it’s an epic animefilled with action, humor, friendship, and themes of self-discovery, one cannot deny the fact thatMonster Rancherborrows its core narrative fromPokémon. It then integrates a virtual world setting, where the protagonist not only collects and trains monsters but also makes human friends along the way. The episodic nature and the emphasis on teamwork paired with the stunning monster designs helps elevate its status.
3‘Monsuno’ (2012)
Monsunois set in a world where powerful, ancient creatures known as “monsuno” landed on Earth, remained dormant, and were then accidentally activated by a scientist named Jeredy Suno. This created a wave of danger and left Chase, Jeredy’s son, and his friends Jinja and Bren, to embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of Monsuno and use them in battles against various foes, including the terrifying and ill-meaning organization called S.T.O.R.M.
Ancient Creatures and Modern Battles
Leveling up on creativity, drama, and intrigue,Monsunofeatures a young protagonist and his friends commanding a diverse array of powerful creatures. It definitely traverses thePokémonterritory, but it also has originality and depth. There is an exciting narrative, use of cutting-edge science, a shadowy organization, and several conspiracies. That said, Monsuno stands as a bold and contemporary rip-off of the fan-favoritePokémon.
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2‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ (2000 – 2006)
A popular sci-fi/fantasy anime,Yu-Gi-Oh!follows Yugi Mutou, a shy high school student who solves an ancient Egyptian puzzle called the Millennium Puzzle and awakens the spirit of a Pharaoh inside him. This spirit transforms Yugi into a confident and fearless fame player. Now that he’s determined to win, Yugi teams up with his friends and faces off against a sinister group of game masters, who use mystical cards and their powers to fight back.
‘Pokémon’ Gets a Card Game Makeover
What starts as a typical schoolyard game of “Duel Monsters” quickly escalates into a full-blown battle for the fate of the world inYu-Gi-Oh!Its powerful, collectible creatures may feel familiar but the series channels them through collectible cards, which is reminiscent ofPokémon’strading card game influence. Also, by centering the action around the strategic games rather than traditional creature battles, the series becomes more engaging than the rest of thePokémonrip-offs.
1‘Legendz: Tale of the Dragon Kings’ (2004 – 2005)
Legendz: Tale of the Dragon Kingsis an anime series that’s a part of a multimedia franchise created by Bandai and WiZ in 2003. It centers on a young boy named Shu, who lives in a world where mythical creatures can be summoned from soul dolls through the power of windstones and befriended later. Shu, along with his friends, looks for more Legendz and tries to uncover the secrets about their origin.
Where Monsters Are Revived From Stones
Blending elements of adventure and mystery by sending Shu on a journey ofdiscovering which dark force wants to misusethe Legendz, this anime creates an interesting lore. It may start off with a silly premise, but the action, the ancient history, and the collection of legendary beasts makes it unconventional. Of course,Legendztoo clings a little too close to the well-trodden path laid by its predecessor,Pokémon, but it’s still a good series.
