Why Some Beloved Pokémon Missed TOMY’s 20th Anniversary Plush Line

TOMY’s Pokémon 20th Anniversary Collection was designed as a celebration of the franchise’s history, but it was never intended to represent every popular species. The 2016 range focused heavily on mythical Pokémon, anniversary themes, and a carefully timed sequence of limited-edition releases. That narrow direction explains why several familiar fan favorites were absent.

For collectors, the missing characters can feel surprising. Pokémon such as Eevee, Lucario, Gengar, and many starters had enormous followings, yet the series gave priority to a different kind of recognition. The selection reflected Pokémon’s milestone year, the practical demands of plush production, retailer plans, and the need to create a coherent collection rather than a complete character catalog.

The 20th Anniversary Collection provides useful context for viewing the range as a curated historical program. Its value comes from the story connecting the releases, not simply from the number of Pokémon represented.

A Celebration Built Around Mythical Pokémon

The central idea behind the plush program was the celebration of rare and event-focused Pokémon. Mythical Pokémon occupy a distinctive place in the franchise: they are usually discovered through special distributions, films, promotions, or limited events rather than encountered through an ordinary main-story journey.

That made them especially suitable for an anniversary collection. A plush of Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, or another mythical character could symbolize a particular era of Pokémon history while also feeling collectible and exclusive. The strategy gave the 2016 program a clear identity that a broad assortment of popular species might have weakened.

This emphasis naturally left out many fan favorites. A character’s popularity alone was not enough to secure a place. The deciding question was more likely whether the Pokémon supported the anniversary narrative and fit the special-release format.

Popularity Was Only One Selection Factor

Pokémon merchandise is shaped by several kinds of demand. A character may be extremely popular among players but less useful for a short-term collector series if it already appears regularly across standard plush ranges. Familiar mascots can remain commercially important without being repeated in every special assortment.

The anniversary line also needed variation. If every release featured a similar-looking starter, mammal, or battle-oriented Pokémon, the collection would have offered less visual and historical breadth. Mythical Pokémon provided unusual silhouettes, colors, typings, and lore, helping each monthly launch feel distinct.

Some omissions therefore reflect merchandising balance rather than a judgment about a character’s importance. Eevee, Pikachu, and the original starters had broad recognition, but their very familiarity may have made them less effective as exclusive discoveries. A limited collection often gains interest by spotlighting characters that fans want but do not see in every seasonal display.

Production Limits Shaped the Character List

Creating a plush involves more than choosing artwork. A manufacturer must translate a digital or animated design into a soft, stable, repeatable physical form. Large ears, thin tails, wings, armor, horns, layered details, and unusual body proportions can increase patterning, stitching, stuffing, and quality-control requirements.

These issues matter more in a commemorative range with a fixed release calendar. Each character needs to be approved, sampled, manufactured, packaged, shipped, and placed with retailers at the right time. A highly complex Pokémon may be beloved, yet still be less practical than one with a clean silhouette and recognizable features that survive the plush-making process.

Size also affects the decision. A tiny or highly abstract Pokémon may require careful scaling to look appealing on a shelf, while a broad-bodied character can become expensive to produce at a satisfying size. The final assortment likely balanced character significance with manufacturing reliability, even when those priorities were invisible to shoppers.

The Release Calendar Favored a Curated Experience

The 2016 program used timed releases to keep attention moving through the anniversary year. Monthly or periodic launches encouraged fans to follow the collection as an event. That approach required a manageable number of characters and a sequence that felt deliberate.

A wider roster could have created logistical problems. More plush designs would mean more approvals, production commitments, inventory decisions, and retailer coordination. It could also dilute the sense that each release was a special installment. Limiting the range made it easier to give selected Pokémon a stronger promotional moment.

Retailer exclusivity added another layer. Some products were associated with particular stores or distribution channels, so the available assortment was shaped by commercial agreements as well as creative plans. A Pokémon absent from one display might have appeared in another product category, while a character chosen for a special plush needed to fit the needs of the retailer carrying it.

Selection pressure Effect on the plush assortment Why a favorite might be absent
Anniversary theme Favored mythical and historically significant Pokémon A popular standard species did not match the central concept
Production schedule Required a limited number of designs ready on time Complex characters could be difficult to manufacture
Shelf variety Encouraged different silhouettes, colors, and body types Similar characters could be held back for balance
Retail partnerships Connected releases to specific stores and channels Distribution plans could limit the final lineup
Existing merchandise Reduced the need to repeat heavily stocked characters Familiar mascots may have been reserved for other ranges

Mythical Pokémon Offered Stronger Collecting Logic

A mythical Pokémon often feels like a discovery. Its limited availability within the games and its connection to special events create a natural sense of rarity, which translates well to a commemorative plush series. Collectors can build a set around a defined theme instead of simply buying individual favorites.

The choice also connected the toys to Pokémon’s wider media history. Films, anniversary promotions, game events, and trading campaigns had repeatedly used mythical characters as special attractions. A plush line centered on them could therefore appeal to longtime fans who remembered earlier eras, as well as newer collectors encountering those Pokémon for the first time.

Celebi is a useful example because its time-travel identity and early-generation status give it strong anniversary relevance. The dedicated Celebi plush page shows how an individual character could receive focused attention within the broader program. That kind of presentation is different from placing dozens of species in a standard assortment; each selected Pokémon becomes a representative of the franchise’s history.

Why Mascots Were Not Always the Best Choice

Pikachu was the clear face of Pokémon and appeared across many 20th Anniversary products, but that did not mean every anniversary item needed to center on it. A special range could use Pikachu elsewhere while reserving its plush series for characters that communicated rarity and discovery.

The same principle applies to battle favorites such as Lucario, Greninja, or Gengar. Their popularity is substantial, but their strongest merchandise opportunities may involve poseable figures, action toys, apparel, or standard plush. The 2016 program included several product types, including Clip 'n' Carry Poké Balls and Pikachu-focused items, so the full anniversary offering was broader than the mythical plush selection alone.

Looking at the entire product family makes the omissions easier to understand. A character skipped by the plush assortment was not necessarily ignored by TOMY or the Pokémon brand. It may have been represented through another format, another retailer, or a different campaign aimed at a separate kind of fan.

How Collectors Can Read the Missing Characters

The absence of a favorite Pokémon can still be meaningful. It reveals the boundaries of the collection and helps identify what the designers wanted the anniversary line to communicate. Rather than treating the assortment as an incomplete encyclopedia, collectors can view it as a snapshot of 2016 priorities.

This perspective also helps explain why limited-edition ranges become interesting over time. A standard plush may be easier to find, but a focused release tied to a particular year, retailer, or character theme carries additional historical value. Packaging, release timing, and distribution details can matter as much as the Pokémon itself.

Collectors evaluating the series may find it useful to:

The skipped Pokémon are therefore part of the story. Their absence highlights the commercial and creative choices behind a licensed toy program, while the selected plush figures preserve a particular interpretation of Pokémon’s first twenty years.

Explore the surviving releases, character pages, and product details through TOMY’s anniversary archive to see how the 2016 collection turned a limited lineup into a focused piece of Pokémon merchandise history.