Which Starter Pokémon Could Be in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

With the surprise reveal of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, it’s time to speculate wildly. Of course, the most important question on everyone’s mind right now is: what will the starter Pokémon be in Legends: Z-A?

Pokémon Legends: Z-A Starter Predictions

Pokémon Legends: Z-A has been announced as the next Pokémon game, and we know next to nothing about it aside from its setting: the Kalos region’s Lumiose City. But, of course, this won’t stop us from breaking out the red string and fanatical theories to deduce which starter Pokémon will be used in the game.

To help better inform our predictions, there are a couple of factoids we need to keep in mind:

1. Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s Lumiose City is based on Paris, France, likely inspired by the 1800’s Belle Époque period and Haussmann’s renovation of Paris.
2. Pokémon Legends: Arceus reused previous starter Pokémon that fit the game’s historical context and gave them new regional forms to fit the setting further.
3. Pokémon Legends: Arceus did not use Gen 4’s starters despite revisiting Gen 4’s setting.

Gen 6’s Pokémon X&Y starters were Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin. It’s possible Legends: Z-A will reuse these same starters and refresh them with new period-relevant regional forms and Mega Evolutions, but I think it’s more likely Legends: Z-A will follow its predecessor and use entirely different starters, so I’m automatically removing this trio from the equation. Besides, there are more relevant French-inspired starters that are better suited to the region, funny enough.

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With these points in mind, let’s get started with our guesswork: which starter Pokémon will be in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

The Grass-Type Starter

The choice for Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s grass-type starter seems easy enough: Snivy. Snivy eventually evolves into the serpentine Pokémon Serperior, which has a design modeled after French Nobility. Ken Sugimori (the illustrator for Pokémon‘s original artwork) has pointed to The Rose of Versailles, a manga set during the French Revolution, as notable inspiration for the Snivy family line. Serperior even has the fleur-de-lis French insignia plastered on its chest. There’s no Pokémon better suited for a historical French setting.

If not Snivy, I can also see Chikorita being used to great effect for a French setting. Out of all the grass-type starters, Chikorita and its final evolution, Meganium, have the most flower-like design. Developer Game Freak could easily alter Meganium’s appearance for a new regional form more similar to that of an iris – France’s national flower.

The Water-Type Starter

The obvious choice for Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s water-type starter is Piplup. Piplup eventually evolves into Empoleon, whose design was inspired by emperor penguins and Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor and military commander of the early 1800’s. Being native to the Sinnoh/Hisui region, Empoleon could also serve as a nice connection to Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

But my first thought for Z-A‘s water starter was actually Quaxly. Quaxly’s Pokedex entry in Pokémon Scarlet states that it’s not native to the game’s Paldea region but rather migrated there “from distant lands long ago.” It’s not too far of a stretch to think that Kalos, being situated near Paldea (if we consider their relative inspiration’s locations on the world map), could be Quaxly’s original native habitat. Plus, Quaxly is a suave little guy with a stylish coif for hair, and if Pokemon X&Y have a central theme outside of death and rebirth, it’s haughty fashionistas.

The Fire-Type Starter

For Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s fire-type starter, the most discernable choice would be Torchic. Torchic eventually evolves into Blaziken, whose design is inspired by roosters, which is an animal that holds significance as a national symbol of France. However, things get a little tricky here as Blaziken already has a Mega Evolution associated with it. That might not hold much relevance, but it may feel odd if Game Freak were to use a starter Pokémon that is known to Mega Evolve while the other two starters don’t. Kalos is, after all, the land of Mega Evolutions.

There aren’t many other obvious choices for an existing fire-type starter fitting of Legends: Z-A‘s influences. The next runner-up would likely be either Scorbunny or Litten, but that’s largely due to a process of elimination. Of the two, I would say Scorbunny is a more likely candidate, being a rabbit that already has European influences in its design. Scorbunny can also take advantage of its foot-centric design to develop a new regional form that harkens to savate, a French martial art similar to kickboxing.

But, of course, all of this is just speculation. Who knows, Game Freak could come out of left field and give us entirely new Pokémon as Legends: Z-A starters. It’s uncharted territory out there, with only one other Legends game to look to for a framework. We can’t possibly know what to expect until Pokémon Legends: Z-A arrives sometime next year.

And that’s which starter Pokémon could be in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A will release in 2025.