Best Pokémon Starter Trios

Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile finish as Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr, the only trio besides Galar's to leave all three finals single-typed. Typhlosion later picked up a Fire/Ghost Hisuian form in Legends: Arceus, the sole Johto starter revisited that way.

Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle debuted in 1996, and along with Hoenn's trio they are the only set whose three final forms all received Mega Evolutions. Charizard alone got two of them, Mega X and Mega Y, and placed fourth in the 2020 Pokémon of the Year vote.

Sinnoh's 2006 trio handed Empoleon a Water/Steel typing no Pokémon had carried before, set against Torterra's Grass/Ground bulk. Infernape's 108 base Speed made it the fastest of the Fire/Fighting starters and a fixture on Generation IV teams.

Blaziken arrived in 2002 as the series' first Fire/Fighting starter, a template Game Freak reused for the next two generations. It became one of only three starters ever banned from Smogon's OU tier, while Swampert's Water/Ground typing left it with a single weakness.

Greninja won the 2020 Pokémon of the Year poll, finishing ahead of Lucario, Mimikyu, and Charizard. Protean was strong enough to get it banned from Smogon's OU tier, and it joined the Super Smash Bros. roster in 2014, a reach Chesnaught and Delphox never approached.

Incineroar has been the most-used Pokémon in VGC doubles for years, its Intimidate, Fake Out, and Parting Shot package appearing on a huge share of top-cut teams. Decidueye later gained a Grass/Fighting Hisuian form, and Primarina brought Water/Fairy to the starter pool for the first time.

Signature moves carry this 2022 trio: Meowscarada's Flower Trick never misses and always crits, Skeledirge's Torch Song raises Special Attack, and Quaquaval's Aqua Step raises Speed. Quaquaval also handed the starter pool its first Water/Fighting final stage.

Emboar made Unova the third straight generation to give its Fire starter a Fighting secondary type, a repetition fans criticized heavily. Serperior redeems the trio with Contrary, a hidden ability that flips Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop into a boost.