Welcome to Exp. Share, the weekly Pokémon column in which we dive deep to explore notable characters, urban legends, communities, and just plain weird quirks from throughout the Pokémon franchise. This week, we’re going to attempt to rank all the starters from Red and Blue to Scarlet and Violet.
Everyone has a favourite starter Pokémon. They’re the first critters we begin our journey with in each game, and they hold a special place in everyone’s hearts long after we move on to the next game. Can we really quantify how special these little friends are and sand down all that love and meaning into something as arbitrary as a ranking? Yes, and we’re doing it. So strap the fuck in.
Also, this is just a ranking of the first stages of these Pokémon. So don’t yell at me about Charizard. He’s not here.
27. Chespin
The Kalos region’s grass-type starter is just a little guy. He’s a little doofus who deviates pretty hard visually from the rest of the grass-type starters in that he’s primarily brown in colour, rather than the usual green. He’s a grass hedgehog after we already got one of those with Shaymin, but he’s at least still pretty cute. Points for originality in the grand scheme of the grass-type starters, but Chespin is easily one of the most forgotten starter Pokémon across all generations. So here it lands at the bottom of our ranking. The rest of the Pokémon in the lower rankings are at least more interesting.
26. Oshawott
Look, I’m sorry, but they just did Piplup again but not as cute. Yes, they’re different species but the silhouette, the colour scheme, the sassy personality? They’re almost identical. Oshawott is also a cute little guy and it’s fun that its little shell detaches and can be used as a projectile. But until it evolves into Samurott, it’s giving reused assets.
25. Fennekin
Fennekin sits in a weird spot of being a little unremarkable in design while also just feeling like it’s got a lot going on. Its dark orange eyes and ear fluffs pop, but everything else feels pretty bland. By the time it’s reached its final form in Delphox, there’s a lot more going on and the witch motif stands out across a lot of the Pokémon starter lines. But Fennekin itself doesn’t quite reach that distinct look until much later. It’s a vibe, but the vibe is just waiting below the surface until it evolves.
24. Grookey
Grookey is the starter equivalent of the percussion major you knew in college who was always tapping on their desk. He means well and doesn’t have enough thoughts behind his eyes to be doing it to be annoying. But you know when you have to sit by him in class the entire table is gonna be shaking while you’re taking notes. Beyond that, he’s a cutie, but there are better Pokémon on this list.
23. Mudkip
Despite the memes, Mudkip is the worst of a generation of some pretty solid starters. The Hoenn region has some real stars in its opening roster, and Mudkip is just unfortunately up against some stiff competition. The little reptilian dude emits joy wherever it goes on top of being a secret power house. Honestly, Mudkip’s evolutions don’t do it for me, but this little king? He’s solid.
22. Chimchar
Much like Mudkip, Chimchar is just the weakest of a really good line-up of starters in Generation IV. It has the perk of being one of the only fire-type Pokémon reliably found in the Sinnoh region, so picking it just gives you an inherent advantage its grass and water counterparts can’t. Its fiery spirit is infectious, and I love how much it gets on Piplup’s nerves in the anime. But once again, there’s just some better picks that we haven’t yet got to.
21. Froakie
Froakie is easily overshadowed by its final form Greninja, but I don’t think this is just an example of it getting cooler as it evolves, Froakie is a little bland. Obviously, the frog throughline is there, but when I look at Froakie I don’t see something that directly leads into the boss which is Greninja. The same can be said about Sobble, but at least Sobble has a concept that I vibe with on a molecular level. Froakie is fine. But it will be great at a later stage.
20. Litten
While Incineroar is a force to be reckoned with in Pokémon’s competitive scene, its earliest stage is pretty much a domestic cat. It’s got sass, it’s cute as it struts, and there’s something cool and distinct about the black and red colour scheme. I also just like that Litten looks like it’s scheming and plotting. We love a mischievous little king.
