3d Printed Pokemon Keychain Design

If you grew up in or near the nineties, then at least one of these two things is true; you have a favorite Pokémon, and you've dreamed of having one of your own.

Of course, part of growing up means learning that that's never going to happen, but that hasn't stopped us Pokémon fans from taking whatever creative outlets we can to make our inner child that little bit happier.

Despite the lovable 2D sprites and animations of the early games and cartoons, 3D Pokémon in just about any form are common household decorations for those of us who grew up wanting to be the very best.

Let's be honest, 3D printing Pokémon is one of the first things to cross the minds of many new 3D printer owners, and if you're reading this then you're probably in the same boat. Goodness knows I got straight to work making Lickitung and Noctowl the instant I was up and running.

The magical thing about Pokémon is that every single one is someone's favorite. Whether it's world-famous like Pikachu or Greninja, or a little more obscure like Spinda or Smeargle, every single one of the 898+ pocket monsters is special to at least one person.

So whichever your favorite, you can easily find 3D Pokémon print files all over the internet for just about any one of your choosing. While there isn't enough bandwidth in the world to talk about every single one of them here, I (likely the biggest nerd here at 3DSourced) am going to show you some favorites I've found in my travels.

ShadowBons 3D Pokémon Models

Now what kind of geek would I be if I didn't start by talking about my favorite Pokémon of over two decades; Vulpix.

This fire fox was the first 3D printed Pokémon I ever owned courtesy of a gift from a friend of mine, seen above. But after scouring the internet for more 3D Pokémon models of this six-tailed little wonder, I think I might have found my favorite here.

What I love about this Vulpix design is that the detailing isn't so low-poly that the print could be considered simple, but it's also not so overly detailed that it loses its cartoonish charm.

Naturally, I had to see what other works creator ShadowBons had come up with, and his library here has an impressive array of Pokémon from Caterpie to Bulbasaur and both of their respective evolution lines, as well as Ponyta, Slowpoke, Sandslash, and even a little statuette of the three Galar starters amongst many others.

Many of these designs come in different poses and positions, including Charmander breathing fire and, even more impressive, a Butterfree coming out of its Metapod cocoon.

If you're in the market for 3D Pokémon models that really stand out in both charm and creativity, then ShadowBons collection of files (which only cost around $1 each) is well worth a look.

Not to mention ShadowBons even recreated Ash's Butterfree, complete with bandana, if you want to relive the famously tear-jerking Bye Bye Butterfree episode from the anime.

Of course, a lot of care will need to be taken in post-processing and painting to get them to look as good as they do here, but what was Pokémon if not a valuable lesson in teaching us to take good care of our friends?

Low Poly Pokémon

Likely the go-to for beginners in 3D printing are these 3D Pokémon printed to look like low-polygon versions of themselves like this Eevee.

These designs are not only easy to print and require very little by way of post-processing, they're also unbelievably adorable.

While both separate versions as well as the full collection of these low poly 3D Pokémon models are available for purchase, don't sweat it if you don't want to break out your wallet. These designs are so simple for experienced creators to make that many versions are available completely free by original designers.

Take this Bulbasaur, for example, or this slightly smoother-looking Lapras. Both are fantastic models that only took a little extra time to find free of charge.

If you can't find your favorite for free, most of the individual models only cost around 80₵, so if you don't mind that expense then you can also go for this adorable Alakazam family (Abra sold separately), or this Dragonite.

For those of you who dream a little further beyond the Kanto region, fear not. Johto Pokémon like Totodile and Cyndaquil are also ready to print in all their low poly glory.

And if simply having a plethora of these 3D Pokémon in your home isn't enough, an honorable mention has to be given to this low poly Bulbasaur doorstop.

Many of the free versions of these 3D Pokémon models were designed and uploaded by talented designer Agustin Flowalistik, whose libraries can be found wherever good 3D prints are. You can browse his Thingiverse library here.

3D Printed Pokéballs

So now that you've got your favorite pocket monsters picked and printed, you're going to need to store them. Of course, you'll probably want to display them with pride wherever you can, but that doesn't mean a pokéball isn't still a cool thing to 3D print.

Given the dozens of canonical pokéball designs, you'd be forgiven for being a little paralyzed (get it?) over the choices available, so here we'll look at some cool and practical 3D Pokémon storage devices.

