Since Generation Five (and in Generation Three), all of the starter Pokemon have received signature moves. Some of them stay unique to that Pokemon, while others become widely distributed in the very next generation. However, for at least one set of games, certain starters can claim certain moves as theirs and theirs only.

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What piques most competitive Pokemon battlers' interests is how viable they are to use in competitive play, and how they compare with other starter signature moves in that regard. Some of these moves have been hailed the best-of-the-best, either because they make their exclusive owners more viable, or have become commonly used since widespread distribution.

Updated February 8, 2023 by Kyle Laurel: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, as per usual, came with three new starters, and they were no different in that they got signature moves. Here's a look at how the signature moves of Quaquaval, Skeledirge, and Meowscarada stack up against some of the very best.

As long as a move has been the signature move of a starter Pokemon at any point, even if was just for a single set of games (i.e. signatures in X & Y but not in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire), it counts for this list. This list will not include Z-moves, G-Max moves, or signature moves of Partner Pikachu and Eevee, such as Zippy Zap or Veevee Volley.

13 Spiky Shield, Chesnaught

Pokemon: Chesnaught leaping down from a cliffside

Generation Six added quite a few new signature protection moves, such as Aegislash's King Shield, Klefki's Crafty Shield, and Greninja's Mat Block. However, Chesnaught's Spiky Shield proves to be much more practical and viable than the very latter.

Spiky Shield, now a move with decently wide distribution among Grass-types, protects the user and harms any potential attackers that initiate contact to the tune of one-eighth of their HP. Of course, as all protection moves do, it has a higher chance of failing the more times it is used consecutively. It's great for surprising physical attackers and keeping them honest, as well as protection's usual purpose of stalling out turns.

12 Throat Chop, Incineroar

Ash's Torracat in the Pokemon Sun & Moon anime

Incineroar succeeds Greninja and precedes Cinderace as the one starter per generation to get two signature moves, a trend seemingly bucked in Gen Nine. This one of Incineroar's two is pretty niche, but can be extremely useful under the right circumstance.

The Dark-type Throat Chop deals 80 base power's worth of damage, while also preventing its target from using sound moves for two turns. This move is tailor-made to stop Pokemon like Loudred, Toxtricity, and even fellow Alolan starter Primarina, whose main methods of attack are usually sound-based moves. Since it's been widely distributed after its introduction as a Technical Record (TR), Pokemon like Barraskewda, Heracross, and Flamigo can rely on it for some Dark-type coverage.

11 Sparkling Aria, Primarina

Primarina using Sparkling Aria during a contest in the Pokemon anime

Primarina's signature move has remained so for the two generations it has existed, not experiencing the widespread distribution Incineroar's moves have gotten as TRs. Nonetheless, it's a very good move, being essentially a Surf clone with a few tweaks.

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Sparkling Aria is a 90 base power move with 100 percent accuracy, which is exactly what Surf is. The differences are actually negative; it's a sound-based move, which makes Pokemon with Soundproof immune to it, and it heals any potential burns a target may have. These effects result in competitive players relying on Surf instead. Still, it's a solid move that is still useful under most circumstances.

10 Blaze Kick, Blaziken

Blaziken attacking Charizard in the Pokemon anime

Generation Three was the first generation to truly give its starters signature moves, with the Fire-type starter Blaziken getting Blaze Kick. While other Pokemon started to learn it via level-up and breeding the very next generation, it's only recently gotten widespread distribution in Generation Eight, also as a TR.

Blaziken's signature move is an 85 base power physical move. While that figure might be a bit disappointing, it also has a high critical hit ratio and a ten percent chance to burn its target. While it's not yet accessible in Gen Nine, it has worked pretty well in the past as a surprise coverage move for Pokemon like Mienshao, Zeraora, and Galarian Zapdos.

9 Muddy Water, Swampert

Pokemon: Swampert using Muddy Water

This move, introduced in Generation Three, is another Surf clone like Sparkling Aria, but with a few more tweaks.

Muddy Water deals 90 base power damage, and while it's less accurate at 85 percent, it drops its targets' accuracy a stage 30 percent of the time. Much has been said about relying on accuracy drops as a strategy, but the Mudkip line's signature is certainly useful in a playthrough — if not in competitive battles if you're willing to sell your soul to the iron hand of RNG for a win. Most Water-types can learn it too, via TR or breeding, if not via level-up.

8 Mystical Fire, Delphox

Delphox holding a branch with a flame on the tip

While Delphox is one of the more underwhelming starters competitively speaking, its signature move is an interesting one that works excellently for other Pokemon as a coverage move with a little somethin' to it.

