Ranking every starter Pokemon
Here is every starter Pokémon ranked from worst to best.
There are some things you should never do in life. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape, don’t spit into the wind, and don’t try to rank the starter Pokémon. Not only because every starter Pokémon has something great somewhere along their evolution lines, but because everyone who has ever even seen a Pokémon has wildly different opinions on which ones are the best.
Thankfully, we don’t have that problem because this ranking is based on objective facts from a groundbreaking scientific method. No, we won’t be taking any questions on this matter. So, without further ado here is every starter Pokémon from Generation 1 to Generation 9 ranked from worst to best.
Chespin
Chespin’s tale is a tragic one because it’s not really its fault it ranks so low. It’s partly because Greninja outshone everything in X & Y, and partly because of its awful evolved forms. Quilladin’s just a ball with legs and it looks super lame and Chestnaught is bad because it throws away everything that makes Chespin an appealing Pokémon in its base form.
Sobble
What a fall from grace Sobble had. When the Sword & Shield starters were first revealed, people were head over heels for this little guy. Sobble’s super adorable, and if it had stayed that way, maybe it’d be one of the all-time greats. Unfortunately, it had to evolve. Inteleon is the epitome of the modern era’s obsession with making humanoid final forms for the starters, and why people are begging for them not to do the same in Generation 9.
Tepig
The common theme running through the bottom part of this ranking is “cute first form, awful evolved forms” and that’s exactly where Tepig sits. Tepig is a brilliant starter Pokémon, but then Pignite comes along to ruin it, and then Emboard crushes everyone’s dreams. On top of that, it was the third Fire/Fighting starter in a row when it was unveiled, so people were sick of it.
Oshawott
Unlike every Pokémon up until this point, Oshawott doesn’t get ruined by its evolutions, it just isn’t that good to begin with. It’s by no means an awful Pokémon, but the whole evolution line feels very “eh”. They’re easily forgettable, which is very bad for a supposed lifelong partner.
Totodile
Truth be told, there aren’t that many bad things to say about Totodile or its evolutions, it just seems to have been forgotten by history. The Generation 2 starters have never got all that much love in the franchise, so not that many people have a connection with Totodile as a result.
Popplio
Popplio does the opposite of most of the other Pokémon we’ve discussed thus far, as it steadily gets better as it evolves. Primarina is a welcome break from humanoid designs in the modern era, but it still feels like it’s missing a little something to stand with the greats.
Quaxly
The Generation 9 starters are a little harder to rank since we don’t yet know what their evolved forms look like. However, based on the reactions to the reveal trailer, Quaxly is definitely getting left in the dust by its peers.
Turtwig
Turtwig and Torterra are both fantastic Pokémon. Unfortunately, they’re let down a little by their middle form, Grotle. It’s a fine bridge between the base form and the final form, but the very best starters have a little more pop in all three forms. Also, the anime didn’t help Torterra’s case, as it got its arse kicked in almost every major fight it participated in.
Scorbunny
When it comes to the base forms, Scorbunny is the most appealing of the three Generation 8 starters. It’s so happy, it charges around like mad, what’s not to love? It retains a lot of that when it evolves, but unfortunately, it doesn’t go far enough. Cinderace feels more like an overgrown middle evolution than a true finale to what Scorbunny starts.
Grookey
Despite its final form, Rillaboom being very humanoid, it gets away with it because gorillas are supposed to be humanoid. On top of that, it’s got a great gimmick, the way it uses its drum kit in battle is a lot cooler than it sounds. Where it falls is the middle form, Thwackey, which is a fittingly stupid name for this stupid-looking Pokémon.
Fuecoco
Fuecoco has all the potential in the world, but given how Generation 8 turned out, that might only lead to disappointment. What is for certain is that people immediately connected with this tiny dinosaur/crocodile; the only problem is, at this stage, we’re not entirely sure what animal it’s supposed to be.
Fennekin
Another poster child for humanoid evolutions being bad, Fennekin starts as an incredibly cute little fox that could’ve easily been the fan-favourite of Generation 6 if it wasn’t for what came next. Braixen might’ve gotten away with it if it was the final evolution with another quadruped in between, but that wasn’t the case and Delphox strides in looking…fine…just…fine. It should’ve stayed on all-fours
Mudkip
Mudkip has got a bit of a helping hand over the years thanks to being prime meme material, just look at that face. There’s not really much going for it after that, though. There’s nothing bad about Swampert but it doesn’t do much to stand out, and the less said about Marshstomp the better.
Torchic
Torchic and its final form Blaziken has seen an interesting turn in public opinion over the years. The further we get from Generation 3, the more people are deciding that Blaziken wasn’t actually all that good of a design. However, it still looks pretty cool in the modern era, and can even Mega-Evolve, so it can’t be confined to history’s rubbish bin just yet.
Sprigatito
Landing in the exact midpoint on this list, Sprigatito gives off exactly the same vibes that Fennekin did when it was first revealed. It’s a fairly simple design but it’s oozing cuteness, and it could end up turning into one of the all-time greats; it just needs to stay on all fours.
