Top 5 Best & Worst Episodes of Sun & Moon (Now With Added Alola)

[RetroPokeFan]

Sun & Moon is coming to an end. Ash is getting ready to pack his bags, his poke-balls, his endless amounts of shirts that the series gave him. Everyone is coming together to say their "Goodbyes for Now" (If you get that reference, I'll give you a free cookie). And most importantly, a new era for both him, Pikachu and the anime in general is upon us.

But hold your horses and your cars for a second... before we can say farewell to the Alola region on Sunday, we need to determine which episodes do we consider the best the show has to offer and which ones were the lowest points in the series.

So gather round the ridiculously long table, raise a glass or too and talk about which episodes you enjoyed and which ones you hated.



My picks of the best:
1: One Journey Ends, Another Begins...
2: A one two combo of Conclusion! Gaogaen VS Nyaheat!! and Alola's Strongest Z! Kapu-Kokeko VS Pikachu!!
3: A Timeless Encounter!
4: Alola, Kanto!
5: Trials and Determinations!

Special mentions go to Memories in the Mist!, The Dealer of Destruction!, Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime? (especially for being an incredibly big departure from having Ash in it at all until the very end), the Guzzlord two parter and Mission: Total Recall!


My picks of the worst:
1: Drawn with the Wind!/Pikachu's Exciting Adventure!
2: A Grand Debut!
3: Pretty much every episode that focuses on Rotom. They sucked... all of them.
4: A Battle Hand-Off!
5: Let Sleeping Pokemon Lie!

Special mentions go to A Shocking Grocery Run!, Akuziking Invasion! The Great Z-Move Battle!! (Part Two of Ash vs Hau would have been here had it not been for this episode because yes, believe me I honestly found this one much worse than that), Twirling with a Bang!, Misty and Brock's second visit which let me down (this also goes for The Battlefield of Truth and Love! due to how wildly out of character the TRio were behaving) and 10,000,000 Reasons to Fight.

 

[BigDocFan]

Top 5 favorites: (In no particular order)

Alola, Kanto!
Rocking Clawmark Hill
One Journey Ends, Another Begins...
Recipe for Success!
Memories in the Mist!

Worst 5 episodes:
SM133, A Grand Debut!, Drawn with the Wind!, Pikachu's Exciting Adventure!, Bright Lights, Big Changes!

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Best (in no particular order)

SM029 - Lulled to La-La Land!
SM047 - A Masked Warning!
SM058 - Fighting Back the Tears!
SM060 - Getting a Jump on the Competition!
SM068 - Real Life...Inquire Within!
SM093 - Lillier and the Staff!
SM100 - Battling the Beast Within!
SM101 - Parallel Friendships!
SM108 - Memories in the Mist!
SM113 - This Magik Moment!

Worst (in no particular order)

SM020 - Partner Promises!
SM017 - Crystal-Clear Sleuthing!
SM050 - Faba's Revenge!
SM051 - Family Determination!
SM052 - Family Determination!
SM057 - The Dex Can't Help It!
SM061 - A Mission of Ultra Urgency!
SM066/SM078 - Smashing with Sketch!/Twirling with a Bang! - Draw
SM098 - Bright Lights, Big Changes!
SM126 - Pikachu's Exciting Adventure!

 

[Poke Trey]

I'm primarily watching the Dub so my list goes down to episodes I have seen come out of America. So far, my top 5 SM episodes are One Journey Ends, Another Begins, Trials and Determinations, Faba's Revenge, Guiding An Awakening, and Memories In The Mist. Got quite a LOT of honourable mentions for this one: SM007, SM010, SM015, SM027, SM033-SM035, SM037 and SM042/SM043 for season 20. For season 21 the mentions go to SM044, SM047, SM051-SM053, SM055, SM062-SM063, SM067, SM070, SM073-SM076, SM078, SM079, SM081, SM084-SM085 and just about the entire Necrozma arc. Now for the season 22 mentions, SM097, SM099, SM100-SM101, SM104-SM107, SM111-SM116, SM118, SM120, SM121, SM123, SM125 and SM127. I will update this list when the last SM episodes air in the US for final Judgment.

 

[Beatsy Ray]

I'll just do a top 10 in no particular order:

SM144 - Alola's Strongest Z! Kapu-Kokeko VS Pikachu!!
(The epix climax with a Pika-Ash kamehameha. I really loved how exhausted Ash looked after everything was over. Although it was short, the animation of Koko vs Naganadel was amazing.)

SM142 - Burn! Swell Up!! Full Battle!!!
(Probably not the most popular choice but I thought this was the perfect battle episode with heavy switching that didn't give too much attention to any one Pokemon.)

SM137 - Undefeated Emperor Guzma!
(Not as flashy but an awesome episode. The fact that they wrapped up Guzma's short arc in such a satisfying and fulfilling way in so little time is really impressive.)