Mystical Fire's 75 base power might not jump off the screen, but its guarantee to drop the target's Special Attack might cause some trouble. While you can't rely on it as a total offensive bomb, it can be an unexpected way to totally power down special attackers on the opposing team. Also, a lot of special Fairy-types, like Clefable, Hatterene, and Flutter Mane, learn it alongside the usual Fire-types, making it a decent option to check unsuspecting Steel-types.

7 Snipe Shot, Inteleon

Inteleon uses Snipe Shot in a snowy Galar river in Pokémon Sword & Shield

This Generation Eight starter's signature move puts itself in the ring of special Water-type moves as the only one to provide a high critical hit ratio. Other than that, though, it's a fairly standard Water-type move, with 80 base power and 100 percent accuracy.

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While the move isn't world-shaking in a vacuum, Snipe Shot is excellent for a Pokemon like Inteleon, which has Sniper as a hidden ability. Given a turn to use Focus Energy, a trainer could make Snipe Shot a deadly weapon, getting critical hits almost every time. That's more than enough to magnify the otherwise subpar 80 base power, and it works as a functioning competitive niche.

6 Aqua Step, Quaquaval

Quaquaval evolving in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

The first of the Scarlet & Violet starters' signature moves to appear here, Aqua Step brings a lot of benefits to Quaquaval despite its middle-of-the-road damage potential.

That 80 base power won't blow anyone out of the water, but alongside the 100 percent accuracy making it a sure thing, it also raises the user's Speed by a stage. That can snowball pretty quickly, making the user basically a lock to move first after a few consecutive Aqua Steps. That's great for Quaquaval, who has the excellent Attack stat (120) to make an 80 base power move deal significant damage, but could use that jolt of Speed.

5 Torch Song, Skeledirge

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

Fellow Scarlet & Violet starter Skeledirge has a similar signature move to Quaquaval, with even more snowballing potential. The two moves are basically identical, save for Torch Song being Fire-type, special, and boosting Special Attack instead of Speed.

You can practically only snowball your Speed stat so far, but have your Skeledirge use a few Torch Songs in a row, and it could easily become the most dangerous Pokemon on the field. This move, along with its owner's typing and tank-fit stats, has made Skeledirge an early popular choice for competitive battles in Gen Nine.

4 Pyro Ball, Cinderace

Cinderace Using Pyro Ball, Pokemon Sword And Shield

Similarly to Greninja, Cinderace was given a bit of special treatment, having two signature moves while Rillaboom and Inteleon each only got one. In terms of pure power, Pyro Ball has pretty much every other starter signature move beat.

Pyro Ball is a massive 120 base power move, with 90 percent accuracy. Aside from a standard ten percent chance to burn the target, it doesn't really bring any secondary effects, aside from a few potential drawbacks of thawing frozen targets, not affecting Bulletproof Pokemon, and that ten percent chance to miss. Still, in terms of being a straightforward damage grenade, Pyro Ball does its job excellently.

3 Flower Trick, Meowscarada

Meowscarada using Flower Trick in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Meowscarada's Flower Trick functions similarly: it's also a straightforward damage grenade. It might not look as good as Pyro Ball on paper, but the little things just edge it out over Cinderace's signature.

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While it technically has way less base power at 70, it is a guaranteed critical hit, so you can count on it to deal damage in the same ballpark as a 120 base power move. Crucially, not only does it not have the ten percent chance to miss, Flower Trick bypasses accuracy altogether. Unless your opponent has Battle Armor or Shell Armor (which are not popular abilities in the meta anyway), the Sprigatito line's signature is more of a sure thing than the Scorbunny line's.

2 Leaf Blade, Sceptile

Pokemon: Ash's Sceptile defeats Tobias' Darkrai using Leaf Blade

While it is now considered to be the prototype physical Grass-type attack, Leaf Blade was once, believe it or not, Sceptile's signature move. It didn't necessarily make Sceptile much more viable than it was in its debut generation, but since its widespread distribution, other physical Grass-types like Virizion and Kartana have turned it into a staple.

It's become a prototype thanks to its reliability; you can count on it to give solid 90 base power damage without any potential shenanigans from low accuracy. The high critical hit ratio potentially makes it even more dangerous. Its value as the best attack on the market for physical Grass-types can't be understated.

1 Court Change, Cinderace

Cinderace using Court Change on Dottler in Pokemon Sword & Shield

No other move diminishes the value of entry hazards as much as Cinderace's other signature move, Court Change. It's one of the main reasons why Cinderace was banned from most competitive formats, and rightfully so; it had to be done just so moves like Stealth Rock could be viable again.

The Normal-type status move switches over entry hazards and screens from your side of the field to the other, and vice versa. This keeps tons of hazard setters honest, and adds to Defog's role of removing hazards by giving them to the opponent. That's a luxury only Cinderace has, and it should probably stay that way.

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