Every starter Pokemon ranked from worst to best

The toughest choice is always which starter to pick, and these are the best starter Pokémon ever to help you decide

Author:
Dave Aubrey and Ryan Woodrow
Publish date:
Jan 2, 2024 5:34 AM EST

Whenever you begin a new Pokémon game, you’re given an incredibly difficult choice: you must choose between three equally cute creatures, with no real idea of which is best for the task ahead of you. In reality, they’re all solid choices, but to be one of the very best Pokémon starters, you need to be more than “solid.”

You need to be iconic, cute, powerful, and have a name recognized outside of hardcore Pokémon fan circles. Being a solid competitive choice isn’t enough, the best Pokémon starters need to be known. They can’t all be as popular as Pikachu, but they can get close. Below you’ll find every starter Pokémon ranked.

If you want more Pokémon, maybe start with our ranked list of every mainline Pokémon game.

Chespin

Chespin is one of the few starters where even the base form doesn’t have anything special about it. There’s a nice dose of personality in there, but it fails to stand out compared to its gen-mates. Then it evolves and it gets so much worse. I’m not even sure what Quilladin is supposed to be, but I know I hate it, and Chestnaught is such a ludicrous leap away from where the line started that I can’t take it seriously.

Sobble

Sobble is one of the most disappointing evolution lines. When the Gen 8 starters were first revealed, Sobble was the one that everyone was immediately drawn to as the cutie of the group. Then it evolved into Inteleon – a Pokémon that is supposed to be based on a secret agent, but that does not come across at all. It’s one of the worst examples of a Pokémon that shouldn’t have been humanoid.

Tepig

Like its gen-mate Oshawott, Tepig starts good but falls flat as it evolves. Emboar isn’t an inherently unappealing design, but something about it just feels off. It’s another design that didn’t need to become humanoid, as the way it stands on two legs with its bulky body feels just a bit off.

Quaxly

How much you like Quaxly does depend on how much you can tolerate a peacock Latin dancer shaking its upsettingly large rear end in your face in battle.

Actually, that sentence is all we need to justify its low position.

Oshawott

Oshawott is part of an unfortunate club of Pokémon that have a fantastically adorable first form that slowly goes downhill as they evolve. Admittedly, Pokémon Legends: Arceus did wonders for Oshawott, as Hisuian Samurott is just a little more interesting than its Unovan counterpart. Still, it does very little with Oshawott’s design to feel worthwhile.

Fuecoco

It didn’t take long for people to become obsessed with Fuecoco when Scarlet and Violet were revealed, and while the final evolution of Skeledirge is a cool skeletal crocodile, the middle evolution is really weird. While the theming is strong, giving it a sombrero feels pretty on the nose, and Crocalor would’ve been better served looking a bit more menacing.

Scorbunny

This cute little character is full of hyperactive energy, which greatly mirrors the idea of a small child obsessed with football. It’s a great theme for a start to have, and Cinderace pulls it off brilliantly. The biggest problem with this line is that it arguably doesn’t change enough from form to form, with Cinderace looking perhaps a little too similar to Scorbunny.

Torchic

There comes a point in every Pokémon fan's life when they suddenly notice that Torchic has no arms. Those little tufts under its neck certainly don't count as wings, and yet you don't really notice until you take a closer look. It's a relatively small detail, but it makes Torchic look a bit weird, especially considering its evolutions both have rather long arms. It's still a cute little chick though, with the body shape of a snowman and adorable little legs.

Grookey

The Gen 8 starters are unfortunately pretty weak across the board. While none of them are outright terrible, they lack a certain spark that most of the other generations have. Out of the trio, Grookey stands out above the others though. People focused a lot on Sobble’s overwhelming cute factor when it was first revealed, but Grookey has a lot to offer in that field too, then eventually it evolves into a drum-playing gorilla – you just can’t find a fault in that.

Mudkip

Memes aside, who doesn't like Mudkip? Admittedly the Mega-Evolution of Swampert might put a few people off, but that's Gen 6 for you. Talking purely about the main line, it's a great example of gradual progression in starter evolutions. Mudkip has all the adorable qualities you want, Mashstomp is a little awkward, and then Swampert is ready to kick ass, but that cute face from the base form is still in tact.

Popplio

Popplio is one of the few Water-type starters that actually keeps a fish-like form when it evolved, rather than eventually becoming bipedal. Primarina’s unique design makes it stand out from the crowd in a major way, the only problem with the line is that Popplio and Brionne aren’t that interesting to look at.

Turtwig

Aside from being the most fun starter name to say, Turtwig is a headstrong and determined tortoise that seems to have a bit of a chip on its shoulder. Eventually, it evolves into a sight to behold, with an aggressive glint in its eye and an entire terrarium on its back. Simply raising one of these to its final form helps combat climate change...I assume.

Chikorita

Chikorita and its evolutions, Bayleef and Meganium are perhaps the simplest starter designs out there, but that's nice every once in a while. There doesn't need to be anything complicated about it, it's just a grassy dinosaur with a power around its neck. Its face is very expressive and we can imagine it being a lovable dope of a partner.

