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There is a lot to love about the games, but obviously, a large portion of this love is pointed in the direction of the Pokemon themselves. Fans love these creatures for many different reasons, but they normally concentrate on collecting the strongest available to train. With Scarlet and Violet having their own share of ups and downs, let’s take a look at the past and talk about the ten strongest Pokémon in the original Pokemon Red/Blue games (in terms of stats, not aesthetics).

Updated ADD DATE HERE ONCE SCHEDULED by Jacob Buchalter: With Pokemon currently fresh in everyone’s minds from the recent release (at the time of writing this) of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it seemed an apt time to look back to a simpler time. Scarlet and Violet are games that attempted to innovate on what the classic Pokemon games introduced, and they both succeeded and failed in some ways. There are a ton of absurdly powerful Pokemon in these newer games, with stat totals reaching amounts that are almost laughably high, but who were the Pokemon in the original games that reigned supreme before all these extra typings, moves, and mechanics were introduced?

10 Tentacruel & Starmie

Tentacruel is a Water/Poison-type Pokemon and Starmie is a Water/Psychic-type Pokemon. They each have 435 as their base stat totals which means they’re tied and as such are going to share this entry. Tentacruel is a great Pokemon despite how common it is, being incredibly fast combined with high HP and Special stats, and both itself and its pre-evolution Tentacool even have unique new forms in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with Toedscool and Toedscruel. Starmie has a lot of the same qualities as Tentacruel statistically, but it has the advantage of being a powerful Psychic-type, which was far and away Generation 1’s best type. Plus, where Tentacruel is usually used competitively as a sort of Toxic machine, Starmie is much more of a basic heavy hitter.

In Red and Blue, Tentacool can be found in basically any body of water when using the Super Rod. After catching one, players can then evolve Tentacool into Tentacruel starting at level 30. Additionally, many wild Staryu are located in the Seafoam Islands, although evolving it into Starmie isn’t a leveling process, but instead requires a Water Stone.

9 Rhydon & Aerodactyl

Rhydon is a Ground/Rock-type Pokemon and Aerodactyl is a Rock/Flying-type Fossil Pokemon. They each have 440 as their base stat total, which is pretty high for the earlier games. Rhydon is a physical beast in every sense of the word, while it is slow, it is also blessed with insanely high HP, Defense, and Physical attack. Meanwhile, Aerodactyl has the rare quality of being a fast Rock-type Pokemon with its impressive Speed stat, which combines wonderfully with its great Attack stat. Both of these Pokemon have also been graced with new forms or evolutions over the years as Rhydon became able to evolve into Rhyperior in the fourth generation of Pokemon while Aerodactyl got a Mega Evolution in the sixth generation.

But, in the original games, Rhydon was the end of that evolutionary line, evolving at level 42. To get one in Red and Blue, players needed Rhyhorn, which can be found in the Center and Second areas of the Safari Zone. And of course, Aerodactyl needs to be revived from the Old Amber found at the Pewter Museum of Science, which then needs to be taken to Cinnabar Lab. Fossil Pokemon have come a long way since the days of the original three, but Aerodactyl it still remains one of the more beloved Fossil-type Pokemon overall.

8 Tauros & Lapras

Moving on now to yet another pair of Pokemon that share the same base stat total, Tauros the Normal-type bull/horse-inspired Pokemon, and Lapras the dual Water/Ice-type Pokemon. Both of these single-evolution Pokemon (meaning they don’t evolve) have a base stat total of 450. However, that was pretty much where their similarities ended, until the Paldea region was introduced in Scarlet and Violet and Tauros’ Aqua Breed regional variant was introduced (along with the Combat and Blaze Breeds as well).

