Pokémon Legends Arceus starters Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott: Which is the best starter Pokémon choice in Arceus?
Who will be your first Pokémon partner?
Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott are the three starter Pokémon for Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
All of these Pokémon hail from different generations and which one you pick will help determine how you play the game's opening hours. This includes your battle against Kleavor - the first Noble Pokémon you encounter.
Below lies some insight which will help you decide which starter Pokémon is best for you and, if you'd like to learn more about the game, visit our Pokémon Legends: Arceus walkthrough.
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Who are the starter Pokémon in Pokémon Legends Arceus: Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott
Choosing your starter Pokémon is one of the most important decisions you'll make in Pokémon Legends: Arceus thanks to the role it plays in creating the foundations for your team. No matter which starter you choose, they all have the potential to become powerful Pokémon in their own right.
While Pokémon Legends: Arceus does follow the grass, fire or water choice tradition - one of the starter Pokémon is a dual type. Unlike past Pokemon games, however, each starter hails from a different generation.
You must choose between:
- Cyndaquil - fire-type which evolves into Quilava and Typholosion (Gen 2)
- Oshawott - water-type which evolves into Dewott and Samurott (Gen 5)
- Rowlet - grass and flying-type which evolves into Dartrix and Decidueye (Gen 7)
Which is the best starter Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
Deciding which is the best starter Pokémon is a subjective choice in any Pokémon game and Pokémon Legends: Arceus is no different. One of these Pokémon may be your favourite starter from a previous generation or you may prefer one type over the others, but, no matter what, it's important you pick the right starter Pokémon for you.
If you prefer to plan out your team before playing a Pokémon game, then we recommend visiting our Pokémon Legends: Arceus Pokédex page. Here we've listed all of the Pokémon appearing in the game, so it's a great place to get some Pokémon party ideas.
Oshawott is your best choice for the early battles, especially against the bug and rock-type Kleavor - the first Noble Pokémon you encounter. This Pokémon, unlike Rowlet and Cyndaquil, isn't weak to either of Kleavor's types and its water-typing makes Kleavor more vulnerable to its attacks.
Don't worry if you prefer either Cyndaquil or Rowlet - they both grow in power as the game progresses! Remember, the person who decides the best starter Pokémon in Legends: Arceus is you and your team can be easily designed to support your chosen partner.
Our Pokémon Legends Arceus walkthrough will help you pick a starter Pokémon and win the Kleavor boss fight. You’re also tasked with filling the Hisui Pokédex by obtaining new evolutions like Kleavor by evolving Scyther, Wyrdeer by evolving Stantler, Sneasler by evolving Hisui Sneasel and Overquil by evolving Hisui Qwilfish. There’s a host of new evolution methods, including ones for the Eevee evolutions. Take the time to complete Requests too, such as The Sea’s Legend, Wurmple’s Evolved! and finding the Wisp locations. Don’t forget to track down every Unown location too.
How Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott's final starter evolution affects your choice in Pokémon Legends: Arceus
There is, however, one important detail about the starters in Pokémon Legends: Arceus to take into account. Be warned - this information does contain spoilers, so, if you're trying to avoid them, we recommend you stop reading here.
The video below - uploaded to YouTube by Austin John Plays - gives you a look at how the final evolutions for these starter Pokémon has changed from the 4:21 mark:
The final evolutions for all three starter Pokémon are Hisuian forms - the new regional variant introduced in Legends: Arceus - and, due to this, have new typings. This means that Typhlosion is no longer simply a fire-type, nor is Decidueye a grass and ghost-type Pokémon.
This means:
- Hisuian Typhlosion is a fire and ghost-type
- Hisuian Samurott is water and dark-type
- Hisuain Decidueye is a grass and fighting-type
If you've read this far, we recommend taking these changes into account when picking your starter, especially if you're planning on keeping them in your team. These type changes alter both the weaknesses and movesets for the final evolution, so you can't rely on traditional tactics for these Pokémon.
Good luck choosing your starter Pokémon!