Top 10 Best Poison Type Pokemon

Poison types sometimes get a bad rap. Sure, they aren't as flashy as Dragons or have the raw power of some Fire types, but they can be seriously awesome with the right strategy. Poison Pokémon bring a sneaky, wearing-down style of battle that can cripple an opponent in ways sheer strength can't match. Think nasty toxins, surprise attacks, and tricky status moves. These are the things that make Poison types so fun!

You get to decide which of these amazing creatures gets bragging rights. Did a particular Poison type help you out of a jam way back in your first game? Does one strike fear into your heart on the battle ladder? Whether it's their unique look, a deadly moveset, or the way they've left their mark on competitive battling, there are loads of deserving contenders.

1. Crobat

   

   Seriously, I hated Koga's team and his battling style in the Elite Four, and this thing exemplified what Koga stands for with Toxic and Double Team. But after raising some Golbat, I can say this dude is sweet. One of the fastest out there, he can wreak havoc with Toxic (Koga-Sensei taught me well), learns Fly, and gave a Solarbeam more disrespect than Popo did to Goku's Kamehameha in the Battle Tower.

   To think the Zubats we all tried to avoid would evolve into the thing we know as Crobat! I remember finding a shiny Zubat by complete accident in Emerald in Meteor Falls. I caught him, and he was known as the strongest member of my team. This thing would outspeed every Pokemon it opposed, and with great attack and some pretty good moves it can learn along the way, this thing was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

2. Nidoking

   

   Nidoking, known in Japan by the same name, is a dual-type Poison and Ground Pokémon introduced in Generation I. It evolves from Nidorino when exposed to a Moon Stone. Nidoking is known for its powerful attacks and imposing horn, which it uses in battle to crush its opponents.

   First off, let's just say that if you don't pick pink for your Nidoking, his shiny is blue! Gengar's shiny form looks like a tooth. Nidoking is part of a combo of male and female. Gengar is forever alone. Nidoking learns moves like Earthquake and Megahorn, plus the unique move Earth Power! Gengar's only famous for his Shadow Ball, Hypnosis, Dream Eater combo, giving him no unique movepool.

   Plus, if we are talking true Poison-type Pokemon, then Gengar isn't a Poison-type at all. He is a primary Ghost-type. People hardly use him for his poison abilities at all. Nidoking, on the other hand, is a primary Poison-type, making him more deserving of the number one spot for Poison-types.

   Another bonus: Gengar is just a shadow who gives people nightmares that aren't real. While Nidoking is a giant reptilian-like monster that can cause earthquakes and have a girlfriend. Talk about a win-win. Let's face it, Gengar may get a mega evolution, but no one challenges the KING!

3. Gengar

   

   Gengar, known by the same name in Japan, is a dual-type Ghost and Poison Pokémon. It evolves from Haunter when traded and is the final evolution of Gastly. Gengar is recognized for its mischievous nature and strong Special Attack capabilities.

   Gengar is a pure beast! While he can Dream Eat all those Pokemon like Toxicroak, Nidoking, Drapion, and Crobat, if I get to pick one Ghost-type/Poison-type, I choose Gengar! Plus, you can find him in Lavender Town, a graveyard, or any spooky place. Come on, give this guy a chance! You won't regret it!

   Catch a Gastly - they're pretty common in scary places. Train him up to a Haunter. Then, find your way to getting a Gengar. I never regretted using a Gengar. I had a Gengar with those good old Hypnosis and Dream Eater moves - he kicked butt! Like, really! Plus, he can use Hypnosis on a legendary, mythical, or rare Pokemon, and guess what?! It'll be a thousand times easier to catch! You'll catch it in no time with an Ultra, Dusk, or Great Ball!

4. Drapion

   

   Drapion is a very powerful Pokemon. It is lethal with its defensive bulk and has a decent attack stat. It is relatively fast and can learn some pretty decent moves.

   Now, for its ability Sniper, which increases the power of critical hits, you can easily use this to your advantage. If you give it a Scope Lens, it will increase its critical hit ratio. Plus, with moves such as Night Slash and Cross Poison, which have high critical hit ratios, it will become pretty hard for the hits to not be critical.

   Now, with both Cross Poison and Night Slash receiving a STAB boost, the moves get base power 105. Then, with the extra high critical hit ratio, it's quite likely for the hits to become critical, increasing the damage by 2.25 because of Sniper. The base power averages to around 236.

