POTW Pokémon of the Week #78: Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard

Maniacal Engineer · Feb 4, 2018

In the World of Pokémon, there lives a vast number and variety of amazing creatures to befriend and collect. This week, we're going to take a look at the Charmander line.

First appearing in the Red and Green games, as one of the starter lines in Kanto, Charmander was the very first Pokémon that I ever owned. Of course, being starter Pokémon, the Charmander family are usually never encountered in the wild. The exception, of course, is through the Island Scan feature in the Gen VII games, with Charmander being available on Alolan Route in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Beforehand, however, the Charmander family could be acquired from various NPC, including, of course, Professor Oak in Red, Green, Blue, FireRed, and LeafGreen versions as your starter. Charmander was also given out by a trainer on Route 24 in Yellow version. Charmander was also available as a reward from Professor Oak in HeartGold and SoulSilver versions for defeating Red, and by Professor Sycamore in X and Y versions after defeating him.

In game, Charmander struggled with the first two Gyms in the Kanto based games, being weak to both Rock and Water, nonetheless, after fully evolving to Charizard, it becomes a fairly fast special attacker. In Gen VI, it was gifted not just one, but two Mega Evolutions, being one of two Pokémon to have received more than one Mega Evolution, with the other being Mewtwo. Mega Charizard X gains the ability Tough Claws, and increases to both of its offensive stats with a minor buff to physical defense, as well as the Fire/Dragon typing. Mega Charizard Y gains the ability Drought, a massive increase to its special attack stat (to the point where it has the highest special attack stat of all Fire types), and a minor increase to its special defense stat. As a note, the Cyndaquil family shares the exact same base stats as the Charmander family, though Typlosion does not gain the Flying secondary type that Charizard has.
Competitively, Charizard has many options available to it. Mega Charizard Y acts as a sun summoner and can spam boosted Fire Blasts and Solar Beam as soon as it Mega Evolves. It also has access to moves like Air Slash, Dragon Pulse, and Focus Blast which will hurt coming off if its massive special attack stat.. Mega Charizard X, has access to a lot of strong physical moves, like Dragon Claw, Flare Blitz, Shadow Claw, Thunder Punch, and Brick Break, which are all boosted by the Tough Claws ability, as well as other powerful physical moves, like Earthquake, and boosting moves like Swords Dance, Dragon Dance, and the risky Belly Drum. Mega Charizard X can even act as an effective phaser with access to STAB and Tough Claws boosted Dragon Tail, though having Charizard go last is usually not advisable. Both have access to Will-O-Wisp and Roost, which can potentially be useful.

The Charmander family has many notable appearances in the anime, appearing under the ownership of Ash Ketchum, Richie, Trevor, and Alain, to name a few notable trainers. Jessie from Team Rocket even commanded a Charizard twice during a few anime episodes. In the Pokémon Origins special, Red chooses a Charmander as his starter Pokémon, and it is revealed that Giovanni had a Charmander when he started his adventures. Ash's Charizard was the first instance of a Pokémon disobeying its trainer in the anime, and Alain's Mega Charizard X was the Pokémon that defeated Ash-Greninja, causing Ash to come in second place in the Kalos League. There are many, many memorable moments from the entire Charmander family in the anime, so I'll let y'all talk about your favorites below. One last thing to note, though, is that Charizard was the very first Pokémon ever seen in the Japanese anime, appearing at the very beginning of the opening. Outside of Japan, this honor goes to Mewtwo.

Of course, the Charmander family also has many memorable moments in the various manga stories, appearing under the ownership of Ash and Ritchie, like in the anime, but instead being owned by Blue and Green, the rival characters, instead of the protagonist like in Origins. Again, many interesting moments for the Charmander family in the manga, so y'all can discuss that below.

Outside of the Pokémon franchise, Charizard appeared in Smash Brothers, first as a Poké Ball Pokémon, but then becoming a playable character. To date, it is the only Pokémon to do so.

Now that I've given a brief summary of the Charmander family, here are some questions to consider to get conversation rolling. You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
How is this Pokémon in-game?
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
What other Pokémon should have received two Mega Evolutions?
How do you feel about the Charmander and Cyndaquil families sharing base stats?
How does the Charmander family stack up to its fellow Kanto starters?
How does the Charmander family compare to its fellow Fire type starters?
Do you think that Charizard receives too much attention or is overrated?

