Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen let players experience the original adventures from the first generation of the beloved franchise. As with all Pokémon games, the first thing you do is choose your starter Pokémon. For a long time, fans have argued about which of the original starters is the best, and FireRed and LeafGreen have brought that discussion back to life.
Choosing your first Pokémon can be tough, especially when starting a new game! This guide is designed to help both new and experienced players pick the best Starter Pokémon for their playstyle. We’ve analyzed each Pokémon’s strengths, weaknesses, moves, and type matchups to give you a comprehensive overview. If you’re unsure which Pokémon is right for you, this guide will help you make the perfect, permanent choice to begin your adventure!
Should You Choose Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen?
Every Pokémon trainer starting a new game, especially in the original generation or the FireRed & LeafGreen remakes, faces the tough decision of which Starter Pokémon to choose. It’s unavoidable, so let’s break down the best options. Here’s a look at each Starter, considering how well their type matches up against opponents, how easy they are to train, and their overall strength.
- Charmander is the best in terms of overall power and second in defense. However, it places third in training difficulty and type-advantage.
- Squirtle is the best in terms of defense, but places second in difficulty, type advantage, and power.
- Bulbasaur is the best in terms of training difficulty, and first in type advantage, but places third in terms of defense and power.
Considering everything, the best starting Pokémon are: Charmander if you want a strong attacker, Squirtle if you prefer a Pokémon that can take a lot of damage, and Bulbasaur if you want an edge in battles and quicker leveling up.
If you’d like more detailed information, we’ve also provided a thorough look at each starter Pokémon in FireRed & LeafGreen, including their strengths and weaknesses, recommended moves, and how to play them effectively.
Charmander
Okay, so Charmander is one of the starting Fire-type Pokémon, and honestly, a lot of us agree it’s the best pick if you’re thinking about the long run. It’s just… a little tougher to get going with compared to the others, you know? It takes some work, but it’s worth it in the end!
 |
 (Lv. 16+) |
 (Lv. 36+) |
Charmander is a consistently popular starting Pokémon, and for good reason! Its evolution line is incredibly strong, and many fans love its design. While choosing Charmander can be tough at the beginning of the game – it’s weak against the first Gym Leader – there are plenty of other good Pokémon available early on, like those found on Route 2, to help players avoid that initial challenge.
Charmander becomes Charmeleon at level 16. Then, at level 36, Charmeleon evolves into Charizard, which is a Fire and Flying type Pokémon.
Charmander evolves into Charmeleon, a powerful and durable Fire-type Pokémon. Charmeleon’s Flamethrower attack deals significant damage, especially to Pokémon weak to Fire. Trainers who choose Charmander will quickly realize just how strong it becomes. Adding the Slash attack makes Charmeleon even more dangerous, as it deals high Physical Damage and has a good chance of landing a critical hit.
Charizard is the final form of this Pokémon – there are no mega evolutions in this game. It learns the Flying-type move Wing Attack at level 36, which can be really useful for battling opponents, like those found in Saffron City’s Fighting-type gym.
TopMob Quiz
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Charmander and its evolutions can learn the following moves naturally:
| Lv. | Move | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Growl | Normal |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal |
| 7 | Ember | Fire |
| 13 | Metal Claw | Steel |
| 19 | Smokescreen | Normal |
| 25 | Scary Face | Normal |
| 31 | Flamethrower | Fire |
| 37 | Slash | Normal |
| 43 | Dragon Rage | Dragon |
| 49 | Fire Spin | Fire |
It’s also well-suited for moves like Cut and Strength, which it can learn from HM, and Fly (if it’s a Charizard). It can even learn powerful TM moves such as Iron Tail, Dig, Fire Blast, and Overheat – some of the strongest Fire-type attacks in the game.
As the game progresses, players can equip Charizard with diverse moves, providing broad attack coverage, such as Aerial Ace and Earthquake. However, the most powerful combination involves the move Toxic, learned through TM 06 from Koga. When used with Fire Spin, Toxic creates massive damage each turn, making it a very effective strategy against challenging opponents like the Elite Four.
Squirtle
Squirtle is often seen as a reliable pick, thanks to its strong attacks and solid defense. While it’s not the easiest to train, it can be a valuable team member with the right moves.
 |
 (Lv. 16+) |
 (Lv. 36+) |
Squirtle is a great choice to start with because it has excellent defense and a natural advantage against the first two gym leaders. This advantage continues later in the game when facing Blaine’s Fire-type Pokémon and Giovanni’s Ground-type Pokémon.
