Ranking The Best Pokémon Grass Starters: A Comprehensive Guide

Henrik Larsen

6 min read

Post on May 14, 2025

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Bulbasaur (Generation I) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Bulbasaur, the classic Grass/Poison starter, enjoys a surprisingly balanced stat spread right from the start. Its early-game viability is undeniable.

• Access to Crucial Moves: Vine Whip provides reliable early-game offense, while Razor Leaf delivers powerful STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) damage later on. Sleep Powder offers crucial crowd control.
• Evolutionary Potential: Evolving into Ivysaur and then Venusaur unlocks access to powerful attacks like Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb, solidifying its offensive capabilities. Venusaur's Mega Evolution further boosts its stats, making it a formidable powerhouse.

Weaknesses:

Bulbasaur's dual typing, while offering some resistances, leaves it vulnerable to common types.

• Fire and Ice Weakness: Fire- and Ice-type moves deal super-effective damage, posing a considerable threat, especially early in the game. Careful team composition is essential to mitigate this weakness.
• Early-Game Struggles: While it’s viable, Bulbasaur might struggle against certain early opponents with strong Fire-type moves.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Bulbasaur consistently ranks highly due to its well-rounded nature and powerful final evolution. While it has weaknesses, its strengths make it a reliable and effective choice.

Chikorita (Generation II) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Chikorita and its evolutions stand out for their high Special Attack and bulkier nature.

• Defensive Prowess: Meganium, Chikorita's final evolution, boasts high HP and Defense, making it a sturdy tank.
• Support Options: Access to moves like Synthesis and Aromatherapy allows for team support and healing.

Weaknesses:

Chikorita suffers from a significant speed problem, often being outsped in many battles.

• Slow Speed: This can significantly hinder its effectiveness.
• Movepool Limitations: Its movepool is not as diverse as some other Grass starters.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Chikorita's slower speed and less impressive offensive output compared to other starters puts it lower in our ranking, despite its defensive strengths.

Treecko (Generation III) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Treecko's defining feature is its exceptional speed.

• Superior Speed: This allows it to often strike first, dealing significant damage before opponents can retaliate.
• Agile Combatant: Quick Attack is a highly valuable move that takes advantage of its speed.

Weaknesses:

Treecko's impressive speed comes at the cost of low defensive stats.

• Fragile Defense: It can be easily taken down by physical attacks.
• Type Matchups: Its Grass typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug, and Fire types.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Treecko's incredible speed makes it a strong contender, but its low defense needs to be carefully managed through strategic gameplay and team support.

Turtwig (Generation IV) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Turtwig prioritizes defense and boasts incredible bulk.

• Defensive Powerhouse: Its high defense and HP make it exceptionally resilient.
• Strong Late-Game Performance: It excels in the later stages of the game, absorbing hits and dishing out powerful attacks.

Weaknesses:

Turtwig's slow speed can be a serious hindrance.

• Slow Speed: It's often outsped, giving opponents the opportunity to strike first.
• Early-Game Challenges: Its slow speed might cause early-game struggles against quicker opponents.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Turtwig's strong defensive capabilities make it a valuable asset, but its slow speed requires strategic considerations.

Snivy (Generation V) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Snivy, with its high special attack, dominates with powerful attacks.

• High Special Attack: Snivy and its evolutions deal substantial special damage.
• Versatile Movepool: It learns a variety of special attacks, making it adaptable to various situations.

Weaknesses:

Snivy’s low physical defense makes it quite vulnerable to physical attacks.

• Low Physical Defense: This is a significant drawback that must be countered strategically.
• Type Matchups: Grass-type's common vulnerabilities still apply.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Snivy's strong special attack and decent speed make it a potent attacker, but its fragility necessitates careful team building and strategic choices.

Chespin (Generation VI) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Chespin excels in physical attacks and possesses significant bulk.

• High Physical Attack: Chespin's final evolution, Chesnaught, hits incredibly hard.
• Defensive Stats: It has respectable defense and HP.

Weaknesses:

Chespin's speed is its biggest weakness.

• Low Speed: This hinders its ability to strike first or outspeed many opponents.
• Type Matchups: The Grass type weaknesses still remain.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Chespin's strength lies in its high physical attack, but its low speed is a significant disadvantage.

Rowlet (Generation VII) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Rowlet's unique Grass/Ghost typing provides interesting resistances.

• Unique Typing: This grants immunities to Normal and Fighting-type attacks.
• Defensive Advantages: The typing offers a unique strategic edge.

Weaknesses:

Rowlet can struggle offensively against certain types.

• Offensive Limitations: Its offensive stats, while decent, aren't its strongest suit.
• Type Matchups: It still shares common Grass-type weaknesses.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Rowlet’s unique typing makes it defensively unique, but its offensive capability needs support.

Grookey (Generation VIII) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Grookey and its evolutions are known for high attack stats and powerful physical moves.

• High Attack: This allows for significant damage output, especially against opponents with lower defenses.
• Reliable Physical Attacks: Its movepool is centered around powerful physical attacks.

Weaknesses:

Grookey’s relatively lower special defense can be a problem facing special attackers.

• Special Defense: This weakness should be taken into consideration when choosing your team.
• Type Matchups: The usual Grass-type weaknesses continue to affect its performance.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Grookey's powerful offense makes it a strong contender, but its lower special defense requires strategic play.

Sprigatito (Generation IX) and its Evolutions

Strengths:

Sprigatito's evolution line boasts a unique Grass/Dark typing, offering impressive offensive potential and defensive advantages.

• Grass/Dark Typing: This provides immunity to Psychic-type moves and resistance to Ghost-type moves.
• High Speed and Special Attack: Meowscarada's high speed and special attack make it a powerful special attacker.

Weaknesses:

Sprigatito's defensive stats, specifically its physical defense, could be improved.

• Physical Defense: This weakness needs to be managed strategically.
• Type Matchups: It maintains standard weaknesses of the Grass type.

Overall Ranking and Justification:

Sprigatito's unique typing, high speed, and strong special attack make it a top contender among Grass-type starters.

Conclusion

Ranking the best Pokémon Grass starters is a subjective endeavor. Each starter offers unique strengths and weaknesses, requiring different play styles and strategic approaches. Bulbasaur's well-rounded stats, Treecko's speed, Turtwig's defense, and Sprigatito's unique typing and offensive power all offer compelling reasons for choosing them. Ultimately, the "best" Grass starter depends on your preferences and how you want to approach your Pokémon journey. What are your thoughts? Share your favorite Pokémon Grass starter and your ranking of the best grass Pokémon starter in the comments below! Let's discuss the top grass starters and help others find their perfect match! What do you think is the best grass Pokémon starter?