Arguably the defining feature of any Pokémon game is its choice of starters. From Bulbasaur to Sobble, these adorable creatures quickly become the ace in players’ starting lineups. Many also evolve into impressive beasts that undoubtedly earn the title of “Pocket Monster”.
With eight generations to date, however, some starters are bound to outshine others. Writer Tim Maison of Goomba Stomp created a list to determine which of the twenty-four starters proved themselves most popular based on factors like design, competitive use, and overall strength. While many fan favorites make the cut, others fall very short of the mark.
10 Most: Torchic
Torchic’s humble beginnings as a spritely chick make it an unassuming Pokémon at first. Despite this, it makes a name for itself as one of the best starters when it evolves into Blaziken. A combination of raw speed and power makes this fighting chicken an impressive teammate. It gains access to several incredible moves, as well, such as Close Combat and Flare Blitz. It gained much attention as the first Hoenn starter to receive a Mega Evolution, which showcased its strength even more.
9 Least: Snivy
While the most popular out of the Unova starters, the Snivy line still fails to make a big impression. It lacks the competitive presence that some other starter Pokémon have, and its weak attack stats make it ineffective in battle. Snivy only learns a handful of moves that aren’t Grass type, as well, meaning it has a tough time landing super-effective hits. It also temporarily received meme status for its supposed removal of limbs upon evolving. Being the butt end of a joke is never a positive thing, especially when trying to leave a good first impression on players.
8 Most: Chimchar
Of the Sinnoh starters, Chimchar stands out as the most competitively viable. With access to a variety of impressive Fighting- and Fire-type moves, it evolves into a handy teammate. Fitting, too, for its hidden ability Iron Fist amplifies the power of its punching moves, of which it gains several.
Aside from its combat prowess, this Pokémon’s design is top-notch. It goes from a cute-yet-mischievous monkey to a powerful primate with a flowing head of literal fiery hair. Fire-types rarely embody “hot” and “cool” at the same time, yet Infernape does exactly that.
7 Least: Tepig
Coming off two previous generations of Pokémon games with Fire/Fighting-type starters, Tepig got the short end of the stick by dragging the type combination into the mud. It tried to take the typing in a new direction, opting for a bulkier stat spread as opposed to a “glass cannon” type. Unfortunately, its final evolution Emboar lacks the defenses necessary to pull it off, and it ends up being unimpressive in both stats and appearance. Now, thanks to this poor pig, fans of the game loathe to see another Fire/Fighting starter.
6 Most: Mudkip
This starter, like Snivy, was a big meme Pokémon back in the day. However, these memes served to endear the little mudskipper more than to belittle it. Its stats and Water/Ground typing made it a long-lived teammate on the field, allowing it to dish out serious damage with Earthquake and Surf. Another big selling point for the Mudkip line is its ability to nullify incoming Electric-type damage. This allows it to pair especially well with allies who know moves like Discharge that hit everyone on the field.
5 Least: Chespin
Chespin broke the mold for Grass-type starters by being the first one not based on a reptile. However, its special traits don’t go far beyond that. Its physical bulk falls short when its final evolution adds a Fighting type. Not only does this addition increase the effectiveness of Flying moves, but it also introduces new weaknesses in the form of Psychic- and Fairy-type attacks. Its design is also rather bland, especially with its middle stage, Quilladin. When compared to its fellow sixth-gen starters, Chespin quickly reveals itself to be the weakest link.
4 Most: Charmander
Charmander’s status as an icon in the series is undeniable. The fiery lizard was the top pick for many of the first Pokémon fans, and it continues to be one of the most memorable starters to date.
It also remains one of the most relevant first-generation Pokémon, as it received two Mega Evolutions in X and Y and a Gigantamax form in the most recent Sword and Shield games. Its decent stats and access to devastating moves like Fire Blast and Solar Beam also make it a top contender in battle.
3 Least: Chikorita
Though this Pokémon’s personality shined in the anime, its in-game viability is not as bright. This creature blooms into Meganium with its final evolution, but no big alterations make their way into its design. Moreover, the Chikorita line notoriously holds middling stats and a weak move pool all around. Though Cyndaquil and Totodile also had fairly simplistic evolutionary lines, they held an edge over Chikorita by outclassing it on the field. Overall, this starter stands out in all the wrong ways as one of the least likely picks for a good team.
2 Most: Froakie
When it first debuted, nobody expected this simple frog Pokémon to become such a dominating force. Froakie’s rare Protean ability allows it to change its typing based on the move it uses, giving each attacking move a same-type boost. Not only that, but a combination of speed and versatility make Froakie and its evolution Greninja incredibly unpredictable. Even though the Charmander line holds a special place in fans’ hearts, Greninja’s dominance in the competitive scene deserves respect.
1 Least: Oshawott
While its first evolution is undeniably cute, this Water-type starter develops lackluster stats that hinder its popularity. In fact, among all Water starters, Oshawott’s evolution Samurott holds the lowest base stat total of all. Samurott also has a clunky design that deviates too far from the direction of its predecessors. It lacks the consistency, power, and charm that make some of the other starters so memorable. While the fifth-generation starters all rank fairly poorly, Oshawott unfortunately takes the cake as the worst.
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