Best starter thread: what are your preferences for each generation?

[PageEmp]

What the title says! Which starters are your favourites or most likely to pick everytime you play the games, and why? Feel free to rank them!

As for me, I actually like all starters and won't mind to try any of them. There is only just my favourites and the 'least good' of the set.

Gen1: Fire>Grass>Water
I… don't think I need to explain too much here. I just simply think Charizard has the best design of the set and that's about it.

Gen2: Water>Grass>Fire
Ice fang, I mean Feraligatr, is my favourite starter ever tied with another mon later. I think it utilises balanced stats perfectly and it's coverage is excellent. Right after using it in a SoulSilver Nuzrun, I can safely say Meganium is not as bad as you'd think. It was even the MVP of that playthrough thanks to great defenses and access to the screens. And the Fire starter is still very good as well.

Gen3: Water>Grass>Fire
The only reason Blaziken is ranked last here is solely because of the design, although I have seen it be drawn in awesome ways. Ironically, it's probably the one of the set I've used the most because of it's stats. That said, I had always liked Swampert's design even before playing any of the games it was available in and wanted to pick it, especially since one weakness is definitely cool. The Grass starter here is also very great.

Gen4: Fire>Grass>Water
And again ironically Empoleon is probably the one of the trio I've used the most. I do think it's a little better than I remembered so don't worry. There is an extremely small preference between the other two starters here though. Both are really good.

Gen5: Water=Grass>Fire
Although I have VERY recently begun to like Serperior more than Samurott. And the latter was my favourite since the generation came out. And just… why exactly is Samurott slow? It looks fast based on the design, it has swords… just why is it 20 points slower than it looks? Even through the speed stat=reaction time mentality it makes no sense! But hey still great design and I'm happy over the small amount of weaknesses. Between the repeat typing and the weird stat distribution, the pigs are probably my least liked starters across all generations but they aren't too bad at all.

Gen6: Water>Grass=Fire
Soo… Greninja might be one of the most broken starters I've used. I don't think I ever recall having a bad time using one. The other two are also not too shabby.

Gen7: Water>Fire>Grass
Primarina is the other one tied for my favourite starter ever. Excellent design, hits like a truck, and that typing which I'm so glad is that and not something bad. And especially if it's a situation we can get Fire punch or any kind of nice non recoil Fire attack Incineroar is also very good.

Gen8: Grass>Water=Fire
This is definitely the one where I have the least preference between all three. Rillaboom because it was the only final form that didn't look humanoid (but I think the gen8 starters definitely did it better than the gen9 humanoid starters) and was very useful everytime I tried using it. I do think the other two are roughly equal. I mean in my gen8 DLC run I did have a Scorbunny that wasn't fun to use and died early, but my first experience with Cinderace was really good so.

Gen9: Fire>Grass>Water
And here is the first time since Gen1 where my favourite of the set isn't who I think is the most useful in battle! For being the only one that doesn't literally look like a person in a costume, Skeledirge is my favourite design of the batch. I do wish it was better in battle though, I never liked how it only has STAB moves for attack until late game. I see people rave over Torch song, but personally, I never liked it. Always preferred to just have a stronger Fire move. And I feel while Skeledirge has nice bulk, I felt it never had enough to sweep stuff. Otherwise still a great starter… but I think the most game breaking one was the cat. Yes, I probably got my expectations too low thanks to the typing, but that thing one shotted almost everything. And the duck was… not as useful in comparison. Recently tried it out but it never really had any awesome moments and was generally the weak link of the team. And I think I talked enough over it's design.

 

[ReKoil]

Gen 1: 1) Charizard 2) Blastoise, 3)Venusaur.

Back when I originally played RBY Charizard was my favorite. I don't like it anymore though, but I guess I'll get to that in gen 3.
Blastoise has always been cool and useful. Venusaur is okay... it's always just kinda been there for me tbh.

Gen 2: 1) Meganium, 2) Typhlosion, 3) Feraligatr.