Unfortunately, Squirtle struggles against the Surge and Erica gyms (the third and fourth gyms, specializing in Electric and Grass types, respectively). After those battles, there aren’t many opportunities for Squirtle or its evolved forms to be truly effective.
When Squirtle reaches level 16, it evolves into Wartortle, becoming a bit tougher with improved stats. As with all Pokémon evolutions, learning new moves happens at a slower pace.
When playing with Squirtle and its evolutions, it’s best to focus on defense. Once they learn Withdraw and Bite, they’re well-equipped for most of the game and can evolve without falling behind. You can also teach them powerful moves like Water Pulse or Surf early on.
Here’s a complete list of all the moves Squirtle can learn:
| Lv. | Move | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal |
| 4 | Tail Whip | Normal |
| 7 | Bubble | Water |
| 10 | Withdraw | Water |
| 13 | Water Gun | Water |
| 18 | Bite | Dark |
| 23 | Rapid Spin | Normal |
| 28 | Protect | Normal |
| 33 | Rain Dance | Water |
| 40 | Skull Bash | Normal |
| 47 | Hydro Pump | Water |
As a big Squirtle fan, I’m always excited to see what moves my favorites can learn! It’s awesome that some Pokémon, like Squirtle and its evolutions, can get special moves from Move Tutors. For example, they can learn powerful attacks like Body Slam and Double-Edge, defensive moves like Counter and Substitute, and even classics like Mega Kick and Mega Punch. Seismic Toss is a cool option too – it’s great to have so many choices!
This Pokémon has access to moves like Skull Bash and Protect, which can stall opponents. It can also learn strong Ice-type attacks, including Ice Beam, Blizzard, and Hail. Uniquely, it’s the only starter Pokémon that can learn Facade, a powerful move that deals double damage when the user is affected by poison, paralysis, or burns, making it a great counter against opponents who inflict those status conditions.
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur is often recommended as the ideal starter Pokémon for new trainers. It has a significant advantage in battles against four of Kanto’s eight Gym Leaders – it’s super effective against Brock, Misty, and Giovanni’s Pokémon, and strong against Surge’s Electric-type attacks. Plus, it’s simple to train and learns a wide variety of helpful moves.
 |
 (Lv.16+) |
 (Lv. 32+) |
Bulbasaur is a very popular choice when starting Pokémon games from Generation 1, and it’s especially helpful in FireRed and LeafGreen. New players will find it’s an easy Pokémon to train because of its Grass and Poison typing, which gives it a powerful advantage in many battles throughout the game.
It’s true that using Bulbasaur or its evolved forms against the later gym leaders, Sabrina and Blaine, can be difficult. However, a strong Ivysaur or Venusaur will easily handle earlier opponents like Surge, Erica, Koga, and even Giovanni.
Here’s a complete list of all the moves Squirtle can learn:
| Lv. | Move | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal |
| 4 | Growl | Normal |
| 7 | Leech Seed | Grass |
| 10 | Vine Whip | Grass |
| 15 | Poison Powder | Poison |
| 15 | Sleep Powder | Grass |
| 20 | Razor Leaf | Grass |
| 25 | Sweet Scent | Normal |
| 32 | Growth | Normal |
| 39 | Synthesis | Grass |
| 46 | Solar Beam | Grass |
Bulbasaur is often considered the easiest Pokémon line to train. It gets an early advantage against many opponents, evolves quickly, remains useful throughout the game, and can even effectively battle Giovanni’s powerful Ground-type team.
Bulbasaur and its evolved forms can learn powerful moves such as Bullet Seed and Giga Drain, and it’s useful for learning the HM Cut early in the game. It can also learn moves like Toxic, Sludge Bomb, Body Slam (through a tutor), and Rest, expanding its versatility.
While Bulbasaur isn’t as strong in the later parts of the game, it’s incredibly useful throughout most of the main story – especially when compared to the other starting Pokémon. It’s just very adaptable! Plus, at level 15, Bulbasaur learns a valuable move for catching Pokémon: Sleep Powder.
While some might consider it unfair to only use Bulbasaur for catching Pokémon, it’s actually one of the best options, especially since there aren’t many strong Grass-type Pokémon available – and Vileplume isn’t a reliable choice.
Trainers aiming for a well-rounded team should also think about type matchups. A good team built around Bulbasaur and its evolution, Venusaur, could include Nidoking, Clefable, Raichu, Gyarados (or Lapras or Vaporeon), and Arcanine (or Ninetales).
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2026-02-24 01:07