The starters that have graced each and every Pokémon title are some of the most easily recognizable ‘mons in the entire series. From the first trio to the last, a majority of the starter Pokémon are some of the most popular Pokédex entries fans have come to adore. While they eventually evolve into bigger and stronger Pokémon, the starters will always hold a special place in a trainer’s heart throughout their adventures.
Today, we’ll be breaking down every Pokémon starter throughout the generations.
This list is fully up to date (as of Sept. 2022) and will include the known starters from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, as well as every other Pokemon generation.
Generation 1: Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander
The trio that started it all. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander are three of the most popular Pokémon to ever be created. As a kid, many of us agonized over which starter to take with us on our first adventure through the Kanto region. Now, these three have become a mainstay in the franchise and are quite often featured in most Pokémon titles.
Generation 1: Pikachu
Some players might forget Pikachu was actually a Generation 1 starter as well. Pikachu was the only starter option in Pokémon Yellow, which was released after the original games of Red, Blue, and Green.
Generation 2: Chikorita, Totodile, Cyndaquil
While the second trio of Pokémon starters aren’t nearly as popular as the first, they’re still a wonderfully designed group of Pokémon. Many fans tended to gravitate towards Totodile or Cyndaquil due to their final evolutions, but each starter is well-liked by a majority of the community.
Generation 3: Treecko, Mudkip, Torchic
Generation 3 of Pokémon is where things really began to change for the franchise. The graphics improved, and the game finally saw a truly expanded Pokédex. The Hoenn region was also headlined by arguably the three strongest starters to date: Treecko, Mudkip, and Torchic.
All three Pokémon were viable by the end of their evolutions, making them a huge hit with fans. Torchic and Mudkip were considered the better starters due to their overall move sets and final type combinations.
Generation 4: Turtwig, Piplup, Chimchar
Generation 4 and the region of Sinnoh is easily one of the most beloved by longtime fans of the Pokémon series. The region had a terrific group of new Pokémon, an interesting story, different weather elements on the map, and a great trio of starters. You really couldn’t go wrong with any of the starters, and all three are quite adorable, which only makes the choice more difficult.
Generation 5: Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig
This is where things began to go downhill in regards to the starter Pokémon. Fans were growing tired of the Fire starter especially, all the past couple of generations made the starter have the Fighting type as well. This made some fans resent Tepig and its eventual evolution in Emboar, which was a Fire/Fighting type. However, the overall designs of the starters didn’t seem to resonate with fans, leading to Gen 5 having a more forgettable trio than other generations.
Generation 6: Chespin, Froakie, Fennekin
Generation 6 is arguably the most polarizing title in regards to starter Pokémon. While on the one hand we have one of the most popular starters ever in Froakie, we also have Fennekin, which was one of the most unpopular starters to date. However, Fennekin itself wasn’t to blame, but instead its final evolution in Delphox. While some Pokémon fans will stand by Delphox to this day, a majority of players didn’t enjoy yet another bipedal Fire starter. Froakie saved Gen. 6, though, as it eventually evolves into Greninja, a top-five starter in most fans’ opinion. Chespin, unfortunately, largely fell to the wayside due to Froakie’s popularity.
Generation 7: Rowlet, Popplio, Litten
The trio of Rowlet, Popplio, and Litten is quite interesting, as some fans seemingly loved them and others didn’t like them at all. In fairness, this trio looks fairly mundane as far as Pokémon go. Rowlet looks like an owl, Popplio looks like a seal, and Litten looks like a cat. There’s not a ton of creativity with the exception of Rowlet’s bowtie. Pokémon Sun and Moon didn’t push the envelope too much with these starters, to say the least.
Generation 7: Eevee and Pikachu
A forgotten era of Generation 7, the Pokémon Let’s Go games were actually released before Sword and Shield, which kicked off Gen 8. These games weren’t a huge hit with the broader audience, but definitely introduced a new way of playing. Eevee made its debut as a starter while Pikachu returned for a second go-round.
Generation 8: Grookey, Sobble, Scorbunny
In Generation 8, we have the most recent starters to come out of a main series Pokémon game. The starters in Grookey, Sobble, and Scorbunny were mostly a pleasant sight for most fans.
They featured some creativity in their design. As for each of the starters’ final evolution typings, the developers decided to play it safe and not give any of the Pokémon a secondary typing. The opinion on this decision changes based on who you ask, but the starters themselves from Generation 8 were certainly a step in the right direction.
Generation 8: Rowlet, Oshawott, Cyndaquil
Pokémon: Legends Arceus was the first major departure from the classic gameplay loop fans had come to know. The game was open-world, featured a new way to catch and battle Pokémon, and saw players take on missions themselves. The starters for the game were a mix of different generations, with Cyndaquil, Oshawott, and Rowlet making an appearance.
Generation 9: Sprigatito, Quaxly, Fuecoco
Finally, we have the final generation of Pokémon and its starters. Pokémon released images and the names for the starters that will arrive in Scarlet and Violet earlier this year, and fans immediately fell head over heels for them. Although, most fans specifically fell for Sprigatito, the Grass-type cat Pokémon.
However, a Fire-type dinosaur and a Water-type duck with a hat certainly have their fans as well. As of right now though it’s impossible to say how these starters will be perceived once Scarlet and Violet launch in November.
But if their initial impressions mean anything, fans are in for a great time with this trio.
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