I don't dislike any of these 3. Feraligatr's line is in last simply because I don't like the way it's mid stage Croconaw looks. Meganium will always be my favorite Johto starter. I've always liked Typlosion as well. My only 'gen 2' game is the Crystal VC. All three can be worked with. Meganium does require some assistance from another party member to get past the first couple gyms though, but I would usually just pick up a Zubat.

Gen 3; RSE: 1) Blaziken, 2) Sceptile, 3) Swampert

If I recall correctly my initial favorite of the three was Blaziken. It's a strong Pokemon and quite useful. Sceptile followed it at the time, and I don't think I used Swampert all that much at the time.
I've favored each of the three at one point or another, though.

Gen 3; FRLG: 1) Blastoise, 2) Venusaur, 3) Charizard.

At this point I already no longer liked Charizard. Blastoise is still cool though. Venusaur is still just there for me, but at least I don't dislike it.

Gen 4; DP/PT: 1) Empoleon, 2) Torterra, 3) Infernape.

Empoleon is a badass and Water/Steel is a great typing. I pick Piplup like 80% of the time when in Sinnoh. Torterra is a pretty solid mon, but nothing really too special tbh. It's in second simply because I loathe Infernape. Infernape I have picked once and only once and I absolutely refuse to pick the thing ever again. Fire types are generally not necessary on a team anyway.

Gen 4; HGSS: 1) Meganium, 2) Typhlosion, 3) Feraligatr.

Same answer. Nothing changed here from GSC.

Gen 5: 1) Emboar, 2) Serperior, 3) Samurott

Emboar was originally my favorite here even if nowadays it would be second and Seperior first. Both Emboar and Serperior were good and fun mons to use. I never tried Samurott and with how bland it looks I most likely never will.

Gen 6; XY: 1) Delphox, 2) Greninja 2) Chesnaught.

Delphox is the clear winner here. Great typing, splendid design on the whole line, and was awesome on my first playthrough. Greninja and Chesnaught lines are kinda tied for me as although Greninja is strong, I just never liked it's design that much. It's previous stages do look good though. For Chesnaught I've started liking it more over time, but I still dislike it's mid-stage.

Gen 6; ORAS: 1) Swampert, 2) Blaziken, 3) Sceptile

I like Swampert the most nowadays and it's by far the most useful of the three on a playthrough. Blaziken is a weirdo but I still like it. If you can have one with Speed Boost it's a great Pokemon. Sceptile is solid, I just don't really like using it that much anymore and I'm not sure why.

Gen 7: 1) Primarina, 2) Decidueye 3) N/A

Initially indifferent on both Primarina and Decidueye, but Primarina grew on me a lot over time and Litten's final evo was an utter letdown. Decidueye is just kinda there.
Primarina and Decidueye are both pretty good starters.

Gen 8; SWSH: 1) Rillaboom, 2) Cinderace, 3) Intelecreep

Looked up the final evos for the starters beforehand for the first time ever. Rillaboom was the best of the three design wise and is also fun to use. Cinderace is kinda 'meh' looking, but still a good mon. Inteleon I've never tried as the thing just creeps me out.

Gen 8; PLA: 1) Hisuian Decidueye, 2) Hisuian Samurott, 3) Hisuian Typhlosion.

Hisuian Decidueye looks the best and is strong. I've never finished PLA so I never tried out the other two, but the stoner Typhlosion loos the worst of three in terms of design.

Gen 8; BDSP: 1) Empoleon, 2) Torterra, 3) Infernape.

Same answer. Nothing changed here from DP/PT.

Gen 9: 1) Meowscarada 2) Quaquaval, 3) Skeledirge

An actually good looking final evolution for a cat starter and it absolutely kicked butt on my team. Quaquaval seems pretty solid, though I only briefly experimented with it.
Haven't tried Skeledirge yet, but it's the worst looking of the three.