Squirtle

Squirtle does all the right things that Charmander and Bulbasaur do, but its design is perhaps a little bit simpler than the others, bringing it down a little. That said, it’s still an all-time great Pokémon that countless trainers selected as their first-ever partner, so you can’t fault that in the slightest.

Litten

Who doesn't want a cute little cat? This one has mischief baked into its DNA, so there's no reason not to. Litten is perhaps a little moodier than something like Fennekin or Sprigatito, but it's just as cute in a different way. Plus, when it evolves it becomes a badass wrestler - no wonder it got a spot on the Super Smash Bros roster.

Treecko

The Treecko line is brilliant at all three steps in its evolution. Treecko itself is cute but has an aggressive and threatening edge to it. Grovyle accentuates that with an extra layer of personality, making it arguably the best of the three, but then Sceptile comes along looking like an absolute beast that would cut you in half before you could even blink.

Bulbasaur

Bulbasaur always gets mocked as the red-haired step-child of the original starter trio, but time has proven that good taste wins out in the end, and Bulbasaur is just as beloved as Charmander or Squirtle. It's one of the best examples of how Gen 1's simplicity can lead to brilliant designs, allowing it to grow into a formidable monster that still has an expressive face with tonnes of charisma.

Fennekin

While Delphox might not quite have been what most people hoped for from this fire fox, it's still a formidable Fire/Psychic-type that was a breath of fresh air after three generations in a row of Fire/Fighting starters. Plus, Fennekin itself is absolutely adorable, and Braixen keeps a light energy while still feeling magical.

Totodile

Totodile is a little mischief-maker, and that’s just fine. Totodile is the second generation’s Water-type and is a baby crocodile. Or, perhaps an alligator, it’s hard to tell, especially when it comes to the evolved Feraligator. While the evolved form looks incredibly vicious, Totodile itself looks like the kind of creature you’d love to keep as a pet and take on walks. Until it evolves, at least.

Sprigatito

While Spirgatito's evolution may not have remained quadrupedal as we had hoped, it's still a damn good starter Pokémon. Grass/Dark-type is a combination we haven't seen much of before, but it always brings fantastic results and Meowscarada is a cool-looking magician with wits and power to match.

Froakie

Nintendo made no bones about pushing Greninja as a new franchise face as soon as they realized how popular it was, and it's easy to see why. Although the tongue-scarf is a little gross, the ninja gimmick is easy to see and works well with this skinny frog design, making it the perfect fit for something like Smash Bros. Looking past Greninja, Froakie and Frogadier are excellent designs that accentuate the most appealing aspects of a frog.

Cyndaquil

Cyndaquil is a sweet baby, okay? While the evolved Typhlosion isn’t as striking as a Fire-type as Charizard, Cyndaquil’s base form might be the best Fire-type starter overall. The adorable little rodent is incredibly innocent and honestly does not mean to burn everything you care about with the flames that erupt from its back.

Snivy

One of the simpler starter designs, but it conveys so much personality. Just look at it standing there, hands on hips with a smug smile on its face. It's better than you, and you know it. I'll take this sassy serpent over just about any other creature on offer.

Chimchar

Cyndaquil might be one cool customer, but it can't beat the sheer charm and charisma of Chimchar. Just one look at this happy little monkey bouncing around is all you need to fall in love. Fire/Fighting may be overplayed, but it's worth it for the agile power of Infernape, which has the added benefit of being one of Ash's most beloved Pokémon from the anime.

Charmander

Charmander is one of the cutest starter Pokémon of all time, and anyone who watched the early anime episodes as a kid will understand exactly why. While being totally adorable, Charmander evolves into a beast, sprouting proud wings from its back and horns from its head. Fire-types are also fairly rare in the first generation, while Grass and Bug-types are common, making Charmander a strong choice.

Eevee

Eevee is technically a starter Pokémon, as of Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! Eevee is known for its evolved forms, and it has eight of them in total now. On top of that, Eevee is adorable, and there are some people out there who even prefer it to Pikachu. Blasphemy! Unfortunately, Eevee can’t evolve in the only game where it is available as a starter, which is a bit disappointing, but it’s still a firm favorite for many Pokémon fans, and it’s easy to see why.

Piplup

This great little penguin does the full spectrum as it evolves. Piplup is utterly adorable and has the added benefit of being Dawn's memorable partner from the anime with tonnes of personality. Admittedly Prinplup is a little awkward for a middle stage, but Empoleon is a thing of beauty, sticking to the base theme but transforming it into something proud and regal. Plus, Water/Steel is an underrated type combination.

Rowlet

Rowlet was selected to be one of the stars of the Pokémon anime and managed to make quite an impact while in the role. Rowlet is needy and mischievous in the anime, while in the games it looks like nothing more than a sweetheart. Rowlet’s evolved form is Decidueye, another Pokkén Tournament star, which cements this Pokémon’s impact on both the anime series and video games.

Pikachu

If the Pokémon series has a star, it’s Pikachu. You might not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. Pikachu has become truly iconic around the world, recognizable by grandmothers and young children alike - the Mickey Mouse of its generation. Pikachu really is that big, and as a result, is there a better choice for the best starter Pokémon? Didn’t think so.