Cyndaquil
Cyndaquil has recently become a bit of a rock star among the Generation 2 starters thanks to its spot in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It’s undeniably a great design, but the move to 3D hasn’t done it any favours, it looks fine in battle, but when playing with it outside of that, the lack of flames make it look so sad, it should be aflame at all times.
Chikorita
Most people would probably rank Cyndaquil as the best Generation 2 starter, but those people would be overlooking a seriously solid evolution line. It’s not perfect, there could be a little more going on in Meganium’s design, but that big gormless smile on their face is so endearing, you’ll be cheered up just looking at it.
Froakie
Despite being ranked the most popular Pokémon of all time just a few years ago, Greninja can be pretty controversial among ‘hardcore’ Pokémon fans. In a bubble, Greninja is an all-time great design, but it’s perhaps a step too far away from what Froakie and Frogadier set up. The frubbles around the neck get replaced with a long tongue, and the colouring gets weirdly dark. However all three Pokémon are individually great, so they can’t be ranked too low.
Litten
It’s true that Litten commits the same ‘humanoid’ sin we’ve lambasted other starters for, but Incineroar might be the one Pokémon that gets away with it. It definitely would’ve been better without going humanoid, but everything about its design works. The red and black don’t overwhelm the grey body, the face is still very catlike but with lots of expressiveness, and the flame belt looks really cool.
Charmander
Charizard has gotten a lot of hate in recent generations due to the special treatment it receives throughout the franchise. It got two Mega forms, a Gigantamax form and is Leon’s signature Pokémon in Sword & Shield. However, putting all that hate to one side, you have to see just how great of a Pokémon Charizard is. This massive orange dragon is so cool; can you really blame Pokémon’s marketing for relying so heavily on it when it has such obvious appeal?
Snivy
There’s not much complexity to Snivy or its evolutions, but it is dripping with personality. Snivy has that cute charm of a child trying to act like an adult, and when it eventually grows into Serperior there’s a genuine aloofness there that draws you into its character. It’s a little weird that it doesn’t have any arms or legs, but at least it’s unique.
Chimchar
Chimchar has to give massive thanks to the anime for making it such a fan favourite. Infernape is a brilliant design in its own right, but Ash’s Infernape might be the best Pokémon he’s ever had in terms of story. Other than that, it’s a big monkey with flaming hair, of course it’s in the top ten.
Bulbasaur
Once upon a time being a Bulbasaur fan meant you were the odd one out, but time has proven that you should never count a Pokémon out. Bulbasaur’s brilliance comes from its simplicity. It has a basic body with one defining feature and every time it evolves, it gets a little bigger and the defining feature gets a little more elaborate. It is perhaps the best example of how starters should progress their design from one form to the next.
Pikachu
When you’ve carried a franchise on your back for almost 30 years, you’ve got to be doing something right. Pikachu is exactly what those marketing Pokémon in the late 1990s wanted it to be, it balances cuteness and coolness to appeal to just about everyone. It may not be a superstar in the game, but the anime is where most people have connected with Pikachu as Ash’s eternal partner.
Squirtle
Top five time and there’s simply no denying Squirtle a spot. It’s another fantastic example of how Pokémon should progress from form to form, and there are strong reasons to love all three. From a plucky little turtle that spits water to a monstrous tank with cannons on its back, spending time with this Pokémon is always a joyful experience.
Treecko
Treecko does it all. Not only are all three of its forms great Pokémon in their own right, but they connect perfectly. Grovyle is easily the best middle-evolution Pokémon thanks to its starring role in the Mystery Dungeon games, and Sceptile takes the cool factor to another level. It would perhaps get the top spot if it weren’t for just a few other Pokémon that have something truly special.
Eevee
It took many years for the series to give Eevee the starter spot it deserves, but it finally earned its place with Pokémon Let’s Go! Eevee. Much like Pikachu, Eevee’s success speaks for itself. Although it may not be the franchise carrier that Pikachu is, it’s become a marketing juggernaut thanks to looking adorable and a whopping eight evolutions. The only thing that stops it from getting the top spot is the fact that Let’s Go! Eevee doesn’t let you evolve it as your starter.
Piplup
Piplup in number two might be controversial to some, but as we said at the beginning, this is a scientific ranking. Truth be told, Piplup’s final form, Empoleon is quite controversial but when you take the time to appreciate it, you see something beautiful. Emperor penguins are pretty cool animals at the best of times, and Empoleon just turns all their best features up to eleven. The different shades of blue contrast well with each other and serve as a wonderful compliment to the yellow crown over its face. It’s a very regal beast.
Rowlet
A small huggable ball of cute feathers. It’s tempting to leave this entry at that, but Rowlet has so much more to offer than just a cute face. Dartrix isn’t the best middle evolution, but it does the job of bridging the gap between Rowlet and Decidueye, the latter of which is where this Pokémon shines. An owl archer is a cool concept out of the gate, but you add on a hood made out of leaves, a mysterious Ghost secondary type, and a unique Hisuian form, and you’ve got a Pokémon that can’t be beaten.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
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