 

[Devalue]

• Generation 1: Blastoise > Charizard > Venusaur. Purely on aesthetic.
• Generation 2: Feraligatr > Typhlosion > Meganium. See above.
• Generation 3: Sceptile = Blaziken = Swampert. Does not really care much for any of them. Prefers Sceptile on looks. Felt underwhelmed by its moveset.
• Generation 4: Torterra > Empoleon > Infernape. A mix of looks and battle. Favors Empoleon's appearance more. Hates bringing it in on the things it should do well against, as a Water starter. Fears a Ground move constantly. Does not like monkey Pokemon in general, also.
• Generation 5: Samurott = Serperior > Emboar. Grades Serperior highest on looks. Sighs at its moveset. Dislikes most pig Pokemon.
• Generation 6: Greninja > Delphox = Chesnaught. Rates Greninja pretty well on battle and looks. Feels neutral about the other two.
• Generation 7: Decidueye = Primarina = Incineroar. Struggles to choose here. Likes all of them in some way. Decidueye: Worst battler. Best-looking final evolution. Primarina: Best battler (in a normal playthrough). Incineroar: For being Torracat for a little while.
• Generation 8: Cinderace > Inteleon > Rillaboom. Likes Cinderace for being good throughout in both looks and battle. Considers Inteleon okay, but very limited in moves. Still does not like monkey Pokemon.
• Generation 9: Meowscarada > Skeledirge > Quaquaval. Warmed up to Meowscarada after being around it for a while. Performed really well in battle. Feels uncertain about Skeledirge. Is not a fan of Quaquaval's look. Bets on it being amazing in a playthrough between Aqua Step, Swords Dance, and Feather Dance/Encore. Likens it to what Hawlucha can do on its own.

How does this thread not exist already? Technically ranked starters by region before. Might explain the similar feeling.

 

[Lavender]

gen 1: 1.venusaur) 2.blastoise)3. charizard

gen 2: 1.meganium) 2.typhlosion) 3.Feraligatr

gen 3: 1.Blaziken)2.Sceptile)3.Swampert

gen 4: 1.empoleon)2.Torterra)3.Infernape

gen 5. 1.samurott)2.emboar)3.serpierior

gen 6: 1.delphox)2.chesnaught)3.greninja

gen 7:1.incineroarfavorite starter)2.primarina)3.decidueye

gen 8: 1.rilaboom)2.cinderace)3.inteleon

gen 9: 1.quaquaval)2.meowscarada)3.skeledirge

 

[Alex_Among_Foxes]

I'm not sure why, but I feel like I've done something like this before... *shrugs* Whatever, my list:

Gen 1. Fire 1, Water 2, Grass 3.
Gen 2. Grass 1, Water 2, Fire 3.
Gen 3. Water 1, Fire 2, Grass 3. (don' t really like any of them much, but it's enough to still rank them)
Gen 4. Water 1, Fire 2, Grass 3.
Gen 5. Water 1, Grass 1.1, Fire 1.3. (very even, but in the 'I kinda like them all' sorta way)
Gen 6. Fox Fire 1, Water 2, Grass 3. (no real issues with any of these either tbh)
Gen 7. Owl Grass 1, Fire 2(? I guess?), Water 3(? sure, whatever).
Gen 8. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz😪
Gen 9. Grass 1(<3), Fire 2, Water 3.

 

[Setsuna]

Gen 1: Grass > Water > Fire. I'm just so exhausted of all of the worship Charizard gets and while I picked Bulbasaur when I was younger just to be contrary and say "I'm cool cause I don't pick the popular one" I've started to like Venusaur a lot more genuinely over the years.

Gen 2: Fire > Water > Grass. I like all three but something about Cyndaquil just always resonated with me. It's adorable and Typhlosion's always been super cool to me. I'll pick Totodile if I want a change of pace, but it's not often. I think they're all good but I have a very clear preference.

Gen 3: Water > Fire > Grass. I love Mudkip so much, and Swampert has such an appealing typing. I'm not fond of the Megas outside of Blaziken's, and I think all of their signature moves are cool. But Swampert is super useful and super appealing to me.

