Get ready to wade into battle with some of the best Turtle Pokemon from the entire Pokemon canon!
Turtles don’t tend to strike fear into the hearts of humans on a daily basis, but the following 10 critters (maybe Squirtle and Turtwig excluded) certainly know how to make their opponents run and duck for cover.
With defensive shells and some seriously tough Water type moves at their disposal, these Pokemon hit hard and ask questions later.
But, which are the most effective in battle? Who has the best stats, which is the best at warding off attacks, and who is slower than Brandon on Mario Kart?
Let’s take a look at the best Turtle Pokemon and find out!
Table of Contents
10. Squirtle
Squirtle might be one of the OG Pokemon Red/Blue starters, but he’s taking the 10th spot in our list of the best Turtle Pokemon!
Just think of it as us starting this list off with a classic character and not because he’s the weakest of the bunch… it hurts less that way.
Let’s get the stats out of the way; it might be easier if you read this next bit fast. Though if you do it with Squirtle’s 43 Speed, it might take a while.
44 HP and 48 Attack aren’t going to get Squirtle very far in offensive play, but its 65 and 64 Defence and Sp. Defence respectively will definitely hold off the advances of some of the lower level critters, for a short time, at least.
9. Turtwig
Turtwig is up next, a Grass type Pokemon (which technically makes this turtle a tortoise) that has very similar stats to Squirtle.
It’s HP and Attack are are more impressive, coming in at 55 and 68 respectively, giving it the edge over Squirtle when it comes to attacking. Its Defence is pretty good at 64 too (I guess wearing a shell has its benefits!).
That’s where things start to go downhill, however.
Sp Attack 45, SP Defence 55, Speed 31 – Turtwig is highly unlikely to strike fear into the hearts of Gym Leaders with those stats, but with moves like Bite, Energy Drain, and Leaf Storm in its arsenal (if you decide not to evolve it), you’ll soon be wiping the smiles of trainer’s faces.
8. Tirtouga
Tirtouga takes the the 8th spot in this list of the best Turtle Pokemon, and while it might not look that much of a threat here, it’s final evolution is one tough mother!
Let’s get stat-heavy.
One thing that Tirtouga does get right is Defence, racking up a whopping 103 base Defence points. That’s super impressive, and twinned with an Attack of 78, you’ll be able to hold your own in some of the earlier fights and pick away at your opponents.
Sadly, you won’t be attacking first due to Tirtouga’s abysmal 22 Speed. That means its HP of 54 (ouch) is probably going to deplete pretty quickly despite its great Defence stats.
Still, with Ancient Power and Bite coming early on its life and the ability to learn Dive, players super set on having Tirtouga in their team can build a pretty strong little Turtle over time.
Or, you can evolve it into the beast in the 3rd spot!
7. Grotle
I know Grotle sounds a little like the characters from The Dark Crystal (it’s Grotten, just for the Jim Henson fans out there), but this grassy Pocket Monster looks more like a poorly disguised Armadillo than a Gelfling.
If you’re up against a Flying, Bug, Fire, Ice, or Poison type Pokemon, then don’t get Grotle out. It will be a turtle disaster.
Total… turtle… yeah?
Even though Tirtouga has a better defence stat than Grotle, Grotle wins with more consistency in its stats across the board. With a HP of 75, 89 Attack and 85 Defence, it will definitely help you out in those early stages of the game.
When trainers start to get a little trickier and pull out more effective Special moves, Grotle’s 65 Sp. Defence should make things a little easier for you.
Its 55 Sp. Attack and 36 Speed, will not, however.
Let’s keep looking, eh?
6. Wartortle
The evolution of our OG favourite Squirtle takes the next spot in our list of the best Turtle Pokemon.
And with the word ‘war, in its name, you better believe that Wartortle isn’t here to mess around!
But does this tenacious turtle have the stats to back up its hardy demeanour?
Well, I know he’s an OG legend, but his stats leave little to be desired. 58 base Speed, 59 HP; it’s not exactly groundbreaking, is it?