   Now, for a filter for the other slots, you can have moves such as Knock Off and Poison Fang, which has a 50% chance to badly poison a target. You could also have Toxic Spikes or Big Bite.

   Also, if you want to make your Drapion more versatile, it does learn Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, and Fire Fang. It has only one weakness, which really makes it a big threat.

5. Toxicroak

   

   Despite the x4 weakness to Psychic, Toxicroak can learn loads of moves such as X-Scissor, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Poison Jab, Brick Break, Shadow Ball, Bullet Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Bounce, and Dual Chop. This badass frog Pokemon has the potential to wreck almost any team. Also, his name is LEGENDARY and has one of the most unique typings in Pokemon.

   Croagunk is my favorite Pokemon, and Toxicroak is ten times as cool. I think this badass frog has a move pool that can give him excellent coverage against most types. His unique type is also pretty cool (both Poison and Fighting are my favorite types).

6. Venusaur

   

   Venusaur, known in Japan as Fushigibana, is a dual-type Grass and Poison Pokémon. It evolves from Ivysaur starting at level 32 and is the final evolution of Bulbasaur. Venusaur first appeared in the original Pokémon Red and Green games, released in 1996 in Japan.

   Energy Ball is a really good Grass attack. Earthquake can take care of Fire, Poison, and Steel types. In my opinion, Sleep Powder is a better pairing to Solarbeam than Sunny Day is. However, it still doesn't solve all of Venusaur's weaknesses. Don't send this thing into battle against a Charizard, Skarmory, Swellow, or Talonflame.

   This thing is a destroyer of all. It can Mega Evolve and gain Thick Fat to protect it from Fire and Ice types. Even if the Mega slot is full, you can give it a Big Root, then it's invincible. This definitely deserves top 5 at least. It's the best starter Pokemon of all time!

7. Muk

   

   Muk, known in Japan as Betbeton, is a Poison-type Pokémon that evolves from Grimer starting at level 38. It first appeared in the original Pokémon Red and Blue games. Muk is known for its sludge-like, amorphous body and its extremely foul odor, which it uses to repel enemies.... read more

   Muk is overall a very powerful Pokemon, and despite its lower Special Attack and Speed stats, it can still do loads of damage with Brick Break and Gunk Shot. Plus, Shadow Sneak gives priority, which can pick up quick kills in a pinch. Also, Minimize sharply raises evasion, so using it a few times can make Muk nearly untouchable. There is no reason it's not the best Poison-type Pokemon.

   Muk is a purple blob of awesomeness, therefore the best Poison-type Pokémon of all time. With the exception of Speed, its stats are great. Its moves are helpful, although it has a large amount of Special moves that are basically useless. Use Minimize and Acid Armor a few times, then Poison Jab and Brick Break. The first sentence was obviously the most important reason though...

8. Scolipede

   

   Definitely my favorite Pokemon. It is very fast and has a respectable attack stat. Set up a Swords Dance on this beast, and it can sweep. Furthermore, its hidden ability means it only gets faster as the battle continues. It has Baton Pass, meaning these boosts can be passed on to other Pokemon, allowing them to sweep.

   I don't see why this amazing beast of a centipede isn't at the top of the list. I mean, he's based on the fossilized centipede that grew to be the size of a car! He's got some pretty unbelievable speed stats for something his size, and on my Pokemon Omega Ruby game, he swept the Elite Four and then destroyed the champion all by himself! He also only needed, like, 5 full restores. This beast should be at the top of this list!

9. Weezing

   

   Weezing has always been a staple for Poison types in the game and as a Pokemon in general in the original anime. Easily one of the most recognizable Pokemon of all time, it can be an all-out tank with strong defense stats and the ability to learn a wide set of TMs. Weezing will always stay in my heart as my favorite Poison type and one of, if not just flat-out, my all-time favorite Pokemon.

   Weezing, what can I say about it that makes it one of the best Poison types? Well, for starters, its ability "Levitate" makes it immune to one of its two only weaknesses, Ground-typing. Not only that, but you can make it either physically or specially offensive because of its balanced Special and Physical Attack stats. Through breeding, you can teach it Toxic Spikes. It's also got great defensive bulk and decent Special Defense. And yes, I rather like the design for Weezing as well.

10. Roserade

    

    What happened to it? Roserade is decent to have, with the best moves a Poison type can ever use. It could learn Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Leech Seed, Sleep Powder, and such, added with decent Speed and Special Attack. Train it right, and you've got yourself a poisonous bomb.

