Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a Reminder Why Charizard is Always Getting All the Love

The newest popularity polls for Pokemon Legends: Z-A are solid proof of why the franchise continues to push Charizard. The newest entry in the long-running monster-catching franchise has given fans plenty to be excited about, from old favorites to newly-added evolutions. Pokemon: Legends Z-A brought the long-requested return of Mega Evolutions for the first time since Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, alongside whisking players back to the Kalos region's Lumiose City. The new games also put plenty of fan-favorite Pokemon back in the spotlight.
Since Pokemon's debut in the 1990s, Charizard has been one of the most beloved creatures to come out of the franchise. Charizard's presence has been felt throughout the many different branches of the series, given its iconic status as one of the original Starter Pokemon. The Base Set version of Charizard is one of the most prized Pokemon cards throughout the entire game's history, while Charizard has always received a new form with the addition of mechanics like Mega Evolutions and Dynamax, often being used to highlight the new gameplay features. Now, a new poll shows why Pokemon puts so much attention on Charizard.
A new Pokemon popularity poll shows just how ubiquitous the Flame Pokemon is in the franchise's home region. Charizard stood at the very top of Japanese popularity polls for both the original forms and Mega Pokemon found in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, clearing its runner-ups by a considerable margin. Charizard was more than 40 votes ahead of the second-place Lucario for base forms, even standing more than 100 votes ahead of Chandelure in the #4 spot. Mega Charizard stood at 40 votes over its second-place competitor in the newly-added Mega Starmie, the second-widest gap of any two spots in the Mega Evolution poll.
Charizard's huge popularity within the franchise has often seen The Pokemon Company put it squarely in the spotlight. The recently-released Phantasmal Flames expansion for the Pokemon TCG features Charizard as its cover Pokemon, with a new Special Illustration Rare as one of the set's biggest chase cards. Charizard's popularity has even seen a species of insect named after the beloved creature, owed to the orange pigmentation of the "chilicola charizard" bee. Charizard has been a mainstay of the Pokemon franchise's many spin-offs as well, included as a playable Pokemon in games like Pokemon Unite and the Pokken Tournament fighting games.
Recent games have seen the Pokemon franchise push plenty of changes to the RPG's traditional formula, The ninth-generation games, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, were the first games in the series to feature fully open progression, allowing players to clear its Gyms, Titan Pokemon, and Team Star bosses in any order. Legends: Z-A introduced a huge overhaul to the Pokemon franchise's battle system, becoming the first game in its nearly 30-year-long history to feature real-time Pokemon battles. Early leaks and rumors have suggested that Pokemon may have even more ground-breaking changes coming with the debut of its next generation.
Though The Pokemon Company has not officially revealed any details about its tenth generation, Pokemon's upcoming games are already seeing some big early rumors. Leaks have suggested that Pokemon's next set of games, tentatively titled Pokemon Wind and Wave, will be heavily based on Southeast Asia, whisking players away to a tropical island archipelago. Pokemon will also kick off its 30th anniversary celebrations in early 2026, with plenty of news about the next generation likely arriving as part of the franchise's annual Pokemon Day festivities. While Pokemon continues to expand and evolve with each new game, Charizard will likely continue to stand among the franchise's most beloved creatures.