Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are set to shake up the Pokemon world, even though Game Freak has kept a lot of information close to its chest. Fans do know the first form of the starters, at least: Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly. It remains to be seen what their final forms look like in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but they each have tough competition for sure.
Starters play a very important role in every Pokemon game, as the first major decision when it comes to their party. Generally speaking, Grass starters seem to be less popular than Fire or Water starters, but they aren’t slouches. Fans can expect Sprigatito to be the same way in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
This Grass starter tier list is designed with three things in mind: Design, Typing, and Stats. While many Pokemon players do likely make some choices based on stats, which Pokemon speaks to them most is usually more important on a playthrough. So, stats serve a tertiary role here, with design being the most important (primarily focused on first and final forms) and typing coming in second. Once decided, these Pokemon were placed in their appropriate tier and then put into numerical order based on generation.
S Tier
Gen 1: Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur – Sometimes, simple is good. Bulbasaur and Venusaur’s floral frog appearance develops well across its evolutions. The love for Bulbasaur also led to it getting Mega Evolutions and a Gigantamax form, with both doing well to extend the good design choices. Toss in a simple but potent Grass/Poison-typing, with solid stats, and it’s easy to see why Venusaur is an S-Tier Starter.
Gen 4: Turtwig, Grotle, and Torterra – Turtwig is an adorable Grass turtle that evolves into a giant Grass/Ground turtle that carries, essentially, its own world on its back. The design is top notch, with its Grass/Ground-typing coming in clutch too. Torterra has excellent stats as a tank Pokemon, being resistant to several types. Torterra does have a huge weakness for Ice-type moves, but just because its defense isn’t perfect doesn’t make it a beloved and well-executed Pokemon.
Gen 7: Rowlet, Dartrix, and Decidueye – Rowlet and Decidueye’s design is top notch, as a Grass/Flying Owl that evolves into a Robin Hood-esque Grass/Ghost. Rowlet’s Grass/Flying type is a little odd, but the final form fully realizes its cool design. The Grass/Ghost-typing really seals the deal, and its Pokemon Legends: Arceus variant is pretty interesting. Combined with some really good stats (with just one or two weak ones), Decidueye earns its beloved place in the Pokemon world.
A Tier
Gen 3: Treecko, Grovyle, and Sceptile – Treecko and Sceptile feature a solid, simple design that slips away a little bit. There’s not much flair to either Pokemon. Its pure Grass-typing holds it back too, with its stats as a Glass Cannon holding it steady. What really separates Sceptile from the B-Tier, however, is its excellent Mega Evolution. Mega Sceptile gets a huge stat boost and becomes a Grass/Dragon Pokemon, which is all that really needs to be said.
Gen 8: Grookey, Thwacky, and Rillaboom – For Grookey and Rillaboom, its Grass Monkey design may be a tad too simple. It’s not too original, either, compared to some of the other Pokemon on the list. It’s still a solid design though, and Rillaboom’s Gigantamax Form adds another layer of cool to it. Still, it maintains a simple Grass-type throughout all of this, even in its Gigantamax form. That, coupled with good, not great stats, holds this Starter back.
B Tier
Gen 6: Chespin, Quilladin, and Chesnaught – Chespin and Chesnaught are seemingly based on a hedgehog, which should give it some major points, but Chesnaught’s design is mostly strange. It looks more like a Digimon than a Pokemon, truth be told. Its Grass/Fighting-type is a nice stand-out here, but at the same time, that opens it up to a ton of weaknesses (especially the oh-so-common Flying types). Chesnaught hits hard and has some of the best stats among Grass starters, but that doesn’t help its design out too much.
C Tier
Gen 2: Chikorita, Bayleef, and Meganium – A Grass starter based on a dinosaur seems like a great idea on paper, but the execution falls flat. Meganium is not the most enticing to look at, but a Mega Meganium form could do wonders. Its pure Grass-typing holds it back, and while it has solid stats, they aren’t much compared to other Grass starters.
Gen 5: Snivy, Serpine, and Serperior – Snivy and Serperior fall into a lot of the same traps as Chikorita and Meganium. Despite some flourishes on Serperior, it’s not that great of a design. It’s also pure Grass-type with mediocre stats.
How Sprigatito Compares to Other Grass Starters
How Sprigatito factors in, of course, remains to be seen. Its Grass Cat design has promise, and while it may become bipedal, it also seems to be related to a Flamenco dancer which bodes well for its unique qualities. If Sprigatito is a Grass/Fairy-type too, as many believe, it could very well be a top-tier Grass starter.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.