Choosing your first Pokemon is one of the most important decisions you can make in life. I’m not joking around here.
And when it comes to Kanto, you’re picking between three of the most recognizable Pokemon ever created.
All three will comfortably get you through Pokemon Red, Blue, FireRed, LeafGreen, or pretty much any other adventure that sends you back through Kanto. Still, there are definitely some advantages to choosing one over the others.
What are the Kanto starter Pokemon?
To start, if you’ve been living under a rock for 30 years, or are just wanting to get into the franchise for the very first time, the three Kanto starter Pokemon are:
- Bulbasaur
- Charmander
- Squirtle
Each evolves twice, eventually becoming Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, respectively.
There really isn’t a bad option here, especially if you’re simply playing through the game casually. However, if we’re looking purely at which Pokemon gives you the easiest start, there are actually better choices than others.
Bulbasaur is technically the best Kanto starter
If you want the smoothest playthrough possible, Bulbasaur is, believe it or not, probably the best choice.
The main reason is those opening Gym battles. Brock specialises in Rock-type Pokemon, while Misty uses Water-types, meaning Bulbasaur has a good advantage against both of Kanto’s first two Gym Leaders.
Its Grass-type moves make extremely light work of Brock’s Geodude and Onix, while Misty’s Staryu and Starmie aren’t particularly keen on taking Vine Whips either.
Venusaur is no slouch later on either, offering good bulk alongside useful Grass and Poison moves, so you’re not sacrificing much in the long term for that easier start.
Why do speedrunners choose Squirtle?
Interestingly, if you’ve watched Pokemon Red or Blue speedruns, you’ll probably have noticed that Squirtle is often the preferred starter instead, and that isn’t necessarily because Blastoise is outright better than Venusaur.
Speedrunning is all about shaving away seconds wherever possible, and Squirtle’s moves, stats, and its matchup against Brock allow runners to be most efficient before pivoting off to Nidoking.
For a normal playthrough, however, Squirtle is also a great middle ground option.
As just alluded to, Water attacks destroy Brock, and Blastoise becomes a seriously dependable Pokemon, not to mention having access to Surf later means your starter can handle one of the game’s essential HM moves without needing another party member to carry it.
But what about Charmander?
Then there’s Charmander.
On paper, it’s probably the hardest of the three starters to begin with. Brock is an awkward first matchup, and Misty isn’t exactly any better, meaning you’ll often need to rely more heavily on the other Pokemon you catch during the opening portion of the game.
But come on. It turns into Charizard.
There’s a reason the vast majority of people have picked Charmander without even considering the alternatives for decades. Charizard is one of the most loved Pokemon ever created, and its Fire/Flying typing gives it plenty of useful options once you’ve survived those troublesome early Gyms.
Which Kanto starter should you choose?
If we’re judging purely by how useful each starter is throughout the opening stages, I’d go with Bulbasaur. Having favorable matchups against both Brock and Misty makes the beginning of the game easier.
Squirtle is the one to consider if you want something incredibly reliable throughout the entire adventure, and there’s a reason speedrunners have made such good use of it.
But if you want to throw common sense out the window and pick Charmander because you want a Charizard? Ignore the silly spreadsheets and grab the little orange lizard. You’ll make it through Brock eventually.
