Pokémon Legends: Z-A has three first-partner choices: Chikorita (Grass), Tepig (Fire), and Totodile (Water). Nintendo’s official material gives each one a distinct personality, but it does not publish a tier list, starter-specific difficulty ranking, or evidence that one is universally stronger. The most defensible choice is therefore the Pokémon whose design, temperament, and elemental identity you prefer. Treat any performance-based recommendation as conditional until a current guide or game-data comparison tests the starters in the actual Z-A story and battle systems.
The choice is made as your adventure begins in Lumiose City. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition that adds performance upgrades. Real-time battles, Mega Evolution, and the nightly Z-A Royale shape the game’s context, but their presence alone does not prove that Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile has an overall advantage.
Which starter Pokémon can you choose in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
Nintendo names exactly three first partners. Its official overview says, “You can choose Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as your first partner Pokémon, and then set off on a grand adventure!” (Nintendo’s Pokémon Legends: Z-A overview). Their official elemental labels and the traits Nintendo highlights are:
| Starter | Type | Official traits | Best fit for a preference-led choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chikorita | Grass | Uses the large leaf on its head to sense nearby temperature and humidity; seeks warm places and enjoys sunbathing. | Players drawn to a calm, nature-focused and observant partner. |
| Tepig | Fire | Uses an excellent sense of smell to find food; roasts Berries, although it sometimes burns them. | Players who like a lively, food-motivated Fire Pokémon with a mischievous edge. |
| Totodile | Water | Is rough and tough, tends to bite moving things in sight, and has powerful jaws. | Players who want an energetic, fearless and physically imposing Water partner. |
The table describes identity and temperament, not battle performance. The cited official pages do not attach a ranking, stat comparison, recommended order, or claim that one starter makes the early game easier.
What does each starter’s official personality tell you?
Chikorita: a warm-weather, sensory-focused partner
Nintendo portrays Chikorita as attentive to its surroundings. The leaf is not just a visual feature: the description says it helps Chikorita determine temperature and humidity, while its preference for warm places explains the sunbathing habit. Choose Chikorita if that gentle, nature-oriented character is the one you will enjoy seeing beside you throughout the story.
Its Grass label can also settle the decision for players who naturally identify with plant-based designs or want the visual language of leaves, sunlight and environmental awareness. That is a role-playing preference, not a promise of superior coverage or faster progress in Z-A.
Tepig: an enthusiastic Fire type that can be clumsy with food
Tepig’s official description combines a useful sense with an imperfect habit. It can track down food by smell, then roast Berries, but may burn them. That contrast gives Tepig a playful, impulsive personality rather than a solemn “chosen hero” image.
Pick Tepig when the Fire identity and that comic, energetic behavior appeal to you. A preference for Fire Pokémon is a sound reason to choose it; the available official information does not support extending that preference into a claim that Tepig has the best damage, speed or matchups.
Totodile: bold, rough-and-tough and bite-first
Totodile is presented as the most openly aggressive of the three. Nintendo says it is rough and tough, likely to bite objects that move within its sight, and equipped with powerful jaws. That makes it a natural choice for players who like exuberant, physical-looking partners and a Water identity.
Totodile’s temperament can be more important than any theoretical type chart. If you already know you will enjoy a partner that looks ready to charge at trouble, selecting Totodile gives you a clear role-playing reason without needing an unsupported claim about its final moveset.
Is one Pokémon Legends: Z-A starter objectively best?
No objective winner is established by the official information currently available. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company identify the three choices and describe their characteristics, but the cited material does not publish starter-specific base stats, level-up moves, abilities, evolution details for Z-A, encounter matchups, difficulty differences, speedrun results or controlled battle testing.
That distinction matters because a familiar Grass–Fire–Water relationship is not, by itself, a complete analysis of this game. To call one starter “best,” a comparison would need to show which opponents appear when, how Z-A’s real-time commands affect each Pokémon, what moves and evolutions are actually available, and what kind of play is being measured. Story play, challenge runs and a particular Z-A Royale battle could produce different answers.
Until a current, game-specific comparison supplies those assumptions and results, statements such as “Tepig is the easiest,” “Totodile dominates the early game” or “Chikorita is the worst” go beyond the evidence. A personal-design or personality preference is the reliable recommendation supported by the official descriptions.
How do the Grass, Fire and Water labels help you decide?
The labels are useful as identity markers: Chikorita represents Grass, Tepig represents Fire, and Totodile represents Water. They let you select the visual and thematic style you want for your first partner before you know every detail of the adventure.
They should not be converted into a blanket ranking. The game’s encounter list, move availability and battle rules determine whether a type relationship is practically important in a given section. The supplied official pages do not provide that encounter-by-encounter evidence, so a type-chart argument can only be a preference aid here.
- Choose Grass when Chikorita’s environmental sensitivity and sun-loving character are the appeal.
- Choose Fire when Tepig’s roasted-Berry theme and lively personality fit your preferred partner.
- Choose Water when Totodile’s tough, bite-first attitude is the personality you want to follow.
Do real-time battles, Mega Evolution and the Z-A Royale change the choice?
They change the setting in which you will use your partner, but the official descriptions do not show that they favor one starter. Nintendo says that, for the first time in the Pokémon RPG series, you can command your Pokémon in real-time battles (Nintendo’s game overview). The same overview presents Mega Evolution and the nightly Z-A Royale as major features.
The Pokémon Company’s July 22, 2025 press release explains that the Z-A Royale takes place in nightly battle zones and that the adventure starts after you arrive in Lumiose City (official Asia press release). Lumiose contains shops, restaurants and wild zones, giving the game an urban exploration framework rather than a simple route-by-route journey.
Those systems may eventually make particular moves, ranges or timing strategies valuable, but no cited source connects them to a starter ranking. Do not select a first partner on the assumption that real-time control or Mega Evolution automatically makes one of the three superior.
What is the most reliable way to choose your starter?
Use this short decision process before beginning the opening sequence:
- Start with attachment. Look at the three official descriptions and identify which partner you would be happiest to keep on screen for a full adventure. Long-term enjoyment is a legitimate criterion when no comparative performance data is established.
- Use type as a tiebreaker. If two designs appeal equally, choose the elemental identity—Grass, Fire or Water—that best matches how you like to build a team.
- Separate evidence from assumptions. Do not treat a generic type matchup, a poll prompt, or the existence of Mega Evolution as proof of an overall advantage. A specific gameplay claim needs a current Z-A comparison with stated conditions.
- Commit to the story role you want. Chikorita gives you the observant, sun-loving character; Tepig gives you the enthusiastic Berry-roaster; Totodile gives you the tough biter. Choose the role you will enjoy rather than trying to optimize an unverified ranking.
Which starter should different kinds of players pick?
For players who choose by personality
Chikorita suits a player who likes a thoughtful, nature-attuned companion. Tepig fits someone who enjoys humor and an imperfect but enthusiastic partner. Totodile fits a player who wants a bold presence that reacts to movement with its powerful jaws.
For players who choose by element
Select Chikorita for Grass, Tepig for Fire or Totodile for Water. The official material is explicit about those labels, so this is the cleanest choice when your team theme matters more than speculative optimization.
For players planning a challenge run
Do not rely on a general “best starter” answer. Define the rules first—such as story-only play, restrictions on captures or a particular Z-A Royale goal—and then consult a current source that measures moves, stats, availability and encounters under those rules. None of those comparative measurements is established in the cited official material.
Can you obtain all three Pokémon through Pokémon HOME?
Yes, but this is separate from the opening starter decision. The official connectivity notice says that, after depositing Pokémon caught in the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A into Pokémon HOME, players can receive alpha Chikorita, alpha Tepig and alpha Totodile as Mystery Gifts in the mobile version of HOME (Pokémon HOME and Pokémon Champions Connectivity notice).
The notice describes a deposit requirement and places the gifts in mobile HOME; it does not say that all three become your in-game first partners or that choosing one at the beginning is reversible. Check the current notice before attempting the claim because it warns that gift contents and the acquisition method may change without notice. Treat the HOME gifts as post-choice connectivity benefits, not evidence that one starter is the correct initial pick.
Does the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition affect which starter you get?
No different starter lineup is identified for the two console versions. Nintendo lists Pokémon Legends: Z-A for Nintendo Switch and describes a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with performance upgrades, including enhanced resolution and frame rates (Nintendo’s official overview). The three named first partners remain Chikorita, Tepig and Totodile.
When buying a physical copy, verify whether the listing is for the Nintendo Switch release or the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and confirm current availability. The Pokémon Company’s physical-version announcement is dated July 22, 2025 and covers preorder information, not a permanent guarantee about stock or store terms (physical-version press release).
What official statements define the starter choice and battle system?
Two statements are especially useful for separating confirmed facts from fan assumptions:
- “You can choose Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as your first partner Pokémon, and then set off on a grand adventure!” — Nintendo’s Pokémon Legends: Z-A game overview.
- “For the first time in the Pokémon RPG series, you can command your Pokémon in real-time battles” — Nintendo’s Pokémon Legends: Z-A game overview.
The Pokémon Company’s July 22, 2025 press release adds that, after arriving in Lumiose, certain events lead you to befriend one of the three Pokémon as your adventuring partner. These statements establish the selection and opening premise; they do not identify a strongest option.
What mistakes should you avoid when picking?
- Turning the type triangle into a full review. Grass, Fire and Water describe the starters’ elemental identities, but the official sources do not map those identities to Z-A’s complete encounter schedule.
- Reading a poll prompt as a result. Play Nintendo asks which Pokémon readers would choose, but the prompt is not published evidence of a winning starter or a measured popularity ranking (Play Nintendo starter poll).
- Confusing HOME gifts with the opening party. Alpha versions delivered as mobile HOME Mystery Gifts follow the stated deposit requirement; they are not described as a way to begin the game with all three first partners.
- Assuming edition upgrades alter gameplay balance. Enhanced resolution and frame rates describe performance, not a different starter roster or a documented change to starter strength.
- Repeating unverified tier lists. A ranking copied from another Pokémon game, a generic type chart or an untested prediction is not a Z-A-specific result.
How do the choices look in practical examples?
“I want the most tranquil-looking companion.”
Chikorita is the natural fit because Nintendo’s description emphasizes sensing the environment, seeking warmth and sunbathing. You are choosing a tone and personality for the journey, not claiming that Grass has a hidden numerical advantage.
“I want a Fire Pokémon with comic personality.”
Tepig matches that brief. Its food-finding nose and habit of roasting—and sometimes burning—Berries give it a distinctive character that is different from a purely serious Fire archetype.
“I want the most visibly fearless partner.”
Totodile fits the request. The official description’s rough-and-tough behavior, quick biting and powerful jaws make its role clear even before a game-specific moveset comparison is available.
“I only care about the strongest option.”
Wait for a current analysis that measures the actual Z-A versions of these Pokémon. Specify whether you mean the main story, a restricted challenge or Z-A Royale battles; without that scope, “strongest” has no established answer in the official information cited here.
Where should you verify updates after launch?
Starter descriptions and platform details are on Nintendo’s game overview. The opening premise and physical-version information are in The Pokémon Company’s July 22, 2025 press release. HOME eligibility belongs to the connectivity notice, whose terms may change, while the Play Nintendo poll is useful only as a preference prompt. Checking those pages is more reliable than treating an unsourced tier list or an old preorder promotion as current game data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Play Nintendo starter poll reveal which Pokémon is most popular?
No. The page presents a question asking which partner readers would choose; it does not publish a vote total or declare a winning starter. Use it as a preference prompt rather than as survey evidence.
Do Chikorita, Tepig or Totodile have confirmed Mega Evolutions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
The official overview confirms that Mega Evolution is a game feature, but the cited starter information does not confirm a Mega Evolution for any of these three Pokémon. A starter-specific form should be treated as unconfirmed until an official announcement or game data establishes it.
What age rating does Pokémon Legends: Z-A have?
The game is listed with an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence. That rating describes content suitability and does not indicate which starter is stronger or easier to use.
Was starter-themed merchandise included with a preorder?
A Pokémon Center preorder promotion offered a randomly selected pin featuring Chikorita, Tepig or Totodile. That was a specific promotion, not proof that the pins or any particular plush or figure are currently available; check the current store listing before relying on it.