Top 10 Best Starter Pokemon

Choosing your first Pokémon is like selecting your very first partner for an epic quest across diverse lands filled with trials, gyms, and legendary battles. It's not just about snagging a Pokémon that's got the "aww" factor or the "cool" vibe - your starter is your trusty teammate in all the turn-based face-offs and puzzle-solving challenges that await you.

The Pokémon universe has gifted us with a smorgasbord of starter options over the years - each one brilliantly designed and imbued with unique abilities and quirks that make them memorable. Whether it's the iconic Charmander with its scorching Flamethrower or Mudkip who makes the ground shake with its Earthquake, some starters have become legends in their own right. But what about the unsung heroes of the starter world?

That's where you, the ultimate Pokémon aficionado, come in. Thousands have weighed in on which starters are the ultimate champions in terms of battle stats, adaptability, and their legacy in the Pokémon saga. And now, after crunching the numbers and checking them twice, we're thrilled to present you with the definitive top ten list of starter Pokémon.
The Top Ten
Charmander Charmander is a fire-type Pokemon that resembles a small orange dragon with a flame burning at the tip of its tail. It is known for its fierce and independent nature, and can evolve into Charmeleon and later Charizard.

I have played Generations 1-6. I have always named my character RED in all caps. For me, it's between Charmander, Torchic, and Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil is cool but has no Mega. Torchic evolves into Blaziken, which is Fire and Fighting, and Fighting Pokémon have a lot of weaknesses. I still love Lucario, though.

Charmander? Flaws? No. Charizard is the best starter without a doubt. "Oh, but Squirtle is so cute!" Well, Charmander is, in fact, ten times cuter. Charizard also has skill. Charizard learns Flamethrower at level 38, while Blastoise learns Hydro Pump at level 42. Don't argue with stats. Charizard is the better choice.

Mudkip Mudkip is a water-type Pokemon that looks like a blue, bipedal mudskipper with a large head and four stubby legs. It is known for its cheerful and friendly demeanor, and can evolve into Marshtomp and later Swampert.

Ah, Mudkip. It's kind of hard to know where to start. Mudkip is one of the best dual-type starter Pokémon threats in the entire game. Considering the fact that it can learn nearly twice the number of moves as other Pokémon, this powerhouse is often not traded away for another Pokémon.

Easily the best Water-type starter in the game (since Squirtle, Totodile, and Oshawott are solely Water-type and can't learn as many TMs, while Piplup is a close second), it could arguably be called the best starter Pokémon ever. Not to mention that if you max out its potential, at level 100, you can have a Swampert that knows 1) Hydro Pump, 2) Hydro Cannon, 3) Earthquake, 4) Hammer Arm. Note: to get Hydro Pump, keep Mudkip unevolved until level 48.

Personally, choosing Mudkip as a starter, I thoroughly enjoyed its versatility. As a Swampert, its dual-type threat along with its high attack and defense stats kept it both strong and powerful. I've played every main-series Pokémon game, and overall, Mudkip has been the easiest and best starter to play with.

Cyndaquil Cyndaquil is a fire-type Pokemon that resembles a small, blue-gray quadrupedal creature with flames on its back. It is known for its timid and cautious nature, but can be a powerful ally once it warms up to a trainer. It can evolve into Quilava and later Typhlosion.

Ah, Cyndaquil. It was the first starter Pokémon I completed a game with. I played Emerald, but I was a kid back then and Pokémon wasn't my type of game, so I left my Treecko in the void. A few years later, I played Pokémon Crystal and chose Cyndaquil as my starter. It evolved into Quilava and completely destroyed Sprout Tower along with Falkner. It even defeated the Miltank of Doom without any help.

The real fun started when Quilava evolved into Typhlosion. From that point on, all the trainers were doomed. Eruption, Flare Blitz, and Thunder Punch were also useful against water types. I just love Typhlosion. Yes, he may be worse than Feraligatr (which is also an awesome Pokémon), and he is not really strong in competitive battles (I heard that from many people), but he is still the best starter in my heart, even though I agree that there are many better starters out there.

Squirtle Squirtle is a water-type Pokemon that looks like a small blue turtle with a brown shell and a tail shaped like a squirrel's. It is known for its laid-back and easygoing personality, and can evolve into Wartortle and later Blastoise.

