10 best starter Pokemon of all time, ranked

There are a lot of starter Pokemon in the franchise, and one of the most important questions for fans worldwide is what is the very best starter?

At the beginning of every Pokemon trainer’s journey, it is important to make one decision: ‘Which starter should you choose?’ Every generation and region has a trio of adorable ‘Mons to choose between that always feature a Grass, Water, and Fire type.

Starter Pokemon will always be special to players as they’re the first creatures to join you on your journey, even if they may not stay in your team for the entire game. Everyone has a favorite starter, but what ones are the very best?

10. Oshawott

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0501	Water	55	55	45	63	45	45	308

Evolution Chart

Dewott (second-stage)	Samurott (third-stage)	Hisuian Samurott (third-stage)
Level required: 17 Type: Water Abilities: Torrent, Shell Armor (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Water Abilities: Torrent, Shell Armor (HA)	Level required: 36 (Legends: Arceus only) Type: Water/Dark Abilities: Torrent, Shell Armor (HA)

Pros and Cons

While many people dislike the design of Oshawott’s final evolution, Samurott is still a strong Pokemon that’s capable of taking down plenty of opponents, with solid 100 Attack and 108 Special Attack stats and decent bulk to carry it through most match-ups.

Throw in a wide-ranging move pool that provides excellent type coverage, and Samurott becomes the most balanced Pokemon in the Black & White starter trio. It does suffer from poor speed, but Hisuian Samurott went some way to fix that, as long as you can pull it from Pokemon Legends: Arceus or Pokemon Home.

9. Treecko

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0252	Grass	40	45	35	65	55	70	310

Evolution Chart

Grovyle (second-stage)	Sceptile (third-stage)	Mega Sceptile (Mega Evolution)
Level required: 16 Type: Grass Abilities: Overgrow, Unburden (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Grass Abilities: Overgrow, Unburden (HA)	Item required: Sceptilite Type: Grass/Dragon Abilities: Lightning Rod, Unburden (HA)

Pros and Cons

Treecko often plays second-fiddle to Mudkip, which is widely regarded as the best Ruby & Sapphire starter, but it can easily stand on its own two feet as a solid Grass-type glass cannon with a huge 120 Speed stat and 105 Special Attack.

It might not have very good bulk or a secondary typing to help it out, but it is one of the fastest creatures in its generation, meaning it can hit fast and hard. The ability to learn False Swipes was also great for catching tricky Pokemon in the wild.

In the games where Mega Evolutions are present, Mega Sceptile can be a powerhouse. This is thanks to its Lightning Rod Ability, which not only nullifies Electric-type moves, but boosts Mega Sceptile’s Special Attack.

8. Rowlet

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0722	Grass/Flying	68	55	55	50	50	42	320

Evolution Chart

Dartrix (second-stage)	Decidueye (third-stage)	Hisuian Decidueye (third-stage)
Level required: 17 Type: Grass/Flying Abilities: Overgrow, Long Reach (HA)	Level required: 34 Type: Grass/Ghost Abilities: Overgrow, Long Reach (HA)	Level required: 36 (Legends: Arcsus only) Type: Grass/Fighting Abilities: Overgrow, Long Reach (HA)

Pros and Cons

With the design of an archer and a unique Grass/Ghost-typing, Rowlet’s final evolution Decidueye is definitely one of the most interesting starter Pokemon, with many trainers choosing it based on its design alone.

Decidueye has a 107 Attack stat and a 100 Special Attack stat which means it can focus on either move type, while a 100 Special Defense stat provides some bulk. It was also a great starter in Legends Arceus, where it became a Grass/Fighting-type.

7. Chimchar

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0390	Fire	44	58	44	58	44	61	309

Evolution Chart

Monferno (second-stage)	Infernape (third-stage)
Level required: 14 Type: Fire/Fighting Abilities: Blaze, Iron Fist (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Fire/Fighting Abilities: Blaze, Iron Fist (HA)

Pros and Cons

One issue many players have with Diamond & Pearl is the severe lack of decent Fire-types in the wild, which meant choosing Chimchar as your starter was almost a necessity. Fortunately, it’s also one of the best starter Pokemon in general.

104 Attack and 104 Special Attack stats push it above average when dishing out damage, while 108 Speed makes it pretty darn fast. It’s one of the best Pokemon you can have on your team for taking down the Elite Four, too.