SM115 - Emperor of Destruction Guzma!
(Mostly for all the rapping.)

SM108 - Inside Kapu-Rehire's Mist
(How does this show make me cry for characters that I shouldn't even care about. They never even mentioned Mallow's mother but it was so good!)

SM092 - Kukui's Desperate Situation! Another Royal Mask!!
(Just a great comedy episode.)

SM073 - Rocket-dan's Island-Visiting!? Get the Z-Ring!!
(I want more of this. Team Rocket are such great characters, especially in this series, and I love when they get to be the protagonist. Also Team Rocket's Team Song...)

SM043 - Gym Battle! Z-Move VS Mega Evolution!!
(Best action in the whole series, and Brock and Misty actual get to be badass for once. Also Counter-Shield...)

SM039 - Mao Runs Away from Home and Yareyuutan!
(I just really liked this one. I feel like the slice-of-life stuff was done a lot better early in the series and this is a standout for me.)

SM021 - Nyabby, Time to Begin the Journey!
(No explanation needed. This hooked me and many others to the series in the first place. Who would have guessed that the most childish looking series would end up being the most mature?)

As for episodes I don't like, basically the UG episodes. I actually liked the slice-of-life angle of the series and I think the Ultra Guardian stuff just ruined that. It went from small-scale personal stories to full on "We're all super heroes!". If I could change one thing about the series it would be to take this entire subplot out. I also quite disliked the Rotom and Meltan episodes.

 

[Nicolas721]

There are 6 episodes I haven't seen (including the controversial Pikachu one) but I'll do this now anyway:

Best:

1. Mission: Total Recall! (Aether arc at its best point)
2. When Regions Collide! (Awesome nostalgia battles)
3. One Journey Ends, Another Begins... (Heartwarming and cohesive)
4. Mounting an Electrifying Charge! (An awesome race that will be hard to top)
5. Memories in the Mist! (Sad and satisfying revelation)

Honorable mentions: Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge! , A Shivering Shovel Search!, The Ol' Raise and Switch!, A Crowning Moment of Truth!, Rising from the Ruins!, Deceiving Appearances!, A Masked Warning!, Family Determination!, The Professors' New Adventure!, Rise and Shine, Starship!, Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, Not Caving Under Pressure!, A Haunted House for Everyone!, Parallel Friendships!, Run, Heroes, Run!, The Dealer of Destruction!, Everyone's Fully Powered! The Road to the Semifinals!!, Undefeated Emperor Guzma!

Worst:

1. Some Kind of Laziness! (Nothing is worse than a poorly done training episode)
2. Pulling Out the Pokémon Base Pepper! (When I watched it the first time I saw it as a boring collection of predictable gags. I watched it again a few months ago and my opinion stands the same)
3. Beauty is Only Crystal Deep! (Creepy and disturbing, not only because of Meowth's face but also because of its plot)
4. Turning Heads and Training Hard! (Ilima, you suck as a character)
5. Alolan Open House! (Poor Delia didn't deserve this)

Dishonorable mentions: A Guardian Rematch!, Revealing the Stuff of Legend!, Sparking Confusion!, Heart of Fire! Heart of Stone, A Grand Debut!, Living on the Cutting Edge! , Bird Battle! Brave Bird VS God Bird!!

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Best
SM021 - Nyabby dealing with the death of a loved one
SM036 - Rockruff coming full circle
SM043 - Revisiting Gym Battles
SM134 - Guzma demolishes Lana
SM137 - Guzma overcomes his weakness

Worst
SM098 - Ash's horrific characterization
SM099 - Wasting an entire promo campaign to make Eevee relevant again - thankfully Shaggeon leaves behind a Substitute for Lana to lug around
SM123 - Sophocles getting abused while the girls live in luxury
SM133 - Hau wins, until he doesn't
SM140 - We didn't need a rehash of a better episode

Special mentions: Best
SM025 - Team Skull meets someone more pathetic than they are
SM100/101 - For giving an Ultra Beast the credit it deserves
SM107 - Kiawe finally becomes a character again
SM115 - Guzma needs no introduction
SM144 - Pikachu and Koko finally clash

Special mentions: Worst
SM108 - Mallow's mother literally existed for one episode and never comes up before or after their encounter; Mallow also kidnaps a child
SM109 - That was some of the the most incomprehensible battle animation this entire 23-year series has ever produced
SM117 - Done better literally 101 episodes ago
SM126 - Why weren't the pokemon allowed to talk with their actual voices
SM121 - Oh right, Mallow was a thing

 

[P_S_B]

I haven't kept up with all the titles and can't be bothered looking them all up, so I'll use descriptions for the ones I don't know.

