The strength of a Pokemon is not determined exclusively by their stats or type. Any species can shine brilliantly one moment and fail at the next, for the battlefield of this world is everchanging and unforgiving. Each has strengths and weaknesses; many of which can be exploited.

Though some have a much higher success rate due to superior offense, defense, or speed. A few species stand out as legendary, others as more common but powerful. The secret of true strength in battle is efficiency and timing, in addition to other variables such as type advantage, better stats, and a versatile movepool.

Updated February 23, 2024 by Ben Painter: There are now over 1000 different species of Pokemon, but to some fans, nothing holds the candle to the original 151 Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Red & Blue. Although their designs may be simple, a lot of the Pokemon are timeless, and they still hold up in battle to this day. Pokemon used to be a lot more simpler. Back in the 90s there were no held items, abilities or even special and physical moves. The game has evolved, but so have the original Kanto Pokemon, they have kept up with the times and a lot of them are still usable in the latest entry into the franchise, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

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18 Venusaur

Grass/Poison

Venusaur In The Pokemon Anime

The original fully evolved Pokemon, Venusaur is a powerful Pokemon in the games with high special attack and defense, capable of hitting hard with Solar Beam, Frenzy Plant and Petal Blizzard. What Venusaur is good at is his wide variety of status moves that it can learn; Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Sunny Day and Synthesis.

Venusaur is a Grass/Poison type and it has four weaknesses, Fire (2x), Psychic (2x), Flying and Ice (2x), but upon Mega Evolving, it gains the ability of Thick Fat which removes the Fire and Ice weaknesses. Mega Venusaur is a beast with a massive improvement in its stats, the biggest being a big increase in physical defense.

Venusaur's Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

80/80

Attack:

82/100

Defense:

83/123

Sp. Atk:

100/122

Sp. Def:

100/120

Speed:

80/80

Total:

525/625

17 Charizard

Fire/Flying

Charizard In The Pokemon Anime

A fan-favorite Pokemon, Charizard has received some criticism in recent times for being too favored by Game Freak, basically, they are sick of seeing it everywhere. However, this takes nothing away from the fact Charizard is a fantastic Pokemon and a go-to Fire-type for many in the games.

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Back in Generation 1, there was only one line of Dragon Pokemon, the Dragonite-line and some fans thought that Charizard should have been a Dragon all long, it clearly looks like one. Fans got this with its Mega Evolution introduced in Pokemon X & Y, with Mega Charizard X.

Charizard's Base Stats (Normal/Mega X/Mega Y):

HP:

78/78/78

Attack:

84/130/104

Defense:

78/111/78

Sp. Atk:

109/130/159

Sp. Def:

85/85/115

Speed:

100/100/100

Total:

534/634/634

16 Blastoise

Water

Blastoise In The Pokemon Anime

The signature Pokemon of the first champion in Pokemon, Blue, Blastoise, is an icon with its two massive water cannons and blow-away special attack stat. Hydro Pump can wash away opponents with ease, it thrives in its defense, making use of that massive shell on its back.

With only two weaknesses to Grass (2x) and Electric (2x), it also resists four types, the Shellfish Pokemon can be handy in battle and there isn't a lot which can knock it down. There is a reason why it is one of the most popular Starter Pokemon of all time.

Blastoise's Base Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

79/79

Attack:

83/103

Defense:

100/120

Sp. Atk:

85/135

Sp. Def:

105/115

Speed:

78/78

Total:

530/630

15 Pidgeot

Normal/Flying

Pidgeot In The Pokemon Anime

Flying types are useful in Pokemon as they can avoid Ground-type attacks completely and Pidgeot is one of the best, starting out as a humble Pidgey, it blossoms into the majestic Pidgeot at level 36.

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Back in Generation 1, Pidgeot was the stellar Flying-type attack user, although there are a lot of those to pick from in Kanto. Pigeot is known in the anime as one of Ash's Pokemon, at the end of the original series he released it into the wild with a promise to return for it. But if fans haven't kept up with the latest series, then they will not know that two decades later Ash kept his promise and returned Pidgeot to his team.

Pidgeot's Base Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

83/83

Attack:

80/80

Defense:

75/80

Sp. Atk:

70/135

Sp. Def:

70/80

Speed:

101/121

Total:

479/579

14 Machamp

Fighting

Machamp In Pokken Tournament DX

Machamp is the original powerful Fighting-type Pokemon and in Generation 1 it was so useful, the signature Pokemon of Elite Four member Bruno. Fighting types had only two weaknesses in Red & Blue and were particularly useful as being the only type capable of dealing super effective damage to Normal types.

This four-armed behemoth was a rare Pokemon back in the day as gamers needed to trade a Machoke to obtain it, without the use of cheats back in the ‘90s this was sometimes hard to accomplish on a Game Boy.