    Hands down the best Venoshock user in any game. Able to also Petal Dance away, set up hazards, and do a 100-power weather-based attack, no Poison Pokemon messes with him. Not even Nidoking.

    Roserade is probably one of the most overlooked Pokemon. It has a base 125 Special Attack and a very respectable 100 base Special Defense and 90 base Speed.

The Newcomers
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The Contenders

13. Arbok

    

    A fictional creature from the Pokémon series, Arbok is a Poison-type Pokémon that evolves from Ekans. It is most recognizable for its hood, which displays a pattern resembling a face to intimidate foes. In the Pokémon universe, Arbok is often associated with the villainous Team Rocket, particularly as... read more

    A wild Arbok appeared! Go, Arceus! Arceus used Judgment, cutting 68% of Arbok's HP. Arbok countered with Poison Fang, reducing Arceus's HP by 29%. But wait! Arceus is now badly poisoned. Poison is pulsing through its veins, reaching its heart, and Arceus succumbs to the poison.

    You attempt to run away, but you can't. You use Struggle, which cuts 2% of Arbok's HP while reducing your own health by 7%. Meanwhile, Arbok continues using Coil and laughing out loud. In your face!

    Arbok and Ekans are my favorite Poison-type Pokemon, and Weezing and Koffing too. But the only thing about Koffing and Weezing is that Weezing always looks depressed, and Koffing's voice in the Indigo League just personally annoys me.

    Also, in the Diglett episode, when Jessie's Ekans and James' Koffing evolve, they would have beaten Ash and stolen his Pikachu if they didn't dive underground and get beaten up by those Diglett and Dugtrio. I think that Arbok should be #1 because it can whip Crobat's butt.

14. Tentacruel

    

    Tentacruel is good if you're up against Fairies because of its resistance to Fairies as well as its high Special Defense. As a bonus, it was that one Pokemon that you were a little scared of when it destroyed cities, so why not?

    Very bulky like the guy below me said. Use these moves. I've had him and destroyed a team so easily.

    It is easily one of the best Pokemon. Only 3 weaknesses and 8 resists. Also, it learns Toxic Spikes and can do decent damage.

    Great Special Defense and fair Defense stats with a healthy HP stat make it good as a wall.

15. Dragalge

    

    Dragalge is a Pokémon species introduced in the Pokémon franchise's sixth generation. It is a Poison/Dragon-type Pokémon that evolves from Skrelp starting at level 48. Dragalge's design resembles a leafy sea dragon, and its typing provides resistance to several common types. It is popular in both casual... read more

    One of the most underrated 6th-gen Pokemon and a top contender for one of the best Poison types. Sure, its stats are unremarkable, and its normal abilities are useless, but one look at its HA shows just how powerful this seahorse can be. Adaptability turns up STAB moves from 1.5x to 2x power. Do you know what that means? Any Poison or Dragon move suddenly does the same damage as a super-effective hit. One wonderful Adaptability Sludge Wave means goodbye for any pesky Fairy types!

    Just look at it. It doesn't care about what you think. The only thing it cares about is relaxing and wrecking all who oppose it.

    In all seriousness, Dragalge is an incredible Pokemon, and for good reasons. First, it has a unique dual typing of Dragon/Poison, giving it four weaknesses (Ground, Psychic, Dragon, and Ice) and resisting seven types (Poison, Grass, Fire, Fighting, Bug, Water, and Electric). While it does have four weaknesses, Psychic and Ice are commonly special attacks. This is important because Dragalge's highest stat is Special Defense, which can help it shrug off some super-effective moves.

    While its Special Attack may seem average, don't be fooled. Dragalge is one out of ten Pokemon capable of having the ability Adaptability! Put a Life Orb on it with Adaptability, and you will witness true power! And it isn't a slouch in moves either, learning powerful moves like Sludge Bomb, Gunk Shot, Dragon Pulse, Draco Meteor, and even Focus Blast! With these tools, Dragalge will punch craters into teams. I know this from my own Dragalge, who won me Super Double Battles and continues to win me decisive battles online. He is a bit slow, but if you pair it up with a Pokemon knowing Fake Out or Tailwind, he's a force to be reckoned with. It just goes to show that even slow Pokemon can obtain great rewards!

