Grass Pokémon are often an underappreciated bunch. Ever since the playground arguments of who was better between Squirtle and Charmander started, we Bulbasaur fans have just sat quietly in the corner enjoying our plants. Thankfully, there have been plenty of great Grass Pokémon over the years who have gotten the love they deserve, and now we’re going to rank the very best.
Grass is the third most common type in the Pokédex, so there is a wide selection of 111 to choose from. The best Grass Pokémon are the ones that invoke the idea of plant life without just straight up being a plant with a face (sorry Sunflora, but you’re out). They should be green, full of life, and invoke the quiet happiness of a warm spring morning.
Gourgeist
Now, leading off with Gourgeist after talking about how Grass-types should be green and full of life may seem counterintuitive, but every now and then you find an exception that proves the rule. Gourgeist hits the mark of being both pretty and terrifying. Its warm smile, long hair, and pumpkin base make it so inviting, but then you read the Pokédex and become suitably horrified.
You see, Gourgeist can come in different sizes, and each one has a slightly different entry. Starting at the smallest, they pretend to be children to trick adults. Then, the medium size ones do the opposite, tricking children by posing as adults. What do they do once they’ve tricked them? Leads them into the afterlife. No really, that’s the exact phrase in the Sword & Shield Pokédex, but don’t worry, it gets worse. The largest Gourgeist are said to forcefully drag people into the afterlife and to once again quote the Pokédex, they “aren’t picky” about who they kill.
Shiftry
It’s hard for a Grass-type Pokémon to look cool. There are plenty of cute ones, but looking cool when you’re made of flowers isn’t easy, however, the Dark-type Pokémon Shiftry just about manages it. Its pre-evolution, Nuzleaf is cool too, although it lacks anything special, Shiftry on the other hand balances out all the brown with a cloak of white fur and razor-sharp leaves for hands. If you needed any more proof of its cool status, its official Pokédex classification is “The Wicked Pokémon” which sounds pretty cool by 90s standards; the standards by which all coolness should be judged.
Sprigatito
We don’t even know what Sprigatito evolves into yet, but it’s already one of the best Grass Pokémon out there. Admittedly, if its evolution goes along the Delphox route of humanoid design, it could be a disaster, but right now, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s Grass starter has a lot going for it. The catlike design is simple and cute, it has a big expressive face, and the little flourishes of grass on its cheeks are too adorable to resist.
Shaymin
Speaking of cute balls of grass, Shaymin, one of Sinnoh’s Mythical Pokémon, gets two forms, both of which look great in different ways. Its land form is like a hedgehog from a fairytale. With a pure white body and a pink flower on its head, you’d expect this to emerge from your garden hedge and grant you a wish for being pure of heart. Then it has the sky form, which looks like a brave soul out for an adventure, like a character straight out of a Mystery Dungeon game. You can learn how to catch Shaymin with our Pokémon: Legends Arceus guide.
Leafeon
If a type has an Eeveelution, then it’s fair to assume that it’ll rank somewhere in the top ten for that type. It’s no wonder that fans are always asking for new Eeveelutions when every single one knocks it out of the park. It’s the simplicity in Eevee’s design that makes all of its evolutions work, it means the specific features of a type can easily be incorporated without losing the core features of Eevee’s design. Leafeon is just Eevee with leaves on its head, and that’s all it needs to be.
Sceptile
It’s no surprise that more than one starter Pokémon is making it onto this list, it’s almost unfair to the rest of the Pokédex how these Pokémon are painstakingly designed to be as lovable as possible for new players. All of Hoenn’s starters are great in different ways, but Sceptile is undoubtedly the coolest. There’s still a hint of Teecko’s cuteness in there, but with blades on its arms, a huge tail, and the ability to Mega-Evolve.
Roserade
Pinning down just one thing that makes Roserade work is tricky, because there’s nothing that stands out, it’s all just generally great. The white fluff for hair, the small confident smile, and the bouquet of flowers that double as cheerleading pom-poms all come together to create an appealing Grass Pokémon. It’s not just sweet either, as the Pokédex warns of the whips covered in poison thorns that sit inside the bouquets.
Bulbasuar
A face for Grass-types around the world, Venusaur may look cool, but you can’t beat Bulbasuar’s charm. The little guy has such wide eyes and such a huge smile it’s infectious. As the debate raged on between Squirtle and Charmander fans, Bulbasaur was quite content to carry along its merry way, spreading cheer to anyone who was kind enough to notice it.
Celebi
Despite Mew laying the foundations, Celebi may be the perfect Mythical Pokémon. Unlike its Legendary Pokémon counterparts, It’s small, sweet, overflowing with charm, and has just the right balance of simplistic and complex elements in its design. This little forest sprite has the power to travel through time but is entirely benevolent in its intentions, save for a little bit of playful mischief. It’s no wonder that one of the community’s biggest hubs, Serebii, uses Celebi as its mascot, it’s so instantly lovable.
Decidueye
A Grass/Ghost-type starter Pokémon based on a bird of prey and the legend of Robin Hood could it possibly tick any more boxes on the ‘cool Pokémon’ checklist? Oh? It has a signature move called ‘Spirit Shackle’, you say? Turns out it could. Rowlet is an adorable Pokémon, but Decidueye outshines it in just about every way.
There’s such a strong attitude in its design, from the hood made of leaves to the hero stance, to the eyes that stare a hole through you. Then there’s its Hisiuan Form which takes a completely different route to exactly the same result, seeing them side by side shows just how fantastic a Pokémon it is.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