Thank you to @PkmnTrainerV and @CrystaI for suggesting this Pokémon of the Week!

Previous Pokémon of the Week:

Zexy · Feb 4, 2018

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Like. Greet design, Ash's one holds a special place in my childhood, it's finally become useful too.
How is this Pokémon in-game?
In Kanto it's actually pretty challenging to use as a starter so not really worth it unfortunately. In Yellow it is good to round up the team Fire-side at the time it is obtained. In Kalos is where it shines the most, I believe, being very good against pretty much all Gyms after the 3rd one way or another, especially in X where its Mega Evolution is of a different typing than the original. And a decent amount of the Elite Four too. All other games it's obtained too late to make a difference.
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Dragon Dance for Mega X and Drought for Mega Y are both awesome in their own ways. I'm more of an X person on this.
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
Ash's Charizard!!! Really, this has been such an important part of my childhood, of course I like it. Can't remember of something I really disliked, Charizard is an awesome Pokemon really.
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
People would be huge fans of it, kinda like they already are now when it's just a fictional Pokemon

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Slightly better stats overall, -Sp Atk +Atk for Mega X, +Sp Atk -Atk on Mega Y. Making the base Charizard a Fire/Dragon would also be cool, with Flying being only an option upon Mega Evolution to Y.
What other Pokémon should have received two Mega Evolutions?
Hard choice honestly, lots of Pokemon I like would be deserving of it.
How do you feel about the Charmander and Cyndaquil families sharing base stats?
Cyndaquil family still feels lackluster anyway

Base Fire typing and no Mega Evolution can do that...
How does the Charmander family stack up to its fellow Kanto starters?
I personally like the Squirtle line way too much, but have to admit that Mega Blastoise is the most lackluster of the three Kanto starters

So realistically speaking, Charizard should be on par with Venusaur, which does have a pretty useful (yet bulky) Mega Evolution too. But I'm more for offense so between those two I'd go for Charizard anyday. Blastoise > Charizard > Venusaur was always prioritized like this for me.
How does the Charmander family compare to its fellow Fire type starters?
Its biggest competition is Mega Blaziken, which is great too. Most other Fire-type starters are pretty cool too but unfortuantely can't be held to the same standard as these two.
Do you think that Charizard receives too much attention or is overrated?
It does receive much attention, sure. But such is the fate of Pokemon who managed to become extremely popular.
I wouldn't consider it overrated now that it does have Mega Evolutions. In previous Gens it might've been a little as there was a tendency of using Charizard because of liking it, even though it wasn't really good.

PkmnTrainerV · Feb 7, 2018

Zexy said:
+Atk -Sp Atk on Mega Y.

I was debating on pointing this out or not, but I'm pretty sure you meant -Atk +Sp Atk there...

ocelotlrama jaguar · Feb 11, 2018

Love, love, LOVE Charizard! My second favorite Pokemon of all time. He is what got me into the Pokemon games in the first place when I saw him in a commercial. Charmander and Charmeleon are cool, but Charizard is just the best. ^^ In-game, not too bad! I've gotten through several games where you can choose Charmander as your starter. Not bad at all! Even before the creation of Mega Evolutions, I've always had fun using Charizard in competitive battles. He's just a fun Pokemon to use. These days I do give him a Mega Stone to evolve in Mega Charizard Y to take advantage of Drought, but in Generations V and below, I used him and he wasn't too shabby. Rock-type moves are kryptonite, but if you know how to read your opponent, Charizard was a great Pokemon to use.

I love Ash's Charizard. The anime does tend to favor him a lot, but that's okay, because I love him and I don't care. =D It took him a while to finally listen to Ash, but I say the wait was worth seeing the bond between the two. The ride Charizard in Sun and Moon is alright. He looks a little off-model, but it's Sun and Moon so it shouldn't surprise me.

It would be dangerous if it existed in our world. One of its Pokedex entries note that it can cause wildfires unintentionally. Not good. I doubt it would be dangerous to people. It only fights with Pokemon it sees as an equal, not something weak like humans. I would love to have my own Charizard to ride and help keep warm in the winter.

If I could change anything, I would widen its movepool to make it more interesting to use. I think the stats are well-balanced and Mega Evolution helps it a lot.