Squirtle is the best for sure. Charmander is so overrated just because people think Charizard looks cool. But would you rather have a plain old dragon or a bazooka turtle with amazing tanking power and special attack?

I'm tired of everyone saying Charizard did all this stuff in the anime. The only reason he could do it is because he was owned by the main character of the show, and the fanbase liked him the most, so the animators made him do what is literally impossible. In Pokémon Origins, I don't know how, but somehow this stupid dragon managed to take out a Blastoise with more than half HP with a Fire Blast attack. Seems pretty false to me.

Bulbasaur Bulbasaur is a grass/poison-type Pokemon that resembles a small, squat, green dinosaur with a bulb on its back. It is known for its calm and collected demeanor, and can evolve into Ivysaur and later Venusaur. Its bulb on its back is known to release oxygen in the air, and is a source of energy for it.

Bulbasaur was the first Pokémon I ever received. I began playing the Pokémon games on my Game Boy Advance at age 5. Now, at 14, I still consider Bulbasaur to be one of the best Pokémon. He can incapacitate you with Sleep Powder without you even laying a finger on him. Additionally, he can heal himself with Synthesis, while you have to waste money buying potions for other Pokémon.

The only complaint I have about him is that his powerful attacks have very limited PP. Nevertheless, he can still crush you with ease. So you'd better get your Charizard ready and bring lots of potions, because Venusaur will still beat you.

Torchic Torchic is a fire-type Pokemon that looks like a small, fluffy chick with an orange body and a tuft of feathers on its head that resembles a flame. It is known for its energetic and enthusiastic personality, and can evolve into Combusken and later Blaziken.

Torchic is super cute, and while Combusken is kind of awkward, it's totally worth it when you get the awesome Blaziken. Although Mudkip was my first starter, I chose Torchic this time because I noticed that you can't encounter Fire types early in the game in Pokémon Emerald. It was a decision I don't regret.

My Blaziken literally Blaze Kicked our way through Victory Road, the Elite Four, the Champion, and the Battle Frontier. Plus, Blaziken can learn Flying-type moves, which none of the other Fire-Fighting starters can learn. Not to mention its incredible Mega Evolution - Mega Blaziken is awesome in both design and stats.

Treecko Treecko is a grass-type Pokemon that resembles a small, green gecko with a red belly and large eyes. It is known for its cool and collected demeanor, and can evolve into Grovyle and later Sceptile. It has the ability to climb any surface, and can attack its foes with powerful tail whips.

The two reasons people often look down on Treecko are his movepool and his type. His movepool in RSE is pretty terrible, but with a bit of TM hunting, you can have a fine Pokémon. If you obtain Solar Beam and Giga Drain, Sceptile becomes a beast.

Secondly, he is a Grass type, a Pokémon with the most weaknesses out of the three starter types. In the new games, Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, Sceptile can evolve into Mega Sceptile (Grass and Dragon Type). This means he becomes a beast and is only weak to Ice, Flying, Bug, and Dragon moves. Although that still sounds bad, Bug type is weak on both offense and defense, and Sceptile's speed can be used to finish the others off.

Chimchar Chimchar is a fire-type Pokemon that looks like a small, bipedal monkey with a flame burning on its tail. It is known for its spunky and energetic personality, and can evolve into Monferno and later Infernape. It can control flames on its tail and use it to perform powerful attacks.

This was the best choice for Pearl, Diamond, and Platinum. Gym 1 featured a level 14 Monferno, who destroyed with his Mach Punch. Gym 2 was Grass-type, so it doesn't really need an explanation. The third was Fighting-type, I believe, and due to Monferno's high attack, it wasn't that hard.

The fourth gym was Water-type, and some of the Pokémon hit hard, so not even my Luxio could compete. The fifth gym was Ghost-type, and once again, Monferno being a hard hitter had no problem here. The sixth was a Steel-type gym, and I had finally evolved my Monferno into an Infernape, who kicked serious butt. With Close Combat and Flame Wheel, he never slowed down.

The seventh gym was Ice-type, and ever since either Generation 1 or 2, Ice has been literally powerless against Fire. Infernape excels again. He packs a punch against the eighth gym and can knock out Aaron of the Elite Four. However, he can't beat Bertha, won't do much against Flint, and won't stand much of a chance against Lucian. He can, however, do well against Cynthia's Lucario due to Close Combat, and Roserade is pretty much a goner. Charmander is overrated and is really quite powerless.