In its default Normal-type form, Tauros is extremely fast and hits incredibly hard on the physical side, while Lapras is much slower and more defensive, having a very large amount of HP. And, once Lapras’ Gigantamax form was introduced in the eighth generation, their defensive stats became even more pronounced. For people looking for these two Pokemon in the original Red and Blue games, Tauros can be found in any area of the Safari Zone that isn’t the Central one. Though Lapras, however, can only be obtained as a gift from a certain person on the seventh floor of the Silph Co. building.

7 Arcanine & Exeggutor

Next up are two polar opposite Pokemon in terms of typing, Arcanine the pure Fire-type Pokemon, and Exeggutor the Grass and Psychic-type Pokemon. Both of these Pokemon are fan favorites from Gen 1, and they each have a pretty staggering base stat total of 455. Arcanine is an all-around amazing Pokemon. It has more than an acceptable amount of points in all of its stats, giving it no real weak spots. While Exeggutor is somewhat slow, it more than makes up for that with its other excellent stats.

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Like most of the other early-generation Pokemon on here, Arcanine received a new form later on in the game franchise when the Hisuian form that turns it into a Fire/Rock-type Pokemon was introduced in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. For those who aren’t aware, this is basically another spinoff Pokemon game in the same vein as something like Pokemon Conquest. Meanwhile, Exeggutor already had a new coconut tree-like variant design at this point, as its Alolan Regional Variant was seen in the Pokemon Sun and Moon games.

As far as obtaining these two Pokemon in Red and Blue goes, wild Growlithe (which evolves into Arcanine with a Fire Stone) can be found at Route 7, 8, or at the Pokemon Mansion, though Growlithe is technically exclusive to the Red version. Exeggcute, the pre-evolution of Exeggutor, is much easier to find and is encountered relatively often in any area of the Safari Zone.

6 Cloyster & Gyarados

Finally moving on to Pokemon that have some similarities, there’s Cloyster the Water/Ice-type Pokemon, and Gyarados the Water/Flying-type Pokemon, both with an impressive base stat total of 480. Cloyster’s massive Defense stat along with its offensively strong Ice typing makes it quite the formidable Pokemon. Gyarados, meanwhile, is one of the classic “always has been good” Pokemon mechanically, though it does have a major weakness in Electric attacks.

Cloyster is one of the rare examples of a first-generation Pokemon on here that hasn’t received some new variant, form, or evolution over the years, while Gyrados is another Pokemon that got a Mega Evolution in gen six.

In Pokemon Red and Blue, Shellder can be found at the Seafoam Islands or Vermillion City using the Super Rod and will eventually evolve into Cloyster using a Water Stone. Additionally, Magikarp can be bought from a salesman on Route 4 at the cost of 500 Pokédollars and will evolve into Gyrados at level 20.

5 Articuno

From anything above 480 total stat points, it starts to get into the realm of the Legendary Pokemon, and Articuno is the first example. Articuno is an Ice/Flying-type Legendary Pokemon with a base stat total of 485. It has the lowest overall stat total of the three Legendary Birds and typing-wise, it’s also not the best. Articuno is incredibly weak to Rock, but thankfully in Red and Blue, good Rock-type moves were a lot harder to find or come across, so this Weakness was much more difficult to exploit.

Thankfully, Articuno does have an option for alternative typing with its Galarian form, introduced in the Crown Tundra DLC for Sword and Shield. These typings basically answered what it would look like if the classic Legendary Birds were designed with more modern Pokemon aesthetics. But, as a Psychic/Flying Pokemon, this variant of Articuno actually has more weaknesses than its base form, so it’s debatable whether this is worth the extra moves and resistances this form has.

In Red and Blue, Articuno is located on the lowest floor of the Seafoam Islands after players bash their heads against the sliding rock puzzles for long enough.

4 Zapdos

Next up is another one of the three Legendary Birds of Kanto, Zapdos. Zapdos is an Electric/Flying-type Legendary Pokemon with a base stat total of 490. And, in general, Zapdos is just a powerhouse of a Pokemon (as a Legendary should be).

