PokéSurvivor Tier List: All 29 Starters Ranked for 2026

Picking a partner is easy; keeping that partner alive when the horde closes in takes a plan. This PokéSurvivor tier list ranks all 29 selectable starters so you can compare their opening stats and move paths before spending coins. Use the PokéSurvivor tier list to narrow your choices, then build around the partner you actually enjoy playing.

These October 2026 starter rankings use a percentile-based score weighted toward base stat total, or BST: 40% BST, 20% Attack, 20% Speed, and 20% starting-move DPS. Litten leads the ranking, followed by Popplio, Psyduck, Scorbunny, and Froakie.

The scores describe starting potential. Survival also depends on move evolutions, Bonds, enemy matchups, weather, and your permanent upgrades. With 966 playable Pokémon, keep this starter ranking separate from an all-roster survival ranking.

S Tier: Litten, Popplio, Psyduck, Scorbunny, and Froakie

The S-tier group holds the five highest composite scores. Each partner offers a different combination of movement speed, starting damage, and evolution path, so compare the opening attack before choosing.

Pokémon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Litten	S	Score 74; 320 BST, 107 Speed, and Ember → Fire Blast
Popplio	S	Score 66; 320 BST and Bubble → Surf, with starting-move DPS of 72.0
Psyduck	S	Score 59; 320 BST, 101 Speed, and Confusion → Psyshock
Scorbunny	S	Score 58; 107 Speed, 1.09 Attack, and Ember → Fire Blast
Froakie	S	Score 55; 108 Speed and Water Gun → Scald

Litten combines a high BST with 107 Speed and a starting move that evolves into Fire Blast. Scorbunny follows the same evolution route, but its stat spread differs: it has 310 BST and a higher listed Attack value of 1.09.

Popplio’s Bubble has the highest starting-move DPS among these five entries. Its listed Speed is 95, compared with Froakie’s 108. Compare both numbers instead of letting damage alone make the decision.

Psyduck adds another distinction: it is a Water-type partner that starts with Confusion. Your partner’s defensive typing and your active attack’s offensive matchup are separate considerations.

When using this PokéSurvivor tier list, check what you will actually be firing. A strong starting score does not remove the need to switch attacks against an unfavorable enemy.

For your opening runs:

• Upgrade the attack you are actively using.
• Collect dropped experience while preserving an escape route.
• Switch moves when the enemies ahead resist your current attack.
• Move out of ground markers before their attacks land.

Automatic attacks handle firing. Your movement and active-move selection still decide how safely you fight.

A Tier: Strong Scores With Different Stat Tradeoffs

A tier contains seven starters with composite scores from 42 to 52. Several share evolution paths with higher-ranked partners, which makes their stat differences especially useful to compare.

Pokémon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Bulbasaur	A	Score 52; 318 BST, 97 Speed, and Vine Whip → Power Whip
Turtwig	A	Score 52; 318 BST, 95 HP, and Vine Whip → Power Whip
Sobble	A	Score 51; 107 Speed, 1.08 Attack, and Water Gun → Scald
Piplup	A	Score 50; 94 HP and Bubble → Surf, with starting-move DPS of 72.0
Totodile	A	Score 46; 314 BST, 96 Speed, and Water Gun → Scald
Torchic	A	Score 46; 1.08 Attack and Ember → Fire Blast
Chikorita	A	Score 42; 318 BST, 97 Speed, and Vine Whip → Power Whip

Bulbasaur and Turtwig share a score and starting evolution path. Bulbasaur has 97 Speed and 90 HP; Turtwig has 91 Speed and 95 HP. Their typings also differ: Bulbasaur is Grass/Poison, while Turtwig is Grass.

Use those differences to compare the partner you want to control. Check movement and incoming type matchups alongside the attack path.

Piplup shares Popplio’s Bubble → Surf route and its listed starting-move DPS. Sobble shares Froakie’s Water Gun → Scald route, with 107 Speed and 1.08 Attack. A tier therefore includes familiar move paths attached to different overall stat packages.

The PokéSurvivor tier list also needs to account for investment. Permanent upgrades belong to individual Pokémon. Coins spent upgrading Bulbasaur strengthen Bulbasaur; they do not carry over to a newly selected partner.

Before switching mains, compare both partners’ upgrade screens. Keep investing in the partner you want to play regularly, and target the problem that repeatedly ends your runs.

If enemies catch you, prioritize movement and safer routes. If your active attack stops clearing nearby threats, strengthen that attack. When healers and shield-casters keep a group alive, target those enemies before chasing scattered pickups.

B Tier: Compare the Opening Move Before Switching

B-tier starters score from 35 to 42. This group includes familiar picks such as Squirtle, Charmander, and Mudkip, plus partners with noticeably different HP and Speed spreads.

Pokémon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Slowpoke	B	Score 42; 110 HP, 84 Speed, and Confusion → Psyshock
Rowlet	B	Score 41; 320 BST, 101 HP, and Razor Leaf → Leaf Storm
Grookey	B	Score 38; 105 Speed and Vine Whip → Power Whip
Quaxly	B	Score 38; 95 HP, 99 Speed, and Water Gun → Scald
Squirtle	B	Score 37; 314 BST, 0.97 Attack, and Water Gun → Scald
Treecko	B	Score 37; 107 Speed and Razor Leaf → Leaf Storm
Mudkip	B	Score 37; 1.08 Attack and Water Gun → Scald
Charmander	B	Score 35; 105 Speed, 1.03 Attack, and Ember → Fire Blast
Cyndaquil	B	Score 35; 105 Speed, 1.03 Attack, and Ember → Fire Blast

Slowpoke illustrates why a single stat cannot settle a ranking. It has 110 HP, but its Speed is 84. Psyduck shares its starting evolution path while carrying a different stat spread.

