Your Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen starter choice is one of the most consequential decisions in the entire game — and most players treat it as a personality quiz rather than a strategic commitment. FireRed and LeafGreen, originally released in 2004 as Game Boy Advance remakes of the Kanto classics, are now heading to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in 2026, making this debate newly relevant for a fresh generation of players. The three starters — Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle — each create a fundamentally different playthrough, influencing which gyms feel like a grind, which legendary Pokémon you can encounter, and how much flexibility your team actually has.
Why the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Starter Decision Matters More Than Type Matchups
In most modern Pokémon games, your starter is a preference, not a constraint. FireRed and LeafGreen are different. The early Pokémon pool is deliberately limited, which means your starter fills gaps that you simply cannot patch with wild catches the way you could in later entries. HM moves — the field abilities like Fly and Surf that let you navigate the world — must be taught to team members, and your starter’s type and move pool directly affect how cleanly you can cover those needs without sacrificing a useful battle slot. This is a game where your opening choice echoes all the way to the Elite Four.
There is also the matter of the legendary dogs. Depending on which starter you choose, a different roaming legendary Pokémon becomes available to you later in the game. The Charmander path, for instance, opens access to Suicune. This is the kind of downstream consequence that the game never announces — and it is exactly why walking into that opening choice blind is a mistake.
Bulbasaur Is the Smartest Pick for First-Time Players
Bulbasaur is a Grass and Poison type that evolves into Ivysaur at level 16 and Venusaur at level 32 — the fastest evolution curve of the three starters. That speed matters immediately. Bulbasaur learns Vine Whip at level 10, which tears through Brock’s Rock-type Pokémon in the first gym and gives you a genuine advantage heading into the second gym as well. Beyond raw matchups, Venusaur brings a toolkit that rewards smart play: status conditions, healing moves, and a balanced profile as both a special and physical attacker that is bulkier than its appearance suggests.
For anyone returning to Kanto after years away — or picking it up for the first time via the Switch port — Bulbasaur removes the friction that makes early FireRed and LeafGreen feel punishing. It does not coast through the whole game, but it gives you breathing room to learn the systems without constantly scrambling.
Charmander Rewards Patience With the Best Late-Game Payoff
Charmander is the hardest starter in the early game, full stop. Fire types have no advantage against Brock’s Rock-types or Misty’s Water-types, and Charmander’s evolution into Charmeleon does not arrive until level 16, with Charizard held back until level 36. That is a long stretch of relative underperformance. But the reward for sticking it out is significant. Fire-type Pokémon are genuinely scarce in FireRed and LeafGreen, which means Charizard often ends up as the only reliable Fire attacker on your team by default.
Charizard’s partial Flying typing also means it can serve as your HM Fly user without dedicating a separate team slot to a Flying-type, which is a meaningful efficiency gain in a game where roster space is tight. If you are a player who enjoys the challenge of a difficult opening act and wants a high-speed, high-special-attack powerhouse for the mid and late game, Charmander is a legitimate choice — just go in with your eyes open about the grind ahead.
Squirtle Sits in the Middle and Excels Where It Counts
Squirtle starts with base stats of 44 HP, 48 Attack, 65 Defense, 50 Special Attack, and 64 Special Defense — a defensive profile that makes it more durable than either rival in the early going. It evolves into Wartortle at level 16 and Blastoise at level 36, matching Charmander’s slower evolution pace but arriving with considerably more bulk. Squirtle sits between Bulbasaur and Charmander on the difficulty spectrum: not as dominant in the opening gyms as Bulbasaur, but not as exposed as Charmander either.
Where Blastoise truly shines is in the late game. Blaine’s Fire gym and Giovanni’s Ground gym are two of the most punishing late-game encounters in Kanto, and Blastoise handles both with authority. If your goal is a smooth finish rather than a smooth start, Squirtle earns its place.
Is Bulbasaur the best starter in FireRed and LeafGreen?
For most players, yes. Bulbasaur’s early evolution, gym advantages, and versatile move pool make it the most forgiving and strategically sound choice, particularly for first-time players or those returning after a long break. All three starters are viable, but Bulbasaur removes the most friction across the full playthrough.
Does your starter choice affect which legendary Pokémon you get?
Yes, and this is one of the most overlooked consequences of the decision. Your starter determines which roaming legendary dog Pokémon becomes available to you later in the game — for example, choosing Charmander opens the path to Suicune. This alone makes the starter choice feel much weightier than a simple type preference.
Will FireRed and LeafGreen be on Nintendo Switch?
Yes. FireRed and LeafGreen have been announced for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 ports ahead of a 2026 release, though an exact launch date has not been confirmed. The upcoming availability is what is reigniting the starter debate for players who missed the original Game Boy Advance releases.
The Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen starter debate has never really been about which design looks coolest — it has always been about how much of a challenge you want in the first few hours, how you plan to build your team, and what legendary encounters you want waiting for you at the end. With the Switch port bringing Kanto back to a new audience in 2026, now is the right time to think it through properly rather than just picking your favourite colour.
Where to Buy
Pokemon FireRed | Pokemon LeafGreen
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: TechRadar