Hinged Pokéballs

Call me a sucker for nostalgia, but my favorite pokéball design has always been the original and iconic red and white.

While fairly easy to design a sphere yourself in any CAD design software, there are a few neat little touches designers have put into their own renditions of the classic capsules. My favorite of which is this 3D printed pokéball complete with functioning hinge.

Even if you are new to 3D printing, the designer has laid out some clear instructions along with the free files so you can store your 3D printed Pokémon or whatever else you like with ease! Personally, I like using this design as a candy dish, but you can do just about anything with it.

Not a fan of the classic? Or maybe you just have a particular preference elsewhere? Well no worries, because the designer has gone out of their way to recreate many of the different designs featured in the games.

From the Great Ball to the Ultra Ball, and even the one-of-a-kind Master Ball are all available and all free as functioning hinged pokéballs to print and enjoy. Even the lesser-used Net Ball and Timer Ball are amongst this collection, so no favorite should be left out!

Want something unique? Try out this incredible futuristic pokéball design!

3D Printed Pokéball Cartridge Carrier

Chances are if you're interested in making your own 3D Pokémon, you're likely something of a gamer. And if you're a gamer, you may own a Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch cartridges are notoriously tiny and very easy to misplace if not stored properly. While we always promise ourselves we'll return every game to its box, many of us are guilty of not sticking to that promise for very long.

The Pokéball Cartridge Carrier is just like the hinged pokéballs above except it's designed with slots to store up to eight Nintendo Switch cartridges safely and securely in a cool and hard-to-miss way.

Some assembly is required, as well as the purchase of a spring, but all details and even a video tutorial for assembly will have you soon resting easy knowing those expensive little cards won't get lost so easily.

Honorable Mentions

While I still can't cover every 3D printable Pokémon out there, there have been more than a few I've come across that really deserve a spotlight if you're as much of a fan of this undeniably gargantuan franchise as I am.

Here are a few of my top picks.

3D Printed Pokémon Keychains

Keys are such a constant in our lives that many of us like to decorate the rings with pop culture references and personal memorabilia. Naturally, there are plenty of 3D printed Pokémon keychains out there.

From this cute Charmander to the leader of the Squirtle Squad of anime fame, there's no shortage of Pokémon that you can print out and carry with you everywhere!

My personal favorite is this unbelievably cute Psyduck keychain design, whose noticeability will hopefully cause you fewer headaches every time you lose your keys!

For more: our list of the best 3D printable keychains

3D Pokémon Gym Badges

You may have noticed that I've largely focused on Kanto and Johto Pokémon in this list, and that's because I, like many Pokémon fans, have a preferred generation and therefore a favorite Pokémon region (it's Johto, if you were wondering.)

Each region has its own gym badges, each with unique and apt designs depending on the gym leader's specialty. Well, you'll be happy to know that you can 3D print Pokémon gym badges from your favorite game and display them with pride just like a real Pokémon trainer would!

Maybe you want to go old school with the Kanto and Johto badge sets, or want to complete your 3D printing Pokémon journey with this creative disc format brought to us by the Galar region from Sword and Shield.

You'll be ready to face the Pokémon League in no time, be it at the Indigo Plateau or on the northeastern-most corner of Unova.

Whichever you choose, you'll also want this 3D printed Pokémon gym badge case to display them wherever you like!

Pokémon Go Aim Aid

If you play Pokémon Go, you may get frustrated at how hard catching those darn things can be at times, especially in cold weather or with a wet screen in the rain.

Fortunately, this very simple smartphone add-on means you'll throw your pokéball in a straight line every time!

While you do get more XP for curveballs, and some Pokémon have been known to move around, this clever design will still make those simple catches infinitely easier.

3D Pokémon Planters

Last but not least are these super cute Pokémon planters.

Featuring the two leafiest of the Kanto Pokémon, Oddish and Bulbasaur were made for these kinds of plant pots to liven up your garden in the best (and nerdiest) way possible!

Still want to find more cool 3D prints? Check out some of our other articles:

The 50+ coolest things you can 3D print
52 3D printed cookie cutters for fun home baking
The most useful 3D printed tools you can print today

If you enjoyed this article: