Do I need the “best” starter to finish the game?

No—mainline Pokémon RPGs are tuned so any starter can clear the story with basic healing items and type awareness. Pick what keeps you motivated; swap wild-caught partners when a gym is awkward.

Why is it almost always Grass, Fire, and Water?

They form a simple rock–paper–scissors loop for tutorials while staying flavorful. Dual typings later add depth without changing the initial teaching moment.

Can I collect every starter without trading?

Usually not in a single playthrough of classic games—most titles only gift one trio member per save. Remakes, DLC, or post-game breeding events sometimes loosen the restriction, but trading is the traditional answer.

Are starters good in competitive play?

Some finals (or their Hidden Abilities) become staples—examples include Incineroar in doubles or past-generation Blaziken/Greninja controversies—while others are niche. Always check the current ruleset for your format.

What if I dislike all three typings?

Treat the starter as a temporary mascot. Modern games shower you with wild encounters soon after the first town, so you can pivot your real core to anything you catch.

Starter Pokémon guide — every generation, typings, picks & FAQ

Introduction

In every core RPG region you choose one of three complementary typings. That Pokémon anchors early routes, teaches you type matchups, and often stays on your team through the Elite Four if you invest levels and TMs.

Mechanically, starters are balanced so none is strictly “required,” but typings, base stats, level-up moves, and matchups against major fights still create real difficulty swings. Competitive tiers are a different conversation from story mode—this page calls out both where it matters.

Starter Pokémon by Generation

Each generation follows the Grass / Fire / Water pattern (with rare dual typings on final forms). Final typings and a practical, one-line read on who benefits most.

Kanto defined the Grass / Fire / Water starter loop that every later generation still remixes—simple typings on the surface, but real matchup swings once finals evolve.

Bulbasaur Ivysaur Venusaur
Types
Grass Poison
Strong early curve against Rock- and Water-themed early gyms in many Kanto layouts; bulk helps newcomers forgive positioning mistakes.
Charmander Charmeleon Charizard
Types
Fire Flying
High damage and Fly access for older titles, but Rock gym can feel punishing if you are underleveled—better for players who like aggressive offense.
Squirtle Wartortle Blastoise
Types
Water
The most forgiving neutral matchup spread early; simple STAB Surf-style coverage without juggling many typings.

Johto starters skew toward identity over raw coverage: a defensive Grass anchor, a fast Fire sprinter, or a physical Water finisher for players who like front-loaded damage.

Chikorita Bayleef Meganium
Types
Grass
Sturdy and supportive, but fewer super-effective hits against Johto’s early roster—best if you enjoy setup and healing over raw pace.
Cyndaquil Quilava Typhlosion
Types
Fire
Fast, hard-hitting Fire STAB for players who want to end fights quickly; still needs backup for Water/Rock roadblocks.
Totodile Croconaw Feraligatr
Types
Water
Physical Water with strong Attack—excellent if you like clicking one strong STAB move and moving on.

Hoenn is where dual typings on finals really start to matter—Ground, Fighting, and Dark coverage change route planning compared with pure mono-type early games.

Treecko Grovyle Sceptile
Types
Grass
High Speed and offense for players comfortable switching when typings are bad; less of a tank than rival starters.
Torchic Combusken Blaziken
Types
Fire Fighting
Fighting coverage fixes many neutral matchups; historically one of the strongest starter lines when abilities and items are considered.
Mudkip Marshtomp Swampert
Types
Water Ground
Only a quad Grass weakness on the defensive chart while gaining Ground STAB—widely considered the easiest Hoenn story pick.

Sinnoh’s trio maps cleanly onto tank, mixed attacker, and special pivot archetypes—helpful if you like reading gym fights through typings instead of raw levels alone.

