LogFAQs > #967211393

Time for "Inviso's Arbitrary Starter Ranking/Discussion" again.

Blaziken is one of my favorite Pokemon, let alone among the starters. Blaziken > Torchic >>>>>>>>> Combusken

Decidueye was the first Grass-starter since Venusaur to really wow me beyond pre-release memes, and even though it would've been cool to get a serious Grass/Flying-type outside of Tropius, Grass/Ghost is still good, despite there being like, five of them in two generations. Decidueye > Rowlet >>>> Dartrix

Infernape is another really good one, and people need to stop complaining so much about Fire/Fighting, because they're mostly great. Infernape >>> Monferno >>>>>>>>> Chimchar

Greninja is really cool as a design, and getting Protean as a special ability just made it even more awesome. Greninja > Frogadier > Froakie

Rillaboom is another really great Grass-type after some rough going in the early generations. Wish it was multi-type, but hey, it's not awful to be mono-type, so long as you're cool and good in-game. Rillaboom > Grookey >>>> Thwackey

Charizard is overrated as hell, but at the same time, I think it's become SO overrated that people correctly criticize it for being overrated, so its popularity is more fair nowadays. It's still gets way more attention than other starters, but whatever. Charizard > Charmander >>>>>>>>>>> Charmeleon

Feraligatr is a badass, for sure. Great Pokemon and able to solo the shit out of GSC/HGSS. Feraligatr > Totodile >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Croconaw

Delphox is a really cool concept, and Fire/Psychic was a unique-ish typing at the time. I don't get why furries love Braixen so much more than Delphox...Delphox looks badass. Delphox > Fennekin >>>> Braixen

Samurott is probably my least favorite of the "best of the generation" starters. It's fine. Not a HUGE fan of the Hisui version, but it's fine. Everything in Gen V is perfectly fine across the board. Samurott > Dewott >> Oshawott

Incineroar looks badass, and I'll always appreciate a funny wrestling theme for a Pokemon. Plus I like all three evolutionary stages, which is rare, given middle evolution syndrome is often a thing. Litten > Torracat > Incineroar

Venusaur is fine. I admit to having a ton of nostalgia for it, but as the years go on, I feel myself falling more and more out of love with my first ever starter. Bulbasaur > Venusaur = Ivysaur

Typhlosion is cool, but when you compare it to almost every other Fire starter as a dual-type, it's almost forgettable (especially in a generation that has SO much fodder already). Hisui Typhlosion is pretty cool though, with the Ghost-typing. Typhlosion > Cyndaquil >>>> Quilava

Empoleon is in that tier with Venusaur/Typhlosion where it was the first Pokemon I chose for its generation, and it's fine, but it's just gotten completely overshadowed since then. Empoleon > Piplup >>> Prinplup

Serperior is another one that I picked initially for the memes, but Grass-type really struggled to be useful early on. There's so little reason to pick them over superior Fire or even Water-types. Serperior > Snivy >>>> Servine

Primarina is a fun mermaid design, and I love the Water/Fairy-typing. I just wish it wasn't part of Slowlola, since everything just moves so goddamn slow in that generation, and it hurts Primarina more than the other two. Primarina >>>> Popplio >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Brionne

Inteleon is a cool design, and I love the signature move but it just gets overshadowed by how unique and cool Rillaboom is as well, and there are better mono-Water starters. Inteleon > Sobble >>>> Drizzile

Sceptile is cool enough, and I think the Mega evolution does a lot for it...but the final design is almost a little too busy for me. Grovyle > Treecko > Sceptile

Cinderace is one that you'd think would appeal to me as a furry, and it's good to have a fast starter, but this just feels so generic, and the color scheme gives me similar problems to Chesnaught. Still, the agility is much-appreciated. Scorbunny > Cinderace >>> Raboot

Emboar is probably the worst Fire-starter, but the worst Fire-starter is still better than many options, because Fire is so much better as a starting type than the other two. Pignite > Emboar > Tepig

Blastoise is a line I've never gotten onboard with. Squirtle coasts almost entirely on its anime appearance, and Blastoise just feels like a lame attempt to try and be as cool as Charizard (which is weird, because the original pairing in Japan was Red/Green, not Red/Blue). Squirtle >>>>>>> Blastoise > Wartortle

Meganium exists. Bayleef > Meganium > Chikorita

Swampert exists. Slightly moreso than Meganium, but Swampert is the starter that, to me, feels the most like a Pokemon you should just be able to find out in the wild. It doesn't come across as special. Marshtomp is especially problematic in this regard. Mudkip > Swampert >>>>> Marshtomp

Chesnaught looks so stupid. Everything about this line is derpy, and not really in a fun way, either. I hate the change in color scheme upon final evolution as well. Quilladin > Chespin > Chesnaught

Torterra is one of my least favorite starters, if not outright my least favorite. Designwise, it feels like the same as Venusaur, but worse. Having finally played through BDSP with Torterra, it's SO disappointing. It's slow, it doesn't learn enough good moves for its typing, and it's surprisingly flimsy due to being a Grass-type. Grotle > Torterra > Turtwig