Best Starter in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
In FireRed and LeafGreen, Charmander is the best starter, winning 9 of its 13 boss fights. Only Brock and Misty, the first two gyms, rate Tough for it. From Lt. Surge through Agatha it's rated Good or better every time, and the FireRed and LeafGreen evolution levels have it a Charizard by Lv 36.
FireRed and LeafGreen Starter Evolutions and Stats
Bulbasaur
Final form: Venusaur
grass
poison
Base statsVenusaur
- Total
- 525
- Ability
- Overgrow
| Boss | Result and score out of 100 |
|---|---|
| Brock | Strong, 81.0 |
| Misty | Good, 70.5 |
| Lt. Surge | Even, 56.5 |
| Erika | Tough, 36.7 |
| Koga | Even, 43.0 |
| Sabrina | Even, 51.1 |
| Blaine | Tough, 40.7 |
| Giovanni | Strong, 77.8 |
| Lorelei | Strong, 73.2 |
| Bruno | Good, 70.4 |
| Agatha | Tough, 39.0 |
| Lance | Even, 43.4 |
| Terry | Even, 50.1 |
Wins 5 of 13
Charmander
Final form: Charizard
fire
flyingEvolution
Base statsCharizard
- Total
- 534
- Ability
- Blaze
| Boss | Result and score out of 100 |
|---|---|
| Brock | Tough, 37.7 |
| Misty | Tough, 29.6 |
| Lt. Surge | Good, 59.4 |
| Erika | Strong, 73.4 |
| Koga | Good, 62.1 |
| Sabrina | Good, 61.2 |
| Blaine | Good, 59.7 |
| Giovanni | Good, 59.7 |
| Lorelei | Good, 59.3 |
| Bruno | Good, 60.4 |
| Agatha | Good, 59.5 |
| Lance | Even, 51.4 |
| Terry | Even, 56.6 |
Most wins: 9 of 13
Squirtle
Final form: Blastoise
water
Base statsBlastoise
- Total
- 530
- Ability
- Torrent
| Boss | Result and score out of 100 |
|---|---|
| Brock | Strong, 76.8 |
| Misty | Tough, 38.3 |
| Lt. Surge | Even, 56.1 |
| Erika | Tough, 41.1 |
| Koga | Good, 61.8 |
| Sabrina | Good, 58.3 |
| Blaine | Strong, 76.0 |
| Giovanni | Strong, 80.3 |
| Lorelei | Even, 52.2 |
| Bruno | Good, 66.4 |
| Agatha | Good, 59.0 |
| Lance | Even, 50.1 |
| Terry | Good, 58.2 |
Wins 8 of 13
- Strong
- Good
- Even
- Tough
- Bad
- Score 50
FireRed and LeafGreen Boss Fights, Rated for Each Starter
13 fights in story orderVine Whip at Lv 10 makes Bulbasaur Strong against Brock. Later on, Erika, Blaine and Agatha all rate Tough for it. Squirtle's two Tough fights, Misty and Erika, come before Blastoise.
Each cell is that starter's rating for the fight, scored 0 to 100. Tap a row for the boss team.
Ratings come from our matchup model: your starter's form, level, moves and stats at each fight against that boss team. Not a tier list.
| Boss |  Bulbasaur |  Charmander |  Squirtle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyms · 8 | 3 won · 2 Tough | 6 won · 2 Tough | 5 won · 2 Tough |
Strong81.0 | Tough37.7 | Strong76.8 | |
Good70.5 | Tough29.6 | Tough38.3 | |
Even56.5 | Good59.4 | Even56.1 | |
Tough36.7 | Strong73.4 | Tough41.1 | |
Even43.0 | Good62.1 | Good61.8 | |
Even51.1 | Good61.2 | Good58.3 | |
Tough40.7 | Good59.7 | Strong76.0 | |
Strong77.8 | Good59.7 | Strong80.3 | |
| Pokemon League · 5 | 2 won · 1 Tough | 3 won · 0 Tough | 3 won · 0 Tough |
Strong73.2 | Good59.3 | Even52.2 | |
Good70.4 | Good60.4 | Good66.4 | |
Tough39.0 | Good59.5 | Good59.0 | |
Even43.4 | Even51.4 | Even50.1 | |
Even50.1 | Even56.6 | Good58.2 |
Earlier rival battles are not rated. The Champion is your rival, and that fight is rated.
