Best Bug Type Pokemon

Picking the best Bug type Pokemon means getting past a bad reputation first. Bug type Pokemon get written off as early-route filler, the thing you box the moment something better hatches.

For players who stick with them, though, Bug types hold some of the hardest hitters and strangest designs in the series. One of them is a mantis wrapped in steel, and another is a moth that ancient murals treat as a god. (Bugs have been doing their best this whole time. Nobody listens to bugs.)

This list ranks 15 of the 92 Bug type Pokemon by how many different players named each one as their favorite or best Bug type. Let's get into the countdown:

Best Bug Type Pokemon

#15

Galvantula

Galvantula appears to be based on a tarantula, and the electric webs it creates are similar to electric fences. Joltik evolves into it at level 36, which is a big glow-up for a Pokemon that starts out at 0.1 m tall. Its Pokedex entry says it lays traps of electrified threads near the nests of bird Pokemon, aiming to snare chicks that are not yet good at flying. (We have decided not to think about that one.)

In battle, its best number is a Speed of 108 (Speed decides who attacks first in a turn). Every Pokemon also has an ability, a passive effect that works on its own in battle, and Galvantula's Compound Eyes raises the accuracy of its moves to 1.3×. Its other ability, Unnerve, stops opposing Pokemon from eating their held Berries, a move so petty we find it relatable.

The people who rank it this high mostly talk about the look. Fans call the fuzzy, bright spider a great design, even the ones who wish it were a better battler.

#14

Shuckle

Shuckle seems to be based on an endolith, an organism that lives inside porous rocks or animal shells. It may also draw on scale insects, small, shelled parasites that produce a sweet fluid called honeydew that attracts other insects. Its Pokedex entry says the berries stored in its vaselike shell eventually become a thick, pulpy juice, and whether that is a snack or a science project depends on how long you leave it.

Its Defense and Special Defense are both 230, its Attack is 10 and its Speed is 5. Sturdy, one of its abilities, prevents it from being knocked out from full HP and leaves it at 1 HP instead. It is a Pokemon built for waiting, and it is extremely good at it. (Same, honestly.)

That stubborn build is also why it inspires stunts. One player remembers "beating the Elite Four in Crystal using just Shuckle" and still can't say why they tried it.

#13

Ninjask

Ninjask is an adult cicada with the colors of a bush cicada. Nincada evolves into it at level 20, and the same evolution can leave behind Shedinja, a separate Pokemon that is the empty shell. The ninja theme may come from stories of ninjas using cicadas to mask their own sounds, which makes Ninjask a ninja that hides in the noise.

Its Speed of 160 is the highest on this list by a wide margin, and its ability, Speed Boost, raises it one stage after each turn. Its Pokedex entry says it is so quick it is said to be able to avoid any attack. (We are also hard to catch, but only when someone needs help moving.)

Players who pick it as their favorite point to that speed before anything else. Battlers remember it best as a Baton Pass partner. Baton Pass is a move that switches it out and passes its effects to the Pokemon that replaces it, Speed boosts included.

#12

Pinsir

Pinsir is a stag beetle, possibly Prosopocoilus inclinatus, a species commonly used in insect fighting. Its thorn-like mandibles most closely resemble those of Lucanus maculifemoratus hopei. Its Pokedex entry says it clamps its pincers down on its prey and then either splits the prey in half or flings it away. (Those are the only two options. Pinsir does not do small talk.)

It is the only pure Bug type on this list, with no second type to lean on, and it gets by on an Attack of 125. Its ability Hyper Cutter prevents its Attack from being lowered by other Pokemon, and its hidden ability (a rarer ability some Pokemon can have), Moxie, raises Attack one stage each time it knocks a Pokemon out.

Mega Pinsir, its Mega Evolution (a stronger form it takes for the rest of a battle), goes further, with diagonal spikes that resemble Calcodes versicolor.

#11

Vikavolt

Vikavolt appears to be based on a stag beetle and a railgun. It even shares its Pokedex category, Stag Beetle Pokemon, with Pinsir, although the two could not fight more differently. Its straight, scissor-like mandibles resemble those of Lucanus hayashii, and their shape might also come from crocodile clips.

Its Special Attack of 145 is the highest on this list (Special Attack powers special moves like Thunderbolt), while its Speed is 43. (It is a cannon. Cannons do not hurry.) Its ability, Levitate, lets it evade Ground moves.

Charjabug first evolved only in a special magnetic field, such as the Alola locations Vast Poni Canyon or Blush Mountain, and the evolution item Thunder Stone works too. Its Pokedex entry says a flying Vikavolt can rapidly fire high-powered beams of electricity when it carries a Charjabug as a spare battery, which means its own pre-evolution is the ammunition.

