Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guide - Which is the best starter in the Paldea Region?

When starting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, one of the most important questions has to be “Which of the three starters is the best?", and It’s a perfectly valid question. While all three adorable Pokemon are great, one stands among them as the strongest, and most useful.

Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly are all great Pokemon, and each evolution will see them grow more and more powerful. While my favorite of the three is Quaxly, he’s clearly lacking compared to the real winner of this contest.

When looking at which Paldean starter is the best in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, we’re considering several factors, i.e., the rarity of their typing, where they’re most useful in the game and much more. Sure, all three are excellent, but which one is the best among them all?

Note: The article may contain spoilers for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

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Best starter in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Sorry, fans of Sprigatito and Quaxly, Fuecoco is without a doubt the strongest starter Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. He’s the king of the starters in Paldea, and while it doesn’t matter which one you pick, here are some reasons that make Fuecoco the best Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starter.

Pros of Fuecoco

• Fire-type Pokemon at the start of the game
• The final Evolution is a Fire/Ghost type
• Will have type advantage in six out of eight gyms
• Will either resist or be outright immune to four of the five-star Bases
• Is a pepper
• Six resistances and two immunities in final form

Cons of Fuecoco

• A little slow
• There are other fire types that could take a spot on your team

First off, he’s a Fire-type but that might not seem like a big deal, but let’s look at this. Across the history of Pokemon, fire types seem to be the hardest to find in the wild, among the three starter types.

Eventually, when he evolves into Skeledirge, it will be Fire/Ghost, which means that it has immunity to Normal and Fire-type attacks. It can easily hit other Ghosts, as well as Psychic-type Pokemon.

It only gains two weaknesses - Ghost and Dark-type, so that’s not too shabby. Also, consider that it has the rare bonus of having a type advantage over Steel. Not many Pocket Monsters have that. It will also resist Fairy, making Fuecoco just incredibly viable. Let’s look at the number of gyms each Pokemon has a type advantage over in their final forms as well.

Victory Road Gyms

• Skeledirge: Ice, Grass, Ghost, Normal, Bug, Psychic
• Meowscarada: Ghost, Water, Psychic
• Quaquaval: Ice, Normal

Starfall Street Bases

• Skeledirge: Fire, Poison, Fairy, Fighting
• Meowscarada: Dark
• Quaquaval: Fire, Dark

Those numbers don’t lie, and they spell disaster for the other Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters. Skeledirge is also a Special Attacker and has the highest Special Attack of the starters. Unfortunately, he also has a low speed. With that in mind, avoid Brave, Relaxed, Quiet, and Sassy Natures. His best one is easily Modest.

All around, Fuecoco is simply the strongest of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters. He’s great at nearly every major encounter across the Team Star Bases and Victory Road Gyms. He’s also an adorable pepper crocodile.

No matter which Pokemon starter you choose, they’re all good at something. Pick the ones that feel right for you, for whatever criteria you have. Whether you like the art style, moveset, or competitive possibilities, do what’s best for you.