Gen 4: Water > Grass > Fire. I'm biased, Piplup was my first starter and I love its showing in the anime along with stuff like Piplup Step. It feels like there's been a lot of love for it and it makes me happy. Water/Steel feels like such a cool typing and an emperor penguin Pokemon is a cool idea. Love how it gets stuff like Drill Peck. But I think all of Gen 4's starters are awesome.

Gen 5: Grass > Fire > Water. I like royalty apparently. Serperior's always been super cool to me, I've always loved its design and attitude. I think Emboar is neat and I loved its TCG showing in the beginning of BW. Samurott, Unovan or Hisuian has never quite sat right with me.

Gen 6: Grass > Water > Fire. I'm a Chesnaught enjoyer. Spiky Shield is reason enough, but with the starters being (at least roughly) based off typical RPG classes, I'd pick a tank over a mage or a thief any day of the week. I'm not too fond of the other designs but I do think Fennekin is cute. I'm sort of just tired of both Delphox and Greninja.

Gen 7: Water >>> Grass/Fire. They're all fantastic starters with a lot of personality, but Primarina is easily my favourite starter ever. I love it so much. Not fair to compare them.

Gen 8: Water > Fire > Grass. I'm not super fond of the Gen 8 starters but I guess the ideas are alright. They've got some good personality and I mainly just stick with Inteleon over the others because Sobble appealed to me more than the others. I don't have many opinions.

Gen 9: Grass > Fire > Water. I'm still very undecided on how I feel about these three, but I like the idea of a Magician Pokemon more than the others, and think Meowscarada is neat. I'm not fond of any of the middle stages, honestly. This one could change any day of the week.

 

[FeraligatrMaster]

Gen 1: Venusaur > Blastoise > Charizard
I've always liked Venusaur's design, ever since I've first seen it. I came to appreciate it even more due to using it in ROM hacks. As for Charizard, it's become overrated, not just by fans, but by Game Freak themselves. Aside from this, it's still a good Pokemon.

Gen 2: Feraligatr > Typhlosion > Meganium
Feraligatr was the first starter I've ever owned in any Pokemon game, because my first real Pokemon game was Pokemon Silver. In Gen 4, it became even better. As for Typhlosion and Meganium, they're okay for me.

Gen 3: All of them
Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert are all awesome.

Gen 4: Empoleon > Infernape > Torterra
Empoleon started off as my favourite Gen 4 starter, because I like its typing and I like penguins. Later, its spot got taken by Infernape, because it's been good whenever I used it. Even later, I began to appreciate them equally. After my playthrough of Pokemon Renegade Platinum, Empoleon broke the tie. As for Torterra, I don't like it as much as the other 2.

Gen 5: Serperior > Samurott > Emboar
In Gen 5, all starters disappointed me in some way. Serperior has low offenses, Samurott goes from bipedal to quadrupedal, and Emboar is Fire/Fighting. I wish it had gotten a different secondary typing. Samurott, on the other hand, should've gotten the Fighting type. Serperior makes up for its disappointing offensive stats with Contrary and Leaf Storm.

Gen 6: Greninja > Delphox > Chesnaught
Greninja needed some time to grow on me, but it certainly did. Its high Speed, usable offensive stats, and good movepool helped it. Delphox and Chesnaught are good too.

Gen 7: Incineroar > Decidueye > Primarina
Unlike many, I've welcomed Incineroar with open arms from the get-go. Decidueye looks cool as well, and I'd like to use one. Primarina isn't bad, but its prevos drag it down if you ask me.

Gen 8: Inteleon > Cinderace > Rillaboom
Inteleon has high Speed and Special Attack, and I like its animations in-game. Cinderace has high Attack and Speed and a strong HA. Rillaboom has a good HA, but I don't like it as much as the other 2.

Legends: Arceus: Decidueye > Samurott > Typhlosion
Hisuian Decidueye is the best choice for me here. Its design is nice and I like Triple Arrows. Hisuian Samurott looks cool, but I don't really like Oshawott. Hisuian Typhlosion is a letdown design-wise.