#10

Leavanny

Leavanny is based mainly on a bipedal leaf insect, with parts of weaver ants or leafcutter ants, and it shares some characteristics with a praying mantis. Swadloon evolves into it with high friendship. Its Pokedex entry says it keeps its eggs warm with heat from fermenting leaves. It also uses leaves to make warm wrappings for Sewaddle, which makes it the most caring Pokemon on a list full of things that eat each other.

It hits hard for a bug that sews, with an Attack of 103 and a Speed of 92. Its ability Chlorophyll doubles that Speed during strong sunlight, and its hidden ability, Overcoat, protects it from damage from weather.

Players who rank it high often put it next to Volcarona and Scolipede as proof that Gen V has the best Bug types. With four Gen V Bug types in this top 15, the argument holds up.

Yanmega

Yanmega is a dragonfly crossed with Meganeura monyi, a large prehistoric species related to dragonflies and damselflies. That would explain why Yanma evolves into it once it knows the move Ancient Power, about the most on-the-nose evolution method a prehistoric bug could ask for. At 1.9 m, it is also one of the tallest Pokemon on this list.

The Pokedex calls it extremely violent, and says any who manage to tame this Pokemon must be of incredible bravery. (Or very good insurance.)

Its two main abilities are both strong. Speed Boost raises its Speed one stage after each turn, while Tinted Lens doubles the damage of its not-very-effective moves. Pair either one with a Special Attack of 116 and it stops being a bug you swat and starts being a problem.

Golisopod

Golisopod is a giant isopod in the armor of a samurai, which sounds like a joke until you look at its Defense. At 140, it is second on this list after Shuckle, and its Attack of 125 means it hits back. Wimpod evolves into it at level 30.

Its only ability is Emergency Exit, which switches it out automatically when its HP drops below half. (Full samurai armor and a plan to leave early. A role model.) The Pokedex says Golisopod lives in sunken ships or in holes in the seabed, and that when it battles Grapploct, the loser becomes the winner's meal.

Mega Golisopod might be based on cyborgs. It may also lean on its Japanese design origins and mimic an asura, a type of East Asian demigod of war with a huge body and multiple arms.

Beedrill

Beedrill is a bee or a wasp, possibly the Asian giant hornet or a yellowjacket, and we would prefer not to know which. Its Pokedex entry says it has three poisonous stingers on its forelegs and its tail, and it uses them to jab its enemy repeatedly. Its Shiny color scheme is similar to metallic green sweat bees.

Kakuna evolves into it at level 10, the same level Metapod becomes Butterfree. Its pointed arms resemble spears, and Mega Beedrill swaps them for lances. (Going from spears to lances is the most medieval glow-up in the series.)

Even its fans admit it was never much of a battler before the Mega came along. Its hidden ability, Sniper, makes critical hits (rare lucky hits that deal extra damage) deal 3× damage instead of 2×, which helps, but the love here is mostly for a Gen I classic.

Scyther

Scyther is a mantis, closest to the European mantis and the Chinese mantis, with arms shaped like scythes. It also has some reptilian features that give it a touch of the dinosaur, and there are similarities to the kamikiri, a haircutting yokai with sharp claws and teeth that may look like an insect. Its Pokedex entry says prey's attempts to flee are unfailingly thwarted by its nimble motions, which is a polite way of saying you are not getting away.

It can evolve two ways. Trade it while it holds an item called Metal Coat for Scizor, or use the evolution item Black Augurite on it for Kleavor. With a Speed of 105 and an Attack of 110, it does fine without either. Its ability Technician makes weak moves stronger: any move with a base power of 60 or less hits 1.5× as hard. (Base power is the number that sets how hard a move hits.) Its hidden ability, Steadfast, raises its Speed one stage when it flinches.

Scizor took first place, yet Scyther still makes the list on its own at number six.

Scolipede

Scolipede is a centipede, most likely Scolopendra gigantea, and it was never going to be subtle about it. It could also be based on Arthropleura, a prehistoric relative of centipedes that grew to two and a half meters. Scolipede itself weighs 200.5 kg and still has a Speed of 112, which is a lot of legs moving very fast in your direction. (We would like it to stay outside, please.)

The Japanese word for millipede, yasude, contains the kanji for horse. Following that horse theme, Mega Scolipede's armor may reference barding, armor for war horses. Its hidden ability, Speed Boost, raises its Speed one stage after each turn.

