You’d think after nearly thirty years of catching 'em all, we’d have a simple number for the most iconic type in the franchise. But if you ask a room full of trainers "how many Dragon type Pokemon are there," you're gonna get five different answers and at least one heated argument about whether Mega Charizard X "actually counts."
Honestly, counting Dragons is a bit of a nightmare. Do you count regional forms? What about Megas? Does Arceus holding a Draco Plate count as one of them? Depending on how elitist you want to be with your spreadsheet, the number shifts.
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As of early 2026, the official tally sits at 94 Dragon-type Pokemon.
That’s the number you’ll see if you pull up the most updated National Dex data. It includes the legends, the pseudo-legendaries that make competitive play a living hell, and the weird little guys like Applin that look more like dessert than a mythical beast. But let’s get into the weeds, because the "94" figure hides a lot of cool history and some really bizarre technicalities.
Breaking Down the Dragon Type Population
When the series started back in the 90s, the Dragon type was basically a myth. You had the Dratini line. That was it. Just three Pokemon. If you wanted a Dragonite, you had to grind like your life depended on it. Fast forward to today, and the roster has exploded.
Usually, when people ask how many Dragon type Pokemon are there, they’re looking for a breakdown by "kind." Here is how that 94-count actually looks when you stop looking at them as just a list:
- Pure Dragon Types: There are only about 15 or 16 of these. Most Dragons like to double-dip. They’re usually Dragon/Flying, Dragon/Ground, or some other spicy combo.
- Legendary Dragons: This is the big one. Almost 20% of all Dragons are Legendaries. We’re talking the heavy hitters like Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia, and the box art stars of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Koraidon and Miraidon.
- The Pseudo-Legendaries: These are the fan favorites. Garchomp, Salamence, Dragapult, and Baxcalibur. They have a base stat total of 600, making them statistically as strong as some gods.
- Mega Evolutions: There are 9 of these. Megas like Mega Altaria (which becomes Fairy/Dragon) or Mega Ampharos (which finally gets the Dragon typing it deserved) add a layer of complexity to the count because they only exist in battle.
Why the Number is Always Changing
The reason the "94" number feels slippery is that Game Freak loves to mess with forms. Take Alolan Exeggutor. It’s a literal palm tree with a long neck, and somehow, it’s a Dragon. It counts toward the total, but it's a regional variant of a Grass/Psychic type.
Then you have the Paradox Pokemon from Gen 9. Roaring Moon and Walking Wake look like Salamence and Suicune, but they are technically distinct species with their own Pokedex numbers. When you add those in, the "Dragon" family starts feeling a lot more crowded than it did in the Kanto days.
The Mythical and Form Factor
If you want to be a real stickler, you have to talk about Silvally and Arceus. These Pokemon can become Dragon types if they hold the right item. Most official counts don't include them in the 94 because their "base" state isn't Dragon. If you included every possible form and temporary transformation, you’d probably be looking at well over 110. But for the sake of your sanity and mine, we stick to the 94 "permanent" or "primary" Dragon species currently recognized.
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How Many Dragon Type Pokemon Are There: The Gen 9 Impact
Generation 9 (Scarlet, Violet, and the DLCs) was a massive boost for Dragon fans. It didn't just give us the box legends; it gave us the Frigibax line, which finally gave us a powerful Ice/Dragon pseudo-legendary in Baxcalibur. We also got the incredibly weird Tatsugiri—a literal sushi dragon—and the bridge-inspired Archaludon.
Basically, the "Dragon" identity has shifted. It’s no longer just "big scary lizard with wings." It’s now "anything that embodies the primal or mythical essence of its region." That’s why we have dragons that look like apples, bridges, and trees.
Catching and Training Considerations
If you're looking to build a team, keep in mind that Dragons are notoriously hard to level up. Most of them belong to the "Slow" or "Fluctuating" experience groups. You'll be grinding for a long time. But the payoff is usually worth it because they have some of the highest resistances in the game, only fearing Ice, Fairy, and other Dragons.
The Future of the Dragon Count
We’re currently in a bit of a waiting period as we look toward Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Everyone is speculating about new Mega Evolutions. If we get a Mega Flygon—the one thing the community has been begging for since 2013—the "Dragon count" will technically go up again.
Honestly, the number is less important than the diversity. We've gone from a single family in Gen 1 to a massive, sprawling category that includes everything from ghosts and robots to literal dinosaurs.
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To keep your Pokedex knowledge sharp, focus on the 94 base species. If you’re a competitive player, you really only need to worry about the top 10 or 15 that dominate the meta, like Dragonite (who is still a king after all these years) and the terrifyingly fast Dragapult.
Make sure you’ve updated your copy of Scarlet or Violet and checked the Blueberry Academy Pokedex if you’re missing some of the newer entries like Hydrapple. That's the best way to see the current 94 in action.