Fire Starters are among the most popular Pokémon in the entire franchise. They don't only have awesome and instantly recognizable designs, but they all pack a tremendous punch. Unlike their Grass-type siblings, none of the Fire Starters are bad per se, but some of them are undeniably better than others.
Type-wise, there's not much variety to the group - three of them are Fire-Fighting, and two are pure Fire-types. But what they lack in diversity, they make up in raw power. Many of them are their generation's best option, and even the "worst" one has something going for it. Fire is among the best Pokémon types, and the Starters are perfect advocates.
8 Delphox
Delphox's inspiration takes from many elements to create one intriguing Pokémon. It is very obviously a fox, but it also shares characteristics with kitsune, witches in Japanese folklore whose powers come from foxes. Its fiery wooden stick strongly resembles a wand.
Delphox, like its other Kalos siblings, is a bit of an extreme case. It has excellent Special stats and Speed but pitiful Physical Attack and Defense. It is also quite frail and will most likely fall before the first Physical Attack it suffers. Its unique Fire/Psychic-type results in five weaknesses but seven resistances. Overall, Delphox is an above-average Pokémon for sure, but it could be so much better.
7 Emboar
Emboar is the only dual-type Starter in Unova. It takes inspiration from several sources, including the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Zhu Bajie, a pig demon from the Chinese tale Journey to the West.
Emboar's stats have a tricky distribution. Its superior HP, Physical and Special Attack come at the expense of every other stat. As a Fire/Fighting-type, it has four weaknesses and six resistances, which sounds great on paper. However, in practice, the story is much different. In the Unova League, Emboar is weak against Cress, Clay, Skyla, and Marlon. When it comes to the Elite Four, it's vulnerable to Caitlin's team and will have little to no effect in Shauntal's battle. It is Supper Effective against Cheren/Lenora, Burgh, and Grimsley, though.
6 Incineroar
After many Fire/Fighting Starters, Incineroar's Fire/Dark-typing was a breath of fresh air. Ironically, its main inspirations are professional wrestlers, making it the ideal Pokémon to have the Fighting-type. Incineroar has above-average stats all around, with Physical Attack being its most impressive. Its Speed is disappointing and even troubling, though.
Its typing results in four weaknesses, an immunity, and six resistances. In the Island Challenge, Incineroar is weak against three of the four Kahunas and Super Effective against the fourth. When it comes to the Elite Four, it is weak against Hala and Olivia and Super Effective against Molayne. Overall, Incineroar is a solid Pokémon but might not be the best option in its home region.
5 Cinderace
The latest entry into the group quickly rose in popularity. However, Cinderace also proved to be somewhat divisive because of how humanoid it looks. Cinderace is the Pokémon equivalent of a football player, from the fur on its legs that resembles a player's shorts to its secret ability, Libero, named after an actual position in the sport.
Cinderace puts all its might into Physical Attack and Speed, meaning it can OHKO opponents with its signature move, Pyro Ball. Its lackluster Defense stats and HP are worrisome, especially when facing a Pokémon that outspeed it. In the Galar League, Cinderace is Super Effective against Milo and Melony but vulnerable against Nessa, Gordie, and three of Raihan's Pokémon. In the Championship match, it's weak against one of Leon's Pokémon and Super Effective against two.
4 Blaziken
Blaziken is the first dual-type Fire/Fighting Pokémon to come out. It takes inspiration from the cockfighting chicken and Egyptian Gods like Ra and Horus. Blaziken has admirable Physical and Special Attacks, above-average HP and Speed, and below-average Physical and Special Defenses. Mega Evolution skyrockets its Physical Attack to an obscene 160 while also boosting its Special Attack and Speed.
Blaziken's performance in the Hoenn League is a bit of a mixed bag. It is weak to Roxanne, Winona, Tate & Liza, and Wallace/Juan. Things remain tricky in the Elite Four, where it excels against Glacia and Champion Steven but is useless against Phoebe and outright weak against Champion Wallace. However, Blaziken still has a lot going for it and remains one of Generation III's most beloved Pokémon.
3 Typhlosion
It's no secret that Typhlosion is the best Starter in Johto, and it's not even a competition. No offense to Meganium and Feraligatr, but they don't hold a candle to their Fire sibling. Based on a honeybadger, Typhlosion also shares traits with weasels and even wolverines. Unlike many other Starters, Typhlosion doesn't seem to have a mythical inspiration behind it.
With balanced stats that focus on Special Attack and Speed, Typhlosion quickly becomes Johto's go-to option. It isn't outright weak to any Gym Leader or Elite Four Member and is Super Effective against Bugsy, Jasmine, and Pryce. Before this year, Typhlosion seemed to be the most forgotten Fire Starter of all. However, and after the announcement of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, 2022 will be the year when this Pokémon makes a much-deserved comeback.
2 Infernape
Like Typhlosion, Infernape too holds a place of honor in Sinnoh. As one of the only Fire-types in the region, Infernape is the best option by default. In the Sinnoh League, Infernape is Super Effective against Gardenia, Byron, Candice, and the Elite Four's Aaron. It is weak to Roark, Crasher Wake, and the Elite Four's Bertha, though, so it all balances out.
Stat-wise, Infernape is a beast. It hits very hard, very fast, and has the chance to OHKO more than one opponent. Its Defense and HP stats are quite underwhelming, though, so that's something to consider. What makes Infernape extra special, though, is the many inspirations behind it. This Pokémon has elements of Hanuman, the legendary character from the Hindu epic Ramayana, and Son Goku, the protagonist of the Japanese manga Dragon Ball.
1 Charizard
Charizard easily takes the top spot in any Fire Starter ranking, more on reputation than anything else. As one of the all-time most popular Pokémon, it now holds a spot next to Pikachu as one of the franchise's faces. Over the years, Charizard received numerous enhancements that further increased its standing, mainly two Mega Evolutions in Gen VI and a Gingantamax form in Gen VIII.
In the stat department, Charizard has excellent Special Attack and Speed and above-average everything else. Mega Charizard X's stats are more balanced, while Mega Charizard Y puts more emphasis on the Special side. Charizard is weak against three Kanto Gym Leaders, Super Effective against one, and immune to another. It is also Super Effective against Lorelai of the Elite Four but weak against two of Blue's Pokémon.
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May 08, 2021 at 07:30AM