Gen 9: Skeledirge > Meowscarada > Quaquaval
I have no regrets starting off with Skeledirge. It's strong, bulky, I like the move Torch Song, and I could see characters like Skeleton King from SRMTHFG and Skeletor from He-Man with it. Regarding Meowscarada, I've used one in Pokemon Radical Red, and it's awesome too. I haven't used Quaquaval, yet.

 

[Sheep]

Gen 1: Water=Grass>>Fire
Gen 2: Grass=Fire=Water
Gen 3: Grass>Water=Fire
Gen 4: Water>Grass>Fire
Gen 5: Grass>Water>Fire
Gen 6: Fire>Grass>Water
Gen 7: Water>Fire=Grass
Gen 8: Fire>Water>Grass
Gen 9: Grass>>>Water>Fire

It was hard to decide but I think this is it for me. I like the cute starters most, but it was hard to rank some of them because there are some I find adorable in their first forms (Torchic) but not at all that good when evolved. Some gens they're pretty much equal, like Johto, but others there's no competition at all, like Paldea lol.

 

[Explorer of Time]

Gen 1: Fire>Grass>Water

I don't like single-type starters much and Blastoise is the only single-type starter here, and Venusaur's type combination is extremely common in Kanto. I'll usually pick Charmander in any Kanto game if I'm not doing a challenge that forbids it, but I'll usually take Bulbasaur if given a Kanto starter outside Kanto.

Gen 2: Fire>Water>Grass

I don't particularly like any of these that much, but Typhlosion looks the coolest, and it's harder to find Fire-types in most regions than Grass or Water-types. Meganium also has a hard time in the first two gyms, when the starter Pokemon's at its most important. I will usually box my starter at some point, though.

Gen 3: Grass>Fire>Water

All of these are my favorite starters for their types, but Sceptile gets the top pick since it was my first ever Pokemon. I'm more likely to pick a Swampert or Blaziken outside Gen 3, though, since other Grass-types got much better STAB moves than they did in Gen 3, where most of them were stuck with Solarbeam or Giga Drain. Swampert has an excellent typing but also one that can be easily replaced by Whiscash in its home region, so Blaziken gets a slight boost to second-place.

Gen 4: Grass>Water>>Fire

Torterra looks the coolest, by far, and it had a unique type combination up until Gen IX introduced Toedscruel. Empoleon is good too, but not as cool looking, and it's more defensive, and I prefer my starter to be more focused on offense. Infernape's just mediocre and its only claim to fame is being one of Sinnoh's few fire types.

Gen 5: Fire>Grass>Water

I don't like any of these, but Emboar at least gets a second type, and Serperior looks the coolest.

Gen 6: Fire>Grass>>>Water

Delphox has one of my favorite starter type combos, and it looks... fine, not up to Gen 1-4 standards but still kinda interesting. I don't care one way or the other about Chesnaught. But I do not understand the appeal of Greninja. I just don't.

Gen 7: Grass>Water>>Fire

I haven't played these games yet, but I can't wait to use my first Ghost-type starter. Primarina is pretty good too. Incineroar should've stayed on four legs; it took to bipedalism way worse than the fire starters before it did.

Gen 8: Grass>Fire>Water

I don't like any of these. Whenever I get around to playing Sword and Shield, I have every intention of dropping my starter as soon as I can find a replacement for it. That being said, Rillaboom isn't as bad as the other two, and as usual it's harder to find Fire-types than Water-types.

Gen 9: Fire>Water>>Grass

Of all the Grass-types, Meowscarada is the one I hate the visual design of the most, and its type combo isn't that interesting to me. On the other hand, I really like Skeledirge, and I'll easily pick Fuecoco if I ever play Scarlet & Violet, but as I never owned and dumped SV back when I still had access to a Switch, it's going to be a long time before I train one. Quaquaval is fine too but it isn't my first choice.

Overall:

1st Place: Five Fire, Four Grass
2nd Place: Four Water, Three Grass, Two Fire
3rd Place: Five Water, Two Fire, Two Grass

In short, I don't really have a favorite starter type since Grass and Fire are so close, but I do have a clear least-favorite starter type: Water.