    -LandCrab

16. Bulbasaur

    

    Bulbasaur, known in Japan as Fushigidane, is the first Pokémon listed in the National Pokédex. It debuted in Pokémon Red and Green in Japan and in Pokémon Red and Blue internationally. Bulbasaur is a dual-type Grass and Poison Pokémon and has long been associated with the beginning of the Pokémon journey... read more

    It is so cute! It probably isn't one of my favorite Grass Pokemon because Leafeon is my favorite Pokemon, but Bulbasaur is a good starter with a cute face and epic evolutions!

    His final evolution, Venusaur, is poison. Not Bulbasaur himself.

17. Nidoqueen

    

    Great design and good type match. I also love Nidoran (female) - so cute! And I like their color.

18. Croagunk

    

    It's a pretty cool Pokemon and has given me many memories over the years with the anime, or how it acts in Pokken Tournament or other places.

    This thing is absolutely adorable.

    Croagunk has got the best attitude.

19. Skuntank

    

    Skuntank, known in Japanese as Skutank, is a dual-type Poison and Dark Pokémon introduced in Generation IV. It evolves from Stunky. Skuntank is known for its ability to spray a noxious fluid over 160 feet, with the odor becoming more powerful the longer the fluid ferments inside its body.... read more

    Skuntank can take a hit, so if you run with Toxic (100% hit) and Venoshock (65 power doubled if it's already poisoned), then you're doing great. Its flinch abilities should be coupled with moves that can also cause flinch, so your opponent gets nice and frustrated, like with Dark Pulse.

    Finally, Flamethrower isn't a bad idea, but consider Incinerate to remove all berries from an opponent with no hope of getting them back. Since Venoshock and Dark Pulse also give Skuntank STAB, you're looking at a true tank. Couple it with Leftovers, Black Sludge, or Shell Bell to build back large portions of HP.

    He is a tank. He learns Explosion as the final move, and he is a Dark and Poison type. Immune to Psychic types, and Psychic types are a threat.

    Look, Skuntank has everything: great stats, great moves, great design. If you watch TheKingNappy, he says in one of his Insurgence videos that "SKUNTANK IS POWER." Those are his exact words.

20. Swalot

    

    Swalot, known in Japan as Marunoom, is a Poison-type Pokémon that evolves from Gulpin starting at level 26. It was introduced in Generation III. Swalot is known for its rubbery body and its ability to swallow objects as large as itself.

    Swalot refuses to die. Maybe not the highest defense for a Poison-type Pokemon, but my favorite because it doesn't die and does a lot of damage. Out of all I've used - Muk, Garbodor, Swalot, Tentacruel, Nidoking/Nidoqueen, and other Pokemon - something about Swalot and how powerful it is makes it my favorite.

    I think Swalots are just great. They've got a unique design, including whiskers and diamonds. They have access to strange moves you wouldn't expect, such as Ice Beam, Earthquake, and Explosion. And I think it really helped my team when I used one in Sapphire version.

21. Eternatus

    

22. Haunter

    

    Haunter, known in Japan as Ghost, is a dual-type Ghost and Poison Pokémon introduced in Generation I. It evolves from Gastly starting at level 25 and evolves into Gengar when traded. Haunter is known for its ghostly appearance and mischievous behavior.

    I shall die if he is not the best. Vote him so I live!

23. Beedrill

    

    Scope Lens, Focus Energy, Sniper Beedrill is a beast. It will tear a team apart with 100% chance x3 crits. And Adaptability Mega Beedrill's speed and attack are ridiculous. It has access to Fell Stinger, Pin Missile, Poison Jab, Agility, X-Sc scissor, and U-turn. Set it up, and only a Talonflame could stop it.

    Beedrill has been my favorite bug Pokemon for as long as I can remember.

    Mega Beedrill sweeps teams so fast they don't know what's coming.

24. Venomoth

    

    Venomoth is an excellent Pokémon. You can easily pass through the Pokémon League just with him and defeat opposing Pokémon that have a higher level than your Venomoth.

25. Dustox

    

26. Ivysaur

    

27. Garbodor

    

    Garbodor, known in Japan as Dustdas, is a Poison-type Pokémon introduced in Generation V. It evolves from Trubbish starting at level 36. Garbodor is categorized as the Trash Heap Pokémon and resembles a pile of industrial waste brought to life.... read more

    This is one beefy stack of trash! Garbodor will reduce the opponent's team to garbage out of pure frustration. All hail the Garbage King!

    This amazing Pokemon helped me through the Pokemon League in Black and White. I love this pile of trash. It's so derpy, so I love it.

    I believe in my heart that this garbage pile should be much higher on this list. It stinks!