Machamp's Base Stats:

HP:

90

Attack:

130

Defense:

80

Sp. Atk:

65

Sp. Def:

85

Speed:

55

Total:

505

13 The Legendary Bird Trio

Articuno (Ice/Flying), Zapdos (Electric/Flying), Moltres (Fire/Flying)

Pokemon legendary birds

Although they aren't nearly as high on the totem pole in the present generation, there was a time that Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were considered among the best possible Pokemon for players to catch. During their stint in the original 151, they had a base stat total of 485 (Articuno), 490 (Zapdos), and 495 (Moltres) respectively. They were hard-hitting and some of the best Pokemon available for their elements.

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Fast-forward to the modern age and the trio has been given a buff to their stats, with each bird now sporting a 580 base stat total. They even received their own Galarian regional forms.

The Legendary Bird Trio's Base Stats (Articiuno/Zapdos/Moltres):

HP:

90/90/90

Attack:

90/90/100

Defense:

100/85/90

Sp. Atk:

95/125/125

Sp. Def:

125/90/85

Speed:

85/100/90

Total:

580/580/580

12 Exeggutor

Grass/Psychic

Pokemon Exeggutor dancing

Some players that first loaded up Red, Blue, or Yellow back in the late 90s likely passed on Exeggutor thanks to its strange appearance. Exeggcute wasn't the strongest Pokemon in the bunch and there were many other pocket monsters found throughout the adventure that some players likely gravitated towards due to their cool appearance or powerful moves. But Exeggutor was actually a lot better than some players would give it credit for, boasting a large base stat total (455) and some powerful moves thanks to its unique typing.

Although Exeggutor would suffer heavily against Ice-based attacks, it was still more than capable of taking down a wide array of strong Pokemon.

Exeggutor's Base Stats:

HP:

95

Attack:

95

Defense:

85

Sp. Atk:

125

Sp. Def:

75

Speed:

55

Total:

530

11 Lapras

Water/Ice

Lapras appearing in the wild in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Speaking of Ice-type Pokemon, this list would be remiss if it didn't include the iconic Lapras. Not only was this Pokemon featured heavily throughout the games, it also found its place in the original anime. There are many players out there that know Lapras due to its front-and-center status but many may not realize just how strong the Pokemon really is. Its base stat total of 450 makes it a powerful special attacker as it features impressive bulk with an HP of 130 and an SP Attack value of 95.

It's not the fastest Pokemon around concerning Generation 1 but it does feature some impressive attacks.

Lapras' Base Stats:

HP:

130

Attack:

85

Defense:

80

Sp. Atk:

85

Sp. Def:

95

Speed:

60

Total:

535

10 Gyarados

Water/Flying

Picture of Gyrados From the Anime

This atrocious Pokemon can become a rampaging destroyer when provoked. In the games, manga, and anime, this sea serpent often wreaks havoc when they appear up from the depths. Usually depicted using impressive moves like Hyper Beam and Twister, they are not a foe most would wish to face.

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With access to Dragon Dance, which allows them to buff their Attack and Speed simultaneously, they can sweep whole teams. However, they have a crippling x4 weakness to Electric attacks, many of which can one-shot or two-shot them.

Gyarados' Base Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

95/95

Attack:

125/155

Defense:

79/109

Sp. Atk:

60/70

Sp. Def:

100/130

Speed:

81/81

Total:

540/640

9 Aerodactyl

Rock/Flying

pokemon journeys theme song aerodactyl action

A prehistoric predator brought back from the dead by modern science, this former resident of an Old Amber fossil takes to the skies with wrathful ferocity. Out of all the original 151, Aerodactyl is tied for the second-highest Speed with the legendary pokemon Mewtwo. The only species that can outspeed them is Electrode.

However, the fossil pokemon has a substantial Attack stat that makes great use of powerhouse Physical moves like Earthquake and Stone Edge. They can also set up Stealth Rocks, which combined with their high Speed makes them a great lead.

Aerodactyl's Base Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

80/80

Attack:

105/135

Defense:

65/85

Sp. Atk:

60/70

Sp. Def:

75/95

Speed:

130/150

Total:

515/615

8 Starmie

Water/Psychic

Starmine in Pokemon Anime

These mysterious pokemon inhabit the seas, swimming while propelled by their secondary star behind the main body. They have high Special Attack and Speed, plus access to a wide array of excellent moves. Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and even Thunderbolt can be learned by this vividly gemmed monster.

As a dual Water and Psychic Type, it gets some great type advantages against many others in Gen 1. Furthermore, it can heal with Recover and utilize great Psychic support moves such as Cosmic Power and Agility to buff various stats.

Starmie's Base Stats:

HP:

60

Attack:

75

Defense:

85

Sp. Atk:

100

Sp. Def:

85

Speed:

115

Total:

520

7 Snorlax

Normal

Never underestimate a Snorlax Pokemon

These usually sleepy titans can unleash a world of hurt when they want to. Against most foes, they do excellent neutral damage with any high base power Normal-type attack like Giga Impact as well as more situational moves like Facade and their trademark Body Slam.

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When confronting Ghost-type enemies, they can even unleash Dark-type attacks to counter them like Crunch and Darkest Lariat. On top of all this, Snorlax has the second-highest HP stat of all the original 151. It can utilize Rest to restore this vast quantity of life followed by Sleep Talk to attack while dosing.