19. Tepig
Tepig is a cutie patootie, but I will admit I wasn’t quite sold on it until the anime. As has been the case before in the show, Ash took Tepig in after a negligent trainer abandoned him, and you could practically hear Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” playing in the background. I, for one, am a sucker for these kinds of stories, and it swayed me into picking Tepig as my own starter in Black and White. He is innocent and pure and must be protected. Including protecting his feelings by putting him higher on this list.
18. Snivy
Snivy feels like a retread of Treecko in some ways in that it’s a reptilian grass type with an emphasis on the cool factor. So while it might not hit the same way twice, I at least approve of Snivy’s general vibe as a little dude who’s absolutely up to shit. Look at that smug little smirk he’s got going on. That’s the face of a villain. The gaze of an absolute playground bully. Snivy doesn’t just want your lunch money, he’s going to make you believe he’s earned it.
17. Chikorita
The definition of underrated, Chikorita is a slay on all accounts. The bud-based necklace, the Ariana Grande updo? This is a girl who knows she’s it, and anyone who says otherwise is just a hater. Yes, when it evolves into Meganium people are inevitably going to cry foul over its mediocre stats, but Chikorita is too busy walking down the catwalk to be bothered by your negativity. She keeps her head held high and struts onward, and we love her for that.
16. Sprigatito
Speaking of slays, strutting, and grass-types, Sprigatito does everything Chikorita does with its own elegance. The weed cat exudes poise and showmanship, and that is only exemplified as it evolves into Meowscarada. But even before it starts standing on two legs, Sprigatito is beauty, it is grace. And it’s about to be one of the stars of the anime, so get used to it being around.
15. Popplio
The Alola region’s water-type starter is joy incarnate. Popplio is a clown sea lion, and who among us hasn’t engaged in some clownery in our lives and can’t relate to that? Yes, it will get past this clown shit one day and become an absolute goddess when it becomes Primarina, but you’ve gotta respect your performing arts roots as a clown before you become a Pokémon drag queen, and this is a wonderful place to start.
14. Treecko
Ash’s Treecko in the anime puts a little twig in its mouth and crosses its arms while looking broody, so that’s how you know the Hoeen grass-type starter is too cool for school. Treecko is an edgelord and somehow manages to make that persona not feel so tryhard. It just exudes so much coolness that when he tries to look cool, I’m just like, “yeah, I see it.”
13. Torchic
I have to give Torchic a slight pity vote over Treecko because Game Freak decided this was the one starter Pokémon who needed a gender difference and decided to give male Torchic’s exactly one darker pixel on its backside, and I think that’s extremely funny. But otherwise, Torchic’s pretty cute and I love May’s in the anime. So it’s a solid middle of the pack for the fire-type starters.
12. Sobble
I love Sobble because this sad little crybaby is just doing what we’re all thinking. When it cries, its tears are said to be as potent as “100 onions.” That means this reptile is able to make people cry just by crying itself. This is what it means to be an empath. Your boyfriend is not in touch with his emotions? Give him a Sobble, see how long it takes for him to open up to you like a breakthrough therapy session.
11. Scorbunny
Galar’s fire-type starter is a spunky little rabbit who likes to kick. It’s a soccer player who turns little rocks into fireballs and then kicks them at its enemies. And if you don’t think that’s the tightest shit you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what to tell you.
10. Fuecoco
I love my idiot son Fuecoco. This guy hasn’t had thought pass behind his eyes even once in his lifetime. One day, he’ll evolve and have to be concerned about making it as a singer using Torch Song to burn up its enemies. But right now? No thoughts, just vibes. It’s ok that you burned up that apple Fuecoco, just don’t eat it.
9. Quaxly
Paldea’s water-type starter is a gay icon. Look at how it swoops its feathers/hair that turns into a hat. Quaxly is styling and profiling at every turn of Scarlet and Violet’s open world, and is the voice for all the gay Pokémon fans who need to be heard. When it waddles over to you, you can hear “Here comes the hurricane, bitch. Katrina, Katrina, Katrina” playing off in the distance in time with each step. What a legend.
