The best starter Pokemon of all time is Greninja: its Protean ability changes its type to match every move, and with 122 base Speed and a huge movepool it is the only starter that reaches genuine competitive god-tier. Close behind sit the Fire/Fighting sweepers Blaziken and Cinderace, while Swampert is the best pick for a first playthrough thanks to its bulk and near-perfect defensive typing.
Below are the best starters across all nine generations, ranked on a mix of competitive strength, campaign usefulness and design. Base stats and abilities are fixed game data; the ranking is a considered blend rather than a single number.
The best starter Pokemon, ranked
Final evolutions shown. “Why” notes the ability or trait that defines each pick.
| # | Starter | Gen | Type | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greninja | 6 | Water / Dark | Protean + 122 Speed; only true competitive god-tier |
| 2 | Blaziken | 3 | Fire / Fighting | Speed Boost snowballs into a sweep |
| 3 | Cinderace | 8 | Fire | Libero clone of Protean; elite speed sweeper |
| 4 | Swampert | 3 | Water / Ground | Huge bulk, only one weakness (4× Grass) |
| 5 | Infernape | 4 | Fire / Fighting | Fast mixed attacker that never falls off |
| 6 | Rillaboom | 8 | Grass | Grassy Surge + huge Attack; best Grass starter |
| 7 | Sceptile | 3 | Grass | Blazing Speed and a strong Mega Evolution |
| 8 | Charizard | 1 | Fire / Flying | The icon; two Mega forms cover any role |
| 9 | Skeledirge | 9 | Fire / Ghost | Torch Song bulk-sweeper; best Gen 9 starter |
| 10 | Empoleon | 4 | Water / Steel | Excellent defensive typing and coverage |
| 11 | Primarina | 7 | Water / Fairy | Bulky special attacker with great typing |
| 12 | Feraligatr | 2 | Water | Sheer Force physical wrecker |
| 13 | Decidueye | 7 | Grass / Ghost | Unique typing and a signature move |
| 14 | Quaquaval | 9 | Water / Fighting | Best long-term Gen 9 pick after Skeledirge |
| 15 | Typhlosion | 2 | Fire | Fast, reliable special Fire attacker |
| 16 | Serperior | 5 | Grass | Contrary + Leaf Storm snowballs each turn |
Why speed matters
The chart shows why Greninja, Sceptile and Cinderace dominate competitively: moving first lets a starter land its hit before the opponent can respond. Bulky picks like Swampert win a different way — by surviving hits and grinding foes down — which is exactly why it is the safest choice for a story playthrough even though it is far slower.
The top starters explained
Four picks stand out, each for a different reason.
Pokemon is one of the biggest franchises ever, sitting near the top of our best-selling video games of all time ranking. If you want the raw-power side of the roster, see our strongest Pokemon of all time list, which ranks the legendaries by base stat total.
Best starter per generation
Picking a specific game? Here is the strongest long-term choice from each region’s trio.
| Generation (region) | Best starter |
|---|---|
| Gen 1 (Kanto) | Charizard |
| Gen 2 (Johto) | Feraligatr |
| Gen 3 (Hoenn) | Swampert (or Blaziken) |
| Gen 4 (Sinnoh) | Infernape |
| Gen 5 (Unova) | Serperior |
| Gen 6 (Kalos) | Greninja |
| Gen 7 (Alola) | Primarina |
| Gen 8 (Galar) | Cinderace |
| Gen 9 (Paldea) | Skeledirge |
Whichever you pick, the classic advice holds: choose the one you like the look of, because you will spend the whole game with it. For another data-led ranking, see our best Genshin Impact characters tier list.
