Picking out a starting Pokemon can be a tough choice for some trainers. In simple terms, it depends on what the player prioritizes. But there are enough categories to make one's head spin. Is it a specific type? Does design play a big part in the selection? Should it be able to dish out strong attacks, or take a beating?

RELATED: Pokemon: Every Grass-Type Starter, Ranked

Different trainers go for different things, and while that pretty much leaves anything open, Fire-type starters have always been a popular choice, especially since it is a fairly rare typing to begin with. When in doubt, go for a Fire starter. And if you want to know which is the best of the best, read on.

Updated December 1, 2022 by Jeremy Hanna: The world of Pokemon is constantly changing with new Pokemon, moves, and abilities introduced every generation. Now that Scarlet & Violet have released, there is a bevvy of new content including a brand-new Fire starter and nerfs to already existing move sets and abilities that made some formerly overpowered Pokemon much more manageable. That means that Scorbunny won't be dribbling through opponent's teams any time soon. So with the intent of keeping everything up to date, let's take a look at how things have changed with the debut of Gen 9.

9 Tepig - Pignite - Emboar

Pokemon Anime Emboar

Emboar

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Mega Fire Pig

110

123

65

100

65

65

Emboar has never enjoyed stardom. To be sure, it has its fans. Every Pokemon has its fans. But even the fans must know that when it comes to pure popularity contests, they're always going to be in the minority. Even Tepig, the first in the line, wasn't greeted with great enthusiasm — the other Unovan starters, cute Oshawott and sassy Snivy, were the immediate breadwinners here.

On top of this, the other two starters are much better in-game for each title in the fifth generation. But the kicker for fans is that Emboar was the third Fire-starter in a row to feature the Fire/Fighting dual-typing, and players were pretty much exhausted from the concept. It was bad timing, made all the more "meh" with a shoddy movepool and fairly unimpressive stat distribution. That won't do, pig. That won't do.

8 Cyndaquil - Quilava - Typhlosion/Hisuian Typhlosion

Anime Typhlosion roaring in battle, Hisuian Typhlosion chilling at night in Legends: Arceus

Typhlosion

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Volcano/Ghost Flame

78/73

84/84

78/78

109/119

85/85

100/95

Despite the fandom's love for Gold & Silver and — especially — their beloved remakes, Johto's starting trio has almost always had a strange reputation as some of the least effective starters of all time. However, the Cyndaquil line stood out from the rest with its awesome neck flames and overall effectiveness in game.

RELATED: Pokemon: Every Fire-Type Trainer, Ranked

Typhlosion really achieved greatness in Pokemon Legends: Arceus with its brand-new Hisuian form. This not only gave it a bit more Special Attack, but it also got a secondary Ghost-typing that gives it two immunities and a more varied movepool. Plus, the new design is hilarious. It feels like the original Typhlosion is a cool teenage edge lord that eventually transformed into a cool hippy uncle.

7 Chimchar - Monferno - Infernape

Infernape posing during a battle

Infernape

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Flame

76

104

71

104

71

108

Next up is another Fire-type starter that goes on to adopt a Fighting dual-type: Infernape. The Chimchar line is interesting because not only is it the best starter option in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum; it's the best Fire-type in the Sinnoh Pokedex period. There are only a handful of Fire-types to choose from, but that's still impressive.

Unfortunately, Infernape greatly suffers from power creep, meaning it doesn't really have any presence on later teams, since there are so many other Pokemon that can do what it does better. It's just better for a Pokemon to focus on either Special or Physical attack instead of both. Looks like the best place for Infernape is terrorizing Galaxy Team members on Ramanas Island in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

6 Scorbunny - Raboot - Cinderace

Pokemon Unite FTP Cinderace holds a flaming ball under its foot.

Cinderace

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Striker

80

116

75

65

75

119

It seems like the Scorbunny evolution line has been relatively well-liked. Scorbunny's pep, the whole football aesthetic, and Cinderace's high Attack and Speed combined with the Libero ability all work in its favor. However, Scarlet & Violet has decided to change that.

RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Best New Abilities

Not only did Cinderace lose its awesome Gigantamax form, but its Libero ability has been weakened. Instead of changing the Pokemon's type with every attack, it only does it once per switch-in. This means it's going to be a lot easier to predict what this rabbit will do. Fortunately, Cinderace still keeps its fantastic movepool and can still continue to be a powerful physical sweeper.