Snorlax's Base Stats:

HP:

160

Attack:

110

Defense:

65

Sp. Atk:

65

Sp. Def:

110

Speed:

30

Total:

540

6 Chansey

Normal

Chansey in the anime

These adorable pink blobs with egg pouches are friends to many due to their caring nature. Though, when it comes to defending their companions or themselves, these rare creatures can be quite troublesome to deal with. A veritable wall of health points, almost possessing the highest-HP stat of any Pokemon in the entire series, it takes a lot to put down a Chansey.

That is if one is attacking with Special attacks. Though, much like an egg, Chansey does not have very high Physical Defense. In fact, in this regard, it has one of the lowest in the series, which offsets their huge pool of health.

Chansey's Base Stats:

HP:

250

Attack:

5

Defense:

5

Sp. Atk:

35

Sp. Def:

105

Speed:

50

Total:

450

5 Mew

Psychic

Mew from Pokemon anime

This legendary Psychic-type is considered a genetic ancestor of many pokemon. Because of this, they can learn a tremendous number of moves, more than any other in the series. This opens up infinite possibilities for sets and makes Mew arguably the more versatile of the original Pokemon in combat.

With both high and evenly distributed stats, Mew can fit as any part of any team; sweeper, healer, lead, or even as a wall. They can also learn Transform, which can make them exceptionally tricky to counter.

Mew's Base Stats:

HP:

100

Attack:

100

Defense:

100

Sp. Atk:

100

Sp. Def:

100

Speed:

100

Total:

600

4 Gengar

Ghost/Poison

pokemon gengar

These terrifying Ghost and Poison-type pokemon boast remarkable Special Attack, Speed, and a stellar movepool. This makes them a versatile threat that usually specializes in trickery or a strong Special offense. Usually depicted confounding or crippling their foes in the anime, they can do so in gameplay as well via Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, and the deadly Curse.

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Alternatively, they can dish out huge Special damage with Shadow Ball, Psychic, Thunderbolt, or any other number of great coverage attacks.

Gengar's Base Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

60/60

Attack:

65/65

Defense:

60/80

Sp. Atk:

130/170

Sp. Def:

75/95

Speed:

110/130

Total:

500/600

3 Dragonite

Dragon/Flying

This pseudo-legendary is the pokemon with the highest Attack stat out of all the original 151. They were also the first fully-evolved Dragon-type pokemon, only really fearing Ice-type attacks, which do x4 damage on them since they are also part Flying-type. Apart from their Attack, their other stats are average, which allows them to fit their role as bulky attacker well.

Access to Dragon Dance makes them a devastating sweeper under the right conditions. With a well-timed Outrage, they can go on a rampage, felling 2 or 3 pokemon on consecutive turns. As if taking out half of a team by themselves isn't enough, they can also learn Extreme Speed, the highest-damage Priority move in the game, allowing them to injure or knock out faster pokemon.

Dragonite's Base Stats:

HP:

91

Attack:

134

Defense:

95

Sp. Atk:

100

Sp. Def:

100

Speed:

80

Total:

600

2 Alakazam

Psychic

Alakazam in the pokemon anime

Alakazam is the definition of a 'Glass Cannon'. They can hit ridiculously hard with a wealth of Special Attacks like Psyshock, Future Sight, and Tri Attack. They can also outspeed almost any other pokemon, though their defensive stats are less than average.

They allegedly have an incredibly high IQ and use it to outwit their adversaries, usually successfully. Alakazam can also learn quite a few Status moves like Recover and Substitute to stall or heal, Thunder Wave and Encore to harass the foe, as well as Nasty Plot and Calm Mind to buff their already staggering Special Attack.

Alakazam's Base Stats (Normal/Mega):

HP:

55/55

Attack:

50/50

Defense:

45/65

Sp. Atk:

135/175

Sp. Def:

95/105

Speed:

120/150

Total:

500/600

1 Mewtwo

Psychic

pokemon anime best wishes screenshot of mewtwo

This legendary pokemon has the highest Special Attack out of all the original 151 in addition to the highest overall base stats. With remarkable Speed, they function a lot like Alakazam but do not suffer from the same faults. Mewtwo has great HP, Attack, Defense, Special Defense, which makes them incredibly overpowered.

This Pokemon was a genetic experiment created by people to be the strongest Pokemon ever. It seems humans succeeded in regards to all of those that can be found in the Kanto region. Mewtwo has access to such a huge pool of moves that they are a one-monster team. If one has a Mewtwo on their side, they'll rarely need others in a battle.

Mewtwo's Base Stats (Normal/Mega X/Mega Y):

HP:

106/106/160

Attack:

110/190/150

Defense:

90/100/70

Sp. Atk:

154/154/194

Sp. Def:

90/100/120

Speed:

130/130/140

Total:

680/780/780

pokemon-red-cover
Pokemon Red

Platform(s)
Game Boy
Released
February 27, 1996
Developer(s)
Game Freak
Genre(s)
Adventure , JRPG