Best Team for Each FireRed and LeafGreen Starter
5 teammates per starter · all obtainable in FireRed & LeafGreenCharmander's FireRed and LeafGreen team leans on two in-game trades. You trade an Abra for Mr. Mime on Route 2 and a Poliwhirl for Jynx in Cerulean City, and they're 1st and 2nd in its FireRed ranking. Nidoking starts as a Nidoran on Route 3, rare in LeafGreen, and it's yours before Misty.
- ErikaTough 37
- BlaineTough 41
- AgathaTough 39
This team wins 13 of 13 boss fights. It wins all 3 of Bulbasaur's Tough or Bad fights.
Between them, the team resists every type Bulbasaur is weak to.
- Clefable
normalGood or Strong in 10 of 12 fights after you catch it
Where: Mt. Moon 1F, rareWhen: Before Gym 2 (Misty)Level: Lv 8
- ErikaGood 69
- KogaGood 70
- BlaineGood 64
- Mr. Mime
psychic1st of 65 FireRed teammates in our boss-fight scores (3rd of 65 in LeafGreen)
Where: Route 2 House, in-game trade (you give an Abra)When: Before Gym 3 (Lt. Surge)Level: Lv 8
Doesn't evolve.
- ErikaGood 71
- BlaineGood 61
- AgathaStrong 74
- Jynx
icepsychic2nd of 65 FireRed teammates in our boss-fight scores (4th of 65 in LeafGreen)
Where: Cerulean City House 3, in-game trade (you give a Poliwhirl)When: Before Gym 5 (Koga)Level: Lv 20
You trade for Jynx.
- KogaStrong 80
- BlaineGood 58
- AgathaStrong 74
- Aerodactyl
rockflyingGood or Strong in 6 of 7 fights after you catch it
Where: Cinnabar Island Pokemon Lab Experiment Room, a giftWhen: Before Gym 7 (Blaine)Level: Lv 5
Doesn't evolve.
- BlaineStrong 82
- AgathaGood 64
- TerryGood 68
- Kabutopsrockwater
Good or Strong in 7 of 7 fights after you catch it
Where: Cinnabar Island Pokemon Lab Experiment Room, a gift, if you took the Dome Fossil in Mt. MoonWhen: Before Gym 7 (Blaine)Level: Lv 5
- BlaineStrong 79
- AgathaGood 59
- TerryGood 65
- BrockTough 38
- MistyTough 30
This team wins 11 of 13 boss fights. It wins 0 of Charmander's 2 Tough or Bad fights; it doesn't win Brock and Misty.
Between them, the team resists every type Charmander is weak to.
- Clefablenormal
Good or Strong in 10 of 12 fights after you catch it
Where: Mt. Moon 1F, rareWhen: Before Gym 2 (Misty)Level: Lv 8
- KogaGood 70
- LanceGood 59
- TerryGood 63
- Mr. Mimepsychic
1st of 65 FireRed teammates in our boss-fight scores (3rd of 65 in LeafGreen)
Where: Route 2 House, in-game trade (you give an Abra)When: Before Gym 3 (Lt. Surge)Level: Lv 8
Doesn't evolve.
- GiovanniStrong 80
- LanceGood 58
- TerryGood 61
- Jynxicepsychic
2nd of 65 FireRed teammates in our boss-fight scores (4th of 65 in LeafGreen)
Where: Cerulean City House 3, in-game trade (you give a Poliwhirl)When: Before Gym 5 (Koga)Level: Lv 20
You trade for Jynx.
- KogaStrong 80
- LanceGood 69
- TerryGood 63
- Poliwrathwater
fightingGood or Strong in 6 of 9 fights after you catch it
Where: Viridian City, with the Super RodWhen: Before Gym 5 (Koga)Level: Lv 20 to 30
- BlaineStrong 76
- GiovanniStrong 78
- TerryGood 59
ground
- MistyTough 38
- ErikaTough 41
This team wins 12 of 13 boss fights. It wins 1 of Squirtle's 2 Tough or Bad fights; it doesn't win Misty.
Between them, the team resists every type Squirtle is weak to.
- Clefablenormal
Good or Strong in 10 of 12 fights after you catch it
Where: Mt. Moon 1F, rareWhen: Before Gym 2 (Misty)Level: Lv 8
- Lt. SurgeGood 60as Clefairy
- ErikaGood 69
- LoreleiGood 64
- Mr. Mimepsychic
1st of 65 FireRed teammates in our boss-fight scores (2nd of 65 in LeafGreen)
Where: Route 2 House, in-game trade (you give an Abra)When: Before Gym 3 (Lt. Surge)Level: Lv 8
Doesn't evolve.
