E4's Favorite Magikarp (Results)

[inertgeometry]

How this works:

• the “Design” poll is just to get a rough count of participants
• cards are listed in chronological order based on first release
• each card will have a picture followed by the option to vote for it.
• vote for any card that you like.
• on Sunday at 12PM Pacific Time, the polls will automatically close. I will edit this post and title to count down from least to most voted, and we will see which cards are E4’s Favorite.

Note: Most of these images are pulled from quick google searches, eBay, or Bulbapedia if they had a large enough file. If you'd like me to replace an image, you're welcome to post it in the comments.

---

Results

Design

• 8.35/10 (92 Voters)
  
  

• 6/10 (86 Voters)
  
  
  
  I neglected to include the mega of Gyarados when doing the Design Favorability “catchup” polling, so I’m including it here just to be able to add it to the Poll Archive

Cards

Dishonorable Mentions (<10 Votes)

47th - 2 Votes:

46th - 4 Votes:

45th - 9 Votes:

10 - 19 Votes

44th - 11 Votes:

40th-43rd - 13 Votes:

39th - 14 Votes:

38th - 15 Votes:

37th - 17 Votes:

34-36th - 18 Votes:

33rd - 19 Votes:

20 - 29 Votes

32nd - 21 Votes:

31st - 23 Votes:

30th - 25 Votes:

28/29th - 26 Votes:

25-27th - 27 Votes:

30 39 Votes

23rd/24th - 30 Votes:

22nd - 32 Votes:

20th/21st - 33 Votes:

19th - 35 Votes:

18th - 36 Votes:

17th - 37 Votes:

16th - 38 Votes:

Honorable Mentions (40 - 49 Votes)

14/15th - 42 Votes:

13th - 43 Votes:

12th - 48 Votes:

Top 11 (50+ Votes)

11th - 50 Votes:

10th - 52 Votes:

9th - 57 Votes:

8th - 59 Votes:

60+ Votes

6/7th - 61 Votes:

5th - 62 Votes:

4th - 67 Votes:

3rd - 68 Votes:

Finalists (70+ Votes)

2nd - 73 Votes:

1st - 88 Votes:

---

Polls

Design

Voting Scale:

[ 1 The Worst ] ↔ [ 10 The Best ]

Magikarp

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10

Mega Gyarados

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10

---

Cards

Original Era

• 1996 - Base Set

• 1997 - Rocket

• 1998 - Misty’s - Gym 1 / Heroes

• 1999 - Giovanni’s - Gym 2 / Challenge

• 1999 - “Unikarp”

• 1999 - CoroCoro Best Photo (Snap)

• 1999 - Cameo - Tropical Present Summer 1999 - Jumbo

Neo

---

Due to the unique prominence of each variant, I felt they each deserve their own option. Plus I think it’ll be interesting to see if one places higher and which.

• 2000 - Shining - Neo 3 / Revelation (Cosmos Foil)

• 2001 - Shining - Fan Club 600 Points (Neo 4 / Destiny Foil)

---

Vs/e-Series

• 2001 - e1 / Expedition

• 2002 - e5 / Skyridge

ADV-PCG/EX

• 2003 - Ruler of the Heavens / Dragon

• 2004 - Flight of Legends / Fire Red Leaf Green

• 2004 - Clash of the Blue Sky / Deoxys

• 2004 - Rocket Gang Strikes Back Silver Deck 2 / Team Rocket Returns

• 2006 - δ - Holon Phantom/s

DP-Pt

• 2007 - DP2 / Mysterious Treasures

• 2008 - Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky / Stormfront

• 2008 - Gift Box DPt Chimchar Deck / Supreme Victors

L/HGSS

• 2009 - L1 SoulSilver / HGSS

• 2009 - Cameo - Fisherman - L1 SoulSilver / HGSS

• 2011 - L1/HGSS AA - Call of Legends

BW

• 2012 - GBR Garchomp Half Deck / Dragons Exalted

• 2013 - BW-P April Gym Challenge

• 2013 - BW-P AA - EBB / Legendary Treasures

XY

• 2015 - XY7 / Ancient Origins

• 2015 - Cameo - Pretend Magikarp Pikachu

• 2016 - XY7/AOR AA - 20th Starter Pack / Generations

• 2016 - XY7/AOR AA - XY-P - Shining Mega Gyarados Box / 20th Anniversary Festa: 4 Point Prize

