I always struggle to decide which Pokémon I should choose as a starter. Thanks to my love of fire and dragons’ symbolism🔥 (big Game of Thrones fan), I always go with Charizard.
And yes, I know that Charizard is not a dragon in Pokémon. In any case, it doesn’t end well for me most of the time. My friends swear it’s because I’m not skilled enough🙄.
They recommend starting with a water or grass type for more versatility. This debate has been going on between my friends and me for years.
That’s why I decided to look up what other Pokémon fans are saying about it online. Keep reading to find out if Charizard is the best starter.
Is Charizard the most powerful starter?
The answer to this question is relative. Some consider Charizard to be the most powerful starter for several reasons.
If you compare Charizard to a starter like Venusaur, the former comes out on top. Unlike Venusaur, Charizard has more agility during fights.
It can also fly, an ability that land-bound Venusaur does not have. Charizard is also a fire-breathing dragon, which people consider cooler than the water and grass Pokémons. However, Venusaur has far better STATs than Charizard💯.
Charizard’s rarity contributes to its perceived power. If you don’t start with Charizard, it’s hard to locate another fire type to add to your team. You’d have to wait until late in the game to find them.
With that said, if you compare Charizard to a Blastoise, the former falls short in several ways. Although Charizard is faster, Blastoise has better stats.
That’s why Charizard doesn’t stand a chance against water/flying types like Gyarados.
Why was Charizard considered the worst starter in Gen 1?
There are various reasons people say Charizard is the👎 worst starter in gen 1. Many players confirm that if you end up in the ocean or a cave, you cannot use Charizard.
His inherent weaknesses are very noticeable in Gen 1. For example, Charizard finds it difficult to beat all the gyms except Erika.
He could not beat Brock up until the FRLG version was released. Experienced gamers maintain that choosing Charizard as a starter in Gen 1 is like setting yourself up for failure.
Other water and grass signs can one-shot Charizard without a struggle. On the other hand, Charizard does not even have enough power to one-shot Blastoise.
What is the best starter type overall?
The best starter type overall has to be Blastoise. Water types have a good track record of being lethal and efficient. Water types like Swampert and Marsh Top have incredible attack Stats.
These water types have access to Swift Swim thanks to the mega Evolution feature. During the rain, this cool feature powers up their speed.
These Pokémon have excellent typing since they are part water, part group type. That means that only Grass types have a chance at ringing Swampert down.
A fire type would find it hard to kill a water type like Swampert because it accelerates its power during the rain. What’s even more impressive is that this Pokémon won against five gyms without help.
This Pokémon is among the few that can execute the Earthquake for the first time by level up. Experts recommend employing several strategic moves to ensure success when you start with a water type.
For instance, you can teach the Surf attack to Swampert to keep your offense strong. Dive is another cool move you should teach Swampert.
It comes in handy when you want to evade an attack.
Online Pokémon gamers voted for the best starter overall, and here’s how it turned out:
|
Votes | |
|
Water (Blastoise) |
2.3k |
|
Fire (Charizard) |
2.1k |
|
Grass (Venusaur) |
1.1k |
Since I started playing Pokemon at a tender age, my love for the game kept growing. My passion is what inspired me to pursue video game journalism. This helped me gain immersive experience of 5 years. I have a lot of expertise in the gaming industry since I have been editing game-related content for a long time. Since I have also been studying this game in-depth for years, I am now a professional player. My desire is to share everything I know about Pokemon to help you broaden your knowledge on the game. You can read more about me on the about us page.