Pokémon games are known for following a familiar formula. Introduce a new batch of starter Pokémon, bring in a set of gym leaders, incorporate an antagonist group, then send a young person on their journey to overcome all obstacles in search for the Pokémon League where they will face the Elite Four in search of glory. All of this while trying to “Catch Em All” and save the world.
It’s easy to see how fans could find various ways to rank their favorite entries in the franchise. Favorite starters. Best set of Pokémon available. Most iconic gym leaders. But what is easy to overlook throughout our Pokémon adventures is the world we are inhabiting itself.
Throughout eight generations of Pokémon games, we have been introduced to eight regions in the main titles, which we have only a general sense of relation to one another. While each has pros and cons, and some appeal more to certain players than others, their size is relatively factual. In observance of this fact, here are all of the main Pokémon titles ranked by the size of their regions.
8 Red/Blue/Yellow
Kicking this list off is the original Generation I trio of Pokémon games. While this generation brought us the familiar formula that would continue on through later installments, the original generation was based in the Kanto region. Alongside the Johto region introduced in the following generation, Kanto is the smallest region seen throughout the series.
While Kanto, which is based on the real-life Kanto region in Japan, is undeniably one of the smallest regions, it is packed with content. Not only is this region home to the best trio of starter Pokémon, it has some of the best legendary Pokémon and the most iconic gym leaders seen throughout the series.
7 X/Y
Sometimes newer doesn’t equate to bigger or better. Pokémon X and Y came out as the sixth generation of Pokémon video games, introducing the Kalos region into canon. While the region isn’t particularly undesirable by any means, it isn’t bigger than all the regions which preceded it.
Kalos is based on areas of France, depicting landmarks such as the Eifel Tower as part of the landscape. While positioning on this list might imply otherwise, the Kalos region feels large. The flow of Pokémon games lends itself well to the region. It may not be larger than all of its predecessors, but if Gen I taught us anything, it’s that size doesn’t always matter.
6 Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
The Generation III Pokémon games introduced the Hoenn region which is located southwest of the Johto region featured in Gen II. This region is largely defined by a massive water presence which nearly equals its total landmass.
This region was based on the Japanese island Kyushu. Because of the island nature of this region, it was a significant departure from the previous two regions introduced into the franchise. For fans who weren’t overly receptive to this and other changes, Gen III featured a very popular return to basics in the form of the updated originals titled Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
5 Sun/Moon
Unlike Generation VI, Gen VII did build on the past and seek to present more content than its predecessor. Moving from France to the Pacific Ocean, Pokémon Sun and Moon introduced the Alola region which is based on the real-life 50th US state, Hawaii.
There is tons to experience in the Alola region. Some is true to the source and some is a false representation. Everything presented in this generation comes together to present one of the most enjoyable overall experiences in the Pokémon franchise. The biggest complaint we can find is the unexpected departure from the Pokémon gym system we saw in this generation.
4 Gold/Silver/Crystal
These Generation II titles could be here or in the 7th spot depending on what you score. If you simply look at the new region which was introduced with Gen II, you have one of the two smallest regions in the Pokémon franchise. We didn’t see it that way though.
Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal are still unique in that they not only introduced the Johto region, but also brought back the Kanto region. While each is small compared to other regions, the two placed together are a relatively large landmass which wasn’t immediately, or permanently, surpassed by later introductions.
3 Black/White
Before Hawaii was represented in the franchise with Generation VII, the Gen V titles Pokémon Black and White introduced the Unova region, which was based on America’s New York area. As is true with Alola, some creative liberties were taken which displace and omit certain real-world locations, but the general shape and theme are easily recognizable.
As an interesting note, both Unova and Alola are explained to be far away from the other regions in the Pokémon franchise. Possibly due to this distance, Generation V titles did a remarkable job at showing diversity in the Pokémon encountered compared to previous titles.
2 Pearl/Diamond/Platinum
Returning to the Japanese-inspired regions, these Generation IV titles introduced fans to the Sinnoh region. This region, which we are told is located far north of Kanto and Johto, is a massive landmass which primarily draws inspiration from the Hokkaido island in Japan.
Despite its size, Gen IV managed to feel smaller than its predecessors. Luckily, this was the generation which saw the remake of the Gen II titles in the form of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. While the inclusion of the entire generation’s regions isn’t considered in the ranking of this list, Sinnoh alone is enough to dwarf most of the other titles. It still pales to the top spot.
1 Sword/Shield
Quite simply, the Galar region is massive. Introducing tons of new Pokémon, these Generation VIII titles have definitely made an impact on the series’ introduction to the Nintendo Switch. Where the franchise will go from here is anyone’s guess, but we’re hoping the size and scope presented in Pokémon Sword and Shield is indicative of a trend which will continue well into the future.
If you haven’t made it around to playing the newest titles yet, give them a shot. Galar isn’t just the biggest region introduced to the franchise, it’s beautiful. While fans were initially disappointed by the thought of a stripped-down offering of Pokémon, these games can’t really be denied. With new Pokémon forms included in the mechanics and iconic landmarks such as Big Ben introduced in the region, which is based on Great Britain, Generation VIII has already set a precedence which makes it an instant classic.