Top Starter Pokemon by Generation

The journey to becoming a Pokémon Master begins with a pivotal choice: selecting your starter Pokémon. This initial decision, often influenced by personal taste and vibes, sets the tone for your entire adventure. It's a moment filled with anticipation and excitement, as you bond with your chosen companion, unaware of the challenges and triumphs that lie ahead in the region's gyms, rival encounters, and hidden secrets.

To help you make the best choice, we've analyzed the base stats, strengths, and weaknesses of each starter Pokémon and their evolutions, evaluating their performance against the challenges of their respective regions. Here's a comprehensive guide to selecting the optimal starter for each generation, ensuring you're well-equipped not only to breeze through early gyms but to conquer the Elite Four and beyond.

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

In Pokémon Red and Blue, Bulbasaur emerges as the top choice for dominating the Kanto region. While Charmander might seem appealing due to the scarcity of Fire types and its immunity to Ground attacks in the final gym, Bulbasaur offers a smoother journey overall. Its Grass typing is super effective against Brock's Rock Pokémon, Misty's Water collection, and Giovanni's final lineup, making it the best pick to take out the first two members of the Elite Four. Challenges arise with Erika's Grass type gym and Blaine's Fire type gym, but strategic play and the abundance of Water types in Kanto can help overcome these hurdles.

Bulbasaur's well-balanced base stats and its evolution into the Grass/Poison type Venasaur provide a significant edge over the other starters. While you'll need to navigate encounters with Flying types like Pidgey and Spearow, the plentiful Ground and Rock types in caves offer ample XP opportunities. A well-rounded team, including a Water type, can also mitigate issues with rival Blue's Pidgeot and Charmander.

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

In Pokémon Gold and Silver, Cyndaquil stands out as the best starter due to its Fire typing, which adds diversity to your team amidst the limited number of Fire types introduced. Cyndaquil excels against Bugsy's Bug type gym and Jasmine's Steel type gym, while Totodile struggles without favorable matchups against Fire, Ground, or Rock gyms. Chikorita, particularly in its third form Meganium, shines against Pryce's Ice gym but falters against early Bug and Flying type gyms and Morty's Poison type gym.

Cyndaquil's advantages extend to the Elite Four, where its evolutions can handle Grass and Bug types effectively. Though Pryce's gym poses a challenge, building a balanced team over time can help you overcome it. While random encounters with Rock and Ground types in caves and Lance's Dragon/Flying team present hurdles, Cyndaquil's strengths outweigh those of its competitors.

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

Mudkip is the optimal choice for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, offering strategic advantages against three of the eight gyms. Its Water typing is super effective against Roxanne's and Tate & Liza's Rock/Ground gyms, as well as Flannery's Fire gym. While Treecko shares some advantages, it struggles against Flannery and Winona's Flying types. Torchic, with its Fire and Fighting typings, has limited effectiveness against the gyms.

Mudkip's evolution into Swampert, which gains Ground typing and balanced stats, enhances its defensive capabilities, making it immune to Electric attacks and only vulnerable to Grass. Although the Hoenn region's abundance of water can lead to grindy random encounters, Mudkip's overall advantages make it a strong contender. Plus, it's undeniably cute!

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

Chimchar is the top pick for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, benefiting from the scarcity of Fire types and its effectiveness against three key gyms: Gardenia's Grass type gym, Byron's Steel types, and Candice's Ice types. While Turtwig can handle Roark's Rock type and Crasher Wake's Water type gyms, its strengths are more pronounced in the early game, whereas Chimchar's late-game prowess is unmatched.

Chimchar's final evolution, Infernape, is ideal for tackling Aaron's Bug Pokémon in the Elite Four, though Turtwig's Torterra would be better against Bertha's Water and Ground types. Piplup's Empoleon lacks significant advantages against the gyms or Elite Four. With frequent battles against Team Galactic's Bug types, Chimchar emerges as the superior choice.

Gen 5: Tepig

Games: Pokémon Black & White

Starter options: Snivy (grass), Tepig (fire), Oshawott (water)

Full guide: IGN's Pokémon Black and White guide

In Pokémon Black and White, Tepig is the clear winner, excelling against Burgh's Bug gym and Brycen's Ice gym, the latter being the penultimate challenge. Its final evolution, Emboar, gains Fighting typing, making it super effective against Grimsley's Dark types in the Elite Four. While alternative strategies are needed for Clay's Ground gym, Tepig's strong attacking stats and Team Plasma's Steel types further solidify its position.

Snivy struggles with only one gym advantage and numerous Bug and Flying type encounters, while Oshawott, despite its strengths against Clay's Ground and Brycen's Ice types, lacks significant Elite Four advantages. Facing the Elite Four twice in Black and White, Tepig offers the most consistent performance.

Gen 6: Fennekin

Games: Pokémon X & Y

Starter options: Chespin (grass), Fennekin (fire), Froakie (water)

Full guide: IGN's Pokémon X and Y guide

Fennekin stands out in Pokémon X and Y, being super effective against three gyms and resistant to two more. Its final evolution, Delphox, gains Psychic typing, making it ideal for the Fairy, Psychic, and Ice-based final gyms. Froakie's Greninja struggles against Ramos' Grass and Clemont's Electric types, while Chespin's Chesnaught faces challenges with Viola's Bug gym and the Psychic and Fairy types of Olympia and Valerie.

In the Elite Four, Delphox's Psychic typing gives it an edge against Diantha's Gardevoir. The balanced nature of the Elite Four battles in X and Y highlights Fennekin's versatility and resilience.

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 is the best choice for Pokémon Sun and Moon, despite early struggles. Its Fire typing is super effective against Mallow's Grass trial, and its evolution into the Fire/Dark type Incineroar excels against Sophocles' Electric and Acerola's Ghost trials. While Incineroar's Dark typing complicates Mina's Fairy trial, its versatility shines through.

Rowlet's Decidueye and Popplio's Primarina have limited advantages in the late game, making Litten's trial-clearing capabilities crucial. The Elite Four and subsequent challenges in the Pokémon League are diverse, emphasizing Litten's importance in the trials. With only eight Fire types introduced in Alola, 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

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Sobble edges out Grookey and Scorbunny in a tight race. All three starters are effective against three gyms, but Sobble's advantage in the final gym run by Raihan gives it a slight edge. In the Champion Cup, Sobble's Inteleon performs well against Bede's Fairy types, Nessa's Water types, and Raihan's Fire and Ground heavy Dragon team.

Rivals, Team Yell, and random encounters have minimal impact due to the introduction of overworld Pokémon. Sobble's balanced stats in its final evolution further tip the scales in its favor, making it the best choice for aspiring Pokémon Masters in the Galar region.

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 is the standout choice in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, despite the game's open-world design allowing for flexible gym and Team Star base raid progression. Its Fire typing and evolution into the Fire/Ghost type Skeledirge are particularly effective against Katy and Brassius' Bug and Grass type gyms, as well as Tulip and Grusha's Psychic/Fairy and Ice type gyms.

Team Star base raids emphasize the importance of your starter, with Skeledirge's advantages against Dark, Poison, Fairy, and Fighting types. While Quaxly's Quaquaval and Sprigatito's Meowscarada have their merits, Skeledirge's dominance continues into the Elite Four, making it the best choice for navigating the challenges of the Paldea region.