Rank Gen 1-5 Pokémon Starters

About this poll

Every starter. Ranked. Settle this once and for all. Gaming rankings sit at the intersection of nostalgia, mechanical appreciation, and pure fun. The game you spent a summer mastering will always punch above its weight on your tier list, and that's part of what makes these debates worth having. The lineup includes Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, and 11 more.

Why the question is worth voting on

Game rankings reflect what you played and when. The titles you spent the most hours on get nostalgia weight that newer entries can't match. That's not a bug — that's how lived experience works. Vote your tier list honestly, then look at the aggregate to see whose memory of the franchise looks like yours.

How voting works

This is a tier-list poll. You'll see each option one at a time and decide whether it goes in S, A, B, C, D, or F tier. S is reserved for genuine peaks — items that clearly stand above the rest. F is for the ones you'd actually call bad. The middle tiers are for everything else, and the cluster sizes don't have to be equal.

Where the consensus stands

This poll is still settling. With 1 votes in, the aggregate is sensitive to new entries — your vote will visibly move the needle. Expect the percentages to shift over the next few days as the crowd grows.

A note on methodology

Hot Ranking uses an anonymous browser fingerprint to ensure each browser votes once per poll. We don't store accounts or personal information; the aggregate you see is the unweighted result of every legitimate vote, with rate limiting in place to filter automated submissions. Results update in real time once you submit. You can read more about how voting works in our About page, and how we handle data in our Privacy Policy.

The lineup

This poll has 15 options to rank. Each one was selected for relevance to the question and verified to have a working image. We don't pad rankings with filler items — every entry is here because it has a real case for inclusion.

• Bulbasaur
• Charmander
• Squirtle
• Chikorita
• Cyndaquil
• Totodile
• Treecko
• Torchic
• Mudkip
• Turtwig
• Chimchar
• Piplup
• …and 3 more

Share your result

After voting, you'll see how your tier list or pick compares to the consensus. The result page is shareable — most of our voters end up arguing with at least one friend after sharing theirs. If you want to see more polls in this category, browse gaming or check out the Hot Ranking blog for essays on tier lists, ranking culture, and the great GOAT debates.