Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle: Which Kanto Starter Should You Actually Pick?

All three are good. Here’s where they actually differ.

Professor Oak’s three Pokémon have been debated since 1996. None of them will stop you from finishing the game — but they don’t play the same, and the differences matter most in the first few hours.

Charmander

The most popular pick, and also the hardest start. Charmander is a pure Fire type, which puts it at a real disadvantage against Brock’s Rock-type gym and Misty’s Water-type gym — the first two obstacles in Kanto. You’ll be relying on Normal-type moves and whatever you catch in Viridian Forest to get through those early battles.

It evolves into Charmeleon at level 16 and Charizard at level 36. Charizard is Fire and Flying, which opens up a lot of options in the back half of the game. By the time you reach the later gyms, the rough start feels like a distant memory.

Pick Charmander if you want a challenge early and a strong payoff later.

Bulbasaur

Grass and Poison from the very beginning. Brock’s Rock-types are weak to Grass moves. Misty’s Water-types are also weak to Grass. Bulbasaur is the smoothest starter for new players, which might be why it sits at number 001 in the Pokédex — it’s the one designed to get you through the opening without much friction.

Ivysaur arrives at level 16, Venusaur at level 32. Venusaur doesn’t have Charizard’s fame, but its stats hold up well. The moveset options — Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf — give it real utility throughout the game, not just early on.

Bulbasaur is also, ironically, the least-chosen of the three among players who’ve played before. Everyone knows it’s the sensible pick. Nobody wants to be sensible at age ten.

Squirtle

Water type, solid from the start. Good against Brock’s Rock-types, manageable against Misty’s gym. Squirtle doesn’t have the dramatic difficulty curve of Charmander or the beginner-friendly advantage of Bulbasaur — it sits in the middle and does its job quietly.

Wartortle at level 16, Blastoise at level 36. Blastoise is built around taking hits — high HP and Defense make it one of the sturdiest Pokémon in the original games. If you like Pokémon that just don’t go down easily, Blastoise is the one.

How gym matchups shape the run

The first two gyms strongly favour Bulbasaur and Squirtle. That’s a genuine and meaningful difference when you’re still figuring out how battles work.

After Cerulean City, the advantage spreads out. Some gyms suit Charizard well, others are easier with Blastoise, and Venusaur holds its own throughout. No starter dominates every badge. The gap between the “right” and “wrong” pick shrinks the further in you go.

What the choice actually says about you

Most players choose on instinct rather than type charts, and that’s probably fine. Charmander appeals to people who want the hard route and a dragon at the end of it. Squirtle tends to attract players who want reliability without drama. Bulbasaur gets picked by people who either did their research or just thought the frog-plant combination looked interesting.

Ash, the kid in the anime, didn’t pick any of the three. He overslept and got Pikachu instead. There’s a lesson in there somewhere.