I didn’t start with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen when they were first released – I’d been playing the main series since the very beginning with Pokémon Red. Honestly, I don’t remember much about those Game Boy Advance games because Generation 3 was such a big leap forward that it was hard to fully appreciate a remake of the original Kanto region so soon after playing the originals. However, playing Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Switch and Switch 2 now feels incredibly new and fun, something I couldn’t have enjoyed before. Despite my love for all Pokémon games, it’s difficult to recommend these Gen 3 remakes as highly as others.
The biggest issue in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen is how type matchups work. All moves from Eeveelutions and Dragon-type Pokemon always do special damage, while everything else does physical damage. This can make normally strong Pokemon weak in the Kanto region, but it rarely works the other way around. As a result, a few Pokemon are really powerful, and most others just aren’t as effective.
I’ve spent over 130 hours playing Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, including 43 hours searching for a shiny starter Pokemon. This has given me a strong understanding of what works well in the games. While you can certainly enjoy FireRed and LeafGreen with any Pokemon, even without special training, I’ve conducted extensive research. I’ve battled the Elite Four repeatedly with various teams and every fully evolved Pokemon to determine what’s most effective, and here are my findings.
This ranking focuses solely on the final evolutions of the first 151 Pokémon. We’ve left out Mew because it’s impossible to obtain normally, and Mewtwo because you can only get it after completing the main game.
S Tier — The Best Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen For All Playthroughs
- Alakazam
- Blastoise
- Exeggutor
- Jynx
- Mr. Mime
- Nidoking
- Snorlax
- Starmie
- Venusaur
- Zapdos
Generally, these Pokémon are the strongest choices overall, and often the best within their specific type. They have great stats and moves, and are either easy to obtain or become available early in the game. While some, like Alakazam, might be difficult to get—requiring a trade—their power makes the effort worthwhile. Others, like Blastoise in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, might not be the absolute best of their type, but their early availability and ability to defeat most Gym Leaders (except Erika’s) make them incredibly useful.
Pokémon such as Jynx and Mr. Mime are both readily available and very effective in battle, thanks to their speed, special attack power, and unique abilities. Jynx excels with its Ice-type moves, while Mr. Mime is consistently fast thanks to its Timid nature. Snorlax is a fantastic defensive Pokémon, especially against Sabrina and Agatha with access to Shadow Ball. Venusaur can wear down opponents with Toxic and Leech Seed, and Starmie is powerful enough to potentially defeat the Elite Four on its own. These Pokémon consistently perform well in any situation.
A Tier — Amazing Pokemon That Make Your FireRed and LeafGreen Playthrough Extra Smooth
- Arcanine
- Articuno
- Charizard
- Dodrio
- Dragonite
- Gengar
- Hitmonlee
- Lapras
- Jolteon
- Machamp
- Moltres
- Nidoqueen
- Primeape
- Raichu
- Raticate
- Slowbro
- Vaporeon
When playing Pokemon, certain creatures consistently stand out as excellent choices. They’re often the strongest options, or a fantastic alternative if your preferred Pokemon are already taken. These Pokemon are valuable for different reasons. Take Arcanine, for instance – it’s a powerhouse in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, despite Fire-types not generally being top-tier, thanks to its impressive stats and the powerful Intimidate ability. Lapras is widely considered one of the best Water-types, and its ability to learn Thunderbolt makes it even more versatile, though it’s usually acquired later in the game.
When building a team in FireRed and LeafGreen, Jolteon and Raichu are usually the best Electric-type Pokémon to use if you can’t get Zapdos, and they’re both incredibly speedy. Hitmonlee is the strongest Fighting-type Pokémon available, with Primeape as a close second. Articuno is a solid choice for taking on Lorelei in the Elite Four. While Charizard remains a powerful Pokémon due to its Fire/Flying typing, it’s limited in the special attacks it can learn. Machamp and Raticate both have the Guts ability, which significantly boosts their attack power if they’re affected by a status condition like poison or paralysis before a major battle.
B Tier — Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen’s Many Middling Pokemon
- Aerodactyl
- Arbok
- Butterfree
- Chansey
- Clefable
- Cloyster
- Dewgong
- Dugtrio
- Electabuzz
- Electrode
- Fearow
- Flareon
- Gyarados
- Golbat
- Golduck
- Golem
- Hypno
- Kabutops
- Kangaskhan
- Kingler
- Magneton
- Marowak
- Muk
- Ninetales
- Omastar
- Persian
- Pinsir
- Poliwrath
- Sandslash
- Scyther
- Seadra
- Tauros
- Tentacruel
- Venomoth
- Victreebel
- Vileplume
- Weezing
Okay, so while I love pretty much all Pokémon, let’s be real – some just aren’t that great to actually use in these games. If you have a favorite, totally go for it! That’s what matters. But sometimes there are just better options out there. For example, Pinsir in the original Kanto games would be so much better if it had a strong Bug-type attack, but it doesn’t. Poliwrath is popular for fighting Lorelei, which is cool, but it’s not amazing in other situations. And Pokémon like Electrode and Electabuzz in FireRed and LeafGreen aren’t bad, but honestly, they rarely feel as powerful as the really top-tier Electric types.
I enjoy using Butterfree in my games thanks to its reliable Sleep Powder and moves like Giga Drain, Psychic, and Dream Eater. However, its overall stats prevent it from being a top-tier Pokémon in FireRed and LeafGreen. While Hypno is okay, Kadabra actually performs better as a Psychic-type. Chansey has incredible HP, but its Attack and Defense are very low, and its Special Attack isn’t much higher. Muk can be a strong attacker with a good movepool, but it’s too slow to really stand out. Ultimately, these Pokémon are all just decent, not truly great.
C Tier — Pokemon That Always Have Better Alternatives in FireRed and LeafGreen
- Beedrill
- Ditto
- Farfetch’d
- Hitmonchan
- Lickitung
- Magmar
- Onix
- Parasect
- Pidgeot
- Porygon
- Rapidash
- Rhydon
- Seaking
- Tangela
- Wigglytuff
Many Pokemon in the original games (Generation 3, specifically the Kanto region) aren’t very effective, either because their stats are low or their moves aren’t strong enough. There are usually better Pokemon to choose instead. For example, Ditto can’t use its usual Imposter ability; it’s only available in later games, so you’re stuck with the weaker Transform move, and its low Speed often means it moves last. Hitmonchan looks good because it can learn Fire, Thunder, and Ice Punch, but those moves are actually special attacks, and Hitmonchan’s Special Attack stat is very low. While it’s possible to beat the Elite Four with Parasect in FireRed and LeafGreen, it’s difficult because it’s very weak to Fire and Flying-type attacks and is extremely slow, though it does have the reliable Spore move.
Porygon’s best moves aren’t very strong, and even though it can learn powerful attacks like Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Psychic, it’s too slow and doesn’t have enough Special Attack power to use them effectively. Rapidash is incredibly fast, but being a Fire-type in FireRed and LeafGreen is just average. Plus, it has a powerful Attack stat but a very weak Special Attack, so its Fire-type moves aren’t very effective.
Onix and Lickitung are often considered among the weakest Pokémon in FireRed and LeafGreen. Onix’s attack power is so low that even an unevolved Graveler can perform similarly, and Lickitung suffers from low attack, mediocre defenses, and slow speed, with a limited movepool to compensate. While these Pokémon can make the games more challenging, they’re still perfectly usable for completing the main story. If competitive battling was more readily available, their value might be different, but for a standard playthrough, they won’t hold you back.
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2026-04-04 15:07