Its Pokedex entry says it fights Centiskorch over territory, and at the end of one of these battles, the victor makes a meal of the loser. Even so, the players who pick it praise the design first, and plenty of them call it one of the best-looking Bug types ever made.

Butterfree

Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7, and Metapod evolves into Butterfree at level 10, which makes it one of the first fully evolved Pokemon most players ever catch. It seems to be based on the black-veined white butterfly. Its Pokedex entry says it collects honey every day and rubs it onto the hairs on its legs to carry it back to its nest. (Butterfree has a commute. We have a couch and opinions.)

Its ability, Compound Eyes, raises the accuracy of its moves to 1.3×, and its hidden ability, Tinted Lens, doubles the damage of its not-very-effective moves. With a Special Attack of 90, it does more than flutter.

Butterfree and Beedrill may be a nod to "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee". The pairing fits better than most, and both evolve at level 10.

Volcarona

Volcarona has the highest base stat total on this list, and it makes you wait for it. Larvesta evolves into it at level 59, the latest evolution of the 15, which means hauling a larva around for most of the game. (This is called parenting, and nobody warns you.) Its Pokedex entry says ancient murals depict Volcarona as a deity of fire, so at least the payoff is divine.

The design starts from the garden tiger moth, whose Japanese name means fire tiger moth, and mixes in solar deities. Its wings resemble tiger lily petals, and its six flame-colored wings may also draw from seraphim. The result is the one moth people are happy to see near a light.

Its stats are just as dramatic, with a Special Attack of 135, a Special Defense of 105 and a Speed of 100, and its ability, Flame Body, gives it a 30% chance of burning any Pokemon that touches it.

Heracross

Heracross is based on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle. These beetles are known for their strength and their use in insect fighting, which explains the Fighting type. The Pokedex leans all the way in, and its entry says it can throw several people trained in the traditional arts of war at once. (Several. At once. We make a noise getting off the couch.)

The horn ends in a cross on males and a heart shape on females. Mega Heracross switches the model to a Hercules beetle, which is the beetle version of bringing a bigger friend to the fight.

Its Attack of 125 is the reason most fans pick it, and players who choose it as their favorite keep coming back to its raw power. Its ability Guts makes it scarier when things go wrong, raising its Attack to 1.5× when it has a major status ailment such as a burn or poison, and its hidden ability, Moxie, raises Attack each time it knocks a Pokemon out.

Scizor

Scizor is what Scyther becomes when you trade it while it holds a Metal Coat, and it is worth the trouble of finding someone to trade with. Its Pokedex entry says the shell covering its body is stronger than forged steel. On top of that, its Attack of 130 is the highest on this list.

Its ability, Technician, makes weak moves stronger: any move with a base power of 60 or less hits 1.5× as hard. That turns Bullet Punch, a 40-power Steel move that strikes before most other attacks, into a real threat, and players who battle with Scizor keep naming Bullet Punch as the move that makes it work.

The design takes from mantises and wasp mantidflies. Its arms look like crab pincers, and the eye-like markings on them make each claw look like an extra head, which is a great way to confuse anything that counts heads before it attacks. Mega Scizor adds pieces that may be based on samurai armor. (A steel bug wearing armor over its armor. We respect a creature that has decided it will never be touched.)

Conclusion

Bug type Pokemon take double damage from Flying, Rock and Fire attacks, and the best ones found a way around that. Scizor's Steel half resists Flying and Rock, which leaves Fire as its only weakness and frees that 130 Attack to do the work. Heracross and Volcarona went the other way and hit hard enough that the weak spots stop mattering much.

Further down, the list belongs to the oddballs, like a mold that wins by waiting and a beetle that uses its own pre-evolution as a battery. Players clearly make room for both kinds. (We relate most to Shuckle. Slow, but somehow still here.)

If your favorite didn't make it, the full list of Bug type Pokemon has all 92, and the type chart shows what each pairing covers.

Bug Type Pokemon FAQ

What is the best Bug type Pokemon?

Scizor. More players name it as their favorite Bug type than any other.

How many Bug type Pokemon are there?

There are 92 Bug type Pokemon in the National Pokedex.

Is Volcarona a legendary Pokemon?

No. Volcarona is not a legendary Pokemon. It evolves from Larvesta.

Best Bug Type Pokemon

Best Bug Type Pokemon

Galvantula

Shuckle

Ninjask

Pinsir

Vikavolt

Leavanny

Yanmega

Golisopod

Beedrill

Scyther

Scolipede

Butterfree

Volcarona

Heracross

Scizor

Conclusion

Bug Type Pokemon FAQ

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