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From its amazing Speed and Special stats, its fantastic type combination that only gives it two weaknesses, or even how easily accessible it is due to just needing Surf outside of battle to find it, Zapdos is the complete package. Now, like Articuno, Zapdos did get a Galarian Variant in the Crown Tundra DLC that changes its typing to Fighting/Flying instead of Electric/Flying, but this also is a double-edged sword as it also gives Galarian Zapdos more type weaknesses to deal with.

To find Zapdos in the original Red and Blue games, players must make their way to the end of the Power Plant that’s only accessible using Surf.

3 Moltres

And finally, for the last Legendary Bird, there’s Moltres. Moltres is a Fire/Flying-type Legendary Pokemon with the highest base stat total of the three with 495. Moltres starts out very strong in its first appearance stat-wise but has a rather small pool of moves to choose from. As the games progressed, this obviously changed but Moltres’ impressive stats also became less impressive over time.

Like the other two, Moltres also has a Galarian variant that switches it from Fire/Flying to Dark/Flying, and this one is the least aggressive tradeoff of the three. While this variant does give Moltres more weaknesses than normal and fewer resistances, it adds another complete type-immunity with Psychic, so it’s a bit easier to justify using over its default form.

In the original games, Moltres doesn’t become available to battle/catch until extremely late in the game, as it is found in Victory Road behind a slightly-frustrating Strength puzzle involving boulders.

2 Dragonite & Mew

As for the only non-Legendary Pokemon, this high-up, Dragonite is tied in base stats with one of the original Legendaries and the genetic predecessor of all Pokemon, Mew. Dragonite is a Dragon/Flying-type Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon and Mew, the adorable pink puffball, is a pure Psychic-type Legendary Pokemon both with a base stat total of 500. Dragonite is noteworthy for being the only fully evolved Dragon-type Pokemon in the entirety of the first generation.

This fact combined with its incredible stats makes it an amazing choice for any team in the first generation. Mew is Gen 1’s ultimate jack-of-all-trades Pokemon, though it isn’t available to obtain by normal means, despite what everyone seemed to promise on the playground about finding it under a truck behind the S.S Anne. It’s surprising that Dragonite still doesn’t have some new regional variant, new evolution, or even a Terastallize form, but it doesn’t. Funnily enough, Mew also doesn’t have any other variations or forms that were released throughout the years, despite the new forms that its duo partner, Mewtwo was able to receive.

A Dratini can be bought at the Celadon Game Corner for 2,800 Coins (Blue) or 4,600 Coins (Red) if players want Dragonite in the original Red or Blue games, but they’re pretty much out of luck when it comes to obtaining Mew through legitimate means.

1 Mewtwo

Finally, capping it all off with the scariest Legendary of the first generation, at least in the Pokemon Adventures manga series, it’s Mewtwo. Mewtwo is a pure Psychic-type Legendary Pokemon with the highest overall base stat total of 590. “Phenomenal” does not even begin to describe Mewtwo. Its stats are demonstrably stellar with the closest thing to a “weakness” being its average (at worst) Defense stat. Mewtwo also has a better-than-usual movepool for Gen 1 standards. As if all of that wasn’t enough, its typing makes it all the stronger, since Psychic’s weaknesses in Ghost and Bug Pokemon were near to non-existent in Red and Blue.

The only drawback to Mewtwo is the fact that it’s locked to being postgame only, but that doesn’t undermine how fantastic it is, and it’s still relevant competitively and in terms of stats even after hundreds of new Pokemon have been introduced to the series. Additionally, Mewtwo also has two Mega Evolutions that were introduced in the sixth generation, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y, either of which are fantastic additions to any team. And, though not ever available in the mainline games, Mewtwo also has its ‘Shadow Metwo’ form that was seen (and playable) in the spinoff Pokken fighting game.

In Red and Blue, Mewtwo is (of course) located at the end of the Cerulean Cave, only accessible after becoming The Champion and returning to Cerulean City to explore this previously inaccessible cave.

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