Choosing your starter Pokémon is one of the most pivotal moments in any Pokémon game. It's the instant you lock eyes with the creature you'll spend countless hours training, bonding with, and battling alongside. This decision often feels like a personality test, based on vibes and personal taste. Yet, at the outset, you're unaware of how this choice will impact your journey to becoming a Pokémon Master, with the gyms, rivals, and secrets of the region still a mystery.
We've conducted extensive research, analyzing base stats, strengths, weaknesses, and evolutions of every starter Pokémon. We've also considered how they fare against the challenges of their native regions. Our goal is to help you choose the best starter to not only conquer the initial gyms but to triumph over the Elite Four and beyond. This is your first step toward mastering the Pokémon world across all generations.
Gen 1: Bulbasaur
Games: Pokémon Red & Blue, FireRed & LeafGreen
Starter options: Bulbasaur (grass), Charmander (fire), Squirtle (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow guide
While Bulbasaur is the obvious choice to tackle the first gym in Pokémon Red and Blue (Grass beats Rock, a well-known fact among fans), it truly stands out as the best starter for dominating the Kanto region. Although Charmander might initially seem appealing due to the rarity of Fire types in Gen 1 and its immunity to Ground types in the final gym, Bulbasaur's advantages shine through.
A Bulbasaur trainer will breeze through the majority of the game, with the Grass type being super effective against Brock's Rock Pokémon, Misty's Water collection, and Giovanni's final gym line-up. It's also the best choice against the first two members of the Elite Four. The main challenges include Erika's Grass type gym, where strategic planning is essential to overcome the barrage of "not very effective" attacks, and Blaine's Fire type gym, which can be navigated with the abundance of Water types in Kanto.
Bulbasaur trainers will face issues with frequent encounters with Pidgeys and Spearows in tall grass, whose Flying typing poses a challenge for leveling up. However, the numerous Ground and Rock types in caves provide ample opportunities for Bulbasaur to gain XP. Additionally, battles against rival Blue, who uses Pidgeot and Charmander, can be mitigated with a Water type on your team.
Bulbasaur's well-balanced base stats and evolution into Venusaur, which gains Poison typing, provide a significant advantage over Charmander and Squirtle.
Gen 2: Cyndaquil
Games: Pokémon Gold & Silver, Crystal, HeartGold & SoulSilver
Starter options: Chikorita (grass), Cyndaquil (fire), Totodile (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal guide
Pokémon Gold and Silver introduced only eight new Fire types, compared to ten Grass and eighteen Water types. Choosing Cyndaquil adds essential diversity to your team and proves to be the best matchup for most of the gyms and Elite Four members in Johto.
Cyndaquil excels against Bugsy's Bug type gym and Jasmine's Steel type gym. In contrast, Totodile struggles without Fire, Ground, or Rock gyms to dominate, and Chikorita faces difficulties in the early Bug and Flying type gyms, as well as Morty's Poison type gym. While Pryce's Ice gym poses a challenge for Cyndaquil, building a well-balanced team over time will help overcome this hurdle.
Cyndaquil's advantages extend to the Elite Four, where Grass and Bug types are common. Although the teams are balanced, the abundance of Poison types and Lance's Dragon/Flying types make it challenging for Meganium. Feraligatr, Totodile's final evolution, performs well against many of these Pokémon, but Typhlosion, Cyndaquil's final form, blazes through them more effectively.
Choosing Cyndaquil does come with challenges, such as frequent Rock and Ground encounters in caves and strategic battles against Lance's Charizard and Gyarados. However, these issues pale in comparison to the obstacles faced by Chikorita and Totodile.
Gen 3: Mudkip
Games: Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Starter options: Treecko (grass), Torchic (fire), Mudkip (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald guide
Beyond Mudkip's adorable appearance, choosing a Water type in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire offers strategic advantages. Both Mudkip and Treecko are super effective against three of the eight gyms, targeting Roxanne's and Tate & Liza's Rock/Ground gyms. Mudkip is best suited for Flannery's Fire gym, while Treecko excels against Wallace's Water gym.