5 Fennekin - Braixen - Delphox

aria's delphox pokemon anime

Delphox

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Fox

75

69

72

114

100

104

Fans rejoiced when the sixth-generation games, X & Y, revealed the first Fire starter that wouldn't evolve into a Fire/Fighting type in 13 years. That alone might have been enough to give Fennekin an edge, but the undeniable cuteness overload was almost too much. Tack on the fact that this would be the first time that starters would be rendered in full 3D, and well, success was ensured.

Delphox's Special Attack and Speed are its obvious biggest boosts, and with its unusual typing, it became the most effective in-game starter ever with an advantage over five of the main trainers, and resisting seven more. It's also worth noting that middle-form Braixen seems to be the most well-received of the trio with its appearance in Pokken Tournament, a rarity for middle evolutions.

4 Litten - Torracat - Incineroar

Ash's Torracat in the Pokemon Sun & Moon anime

Incineroar

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Heel

95

115

90

80

90

60

The funniest thing about Incineroar is the instant reaction it received upon its unveiling. At the time, Sun & Moon's starter lines had been revealed, but their typings were still shrouded in mystery. Folks took one look at this muscular wrestler, and as cool as its design was, there was a collective sigh. "Oh, no. We just got away from Fire/Fighting. Why, Game Freak. Why."

There were eggs on all our faces the day we learned that Incineroar was Fire/dark instead, and it wasn't messing around. It became the most used Pokemon competitively because of Initimidate combined with its varied movepool, and even had a beastly appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This may have led to Incineroar being more infamous instead of famous, but for a heelish wrestler, that's just fine. And if it was more useful in its debut games, it'd be at the top of this list.

3 Fuecoco - Crocalor - Skeledirge

Skeledirge roaring proudly in its Pokedex image in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Skeledirge

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Singer

104

75

100

110

75

66

Hisuian Typhlosion may be the first Fire/Ghost starter, but it isn't the best. That honor goes to Skeledirge, the final stage of everyone's favorite absent-minded crocodile-chili pepper, Fuecoco. But even though fans fell for its big eyes and toothy grin, nobody expected it to be the best starter option in Scarlet & Violet.

RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Every Type's Terastallization, Ranked By Appearance

On top of being the most effective Paldean starter in-game, Skeledirge is one of the rare Fire-types that is built to be bulky, with great HP and Defense. But what really makes it stand out is its access to moves like Slack Off, Will-O-Wisp, and Shadow Ball, while also having an incredible signature move with Torch Song. The icing on the cake for Skeledirge is its hidden ability Unaware, which makes the user ignore any positive boosts your opponent may have.

2 Torchic - Combusken - Blaziken

Blaziken attacking Charizard in the Pokemon anime

Blaziken

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Blaze

80

120

70

110

70

80

Fire/Fighting may seem played out for starters now, but when Blaziken did it, it was novel and effective. Finally, players got a Fire-type that could easily beat the first Rock-type gym in the game! Still, the jokes would flow for years, calling it a buffalo chicken that wore JNCO jeans. The internet in 2002 was having a blast with it.

But then people got a taste for Blaziken's power, and you do not want to mess with this bird. Its stats spread is fantastic, with great attacking stats and a hidden ability that made its mediocre Speed a side thought. Plus it tears its way through most of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four in Hoenn. Unless Speed Boost gets the same treatment as Protean and Libero, Blaziken will continue to be a beast.

1 Charmander - Charmeleon - Charizard

Charizard Breathing Fire After Just Evolving From Charmeleon

Charizard

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

Flame

78

84

78

109

85

100

Charizard's massive popularity couldn't be overstated if we tried. If you ask someone who hasn't played a video game in their entire life to list every Pokemon they know, the most common response is probably "the yellow rodent." But the second most common response? "There's the yellow rat. The big red dinosaur." Charizard is the big red dinosaur, of course, and it wears that title with unparalleled pride.

On top of this, Charizard has received a ton of love over the generations to make it a competitive force, despite its 4x weakness to Rock-types. Two useful Mega Evolutions, a great Gigantamax form, and even Belly Drum if you're feeling spicy. There are three things that are always inevitable: Death, Taxes, and Charizard's presence in Pokemon. It's the most popular Pokemon card for a reason. And it easily earns the number one spot.

NEXT: Pokemon: Every Water-Type Starter, Ranked