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The 10 best Fire Pokemon of all time

Originally posted on Video Games on Sports Illustrated
By Ryan Woodrow | Last updated 3/18/23

Statistically speaking, if you played the original Red & Blue back in the day, you probably picked the Fire-type starter. It’s easy to see why, for a kid experiencing the Pokémon world for the first time, they certainly look the coolest, and it’s to see the power behind unrelenting flames. There’s more to Fire Pokémon than just destruction though, and many of them have won our hearts over the years.

Whether it’s because of their flashy looks, use in battle, or touching lore, we’ve picked out the best Fire Pokémon across every generation. If you're looking for more, then check out our lists of the rarest Pokémon cards and our ranking of the best Pokémon games.

Charizard

Let’s not beat around the bush here, Charizard is one of the coolest Fire-types out there. You can cry about it being “overused” in the games all you want, but Charizard is the best example of what a tough starter Pokémon should look like. It looks like a badass dragon, breathing fire on anyone who stands in your way, but its face can still light up with joy, making it a lovable partner – is there any wonder why it’s the second mascot of the franchise?

Entei

The three legendary beasts give off very different vibes, and Entei has always struck me as the wisened elder of the group. There’s something inherently regal in the way it stands tall, and the armor on its face looks like a long mustache a mentor figure would have. If that’s not enough to win you over, then it becomes an utter monster on the battlefield – the kind of creature that would fry you alive in an instant if you drew its ire.

Chandelure

The Pokémon that are essentially inanimate objects with faces often get mocked, but Chandelure is an example of how to do it right. Unlike Vanilluxe which just has a cartoon face on an ice cream cone, Chandelure has its expressions and physicalities built into the object it’s mimicking. It swings back and forth on a fixed point while in battle, and it flexes its extra candles as if they were arms, making it creepy in just the right way.

Ho-Oh

From the first moment it appeared in the anime, people were enamored with Ho-Oh. There are plenty of great bird Pokémon out there, but Ho-Oh always managed to feel special. The color combination on its wings, the sharp beak, and the tufts of hair on its head make it feel somehow above all of the others. It’s a brilliant mesh of a bird’s beauty and fire’s power.

Ceruledge

One of the best new Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, Ceruledge brings the best out of its pre-evolved form. Armarouge is pretty cool too, but Ceruledge’s dark theme, combined with the flaming blades for hands takes the cake. It’s an extremely reliable battle partner too, with its signature move, Bitter Blade, dealing out huge damage while healing itself.

Ninetails

We talked about Ho-Oh’s beauty, but Ninetails is the true representation of fire’s grace. Generation 1’s designs were often a lot simpler than what would come later, and in Ninetails’ case, that’s a huge benefit. It’s a simple fox-like design with a sleek body that bursts out into a mass of tails – if only there was some way to know how many. Plus, the Pokédex says that “those who cross it even once will be cursed for a thousand years”, so I’m inclined to be nice about it.

Volcarona

This big bulky blazing bug is everything you want from a Fire/Bug-type. It’s like Mothra’s cooler younger brother in every way. The way it’s wings sprout out behind it like the sun is simply gorgeous, and then you take it into a battle and realize that it’s an absolute monster. The only downside is that you need a Larvesta to reach Level 59 to evolve it – it’s worth the trouble though.

Arcanine

Dogs are great. Big fluffy orange-striped dogs are even greater. I don’t know what more you want from me.

Talonflame

While Ho-Oh is the perfect embodiment of a legendary bird, Talonflame is special because of how amazing it makes the ordinary feel. Its body has a very simple design, but the use of color and pattern on that body is simply masterful, it’s just a joy to look at. It’s a force to be reckoned with in battle too, with incredible speed and the use of powerful moves like Brave Bird and Flare Blitz.

Infernape

There’s so much that makes Infernape awesome. For one thing, it’s a monkey that knows karate and has fire for hair but more importantly than that, it’s such a wonderful character. From Chimchar, into Monferno, and this final form, its design keeps that youthful cheekiness from its base form, even when it grows into something much more powerful. Then you take into account its appearance as one of Ash’s best-ever Pokémon in the anime, with a powerful story of overcoming your perceived weaknesses and turning them into strengths.

This article first appeared on Video Games on Sports Illustrated and was syndicated with permission.

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