6. Bulbasaur

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0001	Grass/Poison	45	49	49	65	65	45	318

Evolution Chart

Ivysaur (second-stage)	Venusaur (third-stage)	Mega Venusaur	Gigantamax Venusaur
Level required: 16 Type: Grass/Poison Abilities: Overgrow, Chlorophyll (HA)	Level required: 32 Type: Grass/Poison Abilities: Overgrow, Chlorophyll (HA)	Item required: Venusaurite Type: Grass/Poison Abilities: Thick Fat, Chlorophyll (HA)	Item required: Dynamax Band Type: Grass/Poison G-Max Move: G-Max Vine Lash

Pros and Cons

As the very first entry in the Pokedex – and the first starter Pokemon that many trainers ever chose – Bulbasaur has a huge following of loyal fans. Even the creators of Pokemon love it, having once said that it “exemplifies what Pokémon is all about”.

Part of the reason for its popularity was that it could easily take out the first two gym leaders in Red & Blue. It also helps that its final evolution, Venusaur, continues to be a top-tier Grass-type across multiple games, including Pokemon Go.

Mega Venusaur was one of the undisputed best Mega Evolutions in the game. Not only does this big boy get a stat boost, but its resistance to Fire and Ice-type moves is drastically increased, helping it to overcome two of the biggest threats to Grass-type ‘Mons.

Gigantamax Venusaur in Pokemon Sword & Shield and its expansions is just as impressive, so long as the player is able to set up sunny weather to boost it further than what its giant form allows.

5. Torchic

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0255	Fire	45	60	40	70	50	45	310

Evolution Chart

Combusken (second-stage)	Blaziken (third-stage)	Mega Blaziken
Level required: 16 Type: Fire/Fighting Abilities: Blaze, Speed Boost (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Fire/Fighting Abilities: Blaze, Speed Boost (HA)	Item required: Blazikenite Type: Fire/Fighting Abilities: Speed Boost

Pros and Cons

There’s been an unusual amount of starter Pokemon that end up Fire/Fighting-type in their third stage, but the adorable Torchic’s final evolution Blaziken is by far the best one around (in our humble opinion).

This is partly because there aren’t many good Fire-types in the Hoenn region, but mainly because it has a brilliant combination of 120 Attack and 110 Special Attack, which allows it to hit incredibly hard with moves like Close Combat and Flare Blitz.

Mega Blaziken is one of the best Mega Evolutions in the series, thanks to a huge stat increase and Speed Boost making it gradually grow faster each turn. These benefits allow Mega Blaziken to punch through the competition with ease.

4. Squirtle

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0007	Water	44	48	65	50	64	43	314

Evolution Chart

Wartortle (second-stage)	Blastoise (third-stage)	Mega Blastoise	Gigantamax Blastoise
Level required: 16 Type: Water Abilities: Torrent, Rain Dish (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Water Abilities: Torrent, Rain Dish (HA)	Item required: Blastoisinite Type: Water Abilities: Mega Launcher, Rain Dish (HA)	Item required: Dynamax Band Type: Water G-Max Move: G-Max Cannonade

Pros and Cons

As one of the original Kanto starters, Squirtle was always going to be a top contender for a spot on this list. It’s got one of the greatest evolution lines and it’s made several memorable appearances in the anime – who could forget the Squirtle Squad?

While its final evolution may not be quite as popular as Charizard, there’s no denying that Blastoise is one of the coolest Pokemon ever. It’s also very bulky, with 100 Defense and 105 Special Defense, which lets it stick around for longer in battle.

Mega Blastoise gains a huge buff to its Attack and defensive stats. This is accompanied by the Mega Launcher Ability, improving the damage of Water Pulse and other Pulse moves. It’s just a shame that it’s outclassed by the incredible Mega Gyarados.

Gigantamax Blastoise can use Cannonade, which deals damage at the end of an opponent’s turn, chipping away at their health. This makes it a great choice for dealing with walls, like Snorlax, as it’s based on percentage.