Hmmm... Maybe all three Kanto starters should have received two Mega Evolutions. A bit unfair Charizard got two, so it would have been nice to see some balance.

I never really cared too much for the Cyndaquil-line and Charmander-line having the same base stats. I don't use Typhlosion too much in competitive matches because I don't find it nearly as useful as Charizard.

I think the Charmander-line steals a lot of the other Kanto starters thunder. I don't see Blastoise and Venusaur being as prevalent as Charizard. Maybe it has a lot to do with most of us growing up with these games and thinking Charizard was that cool, fire-breathing dragon that everyone liked, with the other two being a grumpy dinosaur with a tree on its back and a turtle with two cannons.

Same with the Fire-starters with the exception of Typhlosion. I do see a lot of Typhlosion fans around and maybe even Blaziken. Everything else... I don't see too many people hyping them up. I love the Tepig-line and Litten-line, but their last stages are so slow, it's hard to use them when not in any in-game scenario.

Does Charizard receive too much attention? Maybe. I also feel it has earned its popularity. He's an awesome dragon with fire on his tail! What's not to love?

Gengarzilla · Feb 13, 2018

I'm sorry if this gets too negative, it's just something I don't get to discuss with others all that much.

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
I try to feel neutral, but it's becoming difficult in recent years. Let's just say that I prefer Venusaur as a Kanto starter, Dragonite as a Gen I dragon, and Typhlosion as a Fire type starter, so Charizard's never actually been a favorite to me in any aspect.

-How is this Pokémon in-game?
Never had the chance to use one, and it's unlikely that I will. I can't really judge.

-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
There was this Charizard/Dedenne duo which I tried for a little bit in Doubles, where Mega Charizard Y would receive Dedenne's Plus via Entrainment after Drought's activation, but beyond that, there's really not much to say here either.

-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
It's a mixed bag here. I really like Ash's Charizard and believe that he is stronger than Greninja due to not needing any mid-battle transformations for his greatest feats (I judge by their natural states, in which the latter has done nothing remotely worth the massive fan adoration), but Alain's Charizard is a different matter...

Though, that's more about its trainer. The Pokémon is alright, if a bit too borken.

-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
I would alter Mega Charizard Y's stats a little bit to give it something between 110-115 for its base Speed stat. It bothers me that the slim, aerodynamic form most suited for flying isn't any faster than its stockier, bulkier looking counterpart. It doesn't help this whole thing that X plays with Dragon Dance while Y needs to get lucky with Ancient Power to get an equivalent speed and power boost.

-What other Pokémon should have received two Mega Evolutions?
Probably Lucario and Garchomp, if these four together are really such big hits with many players.

-How do you feel about the Charmander and Cyndaquil families sharing base stats?
I don't really care; Charizard and Typhlosion have enough differences everywhere else for me to freely overlook this tidbit. It's the same with Venusaur and Meganium too.

-Do you think that Charizard receives too much attention or is overrated?
Abso-freaking-lutely agree with it being an attention hog. It seriously bothers me that Charizard is the Fly replacement for Gen VII even though it's not in either iteration of the Alolan Pokédex. What in the hay is even up with that, huh? Was Braviary not mainstream enough?

Overrated though? Nope. I'd be stupid to deny that it's a powerful and very usable Pokémon in the right hands, it's just that I don't immediately latch onto something solely because it's a dragon. You need more than that to win me, GF.

Camille · Feb 14, 2018

Charmander is my favourite Kanto starter. It is adorable and I love both of Charizard's Megas. That said, I don't like Charmeleon's design much at all, because it looks full of itself and arrogant. I also don't really like Charizard having a robust belly. I think that in FireRed/LeafGreen, Charmander should have picked up Dragon Rage at an earlier level instead of Metal Claw, since the former is incredibly strong early-game. I don't like Charizard being used for flying in Alola at all, since it isn't eveen in the regional Dex, but it isn't as if I was fond of Poke Ride in the first place and I never understood the praise it gets.
I liked Ash's Charizard in the show, but its return in Best Wishes felt really pointless. I always thought Ash should have got Charizardite Y, since Trevor's Mega Charizard Y was just a cannon fodder for Alain's Mega Charizard X.