Piplup Piplup is a water-type Pokemon that resembles a small, blue penguin with a white belly and a yellow beak. It is known for its cheerful and bubbly personality, and can evolve into Prinplup and later Empoleon.

I'm pretty sure that most people's favorite water type is Mudkip because of its single weakness, and it having ice types to cover that weakness. But Piplup could easily beat Mudkip, and I'm done talking about Mudkip now. Piplup evolves into a steel/water type, the only water/steel type so far.

Oh no, a fire type? Use Hydro Pump. Electric types? Earthquake. Fighting types? Drill Peck. This penguin is a total beast. Piplup is definitely the best starter Pokemon, tied with Snivy, that is. I wish I could vote twice.

Put Empoleon on your team and be amazed with the results. And put Serperior on your team too, because Serperior is almost as good.

Oshawott Oshawott is a water-type Pokemon that resembles a small, light blue otter with a white belly and a scallop shell on its stomach that it uses as a weapon. It is known for its curious and enthusiastic personality, and can evolve into Dewott and later Samurott.

Gen 5 is really underestimated. Once you think about it, it was the best generation in quite some time. It did get rid of Zubat, which upset some players, but there's no need to use repellent when you go into caves anymore. Sure, it has some bad Pokémon, like the "ice cream Pokémon" that older fans criticize, but all generations have some bad Pokémon.

Oshawott is a beast. He is absolutely adorable, evolves into an epic Samurott, and has only two weaknesses. He can easily take on Fire types with Water-type moves, and if he knows Ice Beam, Serperior doesn't stand a chance. Oshawott also has balanced stats and doesn't focus on just one. So, in my opinion, Oshawott is an amazing starter.

The Newcomers

? Sprigatito

Sprigatito's final evolution form is massive "furry bait". People are posting videos and images of it online, showing people "kissing" it through the "picnic" feature. If that doesn't convince you why Sprigatito is one of the most popular starter Pokémon of all time, then I don't know what will.

I like Sprigatito because I love cats. Its final form may not have been revealed yet (as of March 21, 2022), but I really hope it's good. Mostly because I think that Incineroar is an overrated disappointment.

I just saw this Pokémon's evolution line. It's very furry bait and is already getting artists very excited about it.

? Grovyle

Grovyle looks cool and is good at fighting other Pokemon.

I think Grovyle deserves more love. It's cool, has leaf blades, and it looks cool.

The Contenders
Totodile Totodile is a water-type Pokemon that looks like a small, bipedal crocodile with blue skin and a red belly. It is known for its playful and mischievous nature, and can evolve into Croconaw and later Feraligatr.

First, I rolled with Squirtle. I thought the original three couldn't be beaten, but with the introduction of Totodile and Cyndaquil, I was faced with a challenge every time I started up my Silver version. Totodile was always my choice. Despite the lackluster Fire types and abundance of Water types that I could easily catch, Feraligatr was by far the coolest of them all.

The only reason I ever pick Cyndaquil is that I like him and have many other Water options. But all else being equal, Feraligatr wins hands down. Oh, and Totodile is the cutest thing! I want to breed them in real life.

Snivy Snivy is a grass-type Pokemon that looks like a small, green serpent with a yellow collar and a leafy tail. It is known for its haughty and independent personality, and can evolve into Servine and later Serperior.

Snivy is the most powerful because Grass-type Pokémon are generally able to take on more gyms. One of its only weaknesses is fire, and there is only one fire gym leader. In addition to this, he can take on most of the gym leaders in the game, with the exception of the first, third, and eighth.

And for the eighth, he isn't weak against him. He just can't defeat him alone without using a lot of items or being at a much higher level. So for this, I would say he is by far the best of the Pokémon Black and White starters.

Froakie Froakie is a water-type Pokemon that looks like a blue frog with a white foam-like collar around its neck. It is known for its lively and curious personality, and can evolve into Frogadier and later Greninja. Its foam-like collar can be transformed into a blade, which it uses to attack its foes.

Protean. I really don't think I have to say more, but I will. He is literally the fastest starter ever with a 122 base speed (as Greninja). When you're going first and using Protean to get STAB on high-power moves like Ice Beam or anything else he can learn, you're hitting very hard. You can also switch your type at will to cover your weaknesses. Enough said?

