A Complete Guide to TOMY’s Pokémon 20th Anniversary Plush Releases
TOMY’s Pokémon 20th Anniversary Collection turned the 2016 celebration into a year-long hunt for collectors. Rather than placing every item on shelves at once, TOMY released a different mythical Pokémon plush each month, giving fans a regular reason to check participating retailers and follow the anniversary program.
The plush series focused on Pokémon associated with special distributions, major games, and memorable stories from the franchise’s first two decades. Each figure offered a way to mark the anniversary while fitting into a larger set, making the monthly schedule as important to collectors as the individual characters.
The lineup was part of a broader range of licensed anniversary toys. Alongside the plush figures were Clip 'n' Carry Poké Balls, Pikachu products, and retailer-specific items. Availability could vary by store and region, so the original release month is best understood as a guide to the campaign rather than a guarantee of current stock.
How The Monthly Program Worked
The 2016 campaign began with Mew and continued through a carefully arranged sequence of mythical Pokémon. New figures generally appeared once per month, encouraging fans to collect gradually instead of searching for an entire assortment during one shopping trip.
The concept suited the anniversary especially well. Every plush represented a different chapter in Pokémon history, from Celebi’s time-traveling mythology to Genesect’s connection with the Unova region. The schedule also gave lesser-seen characters a prominent place beside the more familiar Pikachu merchandise.
The figures were sold through participating retailers, with availability influenced by local distribution and retailer exclusivity. Packaging, shelf timing, and inventory could differ, which is why collectors often kept release announcements, store advertisements, and product photographs as part of their records.
The Release Schedule At A Glance
The monthly series began in February, matching the anniversary year’s major celebration period, and ran through December. The sequence included eleven plush releases. While the characters shared a common anniversary purpose, their designs varied in silhouette, color, and display appeal.
| Release month | Pokémon | Collector highlights |
|---|---|---|
| February 2016 | Mew | The anniversary’s opening mythical Pokémon |
| March 2016 | Celebi | A green, time-travel-themed character |
| April 2016 | Jirachi | Recognized for its wish-granting legend |
| May 2016 | Darkrai | A shadowy figure with a distinctive shape |
| June 2016 | Manaphy | A water-type mythical Pokémon |
| July 2016 | Shaymin | The small hedgehog-like Pokémon |
| August 2016 | Arceus | A central legendary creator figure |
| September 2016 | Victini | The victory-themed mythical Pokémon |
| October 2016 | Keldeo | The Colt Pokémon from the Swords of Justice |
| November 2016 | Meloetta | A music- and performance-inspired character |
| December 2016 | Genesect | The year’s closing synthetic Pokémon |
This ordering is useful when identifying loose plush figures or comparing a partial collection with contemporary promotional material. It can also help distinguish the anniversary releases from later TOMY Pokémon plush assortments that used similar sizing or packaging styles.
The Mythical Pokémon Lineup
Mew was a natural starting point because of its importance to the original games and its enduring reputation as one of Pokémon’s most sought-after hidden discoveries. Celebi and Jirachi followed with equally recognizable mythical themes, giving the first quarter of the program a nostalgic, classic feel.
Darkrai and Manaphy added contrasting designs. Darkrai’s dark coloring and pointed features made it visually distinctive, while Manaphy brought a brighter aquatic character to the series. Collectors looking closely at the Manaphy figure can use this Manaphy reference to compare its place in the anniversary range with related TOMY products.
The second half of the schedule broadened the collection’s visual variety. Shaymin offered a softer, compact design, Arceus stood out with its unusual ring-like body detail, and Victini added a small orange figure associated with winning and celebration. These differences helped the assortment avoid looking repetitive when displayed together.
Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect completed the run with characters from later generations. Their inclusion emphasized that the anniversary was celebrating the full history of the series, not only the original Kanto era. Genesect’s December appearance gave the campaign a particularly striking final release.
What Collectors Should Examine
Authenticity is easier to assess when several details are considered together. Check the Pokémon name, TOMY branding, copyright information, hangtags, stitching, embroidery, and overall proportions. A missing tag does not automatically make a plush counterfeit, but it does remove useful evidence, especially when buying secondhand.
Condition is another important factor. Look for clean fabric, intact seams, even embroidery, and minimal fading. Plush toys stored in sunlight may show color changes, while compressed storage can alter their shape. Odors, stains, loose threads, and damaged tags should be documented before purchase.
Packaging can also help establish provenance. Anniversary branding, official character art, and Nintendo licensing references support identification, though packaging styles may differ between markets. The TOMY collection archive provides useful context for comparing product imagery and understanding how the plush range fits into the wider 2016 program.
Retailer Exclusivity And Regional Availability
A monthly release did not mean every shop carried every figure. Some products were associated with particular retailers or distribution partners, and local stock could arrive early, late, or in limited quantities. That variation is one reason collectors may find different release information in advertisements from the United States, Canada, or other markets.
Retailer exclusivity also affected secondary-market prices. A character that was easy to find in one area could be scarce elsewhere, even when it was part of the same official campaign. The reverse could happen when a store received a larger shipment or kept older stock available after the advertised month.
For historical research, it is helpful to separate the original retail date from the date a plush was personally acquired. A December Genesect may have been purchased months later, and a February Mew may have appeared in a collector’s archive after a resale transaction. Both dates matter, but they describe different parts of the item’s history.
Pikachu And The Wider Anniversary Collection
The monthly mythical plushes were the centerpiece of the program, but they were not the entire 20th anniversary range. Pikachu received special attention through commemorative designs and products intended to appeal to both casual fans and dedicated collectors. These items connected the character’s broad popularity with the celebration’s limited-edition focus.
TOMY also released Clip 'n' Carry Poké Balls and other specialty toys during the year. These products had a more active, play-oriented purpose than the plush figures, yet they shared the same anniversary atmosphere. A display combining plush, Poké Balls, and Pikachu merchandise can therefore tell a fuller story of the 2016 collection.
The licensing by Nintendo was significant for collectors documenting the range. Official branding helped distinguish the campaign from fan-made goods and unrelated Pokémon merchandise. It also placed the toys within the formal anniversary product program rather than treating them as ordinary seasonal stock.
Practical Buying And Display Recommendations
A careful approach helps preserve both the historical value and the visual appeal of this limited-edition series.
- Use the monthly schedule to identify missing figures before comparing listings or local stock.
- Compare photographs of tags, embroidery, proportions, and copyright markings rather than relying on a seller’s title alone.
- Record the retailer, purchase date, condition, and packaging details for each plush in the collection.
- Store figures away from direct sunlight, moisture, smoke, and tightly packed containers.
- Display the lineup in release order, generation order, or by color to make the anniversary story easy to follow.
The completed series works especially well as a chronological display. Place Mew at the beginning and Genesect at the end, with the intermediate releases arranged by month. Small labels can identify each character and release date without obscuring the toys or their tags.
Collectors who prefer a character-based arrangement might group water-themed figures, darker designs, or Pokémon with strong links to particular games and films. There is no single correct presentation, but preserving the original monthly sequence makes the collection’s structure immediately recognizable.
The 2016 TOMY plush program remains appealing because it combined a clear collecting rhythm with an unusually broad cast of mythical Pokémon. Each release has its own identity, yet the series feels complete when viewed as a full year of anniversary history.
Begin by checking which months are represented in your collection, then verify each figure against reliable product references and retailer-era details. Whether you own one favorite plush or are assembling the entire run, documenting the pieces turns a group of toys into a lasting record of Pokémon’s twentieth anniversary.