8. Bulbasaur
I am typically resistant to giving Generation I some sort of assumed default high ranking. But all three of the Red and Blue starters are pretty strong. In the anime, Bulbasaur is one of Ash’s most nurturing Pokémon, and I can’t help but stan a protective king. He is the #1 Pokémon in the Pokédex, which means we’ve gotta put some respect on the OG’s name, but while he’s first in the Pokédex, he won’t be first in this ranking.
7. Cyndaquil
Cyndaquil gets immediate sympathy points for how dirty the games have done it and its evolutionary line in the transition to 3D. Because it can hide or expose its flames at will, the games have sort of defaulted to having Cyndaquil shown without its flames, and then it just looks like a little rat. It’s still cute, but Cyndaquil can also be ferocious when it has to be. When those flames come out, Cyndaquil is a perfect little guy with an adorable voice in the anime. He hits like a flamethrower but looks like a friend.
6. Charmander
There’s an argument to be made that the reason Charmander is iconic is only that its final evolution Charizard is iconic. But I’m not sure I agree. Charmander is one of the simplest designs in the starter Pokémon, but that simplicity harkens to a simpler time in the Pokémon franchise. Sometimes Pokémon were literally just real-world animals that said their name and had a slight twist. And Charmander’s burning tail being its life force is such a harrowing take on what makes a Pokémon different from real-world creatures that it’s stuck with me and the rest of the fandom for over two decades. Charmander is elegant in its simplicity, but still such an interesting Pokémon in concept. It doesn’t need to evolve for those things to be true.
5. Totodile
As we reach our top five Pokémon starters, the Johto region’s water-type starter is here to start rolling out the final rankings. Totodile is an absolute doofus. It is whimsy personified. The crocodile is perfect in design, and you can really tell everything you need to know about it just at a glance. Try as it might to be scary, it is too much of a joyful little guy to be able to take advantage of its sharp teeth for anything other than play biting. Its final form Feraligatr may be a boss, but Totodile is the kind of idiot you love and trust.
4. Piplup
Piplup really did approach mascot status for a little bit, huh? The Sinnoh region’s water-type starter was such a megastar during Generation IV that it sometimes feels as recognisable as Pokémon like Pikachu and Eevee, and has had a bit of a moment more recently thanks to the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes and Pokémon Legends: Arceus giving the Sinnoh region another moment in the public eye. But this penguin is so recognisable for a reason, and that’s not just because Dawn had one in the anime for a few years. It’s because Piplup strikes that perfect balance of cute, fierce, and friendly that makes a starter Pokémon great. It’s so beloved because it’s perfect for everything you want from a first friend in a new place. Piplup is almost the best water-type starter in the whole series…except, well…
3. Squirtle
All the nice things we pointed out about Charmander aside, the Squirtle Squad’s appearance in the anime was a cultural reset, and while Charizard has had plenty of standout moments, Charmander specifically cannot claim to match the power of a turtle that’s part of a gang and wears sunglasses. On top of just being an icon in Pokémon, this king is in Super Smash Bros. and is one of the most fun characters to play. While you were sitting around, waiting, doing nish, Squirtle was out and making moves.
2. Rowlet
Who can’t love this round boy? Rowlet is shaped like a friend. The Alolan grass-type starter is cute, has spawned its fair share of memes, and has an undeniable swagger that not even the cool kids like Treecko can live up to. All the starters are good, but nothing’s lived up to Rowlet since it debuted in Sun and Moon. But even then, it cannot dethrone the king.
1. Turtwig
Turtwig is perfect. Sorry, I don’t make the rules, just the ranking. The Sinnoh region’s grass starter is the best starter of all-time and if you disagree, that’s totally valid because we all have different cherished memories with all of these little friends. But Turtwig, with his little stubby legs, leaves on its head, cute little shell, is just doing his best, you know? He’s gonna have an entire living ecosystem on his back when he evolves into Torterra, the greatest starter evolution to walk Arceus’ green earth. And we all love and support him along the way because Turtwig would do the same for you.
Anyway, if I were ranking Pikachu and Eevee, who were starters in Yellow and Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, one of them would have taken the top spot. I guess we’ll never know which one, and Turtwig’s top spot is secure.
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