They’re all over every generation and once you find one, hook yourself up with a revival facility and your fossil Pokémon will come back battle-ready. From rock… to rock ‘n’ roll, baby! Let’s see who reigns supreme as we rank the whole evolutionary line of these Fossil Pokémon by their stats, design, and more importantly, their divine ancientness!
12. Relicanth
Relicanth starts off this list since it isn’t technically a Fossil Pokémon. It is apparently very rare with just a 5% chance of you ever coming across one, and while it is thought to be extinct, this little sucker is still out there just waiting to be caught. And it’ll be a tough one to find since you have to go underwater to catch a Relicanth among the seaweeds of the ocean floor. This fish-type, stone-faced Pokémon’s speciality is… well, being old. It’s officially categorized as a “Longevity Pokémon” and wow, that’s actually a thing! Relicanth hasn’t changed in over a hundred million years because it’s considered an already perfect life-form. Definitely worth an honorary mention in this list, isn’t it?
11. Tirtouga
Now here’s where the revived-from-a-fossil Pokémon begin. Tirtouga is revived from the Cover Fossil and first appeared in gen 5 games. At level 37 it evolves into Carracosta gaining high defensive stats from its hard shell, rock-solid chest, and over-all chunky design. When you really look at the stats though, Carracosta is just a slow glorified turtle running at a max 32x turtle-speed only.
10. Amaura
Amaura is a Rock/Ice Pokémon resurrected from the Sail Fossil in Kalos’ X and Y. Its defining feature has got to be its mane of flowy, shimmery sails found directly above its eyes. If women aspire to have their eyebrows on fleek, they would look at Amaura in jealousy since its sails are practically the fanciest eyebrows ever. When Amaura reaches level 39 under the majestic light of the moon, it evolves into the Aurorus. Found atop its head are an even more ethereal, voluminous, and flowing set of sails. The shimmering light emitting from Aurorus’ sails is a reference to the aurora borealis, a beautiful light phenomenon near the north pole. Beauty it may be, but brawn? Sadly, not so much. It has strong ice moves but that’s about it. Aurorus is not the best in battle and my appreciation for it lies mostly on aesthetics.
9. Anorith
Next we’ve got Anorith, an old shrimp creature that can be regenerated from the Claw Fossil in Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald. Anorith used to thrive in ancient seas but that’s not the case anymore due to the alarming presence of greenhouse gases, CFCs, and maybe some form of Poké -capitalism that collectively changed the water composition of present-day oceans. Thus the rise of Team Aqua, I suppose. At level 40 it evolves into Armaldo, the Plate Pokémon with a sweet-looking armor design. It’s a solid tank to have on your team and very reliable when it comes to defense and basic physical attacks. Armaldo also has a tantalizing Swords Dance to dizzy up its opponents. The bummer, though, is its speed and its vulnerability to common attacks since it’s a Bug-type Pokémon. So certainly worth playing with but maybe not an E4 choice.
8. Cranidos
Cranidos is the head butt Pokémon that comes from reviving the Skull Fossil in the Sinnoh region. Going back a hundred million years, Cranidos would headbutt left, right, and center, all day, every day. One-trick pony much? Due to the constant head trauma that may have depleted their brain cells, Cranidos are said to severely lack in the intelligence department. The same can be said for Rampardos which Cranidos evolves into upon reaching level 30. Rampardos can dish out devastating hits but this is balanced out by its low speed and ridiculously weak defense. Its accuracy is poor as well so Rampardos relies heavily on its raw reckless power. And sometimes that’s all you need to win a battle!
7. Omanyte
At #7 we have Omanyte, lovable blue Omanyte. It’s one of the first Fossil Pokémon you would have come across in the series if you’ve been playing since gen I. It’s revived from the Helix Fossil which you’d pick up at Mount Moon. Omanyte, the water-type spiral snail Pokémon, is like a prehistoric snail… but with tentacles! There’s even a pair that extend beyond the sides of its face making Omanyte look like it has a massive handlebar moustache. Omanyte evolves into Omastar once it reaches level 40. One other nice feature it gains after evolving is a spiky shell and a set of razor-sharp fangs that can break through almost anything. Though Omastar starts off as a slow Pokémon, it has the unusual ability to gain speed stats the more it gets attacked. Layers of its shell fall off as it defends itself so the shell gets lighter, enabling faster movement. This makes the Lord Helix evolutionary line a solid choice for your team.