Rowlet combines 320 BST with 101 HP, yet its starting Razor Leaf DPS is 22.2. Treecko shares that move path and has 107 Speed. Compare the whole opening kit when choosing between them.

Charmander and Cyndaquil have matching listed BST, HP, Speed, Attack, starting move, and score. This PokéSurvivor tier list gives them the same tier without inventing a performance difference between them.

Once a run starts, learn the move switcher. On PC, use 1–4, Q/E, or the move icons to select attacks. On mobile, tap the move you want.

Only the active move attacks normally. Filling four slots gives you options to switch between; it does not automatically make all four attacks fire together. Bonds change that behavior by pairing moves so they fire simultaneously from one slot.

Build one working damage option before spreading upgrades across several attacks. Keep another attack available for matchups your main move handles poorly.

C Tier: Lower Composite Scores, Familiar Evolution Paths

C tier holds the eight lowest scores in this starter comparison. The label reflects the weighted opening-stat formula, while the move paths remain important to your run plan.

Pokémon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Chimchar	C	Score 33; 309 BST, 104 Speed, and Ember → Fire Blast
Chespin	C	Score 33; 313 BST, 94 Speed, and Vine Whip → Power Whip
Fuecoco	C	Score 32; 100 HP, 93 Speed, and Ember → Fire Blast
Tepig	C	Score 29; 99 HP, 97 Speed, and Ember → Fire Blast
Fennekin	C	Score 29; 307 BST, 103 Speed, and Ember → Fire Blast
Sprigatito	C	Score 28; 105 Speed and Razor Leaf → Leaf Storm
Oshawott	C	Score 24; 308 BST, 97 Speed, and Water Gun → Scald
Snivy	C	Score 14; 0.95 Attack and Razor Leaf → Leaf Storm

Fuecoco’s 100 HP and Tepig’s 99 HP stand out within this group, but HP is only part of the comparison. Sprigatito has 105 Speed, while Snivy has 104 Speed and a lower listed Attack value of 0.95.

Several C-tier partners share starting moves with S-tier entries. Chimchar, Fuecoco, Tepig, and Fennekin all begin with Ember → Fire Blast. Oshawott follows Water Gun → Scald.

Keep that distinction in mind when reading a PokéSurvivor tier list: the starter’s score and the attack’s evolution route answer different questions.

If your favorite sits here, focus your upgrades instead of abandoning the run plan. Raise your main move toward its evolution requirement, collect experience along safe routes, and use defensive picks when incoming damage becomes the immediate problem.

Move in wide circles to pull pursuing enemies into a line. Avoid cutting through the group for a single experience orb. During crowded waves, clear room before approaching a chest or changing direction sharply.

Make Your Tier Pick Work: Evolutions, Items, and Matchups

After choosing a starter, turn its opening kit into a coherent build. Move evolution requires a max-level move and its matching in-run upgrade. For the level-five evolution system, take the required stat card and select the gold evolution card when offered. Permanent upgrades and held-item bonuses do not replace that card.

Held items introduce another decision. You can carry one at a time, and finding another lets you choose which to keep.

Held item	Effect	Decision to make
Leftovers	Restores 1.5% of HP per second	Keep it when recovery supports your survival plan
Quick Claw	Reduces move cooldowns by 20%	Use it to increase attack frequency
Choice Band	Adds 40% damage and prevents move switching	Commit only if you want to keep one active attack
Life Orb	Adds 30% damage; attacks cost some HP	Watch your health while using its damage boost
Assault Vest	Reduces damage taken by 20%	Compare damage reduction with your current item

Choice Band deserves attention because switching attacks is central to type coverage. Check your selected move before accepting a restriction that prevents switching.

Type effectiveness uses softened multipliers: super-effective attacks deal ×1.6, resisted attacks ×0.6, and traditional immunities ×0.3. Dual-type modifiers multiply, with a maximum of ×2.4. These rules apply to incoming attacks too.

Weather adds another layer. Rain strengthens Water and weakens Fire; harsh sunlight reverses that relationship. Switch to an appropriate attack when weather changes your damage plan.

Rifts put those choices under pressure across 18 type-themed arenas. Terrain affects movement: lava burns, ice is slippery, and water slows you down. Check your health, attack options, and movement space before entering.

Use the PokéSurvivor tier list to choose your starting point, then adapt to the battlefield. You can play PokéSurvivor in your browser and select a partner from every region’s starters, plus Psyduck and Slowpoke.

FAQ

Who ranks highest on the PokéSurvivor tier list?

Litten ranks first in the starter composite with a score of 74. Popplio, Psyduck, Scorbunny, and Froakie complete S tier. The formula combines BST, Attack, Speed, and starting-move DPS.

Does this ranking cover all 966 Pokémon?

It covers the 29 selectable starters. The full playable roster contains 966 Pokémon across nine regions. An all-roster survival comparison also needs to account for move evolutions, Bonds, rift matchups, and upgrade investment.

Should I replace an upgraded partner with an S-tier starter?

Compare their permanent upgrades before switching. Upgrades apply only to the Pokémon that owns them. Choose the partner you want to keep investing in, then build around its starting move and available attack options.

Do four move slots mean four automatic attacks?

Normally, only your selected move attacks. Switch between slots for different situations. Bonded moves fire together while occupying one slot, letting a paired attack operate differently from separate, unbonded moves.