The Most Popular Pokémon Starter, Ranked

Choose the Pokémon Starter you think is the most popular!

Author: Gregor Krambs
Updated on Apr 25, 2024 06:46
Choosing the right Pokémon Starter can be a pivotal moment for any player, setting the tone for their entire gaming experience. With options evolving across different generations, each with unique abilities and styles, it can be daunting to decide which one might suit you best. By participating in rankings, players contribute to a collective wisdom that helps illuminate which Starters resonate most with the community. This ongoing poll allows fans to cast their votes, providing a dynamic snapshot of collective preferences. Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the Pokémon universe, seeing which Starters top the list can offer insights and foster deeper engagement with the game. Your vote matters here, as each contribution refines and potentially reshapes the existing rankings.

What Is the Most Popular Pokémon Starter?

  1. 1
    81
    votes
    Charmander is the most popular Pokémon starter due to its iconic design, powerful fire-type moves, and its evolution into the fan-favorite Charizard.
    Charmander is a Fire-type Pokémon known for its small and lizard-like appearance. With its orange scales, it has a flame burning on the tip of its tail. As it grows, the flame becomes larger and brighter. Charmander is known for its fierce personality and strong determination.
    • Pokedex Number: 004
    • Height: 2'00" (0.6m)
    • Weight: 18.7 lbs (8.5 kg)
    • Type: Fire
    • Ability: Blaze
  2. 2
    8
    votes
    While not a traditional starter, Pikachu has become an incredibly popular option due to its status as the mascot of the Pokémon franchise.
    Pikachu is a fictional character that has become the mascot of the Pokémon franchise. It is an electric-type species of Pokémon known for its yellow fur, large ears with black tips, rosy cheeks, and a small mouth. Pikachu is small, cute, and has the ability to generate electricity through electric sacs in its cheeks.
    • Species: Electric Mouse Pokémon
    • Height: 0.4 meters
    • Weight: 6.0 kilograms
    • Type: Electric
    • Abilities: Static / Lightning Rod (Hidden)
  3. 3
    31
    votes
    Squirtle is a fan-favorite due to its adorable design and its evolution into the powerful Blastoise.
    Squirtle is a Water-type Pokémon known for its small and turtle-like appearance. It has a light blue body with a shell on its back, which it can retract into for protection. Squirtle has a long tail and large, innocent-looking eyes. This Pokémon is known for being friendly, playful, and incredibly loyal to its trainer.
    • Height: 0.5 meters
    • Weight: 9.0 kilograms
    • Type: Water
    • Abilities: Torrent (Hidden: Rain Dish)
    • Evolutionary Line: Squirtle -> Wartortle -> Blastoise
  4. 4
    15
    votes
    Bulbasaur is a unique starter due to its dual grass/poison typing and its evolution into the powerful Venusaur.
    Bulbasaur is a grass/poison type Pokémon that resembles a small, quadrupedal dinosaur. It has blue-green skin with darker blue-green spots on its body.
    • Type: Grass/Poison
    • Height: 0.7 m (2'04")
    • Weight: 6.9 kg (15.2 lbs)
    • Abilities: Overgrow (Hidden: Chlorophyll)
    • Evolutionary Line: Bulbasaur -> Ivysaur -> Venusaur
  5. 5
    9
    votes
    Torchic is a popular starter from the Hoenn region due to its cute design and its evolution into the powerful Blaziken.
    Torchic is a Fire-type starter Pokémon introduced in the third generation of Pokémon games. It is known as the Chick Pokémon and is known for its fiery passion and energetic nature. Torchic evolves into Combusken and later into Blaziken, gaining additional fighting abilities along the way.
    • Type: Fire
    • Classification: Chick Pokémon
    • Height: 0.4 meters (1'04")
    • Weight: 2.5 kilograms (5.5 lbs)
    • Ability: Blaze (Powers up Fire-type moves when low on HP)
  6. 6
    15
    votes
    Totodile is a fan-favorite starter from the Johto region due to its playful design and its evolution into the powerful Feraligatr.
    Totodile is a Water-type Pokémon known for its reptilian appearance and energetic personality. It possesses blue skin with a yellow underbelly and a row of red spikes running down its back. Its large, sharp teeth are prominent even when its mouth is closed, giving it a mischievous grin. Totodile is often seen snapping its jaws and baring its teeth to intimidate opponents and show its enthusiasm. It is a playful and highly active Pokémon, known for its curious nature and energetic behavior.
    • Type: Water
    • Height: 2'0" (0.6 m)
    • Weight: 20.9 lbs (9.5 kg)
    • Ability: Torrent
    • Evolutionary Line: Totodile ➔ Croconaw ➔ Feraligatr
  7. 7
    21
    votes
    Mudkip is a popular starter from the Hoenn region due to its adorable design and its evolution into the powerful Swampert.
    Mudkip is a Water/Ground type Pokémon known for its adorable appearance and unique abilities. It resembles a small, blue amphibious creature with a large fin on its head. Mudkip is one of the three starter Pokémon introduced in the Hoenn region.
    • Type: Water/Ground
    • Height: 0.4m (1'04")
    • Weight: 7.6kg (16.8 lbs)
    • Ability: Torrent (Powers up Water-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low)
    • Evolutions: Mudkip evolves into Marshtomp at level 16, and then into Swampert at level 36
  8. 8
    8
    votes
    Treecko is a popular starter from the Hoenn region due to its cool design and its evolution into the powerful Sceptile.
    Treecko is a Grass-type Pokemon known as the Wood Gecko Pokemon. It is the first stage evolution of the Treecko evolutionary line, starting as a small green gecko-like creature.
    • Type: Grass
    • Species: Wood Gecko
    • Height: 0.5 m (1'08")
    • Weight: 5.0 kg (11.0 lbs)
    • Abilities: Overgrow
  9. 9
    11
    votes
    Chimchar is a fan-favorite starter from the Sinnoh region due to its playful design and its evolution into the powerful Infernape.
    Chimchar is a Fire-type Pokémon and one of the popular starter Pokémon introduced in the fourth generation. It is known for its mischievous and playful nature. Chimchar resembles a small monkey, with orange fur and a flame burning on its rear end. As it evolves, it becomes stronger and gains more control over its fiery abilities.
    • Type: Fire
    • Generation: Fourth
    • National Pokédex Number: Pokemon #390
    • Ability: Blaze
    • Height: 0.5 m (1'08")
  10. 10
    18
    votes
    Turtwig is a popular starter from the Sinnoh region due to its cute design and its evolution into the powerful Torterra.
    Turtwig is a Grass-type Pokémon and one of the starter Pokémon options introduced in Generation IV of the Pokémon franchise. It is known as the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. Turtwig resembles a small, quadrupedal turtle with a green body and a brown shell on its back. It has a sprout growing out of the top of its head, which eventually evolves into a large tree upon reaching its final form.
    • Type: Grass
    • Classification: Tiny Leaf Pokémon
    • Generation: IV
    • Height: 0.4 meters
    • Weight: 10.2 kilograms