And if you don't want to use him as a sweeper, you can give him one of his two signature moves, Mat Block, to protect your teammates from damage and set up in double or triple battles.

Water Shuriken, though? While it's a cool priority move, its low power can be disappointing. If you get unlucky and only hit twice, you might regret having used it. Overall, Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja is most likely the best starter with his endless number of ways to be run strategically or brutally.

Chikorita Chikorita is a grass-type Pokemon that resembles a small green dinosaur with a large leaf on its head. It is known for its gentle and affectionate nature, and can evolve into Bayleef and later Meganium.

Firstly, I have no idea why Chikorita ranks so low on this list. When properly raised, Chikorita can be incredibly powerful. A level 100 Meganium with the moveset of Sunny Day, Synthesis, Solar Beam, and Razor Leaf can be a bit too overpowered (OP). Add a Mystery Seed to ramp up the power of grass-type moves, and you can take on anything.

Secondly, while grass types do have several weaknesses, they usually boast an extremely high Special Attack and Special Defense stat.

Charizard is so overrated just because of its design. You naturally expect it to be more powerful than the others when you're a kid, just because of its type being Fire and its dragon-like appearance. I can beat the first two gyms with Chikorita too. She's cute, awesome, and has great Defense stats.

And Mudkip is number 2? Really? Where are Chimchar, Oshawott, and Bulbasaur? They should all be at the top, with Chikorita at least in the top ten.

Fennekin Fennekin is a fire-type Pokemon that looks like a small orange fox with big ears and a white-tipped tail. It is known for its clever and curious nature, and can evolve into Braixen and later Delphox.

I literally remember getting my copy of Pokemon X in late 2013, the time it was released, and I wanted to have this little guy/gal so badly. And, just like my hopes and dreams, it was worth it. He/she can easily decimate a ton of wild Pokemon with its vast array of Fire/Psychic moves, as well as having an amazing and cute design. It can also beat a Greninja. That's how awesome it is.

Fennekin is a miniature powerhouse disguised as a cute fox. Its evolutions are like 100 times better. I know this is unrelated, but I still have memories of Pokemon X. I also played albums such as The Marshall Mathers LP 2 when I was doing my playthrough, while my friends played albums such as Random Access Memories while playing their copies of Pokemon X and Y. And I was a huge fan of Adventure Time, as well. Ah, 2013, how I miss you...

Turtwig Turtwig is a grass-type Pokemon that looks like a small, light-green turtle with a brown shell and a sprout growing from the top of its head. It is known for its docile and friendly nature, and can evolve into Grotle and later Torterra.

Dual Grass/Ground final evolution? If this alone isn't enough to convince you, how about the amazing design for the evolutions? What about Turtwig's overall cuteness factor? Its combat stats are impressive, not to mention its expansive movepool. When you have a powerhouse with great design, versatile type coverage, strong defenses, and the ability to unleash immensely powerful attacks, there's not much to fear. That is, except for ice-types.

However, while people look down on Torterra due to its x4 weakness to ice, they seem to lose sight of the fact that this bulky tortoise has a diverse set of moves to cover its weaknesses. Easily the best.

Pikachu Pikachu is an electric-type Pokemon that looks like a small, yellow mouse with black-tipped ears and a lightning bolt-shaped tail. It is known for its friendly and spunky personality, and can evolve into Raichu with the help of a Thunder Stone.

Pikachu is one of the first Pokémon that comes to mind when you think of the word "Pokémon." It's very famous for appearing in just about every Pokémon season. Pikachu is known for being Ash's partner, from the Indigo League to the latest movie, episode, or season. Plus, Pikachu can be very strong with moves like Volt Tackle, Electro Ball, and Iron Tail.

Although Pikachu can perform actions in the TV show that he wouldn't be able to do in the game, he can still be very powerful. For those who care about appearance, Pikachu looks very cute and is based on a mouse, which is also small and cute. Pikachu could easily be the most favorite starter.

Tepig Tepig is a fire-type Pokemon that resembles a small pink pig with a curly tail. It is known for its outgoing and determined nature, and can evolve into Pignite and later Emboar.

Most people hate it, but it really is good. It has a far better design than Charmander and is so much cuter. I personally haven't played the Black and White games, but from what I've seen, it's one of the better starters. It's always being punched around like it's some useless, boring piece of crap, which it isn't.