By the time you reach Wallace, Treecko likely evolves into Sceptile, but its Grass typing puts it at a disadvantage against Flannery and Winona's Flying type lineup. Mudkip, evolving into Swampert, struggles only with Wattson's Electric type gym in Mauville City. Torchic, with its Fire and later Fighting typing, doesn't match up well against any gym leaders, particularly Wallace.
The Elite Four slightly favors Sceptile due to Glacia's Ice/Water Pokémon and some Grass types, which challenge Swampert. However, Swampert's evolution grants it Ground typing and balanced stats, providing immunity to Electric attacks and only being weak to Grass. This versatility allows Swampert to excel in battles where it might otherwise be the underdog.
While the Hoenn region's water prevalence can make random encounters grind-heavy, Mudkip's overall advantages more than compensate for this. Plus, it's undeniably the cutest of the bunch.
Gen 4: Chimchar
Games: Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Starter options: Turtwig (grass), Chimchar (fire), Piplup (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum guide
Continuing the trend from the first game, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl introduced only five new Fire types compared to fourteen Water and Grass types. Although this isn't the sole deciding factor, it adds to Chimchar's appeal over Turtwig and Piplup. Chimchar's Fire typing is super effective against Gardenia's Grass type gym, Byron's Steel types, and Candice's Ice types.
Turtwig, after evolving into Torterra, can easily handle Roark's Rock type and Crasher Wake's Water type gyms, and gains immunity to Electric attacks, which helps against Volkner's final gym. However, Turtwig's strengths are more pronounced in the early game, while Chimchar's are geared for late-game success.
The Sinnoh region's balanced Elite Four makes Chimchar's final evolution, Infernape, ideal for Aaron's Bug Pokémon, though Torterra excels against Bertha's Water and Ground types. Piplup's evolution into Empoleon doesn't provide a significant advantage against the gym leaders or the Elite Four.
The frequent battles with Team Galactic's Bug types tilt the scales in Chimchar's favor, supported by its strong gym battle credentials.
Gen 5: Tepig
Games: Pokémon Black & White
Starter options: Snivy (grass), Tepig (fire), Oshawott (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Black and White guide
Generation 5 presents a clear choice with Fire type Tepig emerging as the standout. Snivy's Grass typing only benefits against one gym and has no significant advantage against the Elite Four, compounded by its struggles against Bug and Flying types in Unova. Oshawott, while better suited for Clay's Ground type gym and resistant to Brycen's Ice Pokémon, doesn't gain any particular advantage against the Elite Four.
Tepig's Fire abilities, combined with its final form Emboar's Fighting type, make navigating Unova smoother. It easily handles Burgh's Bug gym and Brycen's Ice gym. Although it struggles with Clay's Ground-based gym, so does Oshawott with Elesa's Electric gym.
Emboar's Fighting type is super effective against Grimsley's Dark type Pokémon in the Elite Four, though it's vulnerable to Caitlin's Psychic types. However, a strong team can overcome this. Emboar's strong attacking stats and the presence of Team Plasma's Steel types further bolster its position. Facing the Elite Four twice in Pokémon Black and White makes it challenging regardless of choice, but Tepig provides more frequent advantages.
Gen 6: Fennekin
Games: Pokémon X & Y
Starter options: Chespin (grass), Fennekin (fire), Froakie (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon X and Y guide
Pokémon X and Y continue the trend of Fire types being the best starters. Generation 6 offers a unique feature where you can choose between new and original Kanto starters. Focusing on the new starters, Fennekin stands out, being super effective against three gyms and resistant to two more. Its final evolution, Delphox, gains Psychic typing, allowing it to navigate the final three Fairy, Psychic, and Ice-based gyms with ease.
Froakie's evolution into Greninja (Water/Dark) excels against Olympia's Psychic team but struggles against Valerie's Fairy types and Ramos' Grass types. Chespin's evolution into Chesnaught (Grass/Fighting) faces challenges against Viola's Bug gym and the Psychic and Fairy types of Olympia and Valerie.
