When it comes to choosing a starter, the Grass-types seem like they often go overlooked. In many cases, the Fire or Water-types grab all the attention. There have been some pretty great Grass starters over the years, but they often seem to be overshadowed by their counterparts. When choosing a starter, Water or Fire can just seem like a more natural choice to some trainers.
Still, don’t count out Grass-types just yet. There are some pretty great Grass starters you can choose from. However, as is always the case, some are better than others. With the exclusion of the most recently announced starters, enough time has passed to see just how good each and every starter is when ranked together. When it comes to Grass-type starters (as depicted in the adorable fan-art by missypena/zimmay/finni above), things are close early on, but the full picture starts to come together soon enough.
7 Snivy - Servine - Serperior
Starting things off is Snivy. This smug-looking serpentine Pokémon doesn’t have all that much to be smiling about, as it ranks as the worst among its Grass starter compatriots. Evolving into Serperior at level 36, its stat distribution is a little odd.
It has great Speed but mediocre offensive stats, with its defenses being the greater of the bunch. With mediocre HP, it seems like a strange mixture to go with. It’ll hit first but won’t do all that much damage. It isn’t a tank either, so it really just feels disadvantageous all around. There always tends to be something else that can do its job better.
6 Chikorita - Bayleef - Meganium
As much as some fans may love Chikorita, the painful truth is that it just doesn’t stack up well when comparing it to other Grass-type starters. Though not the worst of the bunch, Chikorita isn’t anywhere near as good a choice as the other starters you’ll see on this list.
Meganium has some pretty well-balanced stats. It excels in both Defense and Special Defense, with its Attack, Special Attack, Speed and HP stats all being about the same. So, what’s the problem? Well, Meganium just isn’t all that extraordinary when compared to most other Grass starters. It’s a solid Grass-type, but when it comes to choosing who to start your journey off with, there are better options out there.
5 Turtwig - Grotle - Torterra
One thing to look at when choosing a starter is whether or not they develop into a dual type with any of their two evolutions. This can give the Pokémon in question some useful advantages and moves later on in the game. Turtwig just so happens to be one of those starters.
Torterra is a Grass/Ground-type and is most efficient in battle when using physical moves that take advantage of its high Attack stat. Though being Grass/Ground does make it immune to Electric-types (as well as resistant to Rock and Ground), Tortera is incredibly susceptible to Ice-type moves, as they do quadruple the damage.
4 Rowlet - Dartrix - Decidueye
If you’re looking for an interesting pairing, then maybe Rowlet may be the Grass-type starter for you. A rare case among starters, Rowlet actually starts off as Grass/Flying. But when it evolves into Decidueye at level 34, it swaps to Grass/Ghost.
You would expect Decidueye to be quick based on its design, but it’s actually fairly slow. Aside from mediocre Defense, its stats are all rather high. It may not always hit first, but Decidueye will do a good deal of damage. Depending on what type of move it’s hit with, it can take a decent amount of damage as well.
3 Treecko - Grovyle - Sceptile
Gen III had some really great starters. If you were to look at each of them and compare them with their respective Grass/Water/Fire starter counterparts, each would place pretty high. Treecko may not look like much, but trainers end up seeing its real value once it evolves into Sceptile.
Sceptile’s greatest weakness is its low defense, with its HP stat not too far behind. It has the Speed and offenses stats to be a pretty solid glass cannon. Though its Mega Evolution does give it a considerable increase in base stats, it doesn’t do much to make up for its weaknesses. Still, it’s one of the best Grass starters you can pick.
2 Chespin - Quilladin - Chesnaught
With the rankings coming to an end, only the best of the best are left. One of those is Chespin. Though it may look odd – along with the rest of its evolution line – that isn’t a great indicator of what Chespin can do. With its evolution into Chesnaught at level 36, Chespin cements its case for being among the best Grass-type starters in the game.
Chesnaught is a Grass/Fighting-type. That gives it six different weaknesses but six resistances as well. One thing to watch out for is its quadruple weakness to Flying-type moves. But Chesnaught is incredibly strong. It will most likely be attacking last with its low Speed, but it won’t go down too easy and can return the favour more often than not. You rarely see it in battle, but it can be surprisingly effective as a physical tank if you give it a shot.
1 Bulbasaur - Ivysaur - Venusaur
The best of the best, Bulbasaur also happens to be number one in the Pokédex as well. Bulbasaur starts off as Grass/Poison and keeps those types as it evolves into Ivysaur and ultimately Venusaur. Like the rest of the Gen I starters, Venusaur gets a Mega Evolution which really helps its consideration for the number one spot here.
Venusaur is resistant to five different types, one of them being Fairy. While it does have four weaknesses, that doesn’t end up being all that major. Its stats are pretty well balanced, with its defenses and Special Attack really standing out. Mega Venusaur gets a further boost (and a removal of two of its biggest weaknesses with the Thick Fat ability), making it one of the most well-rounded and viable Grass Pokémon in general.
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