Pokemon Legends: Z‑A best starter — Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig

Legends: Z‑A drops the traditional gym ladder and pushes you through Lumiose City with flexible team-building, so you won’t brick your run by picking the “wrong” starter. Chikorita, Totodile, and Tepig are all viable; the best choice comes down to how soon they evolve, their type coverage, and how you like to play.

Starter comparison (type coverage and evolution)

Evolution speed matters early. Totodile reaches its final form first (Lv. 30), Chikorita follows (Lv. 32), and Tepig takes the longest (Lv. 36). Water and Fire enjoy broadly reliable coverage; Grass has the widest list of offensive resistances to work around.

Best pick for most players

Totodile is the most broadly useful starter for a blind playthrough. It evolves to Feraligatr the earliest, has a strong physical attack focus with balanced overall stats, and only two common weaknesses (Electric and Grass). Water’s matchup spread reliably handles frequent threats like Ground- and Rock-types you’ll see throughout early routes and encounters.

Pick by playstyle

• Chikorita (defensive/sustain) — Suits players who prefer attrition, healing, and control. Grass moves and access to sustain options let you chip away while staying healthy. The tradeoff is lower direct damage into many types and five weaknesses to respect.

• Totodile (balanced bruiser) — Straightforward to pilot with early power spikes at 18 and 30. Water’s dependable coverage plus strong physical moves make it an easy backbone for your team.

• Tepig (late-blooming attacker) — Leans into raw offense and a broad move pool after evolving. Expect slower final evolution timing and more common weaknesses to cover, especially once it picks up the Fire/Fighting dual type.

How early matchups shape your first hours

Early opponents trend toward Normal, Grass, Ground, Flying, and Fighting types. That tilt favors Water and Fire slightly in terms of immediate threats you can remove quickly—Water erases Ground/Rock roadblocks, and Fire preys on early Grass. Grass still answers Ground and Water effectively but runs into more resistances in mixed encounters and needs careful switching around Flying and Bug.

Mega evolutions (light spoilers)

Each starter line gains a new Mega form later in the game:

• Mega Meganium — Grass/Fairy
• Mega Feraligatr — Water/Dragon
• Mega Emboar — Fire/Fighting

Mega Feraligatr is a standout for raw damage and a Water/Dragon profile that’s only weak to Dragon and Fairy, making it both punchy and resilient. Mega Meganium’s added Fairy typing bolsters utility into Dark/Dragon matchups. Mega Emboar stays hyper-offensive with wide coverage but retains the familiar Fire/Fighting tradeoffs.

Team-building beyond your starter

• You can add other starters early. Kanto’s Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle become available a few hours into the campaign via a side mission (“A Call from Mable”) at the Research Center. Pick the one that complements your main partner’s weaknesses.

• Expect more ways to round out coverage. Kalos starters are obtainable early, and you’ll run into both Alpha variants and rare Shiny spawns as you explore. Use those pickups to patch resistances or add priority and status options your starter lacks.

If you want the simplest path, choose Totodile and build around its few weaknesses. Prefer a tactical, sustain-first style? Chikorita can carry that approach with the right support. If you’re chasing big hits and don’t mind slower setup, Tepig pays off once Emboar is online. All three finish strong—pick the partner you’ll enjoy using for dozens of hours, then draft the rest of your squad to cover the gaps.