They say three is the magic number, but which three famous faces will prove your favourite from all Pokémon starters by generation compendium!
We’ve had hundreds of Pokémon running either up to us or away from us in long grass and caves for years now, but in most cases, three have always had the biggest impact on the entire team right from the very beginning.
They’ve also proved the biggest headache as we’ve tried to figure out which Pokémon would get us through the early stages and what difficulties we would face in the grand final.
From the very first Generation Pokémon that we all know and love right through to the suavest-looking Duck with a swish fringe from the newest starters on the block and a supergroup in Lumiose City, we’re taking a look at every Pokémon Starter from every Generation since they first popped onto the scene in 1996.
Go on, Bulbasaur; why don’t you get us started!
1. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander (1996)
- Generation 1
- Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, FireRed, LeafGreen
Ah, the original Pokémon starters from way back when. I can remember little me grabbing a copy when this came out in the UK in 1999 and diving into the world of Pokémon for the very first time.
My starter of choice back then – Charmander. My starter every time I’ve played this game since – still Charmander.
Learning about how Water Type Pokemon beat Fire Type Pokemon, and Fire beat Grass, was one of the biggest lessons of my childhood life. Life was simpler back then when there weren’t Sandcastle and Ice Cream Pokémon.
For many people, these original three are the only Pokémon that matter, alongside the slightly famous face coming up next, of course.
2. Pikachu (1998, 2018)
- Generation 1
- Pokémon Yellow, Let’s Go Pikachu
Possibly the most famous Pokémon of all time, Pikachu is loved by gamers, young and old, all over the world.
If any Pokémon brings the thunder to any battle, it’s Pikachu. He always delivers an electrifying performance and shocks opponents far and wide. That’s as many electric jokes as I can think of for now, so let’s carry on.
Pokémon Yellow only gave you the choice of one starter Pokémon, giving Ash’s favourite friend a spot in the limelight in a variation of the original DMG adventures.
Pikachu also saw an updated version of Pokémon Yellow dropping on the Nintendo Switch in 2018 with the release of Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu.
3. Cyndaquil, Totodile, Chiqorita (1999, 2000, 2009)
- Generation 2
- Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, SoulSilver
Let’s move on to Generation 2 and the arrival of three new critters – Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Chiqorita.
Pokémon Gold and Silver remain the best Gameboy Color games of all time, with Pokémon Crystal and the remakes of HeartGold and SoulSilver only adding to the magic.
Gone were the days of Kanto; players stepped into Johto for the very first time alongside 100 new Pokémon to catch and battle with.
4. Mudkip, Treecko, Torchic (2002, 2004, 2014)
- Generation 3
- Pokémon Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Alpha Sapphire, Omega Ruby
Next up in our all starter Pokémon by generation list are the Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald starters. It’s time to introduce Mudkip, Treecko, and Torchic!
Hoenn was a super interesting place to adventure around, helping Pokémon Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald score high in our best Gameboy Advance games list!
It wasn’t just these three new Pokémon that appeared in the new region; a total of 135 new Pokémon appeared for our catching pleasure!
Just look at how happy Torchic is; that’s the true spirit of the Pokémon franchise you’re looking at right there!
5. Chimchar, Piplup, Turtwig (2006, 2021)
- Generation 4
- Pokémon Pearl, Diamond, Shining Pearl, Brilliant Diamond
Cheeky Chimchar, Piplup, and Turtwig stole the show when Generation 4 came around in 2006. Many of you will have revisited these three amigos through the new Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond for Nintendo Switch, remakes of the original Pearl and Diamond titles for the DS.
Sinnoh; you’ve no doubt heard that word quite a lot during Pokémon Legends Arceus, but the region first came into being on the DS and was the first new Pokémon region on Nintendo’s dual-screen handheld.
107 new Pokémon joined the fray in 2006, as did the competition between Piplup and Pikachu for the ownership of players’ hearts. Just look how adorable that little guy is!
6. Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig (2010, 2012)
- Generation 5
- Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, White 2
Next up in our all Pokémon starters by generation list are the ever-happy Oshawott, Snivy, and Tepig.
150 new Pokémon and new exciting features, such as triple battle,s made their debut in Pokémon Black and White, continuing onto Black 2 and White 2 (catchy names, right?).
The region of Unova remains one of the most intriguing regions of all Pokémon games, in my opinion. It felt so different to the usual settings that we had become used to, and the addition of the Dream World was a real nice touch.