6. Archen
Archen is generally considered one of the first bird Pokémon, but of course then it went and got itself extinct. Nice going! Archen is a part-bird, part-reptile creature that can be resurrected from a Plume Fossil in gen V. It’s a quirky Pokémon with quirky abilities and one heck of a color scheme. If it wants to eat berries, it just cries and a special berry-bearing plant will grow on the spot. If only it were like that for humans and ice cream, right? At level 37 Archen can evolve into the larger and flight-capable Archeops. Now that is a very versatile Pokémon. Big on attack, speed, and utility moves, plus it can fly you all over the region. Its stats look sweet on paper but here’s the catch. Archeops’ featured ability is “Defeatist”. This means that when its HPs fall beneath the half-way point, Archeops’ attack, special attack, and speed cut down to half as well. I can’t help but feel that Archeops would have made it higher in the list if it believed in itself more.
5. Shieldon
We’ve got one more interesting Rock/Steel combo Pokémon up next: Shieldon. You can obtain Shieldon by resurrecting it from the Armor Fossil in the Oreburgh Mining Museum in Sinnoh. The facial hide of this Pokémon is impenetrable, making it hard to damage head-on. Shieldon’s facial care regimen involves polishing its face against tree trunks to maintain its resplendent armor, so it’s no surprise that even its fossils show zero damage to the face. Shieldon evolves into Bastiodon at level 30 and this thing is a beast. Bastion’s build is sturdier and more compact so attacking it would be like driving straight into the jaws of a bulldozer. It is very defense-heavy and able to repel anything you throw its way. Attacking it from behind is another story as that’s Bastiodon’s sorest weak spot. It may look rough and tough, but Bastiodon is actually a cooperative and caring Pokémon. To protect their young, Bastiodon (before going extinct) would line up and form an impenetrable wall with their faces. If that doesn’t make you feel something for this little guy I don’t know what will.
4. Lileep
This sea lily dinosaur creature is obtained by resurrecting from the Root Fossil in the gen 3 games. With tentacles on top of its head and stubby roots to anchor it to the ocean floor, this sneaky sea critter can easily pass off as seaweed to attract and trap prey. Yikes! Once you get up to level 40 Lileep evolves into Cradily. At a glance Cradily is an underrated Pokémon since it isn’t all that tough-looking. But boy, does it have crazy abilities. It can shoot acid, stick to anything with its suction cups, and it can use Storm Drain! This means that when Cradily gets hit by any water move he just drinks it. Like an absolute boss!
3. Kabuto
Any 90s kids in here always pick Kabuto playing through Red and Blue? Well you should’ve cause this guy rocked. This classic shellfish Pokémon comes from reviving the Dome Fossil which you could also pick in Mt. Moon. It design is comparable to a horseshoe crab: flat, brown, and a hard shell protecting its body. Kabuto’s evolved form, Kabutops, is unlocked once you reach level 40. This can take a while but usually Kabuto gains levels quick since you can’t even get it until Cinnabar Island. It appears very intimidating with its sharp scythes and skeleton-esque body. It may have low base HP, but its strong attributes like speed, attack and defense more than make up for it. Kabuto is extremely predatory, especially so when the sprite gets a clearer redesign in FireRed & LeafGreen. This unparalleled intimidation factor is great to have on your roster.
2. Tyrunt
Its evolved form may have been the King of the Prehistoric Pokémon era, but Tyrunt fell real close on this list with the #2 spot. This rare dinosaur fossil monster is revived from the Jaw Fossil which you can get in the Kalos region. It has a rather troubling temperament, being a petulant dino-child prone to throwing tantrums and rough play. When it reaches level 39 it evolves into Tyrantrum, one of the most powerful fossil Pokémon ever. After evolving it can learn quite a few new attacks with Strong Jaw, Head Smash, and Dragon Dance, making it hard to overthrow in battle. Tyrantrum is “somewhat vain” and it shows in its appearance. On its head is a crown-shaped crest and that poofy white growth at its neck is awfully similar to the swaggy fur lining on a king’s royal mantle. This just shows that whether in status or in skill, Tyrantrum is KING.
1. Aerodactyl
Finally at our top spot is none other than Aerodactyl! The true champion of them all, Aerodactyl is a Rock/Flying Pokémon that, unlike the other Fossil Pokémon revived from rocks, was resurrected from Old Amber. That’s a unique fossilized substance that you only get from the Pewter City museum. You’d really need to go out of your way to get this guy but he’s totally worth it. Aerodactyl’s appearance is quote imposing with its huge wingspan, a ridged snout, and a jaw full of serrated fangs. Now this guy has no direct lineage but with a Mega Stone, Aerodactyl can Mega Evolve into Mega Aerodactyl. This takes Aerodactyl’s already impressive base stats to the next level, boosting its attack and speed. It’s also the only Fossil Pokémon with the ability to Mega Evolve. That alone is enough to skyrocket Aerodactyl to the #1 spot. Oh and did I mention that the most powerful member of the Elite 4, Lance, also has an Aerodactyl? I have no clue how he got one but I like his taste in monsters.