Missing your favorite Pokémon Starter?

Graphs
Discussion

Ranking factors for popular Pokémon Starter

  1. Design and Aesthetics
    The visual appeal and design of the Pokémon play a significant role in its popularity. Players often prefer Pokémon that are cute, cool, or unique in their appearance.
  2. Type and Abilities
    The type of the Pokémon (Grass, Fire, or Water) is crucial, as each type has its strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the moveset and abilities of the Pokémon can impact its usability and popularity in battles and gameplay.
  3. Evolutions and Power
    The evolution line of the starter Pokémon and how powerful they become as they evolve is another significant factor. Some players prefer Pokémon with impressive evolutions that boast high stats and strong movesets.
  4. Nostalgia and Familiarity
    The generation the Pokémon was introduced in might also play a role in its popularity. Pokémon from earlier generations may be more recognizable and nostalgic for players who grew up with the franchise.
  5. Competitive Viability
    For more serious players, the competitive potential of the Pokémon might be an essential factor. Some starters are more viable in competitive battles and tournaments due to their stats, movesets, and abilities.
  6. In-game Performance
    The usefulness of the Pokémon throughout the main story of the game is crucial for many players. Some starter Pokémon might be more advantageous in certain aspects of gameplay, such as in battles against Gym Leaders or overcoming certain in-game challenges.
  7. Popularity in the Pokémon Community
    The overall popularity and discussion of the starter on various social media platforms, fan art, and official Pokémon polls can also influence how popular a starter Pokémon is perceived to be.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most popular Pokémon Starter. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or Pokémon Starter is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

  • 3477 views
  • 162 votes
  • 10 ranked items

Movers & Shakers

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Pokémon Starter once every 24 hours. The rank of each Pokémon Starter is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

More information on most popular pokémon starter

Pokémon has been a beloved franchise for over two decades, and one of its most iconic features is the choice of starter Pokémon at the beginning of each game. These three Pokémon, typically a Grass-type, Fire-type, and Water-type, have become fan favorites and have been the subject of much debate and discussion. From Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in the original games, to the most recent starters of Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble, the choice of which Pokémon to start with can be a difficult one for trainers. In this article, we'll take a look at the most popular starter Pokémon based on votes from the StrawPoll community.

Share this article