The top 10 best Fire type Pokémon of all time, ranked

The classic Pokémon type triangle is composed of Fire, Water, and Grass types: the rock, paper, and scissors of the franchise. For Fire-type trainers, there’s power in the burning fury of flames. But which Fire types are the best? We’ve built a top-10 list, though you’ll notice the number of named Pokémon is actually higher than that — it’s best to keep evolutionary lines together. What monster would pit Charmeleon against its little brother Charmander?

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10. Volcanion

Volcanion has the distinction of being a dual Fire/Water-type Pokémon, the only one of its kind. That makes it pretty special in both categories. The ring over its body actually splits apart: it becomes two independent tentacles that fire deadly steam — the result of combining all that heat and water.

9. Turtonator

Turtonator might be a surprising choice, but consider what it actually is: a fire-breathing turtle. When you look at the spiked-shell design, you start to see that Turtonator is the Fire-type counterpart to Blastoise, an all-time great starter evolution. Plus, you know Schwarzenegger loves its name.

8. Litwick / Lampent / Chandelure

Fire types combine with plenty of others, but Fire/Ghost is a rare breed. This evolutionary line introduced the typing in Gen 5, and it also continued the trend of Ghost Pokémon having creepy purposes. Litwick guides kids into the afterlife, Lampent is a sign of death, and Chandelure likes to hang out in haunted houses and hypnotize people.

7. Ponyta / Rapidash

Let’s switch gears to something much more cheery. Pony and horse Pokémon were gimmes for Gen 1, but The Pokémon Company took things further by making them fiery. You might not able to fix a saddle to their flaming backs, but these Fire-types quickly became fan-favorites nonetheless.

6. Growlithe / Arcanine

This pair of pups also debuted in the original games, becoming two of the best dog Pokémon in the whole series. Growlithe and Arcanine are based on the concept of lion dogs from Chinese folklore, and their Hisuian forms take that design to the next level in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. They also gain a secondary Rock type in that region.

5. Flareon

Flareon is one of many Eevee evolutions, but it’s the only one for Fire-type fans. It almost looks like little Eevee was trying to emulate Arcanine and Growlithe when it evolved. Maybe that’s because this is one of the original Gen 1 Eevee-lutions, alongside Jolteon and Vaporeon.

4. Litten / Torracat / Incineroar

There’s a running joke in Pokémon about ‘cats standing up’ as they evolve, and that began with this Gen 7 starter line. Despite that divisive decision, the trio manages to be some of the best cat Pokémon and Fire types out there. There’s a reason Incineroar got the invite for Smash Bros.

3. Moltres

There’s a lot of Gen 1 on this list, and that’s because it deserves a ton of credit for presenting the first Pokémon in many categories. Moltres is one of the legendary bird trio, the first of their flying kind (or any legendary group, period). Moltres set the precedent for other Fire-type legendaries to follow, like Entei and Victini. Did we put it at #3 because of the “tres” in its name? Also yes.

2. Torchic / Combusken / Blaziken

Pokémon cats stand up, but the stronger stereotype in these games is the Fire/Fighting type. It’s a common trend, and it all started with this Gen 3 evolutionary line. Peak form Blaziken has a cool kabuki theater look, and its Mega form takes that even further.

1. Charmander / Charmeleon / Charizard

What else could it be? Charizard is the Fire-type Pokémon in so many trainers’ minds. It’s so beloved that it has two different Mega evolutions and a Gigantamax form. We’ve already mentioned how many precedents Gen 1 set, and little Charmander was the very first Fire-type starter ever. That’s a great big badge of honor.

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