We’re sure people will have lots of different opinions on such a controversial topic, so let us know if we’ve missed something, or if you think they should be ranked differently. That concludes our ranking of the FireRed and LeafGreen starters. While certainly a threatening Pokémon later in the game, early-game usefulness is key in a Nuzlocke, and Charizard simply doesn’t bring enough to the table to make up for its shortcomings, earning our third-place spot.

Our generation one critiques still hold: Charmander’s weaker defensive stats are dangerous in a Nuzlocke, and its type advantages against Grass and Bug-types can be replaced by catching a Spearow or Pidgey, both common early encounters. If you’re unable to catch a Mankey and Bellsprout/Oddish before those battles, you’ll have a difficult time indeed, and those catches aren’t guaranteed in a Nuzlocke. Unfortunately for Charmander, its type disadvantages against the first two Gym Leaders are too crippling to ignore, and few options exist on the early routes to provide players with other coverage options. This poor fan-favorite just can’t seem to catch a break. Still a solid choice, Squirtle gets our second-place pick.

So, while Squirtle is a solid anchor for your team early on, it becomes somewhat redundant once Lapras is acquired, and in a Nuzlocke challenge, it’s incredibly important to get the maximum value out of each of your limited Pokémon. The second and bigger problem is that everything the Squirtle line does, your free Lapras does as well or even better, thanks to its additional Ice-typing. First, while it has solid type matchups against a few important early game opponents, it simply can’t compare to the important early-game dominance that Bulbasaur provides (though this can be mitigated somewhat if you’re able to catch an Oddish or Bellsprout after battling Misty).

Relatively early access to a powerful Water-type move in Surf is a big bonus for the Squirtle line, but it’s held back slightly by a couple of things. Squirtle’s good typing, type advantage against the first Gym, and great defensive stats make it a solid choice in generation three.

Best pokemon fire red