Turtwig Grotle Torterra
Types
Grass Ground
Slow but physically imposing—great if you like tanking hits and firing recoil or high-power Ground moves.
Chimchar Monferno Infernape
Types
Fire Fighting
Fast mixed attacker; rewards players who press advantages with varied move types instead of one-button spam.
Piplup Prinplup Empoleon
Types
Water Steel
Many resistances but Ground and Fighting weaknesses hurt—strong pick if you like special-oriented Water/Steel coverage.

Unova pushes three very different fantasies—control, brawl, or blunt-force offense—so your pick changes pacing more than in some earlier regions.

Snivy Servine Serperior
Types
Grass
Contrary + Leaf Storm is a known competitive package; in story it is workable but less explosive early than peers.
Tepig Pignite Emboar
Types
Fire Fighting
High Attack but low Speed and many weaknesses—fine for casual runs, rough if you dislike taking hits before you move.
Oshawott Dewott Samurott
Types
Water
Straightforward mixed Water line—comfortable middle ground between Serperior’s finesse and Emboar’s blunt force.

Kalos starters lean into spectacle: a physical Grass fortress, a special Fire/Psychic mage, and a Water/Dark speedster that rewards aggressive turns.

Chespin Quilladin Chesnaught
Types
Grass Fighting
Bulky Grass/Fighting frontliner—good if you want spikes, leech, or physical presence instead of speed.
Fennekin Braixen Delphox
Types
Fire Psychic
Special attacker with Psychic coverage—players who like ranged burst and switching out of bad physical matchups.
Froakie Frogadier Greninja
Types
Water Dark
Speed-first glass cannon profile; excellent if you accept risk in exchange for deleting threats before they act.

Alola’s finals add Ghost, Dark, and Fairy angles—great if you enjoy extra immunities and coverage, slightly trickier if you forget the new defensive holes.

Rowlet Dartrix Decidueye
Types
Grass Ghost
Ghost typing adds interesting coverage and immunities; slightly trickier defensively than pure Grass.
Litten Torracat Incineroar
Types
Fire Dark
Slow physical bruiser—fantastic in doubles thanks to Intimidate, still solid in singles if you pivot around Ground fights.
Popplio Brionne Primarina
Types
Water Fairy
Special bulk and Fairy STAB help against Dragons and Fighting-heavy routes—great for safer, methodical play.

Galar lines read like modern team roles—terrain support, pure speed striker, or long-range special sniper—so your starter choice doubles as a playstyle statement.

Grookey Thwackey Rillaboom
Types
Grass
Grassy Surge support in competitive play; in story it is a strong physical Grass cleaner with good mid-game spikes.
Scorbunny Raboot Cinderace
Types
Fire
Fast physical attacker—ideal if you want to outspeed gym threats rather than outbulk them.
Sobble Drizzile Inteleon
Types
Water
Sniper-style special Water with high Speed; frail, so pair with items or pivots if fights drag on.

Paldea’s trio is intentionally asymmetric—assassin Grass/Dark, bulky Fire/Ghost vocalist, or a Water/Fighting dancer—so each path feels distinct in tempo and risk.

Sprigatito Floragato Meowscarada
Types
Grass Dark
Fast physical sweeper with Protean-style identity in competitive talk—story-wise it deletes slower targets if you keep tempo.
Fuecoco Crocalor Skeledirge
Types
Fire Ghost
Bulkier special Fire with Ghost coverage—comfortable for players who dislike being one-shot on neutral hits.
Quaxly Quaxwell Quaquaval
Types
Water Fighting
Dancer synergy and strong physical Water/Fighting STAB—great if you like setting up or snowballing long fights.

Best Starter Pokémon

“Best” depends on format, but these five lines repeatedly earn respect for story reliability, movepools, typings, or competitive history.

