Pokémon: The 10 Cutest Rodent Pokémon, Ranked

Given that its most popular character and franchise mascot, Pikachu, is a mouse, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of rodents across the Pokémon franchise’s increasingly large history. From mice and rats to squirrels and beavers, there are plenty of rodent creatures for trainers to collect, and most of them are pretty adorable.

Whether it’s the perennial electric rodents that have become a staple of the franchise for the past several generations or completely new rodents with fun new takes on woodland creatures, these Pokémon have found a place in fans’ hearts for years to come. These are the absolute cutest of the cute.

10 Dedenne

Bearing a passing resemblance to Pikachu, Dedenne is an electric-and-fairy-type rodent introduced in Gen 6 with rosy cheeks and antennae-like whiskers and tail. Appearing to be modeled on some kind of gerbil, Dedenne’s cuteness is undeniable, even if some of its endearing features are lifted directly from Pikachu.

The gerbil’s rosy cheeks and shiny eyes are very charming but are also repeats from Pikachu’s design. Dedenne is not just a clone of the more famous electric rodent, though. This gerbil’s adorable round ears and long, wiry tail set it apart and give it its own distinct charm.

9 Patrat

This normal-type appears to be based on a prairie dog, with some elements of a chipmunk thrown in, creating a base for cuteness that is only expanded upon by Patrat’s distinct and kooky features. This teeny, attentive rodent is perhaps most notable for its red eyes with a yellow mark that seems to signify a bullseye or spiral which fans love.

Patrat’s straight, fluffy tail and its watchful stance that it takes in the original Gen 5 games also add to its charm. There’s something very endearing about such a little creature with such a serious demeanor.

8 Rattata

Known for its angry eyes and somewhat threatening demeanor, Rattata may not be the first Pokémon that comes to mind when many think of cuteness. However, a closer look reveals that Rattata has very cute features, amplified by its simplified design (reflecting its Gen 1 roots) and its small size.

This normal-type Pokémon has purple fur and adorable buck teeth which add greatly to its charm, but the cherry on top is Rattata’s tail, which is curled at the end into a lovely little swirl that speaks to its whimsical side. Even its dark-and-normal-type Alolan variant is lovable, with its narrow whiskers replaced with mustache-like tufts of hair.

7 Bidoof

The beaver-inspired normal-type Bidoof is known for looking a little dopey, but that’s where some of its ineffable charm comes from, as its naivete suggests an adorable innocence. Among the many normal-type woodland creatures in this franchise, Bidoof manages to stand out.

Bidoof’s cuteness comes mostly from its fluffy fur and button eyes, and its beaver teeth add to its charm. The tufts of fur on its cheeks and tail make Bidoof look extremely cuddly, as well.

6 Pikachu

With a design so ubiquitous that even those who have never touched a piece of Pokémon media know its name, Pikachu, the electric-type mouse, carries the torch for cute rodent Pokémon and Pokémon in general. Although some might argue that its classic figure is more adorable, any version of this classic creature is difficult to not fall in love with.

With rosy cheeks, pointy ears, and a lightning-shaped tail, there is nothing about Pikachu that doesn’t scream cuteness. It even has the same signature round, black eyes as so many other Pokémon renowned for their lovable appearance do. Maybe seeing Pikachu everywhere has reduced the effects of its endearing qualities, but there is something undeniable about this mouse.

5 Greedent

Often, baby and non-evolved Pokémon are the cutest, with later evolutions emphasizing qualities like majesty, beauty, and power. However, Gen 8 introduced the absolutely charming normal-type squirrel Pokémon Greedent, which evolves from Skwovet. Both are cute squirrels in their own right, but this evolution actually ups the endearing factor.

Greedent’s bright eyes and freckled face are cute, for sure. The star of the show here, however, is really Greedent’s enormous furry tail, which curls up so large that it dwarfs the rest of its body. This gives the impression of a soft, gentle creature even though Greedent’s name suggests something a bit more mischievous.

4 Sandshrew

While it resembles an armadillo and is named after a shrew, neither of which are rodents, Sandshrew is, notably, classified as a mouse Pokémon by the Pokédex. And even though Pikachu gets a lot of the Gen 1 rodent love, Sandshrew should not be counted out, as it has many endearing qualities.

Despite its tough skin, Sandshrew looks like a cuddly plush toy due to the simplicity of its design, as well as the sweetness in how it is generally posed in the Pokémon games’ combat. Sandshrew’s cutest feature, though, is its big eyes, which convey an innocence so powerful it even tones down the aggression of its much sharper evolution, Sandslash.

3 Minccino

Seemingly engineered to be adored, Minccino has all the cuteness of a chinchilla with a cartoonish charm that only Pokémon have. This is one of the fluffiest-looking Pokémon in the entire franchise, creating a very cuddly impression right away for this little creature.

Minccino is also notable for its huge glimmering eyes, enormous ears, and lengthy tail, all cute features, especially on a Pokémon as small as this one is. Although its evolution, Cinccino, is quite cute, too, Minccino’s appearance makes it look exactly like the kinds of baby animals (in real life and in fiction) that people simply adore.

2 Pichu

The baby form of Pokémon icon Pikachu, Pichu can sometimes be forgotten by more casual fans, but that does not mean that this electric-type Pokémon isn’t one of the cutest out there, rodent or otherwise. As one of the franchise’s first baby Pokémon, Pichu set the standard for later cute designs to come.

Heaping on adorableness to Pikachu’s features, Pichu is known for its big eyes and ears, as well as its rosy cheeks, which take on a pink color before developing into Pikachu’s stark red markings. Perhaps the cutest element of this design is the fact that Pichu’s tail resembles a small part of the lightning-shaped tail that it will have when it grows up.

1 Cyndaquil

Resembling a number of animals, some of which are rodents and some of which aren’t, Cyndaquil gets much of its rodent pedigree from the flames resembling porcupine quills which burst out of its back. That cute way of incorporating the fire starter’s type, though, is only one reason why Cyndaquil is one of the cutest Pokémon there is.

For one, Cyndaquil’s half-circle eyes are very endearing, as it emotes in different ways than other Pokémon in the anime and manga. Cyndaquil’s small limbs and long nose are also quite lovable, blending distinctive qualities of real-life critters that people find cute and creating one adorable rodent Pokémon.

About The Author

Jason Mecchi
(96 Articles Published)

Jason Mecchi is a list writer at Screen Rant. His passions in writing are film and popular culture. He has also written for Midstory. He loves animals, watching movies, reading, and playing video games.

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