- ErikaGood 71
- LoreleiGood 59
- LanceGood 58
- Dragonite
dragonflyingGood or Strong in 7 of 10 fights after you catch it
Where: Celadon City Game Corner Prize RoomWhen: Before Gym 4 (Erika)Level: Lv 18 to 24
You get Dratini. Dragonair at Lv 30, then Dragonite at Lv 55.
- ErikaGood 59as Dratini
- GiovanniGood 72as Dragonair
- LanceGood 70
- Jynxicepsychic
2nd of 65 FireRed teammates in our boss-fight scores (4th of 65 in LeafGreen)
Where: Cerulean City House 3, in-game trade (you give a Poliwhirl)When: Before Gym 5 (Koga)Level: Lv 20
You trade for Jynx.
- KogaStrong 80
- GiovanniStrong 76
- LanceGood 69
Every teammate is a wild catch, a gift, a Game Corner prize or an in-game trade in FireRed & LeafGreen, with no trading between games. It counts only for fights after you can catch it, and an evolution only once you can reach its item. Rare means under 1 in 10 wild encounters there. Teammates are ranked by how they do in the boss fights after you catch them, and a late catch ranks lower because it misses fights. At least two of the five join before a quarter of the boss fights are done. Every teammate is in the top third of that ranking. No two of the six (your starter and its five teammates) have exactly the same typing, and no type appears on more than two of them or hits more than two for super effective damage. The six always include a physical attacker, a special attacker, a fast Pokemon and a bulky one. Wins in your starter's Tough or Bad fights count extra, and legendary and mythical Pokemon are left out. Scores come from the Boss fights model, for the teammate's form at that fight.
Key Moves for Each FireRed and LeafGreen Starter
Metal Claw lands at Lv 13, one level after the Brock fight we rate. Charmeleon gets Flamethrower at Lv 34, two levels before it evolves, and every other move is on Charmander's FireRed and LeafGreen page.
| Lv | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Grass, Status | grass Status | Status | None |
| 10 | Grass, Special, power 35 | grass Special | Special | 35 |
| 15 | Grass, Status | grassStatus | Status | None |
| Evolves to Ivysaur at Lv 16 | ||||
| 22 | Grass, Special, power 55 | grassSpecial | Special | 55 |
| Evolves to Venusaur at Lv 32 | ||||
| 41 | Normal, Status | normalStatus | Status | None |
| 53 | Grass, Status | grassStatus | Status | None |
| 65 | Grass, Special, power 120 | grassSpecial | Special | 120 |
| Lv | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Fire, Special, power 40 | fireSpecial | Special | 40 |
| 13 | Steel, Physical, power 50 |  steel Physical | Physical | 50 |
| Evolves to Charmeleon at Lv 16 | ||||
| 34 | Fire, Special, power 95 | fireSpecial | Special | 95 |
| Evolves to Charizard at Lv 36 | ||||
| 36 | Flying, Physical, power 60 | flyingPhysical | Physical | 60 |
| 44 | Normal, Physical, power 70 | normalPhysical | Physical | 70 |
| 64 | Fire, Special, power 15 | fireSpecial | Special | 15 |
| Lv | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Water, Special, power 20 | waterSpecial | Special | 20 |
| 13 | Water, Special, power 40 | waterSpecial | Special | 40 |
| Evolves to Wartortle at Lv 16 | ||||
| 19 | Dark, Special, power 60 |  darkSpecial | Special | 60 |
| 31 | Normal, Status | normalStatus | Status | None |
| Evolves to Blastoise at Lv 36 | ||||
| 42 | Water, Status | waterStatus | Status | None |
| 55 | Normal, Physical, power 100 | normalPhysical | Physical | 100 |
| 68 | Water, Special, power 120 | waterSpecial | Special | 120 |
In Gen 1 to 3, a move's type decides if it is physical or special.
More FireRed and LeafGreen guides
Bulbasaur's page covers the Brock and Misty stretch, since it's the only starter here that wins both fights. It isn't the top pick, though.
Starters in other games
Squirtle tops the original Red and Blue ratings for this same trio, a different answer from FireRed and LeafGreen. Let's Go goes another way and gives you a partner set by your version instead of a choice.