Best - top 1 at the top with the others in no particular order:
SM108 - Memories in the Mist
SM021 - Stoutland's death
SM043 - two actual good battles including Ash retroactively earning one of the previously-unearned Kanto badges
The one with Grandpa Forest in it for giving background to Mallow and Lana's friendship
I'm not sure which of the good League episodes I liked the best now, but whichever it was that one. It was either SM134 or SM135, if not both equal.
Honorable mentions include the other good League episodes, they know which ones they were.

Worst, again worst at the top, others in no particular order:
Ash vs. Hau, I shouldn't need to say more here
Ash vs. Hapu
Pikachu's Exciting Adventure
The Guzzlord one in the league that comprised of roughly 45 hours of Z-Move stock footage
Probably Poipole's introduction just by how damned screechy its voice is in addition to it being a Discount Togedemaru with its Pikachu crush. It's voice got less unbearable as its arc went on and the dub made it even less annoying still, but that first episode in Japanese was barely watchable

Honorable mention to SM026, which had the makings of a series best list only to fall flat at the final hurdle by being about Sophacles instead of literally anyone else. At that point in the series he wasn't developed enough to be likable enough to outweigh his natural whiny unlikability, which coupled with just how well they depicted his friends' feelings just irritated me at how stupid he was being instead of making me sympathise with his plight, turning what should be a touching moment of his friends forgiving him into a frustrating mess of Karma Houdini-ism. I mean come on, man, you've driven Lillie to tears here even though you know you're not actually moving away and it's literally this easy to put her mind at ease and tell her the truth. The fact that the episode feels like it should be good just makes it even more frustrating to see it ruined.

 

[Emelie]

Favorite:

SM021: Probably the best portrayal of grief in the anime. The scene when Litten watches the last leaf fall from the tree and lets out a sorrowful scream is very poetic.

The only issue is that Litten gets over it so quickly. This could have been more of an arc. I also don't understand why they focus so much on Meowth just because he is a cat. It's not like he has similar experiences or any meaningful relationship with Litten.

SM108: Good character development and backstory for Mallow. I wish they would have integrated this into the plot with Lillie instead of Lana since she is kind of flat and doesn't have similar experiences. They could also have done a better job foreshadowing this.

This episode helps explaining why Mallow is so mature for her age and why she reacted the way she did when she first met Satoshi's mother.

SM079: At this point I'm almost a little burned out from all these depressing grief/death themed episode. I don't think Sophocles needed more focus.

I really like the beautiful but short friendship between Poipole and Minior. It is also cool how they referenced the Pokédex entry. If the Zinnia and Rayquaza plot had been adapted into the anime this would have been much better though since the context is almost lost without that. Minior's sacrfice is tragic but also heroic and a necessary evil to protect the world.

SM038: I love Mimikyu's and Musashi's relationship. We get to see Musashi's motherly side which is very interesting. It shows that she is actually a very layered character since she is still very flawed.

Bewear still has to interfere after the Mimikyu vs Pikachu battle and Musashi later repays her by protecting Bewear's child from Matori. Musashi has really good character development in SM which is amazing considering how long she has actually been in this anime.

SM008: Lillie's motherly love for Vulpix is very cute.

It also show how lonely Lillie actually is despite her materialistic welfare and how important it is for her to get support from her friends.

I wish they would have developed her relationship with Mao/Mallow and Satoshi a little bit more. It kind of feels like they dropped that after this episode which is a shame since friendship is so important in the SM games.

It would have been more powerful if they hadn't ruined Lusamine's character in the anime though.

Least favorite:

SM026: Mamane/Sophocles is an even worse drama queen than Masato/Max.

I moved a lot as a kid but still kept in touch with my friends through letters and email. The way they portrayed the idea of moving away kind of rubs me the wrong way. I don't understand why Sophocles accuses his friends for being jerks when they have been nothing but nice to him the whole episode. He also throws a tantrum for no reason at the end of the episode.

The maturity difference between Mallow and Sophocles is very jarring and it's kind of sexist that it obvious for Mallow to cook while it is apparently impossible for Sophocles even though he hasn't even tried.

SM126: Nothing really happens, it's not funny or cute and nothing is really at stake since we already know that Satoshi is OK. This episode makes me feel old.

SM048: Uneventful episode. The contrast between the overall tone and Lillie's anxiety attack at the end is very awkward. This is probably the best example of SM's inconsistent tone.

SM016: A little better than SM126 but not my cup of tea. Maybe it would have been better if the Pokémon had a more interesting conflict and stronger personalities like they had in Pikachu's Summer Vacation. The only one who stands out is Litten and while he is great he is more of the silent strong type so he isn't funny. Rowlet is restricted because of the iron ring and Popplio is a boring and flat character.

SM017: Rotom is annoying.

SM020: Uneventful episode and a lame way to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

SM133: Hau is wasted potential.

SM098: Rotom is still annoying.

SM071: Depider is also wasted potential. Lana should have caught this instead of Eevee that only was there for the sake of Let's Go advertisment. Reminds me of that really infuriating episode when Iris doesn't catch Deino.