Pokémon starters: the 9 trios of every generation

The 27 starters of the 9 generations

#	Pokémon	Gen	Region	Types	BST
1	Bulbasaur	1	Kanto	GrassPoison	318
4	Charmander	1	Kanto	Fire	309
7	Squirtle	1	Kanto	Water	314
152	Chikorita	2	Johto	Grass	318
155	Cyndaquil	2	Johto	Fire	309
158	Totodile	2	Johto	Water	314
252	Treecko	3	Hoenn	Grass	310
255	Torchic	3	Hoenn	Fire	310
258	Mudkip	3	Hoenn	Water	310
387	Turtwig	4	Sinnoh	Grass	318
390	Chimchar	4	Sinnoh	Fire	309
393	Piplup	4	Sinnoh	Water	314
495	Snivy	5	Unova	Grass	308
498	Tepig	5	Unova	Fire	308
501	Oshawott	5	Unova	Water	308
650	Chespin	6	Kalos	Grass	313
653	Fennekin	6	Kalos	Fire	307
656	Froakie	6	Kalos	Water	314
722	Rowlet	7	Alola	GrassFlying	320
725	Litten	7	Alola	Fire	320
728	Popplio	7	Alola	Water	320
810	Grookey	8	Galar	Grass	310
813	Scorbunny	8	Galar	Fire	310
816	Sobble	8	Galar	Water	310
906	Sprigatito	9	Paldea	Grass	310
909	Fuecoco	9	Paldea	Fire	310
912	Quaxly	9	Paldea	Water	310

The Grass / Fire / Water triangle

The starter choice rests on the most famous effectiveness triangle in the game: Fire burns Grass, Water puts out Fire, Grass absorbs Water. Each starter is therefore strong against one of its peers and weak against the other, which balances the initial choice: there is no absolute "best" starter.

This triangle also shapes the first battles: your rival traditionally picks the starter that has the advantage over yours, and the first gyms are often designed to test your team's coverage. Understanding this triangle means understanding the foundation of the type system, detailed in our type chart.

Three-stage lines, with types that get spicier

All starters follow the same pattern: a base Pokémon, a first evolution around level 16-18, then a final form around level 32-36. At the final stage, many gain a second type that reshuffles the deck: Torterra becomes Grass/Ground, Infernape Fire/Fighting, Empoleon Water/Steel, Greninja Water/Dark and Quaquaval Water/Fighting.

These final dual types are a quiz classic: on the Type quiz, a Water/Steel or Fire/Fighting pair often points to a starter's final form. The stats follow the same logic: base starters sit around a 310-320 BST, final forms around 525-535, a very recognizable profile on the Stats quiz.

Pikachu, Eevee and the other special cases

Two games break from the classic trio: Pokémon Yellow (1998) forces Pikachu as the only starter, a nod to the animated series, and Let's Go Pikachu / Let's Go Eevee (2018) revisit the idea with a starting Pikachu or Eevee sporting boosted stats. Neither Pikachu nor Eevee counts among the 27 "official" trio starters, though.

Another subtlety: some starters from older generations return in newer games with brand-new regional forms. Hisui turns Rowlet's final form into a Grass/Fighting Decidueye, Cyndaquil's into a Fire/Ghost Typhlosion and Oshawott's into a Water/Dark Samurott. Perfect quiz traps.

Recognizing starters in the quizzes

Starters are among the most played Pokémon in quizzes, and a few reflexes help:

On the Silhouette quiz, base starters have compact, round silhouettes designed to be cute: small legs, big eyes, one signature appendage (leaf, flame, shell).
On the Pokémon Wordle, their names are handy openers: Squirtle, Charmander and Bulbasaur are classic first guesses.
On the Odd One Out quiz, "being a starter" is a possible hidden trait: memorizing all 27 makes the difference.
On the Pokédex quiz, starter entries often mention their bond with the trainer, the seed on their back or the flame on their tail.

Frequently asked questions

How many starter Pokémon are there?

27 official starters: 3 per generation (Grass, Fire, Water) across 9 generations. Pikachu (Yellow) and Eevee (Let's Go) are special starters outside the trios.

Why are starters always Grass, Fire and Water?

These three types form a perfect effectiveness triangle: Fire beats Grass, Water beats Fire, Grass beats Water. Every choice thus has one strength and one weakness against the other two, balancing the start.

Which starter should I pick?

There is no absolute best pick: the type triangle balances the trio. The choice comes down to the final typing (some gain a second type), your playstyle (offensive, defensive, fast) and the design you love.

Do all starters evolve twice?

Yes, all 27 trio starters follow the same pattern: base form, first evolution around level 16-18, final form around level 32-36.

Can starters be found in the wild?

Very rarely in the main games: they are designed as gift Pokémon, chosen at the start of the adventure or obtained through trades. Some recent games and DLC make them catchable after the story.

What is a Hisui starter?

Pokémon Legends: Arceus offers Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott as its trio, with brand-new regional final forms: Grass/Fighting Decidueye, Fire/Ghost Typhlosion and Water/Dark Samurott.

Play the Pokémon Wordle