Swampert
— Water/Ground gives Electric immunity and strong STAB pairings; only Grass is truly scary, and even that is manageable with teammates or items.
Greninja
— Extreme Speed with Water/Dark coverage pressures many teams; low bulk means you must pick targets, not tank everything.
Blaziken
— Fire/Fighting coverage is timeless; when Speed Boost is available it scales into one of the most threatening late-game starters in competitive history.
Infernape
— A lighter, faster mixed Fire/Fighting toolkit than Emboar—easier to pilot when gyms resist one damage category.
Cinderace
— Pure Fire with elite physical Speed and movepool tricks in modern rulesets; glassy, but it wins races against many gym staples.

Even the best starter Pokémon can be outclassed in late-game battles by powerful Legendary Pokémon, which typically have higher base stats and unique abilities.

Easiest Starter Pokémon for Beginners

Beginners benefit from forgiving typings, simple STAB plans, or fewer early-game traps—not always the same as “strongest in ranked.”

Venusaur
line — bulk + Grass/Poison STAB removes a lot of early-route guesswork in Kanto-style curves.
Swampert
line — one extra weakness while gaining Ground moves makes route planning very forgiving.
Blastoise
line — pure Water is easy to understand: spam Water, add Ice or Dark TMs later, done.
Torterra
line — slow but tough; new players who forget type charts still survive mistakes.
Primarina
line — Water/Fairy offers strong matchup tools against common Fighting and Dragon-themed threats late game.

Starter Pokémon by Type

Starters begin as single types, but finals often pick up a second type. Below, finals are grouped by their primary attacking identity.

Fire (and Fire-led dual typings)

Water (and Water-led dual typings)

Grass (and Grass-led dual typings)

FAQ

Do I need the “best” starter to finish the game?: No—mainline Pokémon RPGs are tuned so any starter can clear the story with basic healing items and type awareness. Pick what keeps you motivated; swap wild-caught partners when a gym is awkward.
Why is it almost always Grass, Fire, and Water?: They form a simple rock–paper–scissors loop for tutorials while staying flavorful. Dual typings later add depth without changing the initial teaching moment.
Can I collect every starter without trading?: Usually not in a single playthrough of classic games—most titles only gift one trio member per save. Remakes, DLC, or post-game breeding events sometimes loosen the restriction, but trading is the traditional answer.
Are starters good in competitive play?: Some finals (or their Hidden Abilities) become staples—examples include Incineroar in doubles or past-generation Blaziken/Greninja controversies—while others are niche. Always check the current ruleset for your format.
What if I dislike all three typings?: Treat the starter as a temporary mascot. Modern games shower you with wild encounters soon after the first town, so you can pivot your real core to anything you catch.

Full National Dex listing

Every starter-stage species in one grid—tap a card for stats, moves, abilities, and evolution details.

#001

Starter Pokémon

Introduction

Starter Pokémon by Generation

Best Starter Pokémon

Easiest Starter Pokémon for Beginners

Starter Pokémon by Type

Fire (and Fire-led dual typings)

Water (and Water-led dual typings)

Grass (and Grass-led dual typings)

FAQ

Full National Dex listing

Bulbasaur

Ivysaur

Venusaur

Charmander

Charmeleon

Charizard

Squirtle

Wartortle

Blastoise

Chikorita

Bayleef

Meganium

Cyndaquil

Quilava

Typhlosion

Totodile

Croconaw

Feraligatr

Treecko

Grovyle

Sceptile

Torchic

Combusken

Blaziken

Mudkip

Marshtomp

Swampert

Turtwig

Grotle

Torterra

Chimchar

Monferno

Infernape

Piplup

Prinplup

Empoleon

Snivy

Servine

Serperior

Tepig

Pignite

Emboar

Oshawott

Dewott

Samurott

Chespin

Quilladin

Chesnaught

Fennekin

Braixen

Delphox

Froakie

Frogadier

Greninja

Rowlet

Dartrix

Decidueye

Litten

Torracat

Incineroar

Popplio

Brionne

Primarina

Grookey

Thwackey

Rillaboom

Scorbunny

Raboot

Cinderace