Beth Pavell · Feb 19, 2018

I honestly never minded Charizard much as a kid - always preferred the Grass-types, but nevertheless Charizard looked and looks cool enough. As far as the anime is concerned I got sick and tired of it a long time ago. Which is somewhat ironic, since the role it plays in the Indigo League is (Unpopular opinion incoming) mostly a good one, highlighting Ash's laziness as a trainer and being one of the few pokémon ever to have a real personality. Unfortunately I think we were supposed to be on its side, so to speak, whereas I always saw it as a spoiled lizard in need of a punitive soaking. Further to that every return seemed to be rehashing the same old routine of empty badassery.

I would imagine that wild Charizard would be relatively rare pokémon - I can't imagine that many wild Charmander would make it to their final evolutionary stage, and the ecosystem probably couldn't support that many anyway. Possibly they would be content to ignore and be ignored by humans in an ideal situation, and that conflict would primarily arise from habitat loss. Either way, Charizard populations would come off worse from conflict with humans - humans can work together and are clever enough to exploit weaknesses.

PinkIceFox · Mar 1, 2018

MAH BOIS.

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
My first starter. Fire is love. Fire is life. Charmander's line has been one of my favorites since the beginning.
How is this Pokémon in-game?
It's a pokemon that knows fire type moves. Becomes fire flying. Don't let it out around rock types. (I don't really care about how it is in-game. I use what I use because I like em.)
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
I feel like if any pokemon should have evolved and stopped listening to Ash it'd be bulbasaur. He was stubborn from the start. Charmander owes Ash it's life (though honestly Brock should have caught him- Brock was most worried about it!).
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
*points at stories of dragon slaying* :\ People would find Charizard a danger and probably try to cull their numbers.
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
*Erases Mega Charizard X from existence; gives dragon type to Mega Charizard Y* FIXED IT.
What other Pokémon should have received two Mega Evolutions?
None. Mewtwo gets an excuse because it's man-made and one can headcanon that its two stones are also man-made to boost mewtwo's powers mentally or physically. Charizard does not need two. ...If anything I'd say Charizard X's is also man-made since Mega Charizard X does not look like a natrual progression of Charizard's evolution like Mega Charizard Y does.
How do you feel about the Charmander and Cyndaquil families sharing base stats?
*shrug* I don't care about stats~
How does the Charmander family stack up to its fellow Kanto starters?
When I pick a Kanto Starter, it's always Charmander or Bulbasaur. If that says anything.
How does the Charmander family compare to its fellow Fire type starters?
It's the only one that can fly eventually.

Keeps me from needing a bird in my party in Kanto.
Do you think that Charizard receives too much attention or is overrated?
Kinda? If the people behind the series didn't hype it so dang much it'd be just like any other dang starter. Making Charizard one of the rarest pokemon cards, making it one of Ash's strongest pokemon, and later on giving it two mega evolutions, I doubt it'd be considered any different from other starters. Though to be honest, Greninja seems like it's working its way up to being just as over saturated in pokemon media... and I don't even like Greninja so it doesn't have that going for it to make me not care about over-saturation as much. Dumb tongue scarf is dumb.

Guzma · Mar 1, 2018

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
I'm okay with Charmander and Charmeleon. Charizard... bleeeeeeehhhhhh

How is this Pokémon in-game?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
I like Ash's Charizard, I guess.

How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
I'd stop shilling it over cooler Pokemon so damn much.

What other Pokémon should have received two Mega Evolutions?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

How do you feel about the Charmander and Cyndaquil families sharing base stats?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

How does the Charmander family stack up to its fellow Kanto starters?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

How does the Charmander family compare to its fellow Fire type starters?
bleeeeeeehhhhhh

Do you think that Charizard receives too much attention or is overrated?
Yes. It's the most overrated Pokemon besides Pikachu, IMO. It's freaking worshipped by a certain group of fans I dislike that I cannot name here.

POTW Pokémon of the Week #78: Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard

More options

Maniacal Engineer

Mushy Emotionalist

Zexy

Quaxly Boy

PkmnTrainerV

Flame Trainer

ocelotlrama jaguar

Fluffy with 80% more spots!

Gengarzilla

"What do you mean, my Gengarite is contraband?!"

Camille

Call of Fate

Beth Pavell

Thesaurus rex

PinkIceFox

PinkIceTales!

Guzma

Actually Your Boy Guzma

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