3. Charmander

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0004	Fire	39	52	43	60	50	65	309

Evolution Chart

Charmeleon (second-stage)	Charizard (third-stage)	Mega Charizard X	Mega Charizard Y	Gigantamax Charizard
Level required: 16 Type: Fire Abilities: Blaze, Solar Power (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Fire/Flying Abilities: Blaze, Solar Power (HA)	Item required: Charizardite X Type: Fire/Dragon Abilities: Tough Claws, Solar Power (HA)	Item required: Charizardite Y Type: Fire/Flying Abilities: Drought, Solar Power (HA)	Item required: Dynamax Band Type: Fire/Flying G-Max Move: G-Max Wildfire

Pros and Cons

Decades after it made its debut in Red & Blue in the 1990s, the adorable little Fire-type Charmander remains not just a fan-favorite starter Pokemon, but one of the most popular Pokemon full stop.

There’s a pretty obvious reason for this… its final evolution is Charizard. This fearsome creature is arguably the most iconic Pokemon of all time (after Pikachu), appearing in multiple games and spin-offs including Pokken and Super Smash Bros.

It’s got the stats to back that popularity up, with a huge 109 Special Attack that lends itself well to STAB attacks like Inferno and Air Slash, while a 100 Speed stat means it will often get to attack first. Bonus points are awarded for having one of the best Shinies available.

The popularity of Charizard can be seen in Pokemon X & Y, when it gained two Mega Evolutions. Charizard X finally gives it a Dragon-type and diminishes its crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, while Charizard Y’s natural Drought Ability means it’s boosting its own damage when it enters the battlefield.

Gigantamax Charizard has a similar attack to the other Gigantamax Kanto starters, with G-Max Wildfire dealing indirect damage over multiple turns. It still packs a punch when using Fire-type moves and is an excellent choice for a Dynamax evo during battle.

2. Froakie

The Pokemon Company

Base Stats

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0656	Water	41	56	40	62	44	71	314

Evolution Chart

Frogadier (second-stage)	Greninja (third-stage)	Ash-Greninja
Level required: 16 Type: Water Abilities: Torrent, Protean (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Water/Dark Abilities: Torrent, Protean (HA)	Type: Water/Dark Abilities: Battle Bond, Protean (HA)

Pros and Cons

Okay, so Froakie might not be the most appealing starter in its base form – but when its final evolution is Greninja, who cares! It’s even been voted the world’s favorite Pokemon, in case its popularity was ever in doubt.

Greninja has the highest Speed stat of any starter Pokemon’s final evolution, living up to its ninja-inspired name, which means it can unleash brilliant attacks like Hydro Pump and Water Shuriken before your opponent knows what’s happening.

While Greninja never received a Mega Evolution, it did get a unique form with Ash-Greninja. If a Greninja has the Battle Bond Ability and KO’s an opponent, it will transform into Ash-Greninja, boosting its stats and the power of Water Shuriken.

Ash-Greninja was a great form. Unfortunately, it was cut from Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, with Battle Bond simply increasing Greninja’s stats.

1. Mudkip

The Pokemon Company

National Pokedex No.	Type	HP	Attack	Defense	Special Attack	Special Defense	Speed	Total
0258	Water	50	70	50	50	50	40	310

Evolution Chart

Marshtomp (second-stage)	Swampert (third-stage)	Mega Swampert
Level required: 16 Type: Water/Ground Abilities: Torrent, Damp (HA)	Level required: 36 Type: Water/Ground Abilities: Torrent, Damp (HA)	Item required: Swampertite Type: Water/Ground Abilities: Swift Swim, Damp (HA)

Pros and Cons

As far as starter Pokemon go, Mudkip really does have it all; It’s ridiculously cute, it’s the best one to choose in its parent games Ruby & Sapphire, and it also becomes one of the strongest starter final evolutions of all time.

Yes, we’re talking about Swampert. This powerful Water/Ground-type Pokemon has a really great balance of stats across HP, Defense, and Attack, meaning it has decent bulk and can hit hard with some great moves.

Perhaps the best thing about Swampert is that its unique dual typing leaves it with only one weakness (Grass), which means it can perform well in the majority of scenarios without worrying too much about being taken out.

Mega Swampert is one of the best rain Pokemon in the game, thanks to Swift Swim boosting its Speed. The massive Attack boost it gets from its Mega Evolution means it can quickly crush opponents when an ally brings down rain.

That’s it for our list of the best starter Pokemon. For more content, make sure to check out our guides about the best Pokemon in Pokemon Go and the best ‘Mons in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.