The balanced Elite Four in X and Y requires different types for each battle. Delphox just edges out the competition, able to resist Diantha's Gardevoir's attacks.
Gen 7: Litten
Games: Pokémon Sun & Moon
Starter options: Rowlet (grass), Litten (fire), Popplio (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon guide
Litten completes a four-peat of Fire types as the best starter in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Despite initial struggles with the first couple of trials, Litten proves invaluable for the rest of the battles. It excels against Mallow's Grass trial and Sophocles' Electric gym, which includes Steel and Bug types. By the time you reach Acerola's Ghost trial, Litten can evolve into the Fire/Dark type Incineroar, effective against the entire lineup, especially the Grass and Ice Pokémon.
The final trial against Mina's Fairy Pokémon is more challenging due to Incineroar's Dark typing, but Mina's team includes Steel, Grass, and Bug types, which Incineroar can handle. Rowlet and Popplio, while effective against early trials, don't gain an advantage in later battles. Rowlet's evolution into Decidueye (Grass/Ghost) has mixed results, and Popplio's evolution into Primarina (Water/Fairy) doesn't significantly impact its trial performance.
Sun and Moon's Elite Four and subsequent challenges from ten trainers make it difficult for any starter to have a clear advantage. However, Litten's ability to clear the trials makes it the better choice. With only eight Fire Pokémon introduced compared to thirteen Grass and Water types, choosing Litten early is advantageous.
Gen 8: Sobble
Games: Pokémon Sword & Shield
Starter options: Grookey (grass), Scorbunny (fire), Sobble (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Sword and Shield guide
Sobble's edge over Grookey and Scorbunny is the narrowest among all generations. Each starter is the best against three gyms, with Gordie and Raihan's Rock and Ground gyms favoring Sobble and Grookey, and Melony's Ice and Opal's Fairy gyms suiting Scorbunny. The first three gyms are Grass, Water, and Fire typed, providing no initial advantage. Raihan's final gym gives a slight edge to Grookey and Sobble.
The Champion Cup in the Galar region allows Sobble to just surpass Grookey. None of the final evolutions gain new types, requiring them to rely on their initial strengths. The semi-final opponents are neutral, but Bede's Fairy, Nessa's Water, and Raihan's Fire and Ground-heavy Dragon team favor Sobble against the toughest opponents.
Other factors like rivals, Team Yell, and random encounters are less impactful in Sword and Shield. Team Yell uses Dark types, and overworld Pokémon reduce random encounters. Sobble's final evolution, Inteleon, boasts well-balanced stats, giving it a slight edge.
Gen 9: Fuecoco
Games: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
Starter options: Sprigatito (grass), Fuecoco (fire), Quaxly (water)
Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet guide
Fuecoco emerges as the sixth Fire type chosen as the best starter, and its victory is among the clearest. Despite the player freedom in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, where you can tackle gyms and Team Star bases in any order and avoid wild Pokémon encounters, the Paldea region is designed for Fuecoco's dominance.
The gyms don't level scale, allowing you to return once stronger if facing a bad matchup. However, the highest-level gyms being Psychic/Fairy and Ice types, and the lowest being Bug and Grass types, make Fuecoco, and its Ghost type final evolution Skeledirge, the top choice. Quaxly becomes effective against Larry's Normal type gym as a Fighting type after evolving into Quaquaval, while Sprigatito, evolving into Grass/Dark type Meowscarada, excels against Tulip's and Ryme's gyms.
Team Star base raids are crucial for story progression, emphasizing the importance of your starter choice. Skeledirge's immunity to Fighting types and effectiveness against Bug and Poison types in the crews make it a standout. While Quaquaval and Meowscarada are good against Rika's Ground Pokémon in the Elite Four, Skeledirge pulls ahead against Poppy's Steel team and beyond.
### The Best Starter Pokémon
