Best Pokémon starters

Froakie wins 58% of its duels and tops the Pokémon Starter ranking ahead of Treecko, after 94370 head-to-head battles.

The Water-type from Kalos dominates with 1395 ELO points, but the gap to second place reveals a clear preference: 61 points separate Froakie from Treecko, the sharpest divide in the top ranks. Squirtle, the Kanto classic, claims third at 1306 ELO despite facing 5417 duels, while Mudkip follows closely at 1297. Rowlet rounds out the top 5 at 1276 ELO. At the opposite end, Chikorita languishes at the bottom with 999 ELO, confirming its reputation as one of the least popular Starters. Quaxly sits just above at 1012 ELO after only 3761 duels, suggesting the newest generation has yet to win over the community. Chespin occupies rank 27 with 1079 ELO, marking a consistent struggle for Grass-types at the lower tiers.

This ranking draws from 94370 duels submitted by 955 players across all 29 Starter Pokémon, updated on 12 October 2026. The vote reveals which Water, Fire and Grass companions players would choose to begin their journey, weighing nostalgia against design and battle utility. Cast your own vote and shift the standings.

Updated on October 12, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →