The upcomingPokemon Legends: Arceusis going to be a major departure for the Game Freak-developedPokemongames. The big change is that the game seems to be abandoning the structure that fans have come to expect from main seriesPokemongames in favor of being an open world,Breath of the Wild-style game. Whether or not this approach pays off remains to be seen, but whilePokemon Legends: Arceusis making may changes to the established formula, some things are still saying the same.
Namely,Pokemon Legends: Arceuswill feature three starters for players to choose from - one grass-type, one fire-type, and one water-type, as usual. The twist when it comes to thePokemon Legends: Arceusstarters is that instead of introducing brand new starters, each one will be pulled from other regions. This includes the Johto region’s Cyndaquil, the Unova region’s Oshawott, and the Alola region’s Rowlet.
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Otherwise, the way starter Pokemon work inPokemon Legends: Arceusshould be exactly the same as otherPokemongames. Barring any surprises,Pokemon Legends: Arceusplayers will likely select their starter Pokemon early in the game, as one of the first major decisions that they make. But even thoughPokemonfans may already be familiar with these particular creatures, it’s still going to be a tough decision.
Here is everything thatPokemon Legends: Arceusplayers need to know about the game’s starter Pokemon.
Cyndaquil
First introduced in Gen 2’s Johto region, Cyndaquil is a fire-type Pokemon that evolves into Quilava at level 14 and then eventually Typhlosion at level 36. Cyndaquil has been featured prominently inPokemonmedia since its introduction, having had a role in thePokemonanime series along with numerous video game appearances.Cyndaquil hasn’t been featured in the more recent main seriesPokemongames, with players unable to add it to their collection at all inPokemon SwordandShield, but the critter is looking to come back in a big way as one of thePokemon Legends: Arceusstarters.
Oshawott
The water-type Pokemon inPokemon Legends: Arceusis Oshawott, which evolves into Dewott at level 17 and Samurott at level 36. Oshawott made its debut in thePokemonfranchise with thePokemon BlackandWhitegames, set in the Unova region. Like Cyndaquil, Oshawott has made a number of appearances in otherPokemonmedia, including the anime and television series, as well as other video games, likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Oshawott remains a pure water-type through its entire evolutionary line, whereas Cyndaquil is a pure fire-type through its evolutionary line.
Rowlet
Rowlet is the grass-type starter inPokemon Legends: Arceus, and unlike Cyndaquil and Oshawott, it is a dual-type Pokemon. Rowlet first appeared inPokemon SunandMoon, the Generation 7 games, where it is a dual grass- and flying-type Pokemon. At level 17, Rowlet evolves into Dartrix, and at level 34, it evovles into Decidueye. What’s interesting about Decidueye is that its dual-typing changes. Instead of being a grass/flying-type Pokemon like Rowlet and Dartrix, Decidueye is a grass/ghost-type Pokemon, which makes Rowlet’s evolutions particularly interesting.
When it comes to thethreePokemon Legends: Arceusstarters, a case can be made for Rowlet being the most popular among fans of the franchise. Rowlet was hugely popular amongPokemon SunandMoonfans, basically becoming the mascots of those games. Its evolved form Decidueye has also left a significant impact on thePokemonfranchise, and was even chosen to be one of the Pokemon in thePokken Tournament DXfighting game (the Nintendo Switch re-release of the Wii U’sPokken Tournament).
Why These Pokemon for Pokemon Legends: Arceus Starters
While some may think that the starter Pokemon chosen forPokemon Legends: Arceuswere completely random, there is a clear theme that connects them all. All of thePokemon Legends: Arceusstarters are themed after Japanese samuraiand history. Decidueye looks like an archer, whereas Samurott is literally named after “samurai.” Typhlosion’s original Japanese name is a reference to “shogun,” which unites the three Pokemon under that theme.
Which Pokemon Legends: Arceus Starter Pokemon Should You Choose
Pokemon Legends: Arceushas a release dateand some gameplay footage, but as it stands, there is so little that’s known about the game that it’s impossible to provide a well-informed recommendation as to which starter players should choose. Sometimes choosing the grass-type starter is the easiest path for players to get through any givenPokemongame, butPokemon Legends: Arceusseems to be shaking up the established formula in such a way that it’s hard to say if that will hold true for the newest release as well.
ANintendo Direct is happening at E3 2021, and it’s possible thatPokemon Legends: Arceuswill be making an appearance at the show. If so, it’s possible that fans will get some more information about the game that will allow them to make a more-informed decision when it comes to which starter Pokemon to pick inPokemon Legends: Arceus.
Pokemon Legends: Arceuslaunches July 23, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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