Defensively, Wartortle doesn’t do too badly, with both 80 for Defence and Sp. Defence. With just 63 Attack, however, I think the little guy might be trying to bite off more than he can chew!
5. Torkoal
Now we’re talking! Torkoal is up next in our best Turtle Pokemon, jumping a massive 65 overall stat points from Wartortle and bringing an epic Defence stat to the arena.
Yes, Torkoal’s base Defence is 140. That’s mammoth, especially when you pair it with some slick moves like Rapid Spin at Lv. 8 and Flame Wheel at Lv. 20!
Torkoal isn’t great against Water, Rock, or Ground type Pokemon, but it’s pretty resilient against everything else.
Sadly, that Defence is slightly marred by a terrible Speed stat of just 20. Attack and Sp. Attacks of 85 and an Sp. Defence of 70 aren’t too bad, and the HP of 70 should be pretty safe with that huge Defence stat doing its thing.
It turns out having a molten hot shell is a great way of protecting yourself. Who would have though it!
4. Drednaw
It’s time to meet the remaining best Turtle Pokemon that will use the other Pokemon in this list to wax their cars with.
At Number 4 is Dreadnaw. It has an impressive Attack of 115, making physical moves like Headbutt and later Head Smash powerful weapons against your opponents.
A HP and Defence of 90 certainly make things easier too; Dreadnaw is great for getting stuck into battles and wiping out foes with brute strength.
When it comes to Special Attack and Defence, it’s a different story entirely, however. Dreadnaw brings 48 Sp. Attack to the table, though it’s better at defending from special moves with a marginally better 68 stat.
You’ll more than likely to get a hit in first with 74 Speed, which isn’t bad for a dude that looks like he should be moving at snails pace!
3. Carracosta
Carracosta takes the 3rd spot in our list of the best Turtle Pokemon, the impressive evolution of Tirtouga!
Beaten by Torkal when it comes to Defence by just 7 points, Carracosta’s base Defence stat of 133 is still incredible. Unlike Torkoal, however, it has an Attack stat that can definitely live up to its Defence too, brining 108 Attack to the party.
This sea-riously cool turtle is Weak against Electric, Ground, Fighting Pokemon, and super weak against Grass Type Pokemon.
It’s also super slow too, with a Speed stat of just 32.
What is it with these guys; I think they need to get a scooter to share between them or something!
2. Torterra
I know what you’re thinking, and no – Torterra isn’t as slow as you’re thinking. With a Speed stat of 56, there’s a good chance you’ll get an Attack in first over lower-level critters.
Let’s go from the top – HP 95, Attack 109, and Defence 105. This thing is a beast, as long as it’s not going up against Ice, Fire, Flying or Bug Types.
Torterra evolves form Grotl, but if you catch one in the wild then it knows the mighty Wood Hammer from day one!
I wonder if every Grotl dreams of becoming a Torterra every single day?
1. Blastoise
Skull Bash, Hydro Pump, Water Spout – with moves like that, there’s no wonder that Blastoise is the best Turtle Pokemon of all time!
I mean, look at it; it has guns coming out of its shell, for crying out loud!
Weirdly though, it isn’t the most stat-heavy Pokemon of all time either, rocking up to the fight with a total base level stat of 530. If you compare that to someone like Zamazenta in Crowned Shield mode with 700, this OG turtle suddenly looks a little weak.
Still, with 100 Defence points and 110 Sp. Defence, it’s going to ward off most attacks very well, fighting back with 83 and 85 Attack and Sp. Attack respectively.
With a Speed of 78, Blastoise is a little slow off the mark, and 79 HP isn’t exactly going to keep you in the game for a long period of time if you’re up against Electric or Grass-type Pokemon.
Still, Blastoise is pretty hardy against every other type, and this is the base stats list. So, if you’re keen on having the OG Pokemon Blue king in your team, get training it up and turn it into a mean water machine!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 34 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