SM

• 2017 - sm3N / Burning Shadows

• 2017 - sm4A / Crimson Invasion

• 2018 - sm6a / Dragon Majesty

• 2018 - sm9 / Team Up

• 2018 - TT GX - sm9 / Towering Splash GX Box

• 2018 - TT GX SR - sm9 / Team Up

• 2018 - TT GX SR Special Art - sm9 / Team Up

• 2018 - TT GX HR - sm9 / Team Up

• 2018 - Cameo - Brooklet Hill UR - sm9 / Hidden Fates

• 2019 - L1/HGSS AA - smL Family Card Game / Hidden Fates

• 2019 - Detective Pikachu

SwSh

• 2020 - s2 / Rebel Clash

• 2022 - Pokemon GO

SV

• 2023 - sv1S / SVI

---

• 2023 - sv1a / PAL

• 2023 - AR/IR - sv1a / PAL

---

• 2023 - Pokemon Card 151

• 2023 - My First Battle (Squirtle Deck)

---

"E4's Favorite" Polls - Archive

Overview Why I began doing these polls in December 2023 as a way to see how the community here ranks cards of various Pokemon or types of cards. Sometimes we may have an idea of what is #1, but what might round out the top 10? It’s hard to guess, and we always end up surprised in the end. It is also a great avenue to learn about new cards of Pokemon we may not have seen before. As time goes on and the quantity of these becomes overwhelming, I figured it would be beneficial to have them all g…

[ElijahtheTraveler]

Already I know the SV1a/Paldea Evolved and shining magikarp are going to be in the top 5.

[Dyl]

I love Magikarp. I voted for nearly all of them.

But we need some answers: Is Magikarp orange or red or somewhere in between? I was shocked to see so much variation over the years.

[niece]

So many good ones! I don’t think much about Magikarp but it is sneaky good Pokémon

[inertgeometry]

lol i only voted for a few cards.

TT GX
TT GX SA
sv1S
AR

the shinings are close to being good for me, but it still feel too much like stock sugimori art which i just can’t get behind for the most part.

i might go back and vote for the fan club variant bc the foiling adds the effect of the gold fish inspiration

[c0ll3ct0r]

A rare Saitou elite.

[inertgeometry]

the 151 karp and gyarados feel like homages to these, but i don’t think it was intentional as much as coincidental

[ayoveer]

My man!

[brendantheclayboy]

Karp better obtain a perfect 10 in design ranking. If he doesn’t, I lose faith in humanity overall, and certainly in the taste of everyone here. If you vote 10, you have class, taste, and elegance. If not… well, I better not say. Good day.

P.S. We all know Kanda karp will win, as I suppose it rightfully should, but Komiya’s 2 karps better be landing in top 5.

[c0ll3ct0r]

On that subject, it’s interesting how few good modern Magikarps there are. I’ve been waiting for a poll where we have a great looking Pokemon with lots of modern common cards. One decent Hyogonosuke, one Sekio and ever infallible Arita and then nothing all the way back to 2009. Vintage is a different story.

[inertgeometry]

i think this one is well done

[lyleberr]

Definitely not a 10. Its a fish, doesnt have very much design that telegraphs a pocket monster feel for me.

[ElijahtheTraveler]

Kanada will easily be top 5, if not top 3.

And uhh… I’ll just leave this here

[c0ll3ct0r]

I’d agree if the Karp wasn’t there. It’s a great concept.

[inertgeometry]

[c0ll3ct0r]

I feel like I was quite generous, I gave it 9. All the pure fish Pokemon look great.

Well, almost all…

[inertgeometry]

feebas (and milotic) are next. i know even without special arts, i’ll be voting for more feebas cards off the top of my head

[joponnes]

It’s interesting how much borders can shift thinking, i didn’t vote for the japanese one but i definitely would have voted this one

[Dyl]

@brendantheclayboy and I almost never agree. We are as polar opposite as they come on e4, but we are in 100% agreement here.

Magikarp is a 10/10 - full stop. It’s not just “a fish” it’s “the fish.” Perfectly derpy looking without a single brain cell firing, absolutely powerless, unassuming, and little to tell onlookers as to its true form. Even its coloring doesn’t match its evolution, though the whiskers are retained.

It’s the perfect evolution story of a wimpy underdog. It requires significant dedication from the trainer; why else would they entrust hours of grinding to a derpy looking fish?

And don’t get me started on its shiny design. Beyond beautiful.

[holoshedinja]

I must have voted for 95% of these lol. Magikarp is S-tier, the king of the fish.

A koi king if you will.