Of all the types in the Pokémon franchise, Fire types are often considered as being the coolest and most formidable in a battle, with the mere concept of fire being daunting enough in itself. Fire-type Pokémon have received consistent attention in all nine generations of the franchise — at least as far as starters and Legendary Pokémon are concerned.
Elsewhere, however, Fire types are generally not as common as Water and Grass types, making them that much more important in the games. In many games, the options for Fire-type wild encounters are limited, which often influences players to pick the Fire-type starter. Fire types have also had great and extended showings in the anime and some were more impressive than others.
10 Fuecoco Is The Latest Fire-Type Starter To Join The Party
Fuecoco is the latest Fire-starter to be introduced to the Pokémon franchise in Scarlet & Violet, and fans quickly fell in love with it. Fuecoco is the adorable first form of its evolution line, with it eventually becoming the indomitable Skeledirge via Crocalor.
As far as designs and personality go, Fuecoco's early introduction in the Gen IX games keep it as one of the most memorable new Pokémon. Fuecoco will need to notch more appearances in future games to reach full iconic status, but it certainly has that potential there in abundance.
9 Blaziken Was The First Of Many Fire/Fighting Final Forms For Starter Pokémon
The Gen III Fire-type starter Torchic and its mid-form Combusken have been seen on a lot of teams throughout the games and the anime over the years, with Ash's traveling companion May being a prime example. Yet their final evolution Blaziken, will always be considered the more iconic Pokémon.
Blaziken is a tall Fire/Fighting combat chicken, and the Blaze Pokémon has made several iconic appearances in the anime. Harrison's Blaziken picked up an impressive victory over Ash's Charizard at the Johto League, while the latter's Sceptile was forced into a tie against May's Blaziken. A Mega Blaziken even appeared alongside Blaziken Mask in the XY series of the anime.
8 Charmander Will Always Be The Original Fire-Type Starter
In contrast to Fuecoco being the latest Fire-type starter Pokémon, Charmander was the very first. The Lizard Pokémon was and still is considered one of the most coveted starters in all of Pokémon, in part due to its final form, Charizard. Charmander is also remembered for its antics in the anime.
While Ash's Charmander did eventually evolve into Charizard via Charmeleon, the first form still got plenty of time to shine. Charmander's debut even came in an emotional episode where it was abandoned by the dastardly Damian, looked after by Brock, and later caught by Ash. Charmander will always be remembered as one of the most iconic Fire types in Pokémon.
7 Ninetales Keeps Company Among The Fire Starters & Legendaries Thanks To A Cool Design & Nostalgia
Vulpix and its evolved form Ninetales are a part of only a small group of Fire-type Pokémon from Gen I and have remained relevant thanks to their elegant designs. Vulpix was given some spotlight in the anime alongside Brock, but the original Ninetales didn't feature too much beyond being used by Blaine against Ash.
Ninetales received a refresh in Gen VII with an Alolan form, bringing an Ice/Fairy combination and color change to the original Fire type. This gave the Fox Pokémon more relevancy, both with the fun new version, and reminding players of how good the original was.
6 Infernape Somehow Carried On The Momentum From Charizard, Typhlosion, & Blaziken
Yet another Fire-type starter line that remains in the hearts and minds of Pokémon fans, is that of Chimchar, Monferno, and Infernape. Chimchar is the exciting Fire-type starter in the Gen IV games, evolving into the Fire/Fighting Monferno just in time to deal with Roark and his Rock types.
Chimchar received a great showing in the anime with all the emotional storytelling involving Ash and Paul, but in its final form Infernape, it wreaked havoc and became one of Ash's strongest battlers at the Sinnoh League. Infernape is a destructive Fire-type monkey, and this is enough for many fans to love and cherish it.
5 Cyndaquil Leads The Way For The Johto Starters
Even as Ash entered the second region of his long Pokémon adventure, he continued to fall into traps that prevented his success in Kanto. This included keeping unevolved Pokémon as active members of his battling teams, with Cyndaquil being one such example.
However, Cyndaquil thrived and picked up some impressive victories over the likes of Bugsy's Scyther and Jasmine's Steelix, before later evolving into Quilava. The Gen II starters had a lot of pressure on them in following on from Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, but they are generally remembered fondly, albeit not quite to the same degree as their Kanto counterparts.
4 Arcanine Will Always Be One Of The Most Recognizable Pokémon
Arcanine is another of the non-starter-or-legendary Fire types from the first generation that still pops up in the mainline games today. Arcanine is known as the Legendary Pokémon, but not in the traditional sense of the term. Arcanine is immortalized as appearing alongside Ash in the original series' opening and has stood alongside various strong Trainers over the years.
Arcanine is even still relevant and valuable in competitive Pokémon thanks to its Intimidate Ability, reducing an opponent's Attack stat upon its introduction to the battle. Many Pokémon fans naturally gravitate toward species that resemble real-life pets, and Arcanine is another that fits the bill.
3 Moltres Will Always Burn Bright As The Original Fire-Type Legendary
Moltres is the Fire/Flying-type Flame Pokémon of the Gen I Legendary Birds. Moltres is often remembered as a part of that collective alongside Zapdos and Articuno, but that doesn't make it any less valuable to the Pokémon franchise. Moltres has made multiple movie and anime appearances, but in the games, it even received a Galarian variant in the Sword & Shield DLC.
The Dark/Flying Galarian Moltres was then heavily featured on the Gen VIII competitive circuit, which arguably elevated it above Zapdos and Articuno. The burning flames on the original Moltres however, are what will always make it one of the most iconic Fire-type Pokémon out there.
2 Ho-Oh Appeared Before Its Time In The Very First Episode Of The Anime
While similarities are often drawn up between the Gen I Legendary Moltres, and Ho-Oh from Pokémon Gold, the latter should be remembered as being more of a presence rooted in history and legend. Despite being a Gen II cover Legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh was featured in the very episode of the anime, the first Gen II Pokémon to appear before its time.
Ho-Oh's identity wasn't confirmed at the time, but Pokémon fans now know that it was clearly Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh's presence has been felt since that moment, and its mysticism easily holds the Rainbow Pokémon as one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time.
1 Charizard Is The Most Iconic Fire Type
Charmander may have captured the hearts and minds of Pokémon fans, but its final form, Charizard, is remembered more for its battling. The Fire/Flying type was the first and only Gen I starter that could learn the TM Fly, an incredibly useful move, and its inclusion on the player's team meant that the remaining five Pokémon could focus on different types other than Flying. Charizard was also seen as an honorary Dragon type, which was actually incorporated into its Mega Evolutions.
These Mega Evolutions as well as Charizard's normal form, have seen many uses and appearances in the anime over the years. From Ash's Charizard and Alain's Mega Charizard to Leon's Gigantamaxed Charizard that Ash had to overcome in winning the Masters Eight Tournament, Charizard has so often been considered the final boss Pokémon. It is easily the most iconic Fire-type Pokémon of the entire franchise.