Psychic-type Pokemon have a reputation for being some of the most overused and overpowered Pokemon in the franchise. They have access to some incredibly powerful moves and their attacks can be effective against a wide range of types. Like any other Pokemon, they also have their weaknesses, but these are usually far outweighed by their strengths.
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The likes of Alakazam and Mewtwo helped to lay the groundwork for the dominance of psychic-types right from the get-go and each new generation has brought with it yet more fantastic additions. Not every generation's psychic-type offerings have been quite as impressive as those from Gen 1, but they're still very strong in the right situations.
8 Victini (Gen 5) 600
With 100 base stats across the board, Victini is an incredibly well-rounded Pokemon. What makes it so great, though, is its secondary typing. Victini is the only psychic/fire-type Pokemon in the series and one of only three to combine these two elements in some capacity.
The Pokemon has an incredibly varied move set and can also learn plenty of powerful TMs to help supplement it if needed. It might not look too dangerous, but its strong stats and dual typing can make Victini a very difficult Pokemon to come up against.
7 Calyrex (Gen 8) 500
While some of the Galarian forms of older Pokemon are incredibly strong, the new psychic-type Pokemon found in Sword and Shield are a little underwhelming. Thankfully though, the Crown Tundra DLC goes some way to righting this wrong.
In its base form, Calyrex is a fairly underwhelming Pokemon. In its Shadow Rider fusion form, however, its high speed and special attack stats make it an absolute beast. Players will need to jump through a few hoops to initiate the fusion, but it's absolutely worth it thanks to the huge gains.
6 Hoopa (Gen 6) 600
Even in its unconfined form, Hoopa is a pretty powerful Pokemon. Once unbound, however, it becomes one of the very best psychic-types in the series. With huge attack stats and solid special defense too, other Gen 6 psychic-types like Malaman just can't get near it.
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The transformation not only boosts Hoopa's stats, but it also shifts its secondary type from ghost to dark, which can be incredibly useful when up against other dark-type Pokemon. Its Magician ability is also pretty useful; stealing the held item of any Pokemon that Hoopa attacks.
5 Lugia (Gen 2) 680
Espeon and Slowking are both solid picks when it comes to Gen 2 psychic-types, but, unsurprisingly, perhaps it's one of Silver and Gold's legendary Pokemon that leads the way. Lugia's special attack stat is a little on the low side, but its high defense and Multiscale hidden ability more than make up for this.
It's an incredibly durable Pokemon and its dual typing makes it effective against more types than the typical psychic-type Pokemon. Of course, it also introduces a few additional weaknesses, but Lugia's strong defense somewhat balances things out in this regard.
4 Arceus (Gen 4) 720
Although, strictly speaking, Arceus is a normal-type Pokemon it is able to change its type by holding different plates. While in its psychic form, it is the most well-rounded psychic type in the entire series and also has higher base stats than every other Pokemon while in their regular forms.
It has access to a wide range of moves and can learn almost every TM in the franchise. The latter allows players to tailor Arceus' move set not only to the Pokemon's strengths, but also to cover its weaknesses. Sadly, Arceus remains unobtainable in Sword and Shield although this doesn't make it any less deadly.
3 Dawn Wings Necrozma (Gen 7) 600
Necrozma's ability to fuse with either Solgaleo or Lunala is pretty cool in and of itself, but the huge bump in stats that the newly formed Pokemon receives makes it much more than just a novelty. Its total base stats jump from 600 to 680 and these can be further raised by using ultra burst to transform it into Ultra Necrozma.
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Even when not in its ultra form, Dawn Wings Necrozma is well equipped to deal with most enemies. It has high special attack and defense stats and its physical stats aren't too bad either. It does fall a little short in the speed department though and this is where ultra burst can really help.
2 Deoxys (Gen 3) 600
Ruby and Saphire had their fair share of strong psychic-types, but the likes of Latios, Metagross and Jirachi just aren't quite in the same league as Deoxys, thanks to the latter's ability to switch forms. This mythical Pokemon is able to set itself up for either attack, defense or speed making it an incredibly versatile Pokemon as well as a very strong one.
While in its attack form, it boasts some insanely high attack and special attack stats as well as incredibly high speed, although its dangerously low defensive stats and HP make this a risky form indeed. As one might expect, it's the normal form that's the most balanced, but it's always nice to have options during a battle.
1 Mewtwo (Gen 1) 680
Players have been treated to plenty of strong psychic-type Pokemon over the last 25 years, but few can compare to the mysterious Mewtwo. With its monstrous 154 base stat for special attack and insanely high speed, Mewtwo is hands down one of the most deadly psychic-type Pokemon in existence.
When using the Y variant of its mega evolutionary form, its special attack soars higher still to a lofty 194. This leads to a theoretical maximum special attack value of 535. Its low defenses make it something of a glass canon, but with attack and speed stats that high, very few Pokemon will stay alive long enough to land a hit; let alone take it out.