Some of the most diverse species in the entire Pokemon series belong to Grass-types, covering tons of different plants and wildlife in both flavor and appearance. Despite this, the typing is much rarer in competitive Pokemon battles, as popular Fire and Flying-type Pokemon can often threaten their health.
This isn’t to say that Grass-type Pokemon are unusable in the online Battle Stadium of Pokemon Sword & Shield, but only a few of them can truly excel in its online ranked battles. Ten exceptionally powerful ones have some strategies, moves, and abilities that can easily defeat some of the game's strongest opponents.
Updated December 19, 2021, by Quinton O'Connor: As seasons come and go, Pokemon Sword & Shield's metagame shifts accordingly. The best Grass-type Pokemon to bring with you onto the online field aren't necessarily the same ones you may have relied upon in months past. This update has dethroned a handful in favor of fresh greens.
10 Sceptile
Sceptile is often quite underrated as one of the Hoenn starters. It doesn't have the fancy subtypes of Swampert or Blaziken, but it instead just has a ton of speed and mixed offensive stats to make up for it. With Pokemon Sword & Shield, it's just as strong as ever thanks to a wide set of moves that few Grass-types get access to.
This includes some Rock and Dragon-type moves in particular, which give it a great edge against opponents that are normally Super Effective against Grass-types. Its single typing is also very much its strength, as despite its low defenses it has extremely few weaknesses compared to other Grass-types, meaning it can survive a surprising number of hits in most battles.
9 Ferrothorn
Not only is Ferrothorn one of the sturdiest Grass-types, but it's also up there as one of the most effective Steel-types for nearly every team in the game. Its defenses are off the charts and its weaknesses are quite low in this combination, meaning it's the perfect user of Grass-type support moves like Leech Seed and Ingrain to become fully invincible.
As for actually defeating opponents, Ferrothorn also is one of the strongest users of the Steel-type move Gyro Ball, which calculates damage based on how low the user's Speed is. Since Ferrothorn has one of the lowest Speed stats in the game, it ends up being an excellent finisher once you've got enough healing roots laid out.
8 Tangrowth
Tangrowth might not be the coolest-looking Pokemon on the block (unless you happen to think it is, which is fine!), but its use as one of the best Grass-type Pokemon in Sword & Shield cannot be understated. For one thing, its hidden ability, Regenerator, allows it to recover a third of its HP whenever it's switched out. Given that items are forever barred from online battling, any and all savvy healing techniques are to be treasured.
Constant threats in the meta like Primarina and Aegislash are there for Tangrowth to check and defang. Consider giving it an Assault Vest, which prohibits it from using moves that aren't attack-based but elevate its Special Defense by 50 percent. With a move pool chock full of damaging utility hits with Giga Drain and Sludge Bomb, there's no real loss.
7 Tsareena
Tsareena is a surprisingly forgotten member of the Alola Pokedex, and it's quite odd considering how powerful she actually can be. This Pokemon has a remarkably unique signature ability called Queenly Majesty, which prevents opponents from using priority moves to negate attacks like Fake Out and Ice Shard.
This means Tsareena doesn't need speed to outrun an opponent, forcing her foe to play fair. Thankfully, with incredibly powerful physical moves that Grass-type Pokemon rarely tend to get, including the great move Trop Kick to decrease some stats at the same time, she'll quickly become a favorite in your team.
6 Ludicolo
Even though Hoenn is most famous for its numerous Water-type Pokemon, its Grass-types are just as numerous in the world of competitive play. Ludicolo is very much one of these, having great options as a special attacker thanks to moves like Ice Beam, Surf, and Energy Ball for some solid neutral coverage.
That said, Ludicolo works even better as a supporter, learning all kinds of moves like Teeter Dance and Fake Out to confuse and stun your opponents. With its diverse sets of strategies, it's a great option if you want a Pokemon your opponents will never be able to predict.
5 Zarude
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Zarude is known as the "Rogue Monkey" Pokemon, which is pretty neat in its own rights. But it's also a staple online thanks to its status as one of the best Grass Pokemon that Sword & Shield have on offer. Between its high Attack and Speed stats, it's custom-tailored to hit hard and fast, which isn't something Grass-type Pokemon are generally known for. That's not bad at all - filling type-based niches is always smart.
Lately, Grass Pokemon have been getting some welcome offensive techniques. Power Whip is a golden example, with an impressive degree of raw power (hence the name, no doubt) at the modest expense of 85 percent accuracy. Jungle Healing, on the other hand, is the more inherently Grass-like move, restoring some of Zarude's health. Be sure Zarude has access to Darkest Lariat, too; being part Dark-type, it needs something appropriate for its arsenal.
4 Tapu Bulu
Tapu Bulu, one of Alola's four legendary guardians, offers a veritable smorgasbord of utility without completely dimming its chances as an attacker. Its ability, Grass Surge, summons Grassy Terrain upon switch-in. This alone gives Grass-types a sudden advantage on the field, but Tapu Bulu also excels when set with moves like Toxic to keep your opponent's hit points dipping and Synthesis to ensure the same doesn't happen to Tapu Bulu itself.
Horn Leech is also restorative, with the added benefit of smacking the enemy for 75 base power (plus same-type attack bonus), and Dazzling Gleam is a go-to Fairy move that the glitzy guardian can and should use whenever the opportunity arises.
3 Venusaur
As with its fellow Kanto starters, Charizard and Blastoise, Venusaur is a remarkable Pokemon that’s remained competitively viable for years. This has been especially true in recent generations, receiving access to the Hidden Ability Chlorophyll to boost its speed in sunlight alongside powerful moves like Sludge Bomb and Earthquake.
These strengths have only gotten better with its Gigantamax form in the Isle of Armor expansion, giving it the new move G-Max Vine Lash to deal damage at the end of each turn. Venusaur isn’t doing anything unusual in competitive play, but it does its simple jobs incredibly well.
2 Rillaboom
Venusaur is certainly the more classic starter of the Pokemon series, but Galar’s new Rillaboom is doing something much more unique than nearly any other. Most Grass-type starters usually evolve into speedy fighters or defensive tanks, but Rillaboom manages to be a hybrid thanks to its moderate speed and well-balanced offensive and defensive stats.
However, its greatest combo came in the Isle of Armor, as it could use its Hidden Ability to create Grassy Terrain and immediately use Grassy Glide, which attacks first if it’s on the right type of battlefield. This combo fits perfectly with Rillaboom’s physical offense and greatly negates its speed from holding it back against fast Water-types.
1 Kartana
There are several strong Grass-types in Pokemon Sword & Shield, but the most impactful and threatening among current online battles is likely Kartana, a unique Steel and Grass-type Pokemon from the Alola region. This Ultra Beast has drastic Attack and Speed stats, outclassing nearly every other Grass-type Pokemon.
It might suffer from a low maximum health stat, but a high Defense prevents it from being a victim to most Flying and Fighting-type Pokemon. It’s especially vulnerable to Fire-type attacks, but its Speed is high enough to outrun most of them and the Assault Vest item can often make Kartana unstoppable after gaining additional stats from Dynamax moves.