Oshawatt, Snivy, and Tepig served as the starters in both the original Black and White and the sequels that dropped 2 years later.
7. Fennekin, Chespin, Froakie (2013)
- Generation 6
- Pokémon X & Y
It always makes me laugh how serious Froakie looks compared to Fennekin and Chespin. Still, I guess if you’re a Water Pokémon in a franchise dominated by an electric mouse/squirrel, then you’d have to take everything pretty seriously.
If you saw the final evolution of Fennekin, you wouldn’t believe how something so cute could turn into what can only be described as a satanic fox too!
X & Y served as the first 3D rendered Pokemon games in the series and brought lots of cool features that we take for granted now, such as new outfits for player characters.
They also delivered 72 new pocket monsters into our care!
8. Litten, Popplio, Rowlett (2016)
- Generation 7
- Pokémon Sun & Moon
I think Litten could be the most emo character in our all Pokémon starters by generation article, especially next to happy Popplio and Rowlett!
If anything, this set is the least imaginative of all the Pokémon starters in this list. A cat, a sea lion that has a bit of a canine look about it, and an owl. They certainly aren’t as ‘out there’ as the Generation 1 starters, but I’m not taking anything away from them.
Especially not Litten… I’m going to regret that emo comment when it turns into Inceneroar at Level 34! 81 new Pokémon joined the action in Sun and Moon.
9. Scorbunny, Sobble, Grookey (2019)
- Generation 8
- Pokémon Sword & Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield are definitely my favourite Pokémon games to have dropped in a long while. And, if you paid attention back when I was talking about picking my favourite Generation 1 starter, you’ll know who my go-to starter is in Sword.
Yep, fire every time. Scorbunny is an absolute legend, and Cinderace was definitely one of the most powerful members of my team.
Grookey and Sobble are still epic Pokémon, though and make for exciting gameplay throughout the game. Use them to conquer the brand new Wild Area, adding strong critters to your team as you explore freely.
With new Galarian forms of Pokémon (found in the Galar region) and 81 new Pokémon to find that are new to both games, Sword and Shield are full of surprises, as are their 3 starter Pokémon.
10. Cyndaquil, Oshawott, Rowlet (2022)
- Generation 8
- Pokémon Legends Arceus
This next segment in our all Pokémon Starters by Generation list feels almost like a supergroup. If you’ve been paying attention, then you will have noticed these three Pokemon featuring as part of a starting lineup in three different games.
Cyndaquil is from Generation 2, Oshawott from Generation 5, and Rowlet from Generation 7.
For anyone who hasn’t ever played the original Pokémon games for Nintendo’s handheld consoles, Arceus provides a chance to use some of the most loved starters from the series as a whole.
Players have to catch all three while wandering around with the bumbling Professor Laventon, and then they choose which one will join them on their adventures.
11. Fuecoco, Sprigatito, Quaxly (2022)
- Generation 9
- Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
The next three faces in our all starter Pokémon by generation list are the newest characters of the bunch: Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly.
And yes, Fuecoco and Sprigatito both made our cute Pokémon list. Quaxly said he was too cool to be featured.
These newest critters have shot to being immediate fan favourites amongst Poke-players. Ok, so a duck and a cat aren’t more inventive than an owl and a cat, but they just look and feel a lot cooler and cuter than their Generation 7 counterparts.
12. Chicorita, Tepig, Totodile (2026)
- Generation 9
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A
We've got another supergroup here, though essentially, it's two of the starters from Pokémon Gold with Tepig thrown in for good measure. Cyndaquil has already had a top-billing spot in the previous Pokémon Legends game on Switch, so it makes sense to give its Gold and Silver cohorts a spot in the limelight too.
Plus, Tepig is one of the happiest little Pokémon of all time, so I'm not complaining.
If you're new to your Pokémon Generations or have just scrolled ahead through this list to find information about Legends: Z-A, then both the Grass-type Chicorita and the Water-type Totodile are from Generation 2, and the Fire-type Tepig is from Generation 5. They each add an extra nostalgic touch to the Kalos Region and Lumiose City, with the game itself being set 5 years after Pokémon X & Y! Talk about multiple blasts from the past!
Which one of the starters is your favourite and your trusty go-to from over the years? If you want to see where your favourite ranks, check out our All Pokemon Starters Tier List to find out more!
