With the announcement of the starters in Pokémon Sun & Moon (Rowlet, Litten, and Poppilo) we now have two decades worth of starters to choose from. So, with 21 of those grass, water, and fire starting friends helping us on our Pokémon adventures, why not see where they end up in some of list or ranking. You know... scientifically. Empirically. Not on a gameplay level or their competitive usefulness, not based off of their abilities or their eventual evolutions. Just the starters, just their original forms. For science.
(Note: This list is all in good fun and you will no doubt disagree with it. Feel free to comments below on how the science is wrong and your opinions are right.)
Ignore the site's ordering and read the description's ordering.
Showing 1-10 of 22 items
#21 - Mudkip - F Tier - NO ONE LIKES YOU MUDKIP
#20 - Popplio - D- Tier - There are a LOT of Pinniped Pokémon already, but it's cute that they went for the circus styling of them. In the end though, it really comes down to the combination of the red clown nose and the clown ruffled collar that makes Popplio drop like a rock through the list. They turn a lovable character design into a horrifying spectacle. Literally remove those two things and you have at least a B tier Pokémon.
#19 - Chimchar - D- Tier - Their hair looks like poop.
#18 - Tepig - D Tier - Ugly face markings, weird ears, a diaper, a ridiculous tail, and the worst name of any starter drag this cute piggy down.
#17 - Turtwig - D Tier - Gen IV & V has a problem with their Pokémon designs where they needlessly overcomplicated the designs. Like what is up with the ridiculously oversized and yellow jaws? Is that a saddle on its back or a shell? Why does it have a plant growing out its head when that part is completely abandoned for the rest of its evolutions? It's why Turtwig is so far down this list while their amphibious cousin Squirtle is beloved. Also their name is "Turtwig" based off of "Turtle" and "Twig" despite being a tortoise. It also sounds like Turdwig.
#16 - Oshawott - D+ Tier - Honestly Oshawott would be bottom tier if they weren't otters, the cutest of all animals. The freckles also help.
#15 - Torchic - C- Tier - Due to some really unflattering official art, I went years thinking Torchic only had one leg, and my apologies to the amputees out there, but as a kid it really did freak me out a little. It's a fairly cute design, but that feeling stuck with me.
#14 - C Tier - Chespin, like Turtwig, is a way too complicated design, with way too many markings and things coming out of their head. Why is the end of their tail red? Who knows! Just slap it on there! But Chespin's cute almost hoodie-like design and infectious smile make you love them anyway.
#13 - Treecko - C Tier - Gen III's saving grace... at least when it comes to unevolved forms. Treecko is a cool gecko that will kick your ass. I just wish their head didn't look like a butt.
#12 - Rowlet - C+ Tier - The ridiculously cute leaf bowtie and the beak that almost looks like a lovecraftian horror mouth with ridiculously big top teeth ready to carve into your soul sort of cancel each other out.