Now, onto the evolutions: Pignite has a cute name and an overall good design. Not the best out of the evolutions, but it's better than that individual known as Charmander. Emboar, on the other hand, has an amazing and cool design. Tepig isn't loved enough. Please do not hurt the little pig. Also, why is Charizard higher up when it isn't even a starter?

Eevee Eevee is a normal-type Pokemon that resembles a small, fluffy brown creature with big ears and a bushy tail. It is known for its ability to evolve into different forms depending on its environment or the use of certain items or techniques. Its possible evolutions include Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon.

Eevee, or the "Master of Evolution" as I call it, is this cat/dog hybrid. Actually, what is this thing, anyway? Whatever, as I was saying, Eevee can evolve into eight different Pokemon. I mean, it can only become one of them, but why do people care?

Fire, Electric, Water, Grass, Fairy, Psychic, Ice, and Dark, not to mention Normal itself. Seriously? And it's hard to catch? And it's good in battle? Plus, you have to catch it twice with a Friend Ball if you want the best evolutions: Psychic and Dark? Amazing. Just AMAZING. I mean this as a comment, just so you know.

Chespin Chespin is a grass-type Pokemon that resembles a small, round, brown and green hedgehog with a tough shell on its head and back. It is known for its spunky and playful attitude, and can evolve into Quilladin and later Chesnaught.

Now, I like Treeko, but I'm a grass-type guy. I don't mind their five weaknesses. Heck, Terrakion has more than pure grass starters.

Chespin is a cute Pokémon, especially in the anime, and has a very good defense stat. Also, grass-fighting? I don't think I've ever seen a grass-fighting type Pokémon, so it being a starter and surprising me like that is similar to how Mega Sceptile's typing surprised me. I think I've said enough, so Chespin, move up the ranks!

It's simple. When you get a Gen 1 starter, who wouldn't pick Charmander? So obviously, you choose Charmander. Then later in the game, you receive the starter that your starter is strong against.

In other words, all people who started with Chespin also get Froakie. With this setup, you get an awesome starter for each type.

Litten Litten is a fire-type Pokemon that resembles a small black kitten with red-orange markings and a flaming tail. It is known for its prideful and independent nature, and can evolve into Torracat and later Incineroar.

Honestly, Litten made the best first impression out of the Gen 7 starters to me. I loved the design, and it just sort of spoke to me. However, I'll have to know more about all three before I fully commit to one.

I feel it will become a Fire & Dark-type based on the color scheme, which is good since I really love dark types. Again, though, I'm still going to have to wait and see.

I think Litten is cool. I honestly have no issues with his evolutionary line. He gets kind of overshadowed by Rowlet (not that I dislike it).

A certain episode in the anime featuring him almost made me cry. Overall, I love this sassy fire cat.

Popplio Popplio is a water-type Pokemon that resembles a blue and white sea lion with a ruff of pink fur around its neck. It is known for its playful and entertaining personality, and can evolve into Brionne and later Primarina.

At first, I didn't think Popplio was so great. I chose Litten. I know Popplio is cute, but I didn't think it was helpful at first.

Give it a chance, guys. Its evolutions are cute and cool. After looking at its evolutions, I started to love this Pokemon. Plus, its final evolution is a fairy type, meaning it can take down dragon types like Druddigon or Dragonite.

Don't get me wrong, I love all Gen 7 starters. A fully-evolved Litten is a beast, and Rowlet becomes a ghost type, which is cool. But fairy types are pretty powerful, and Popplio is actually pretty good, so give it a chance.

Rowlet Rowlet is a grass/flying-type Pokemon that looks like a small, round owl with a leafy bowtie. It is known for its calm and collected personality, and can evolve into Dartrix and later Decidueye.

I love Rowlet! He is so adorable and somewhat original, and I like his role in the anime. When I first saw the starters, Rowlet was my favorite of the three. However, I thought Litten's final stage would look better. But it turns out that Decidueye is my favorite-looking non-Mega Evolution Pokemon of all time.

Decidueye is in the Underused tier on Smogon, in comparison, the fan-favorite Charizard is in the Neverused tier, which is two tiers below. Well, that's without Mega Evolution, but since Decidueye doesn't have one, it's not a fair comparison. Also, my Decidueye destroyed the Totem Mimikyu in Pokemon Sun.

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