The 11 best Water-type Pokémon: Blastoise and beyond!
Sorry if your favourite didn't make the cut!
With 18 Pokémon types to choose from in total, making the correct decision over what ‘Mon to select for your teams is a difficult one - especially when there is a Dragon-type. One type you will definitely want to get right, however, is Water, as having a good Water-type or two in your team can prove extremely useful.
Knowing which is the best Water-type Pokémon is a tricky task as there are a few important qualifiers: base stats, learnable moves and looks. Sometimes a Pokémon can have all three ticked, but others will rely solely on their looks/nostalgia value.
While your own personal list may differ from ours, here are our picks for the 11 best Water-type Pokémon. With so many to choose from (Water is one of the most heavily-populated types, if not the most), we’re bound to have left one or two of your favourites out. It’s important to note, too, that these are 11 of the best, and the list isn’t ordered in any kind of preference.
The 11 best Water-type Pokémon
Blastoise
While we could have picked Mega Blastoise, nothing beats the original. Who can argue against a giant tortoise with cannons in its shell? Not us. Blastoise is a design classic that has stood the test of time, just as the rest of the OG starter final forms.
Gyarados
Another classic from the first-generation Red and Blue Game Boy games, Gyarados is a bit of a beast. Having to stick with Magikarp until it evolves is more than worth it and makes for one of the most enduring evolutions in the series’s history. That fabled red Gyarados is one to go for, too.
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Suicune
The legendary Suicune is a favourite of many, with quality base stats and move selection at its disposal. Tracking one down outside of the original Gold, Silver, and Crystal Versions may prove difficult, but it’ll be a task worth completing.
Kyogre
The main legendary of Pokémon Sapphire is one of the best Water-type pocket monsters for sure. Backed up with a cool design, awesome stats and an incredible move list, Kyogre is one to catch if you can. What’s more, its Drizzle ability even stacks on more power to Water-type attacks.
Palkia
Appearing in our best Dragon-type list also, it’s no wonder that Palkia is one of the best Water-type Pokémon, too. Palkia is another legendary Pokémon that is well worth your time tracking down. The Pearl version legendary is a beast that will add quality to any team.
Spheal
One that falls decidedly into the cute category, Spheal is a special little guy. Who can say no to that happy round fella? It spends its time clapping and is even known as the Clap Pokémon. Sure, Sealeo and Walrein are cool, but Spheal gets our vote here.
Feraligatr
Feraligatr is a scary chap and that’s why it’s on the list. This Pokémon starts life as a happy-as-anything Totodile and ends up like this. We don’t know what it went through in its formative Croconaw years, but we’re glad it did. That missing letter “o” makes it all the more memorable.
Milotic
Similar to Gyarados, Milotic evolves from a feeble-looking fish: Feebas. Feebas is ultimately rarer than Magikarp but finding one and evolving it is a task worth doing like the Generation one fish.
Toxapex
First introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon on the 3DS, Toxapex is a bit of an oddity being a dual Poison and Water-type. It was a pain to find in Sun and Moon, but its Poison-type pairing with Water made it worth finding. One for defensive and attritional tactics.
Greninja
You had us at frog ninja. Greninja is effortlessly cool and joins the ranks of the best final evolutions of starter Pokémon in the series's history. Always a good choice in any Pokémon game or to play as in Super Smash Bros.
Wailord
If you’re after big Pokémon, Wailord has got you covered. This screen-filling beast is based on the blue whale, standing tall at an impressive 47 feet and weighing in at 877.4 lbs. As detailed in Pokémon Shield: “Its immense size is the reason for its popularity.” We couldn’t agree more.
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Authors
Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).
