PokéSurvivor Tier List: Best Pokémon to Use (October 2026)
The best Pokémon in PokéSurvivor right now are Slaking, Kartana, Xurkitree, Baxcalibur and Roaring Moon, ranked by the game's own stats in the October 18, 2026 update (damage, HP after defenses, and speed). Among the 29 starters from the personality test, Scorbunny, Sobble and Grookey come out on top. Legendaries such as Eternatus, Regigigas and Mewtwo are stronger than anything else. Since October 18 every move is physical or special, so give each Pokémon moves that match its strong side.
How this tier list ranks Pokémon
PokéSurvivor gives each of its 966 Pokémon its own HP, speed and damage multiplier, plus Defense and Special Defense that reduce the damage it takes. Tiers combine those numbers, with damage counting most, then bulk, then speed. Upgrades, items and your move choices change a run a lot, so treat this as the starting strength of each Pokémon.
- S: top 5% of all Pokémon
- A: top 20%
- B: top half
- C and D: the rest
S tier (non-legendary)
| Pokémon | Type | Rarity | Strong side | HP | Speed | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slaking | Normal | 5★ | Physical | 138 | 120 | ×1.58 |
| Kartana | Grass/Steel | 4★ | Physical | 97 | 124 | ×1.70 |
| Xurkitree | Electric | 4★ | Special | 107 | 113 | ×1.65 |
| Baxcalibur | Dragon/Ice | 5★ | Physical | 122 | 115 | ×1.50 |
| Roaring Moon (shown as Bramaluna) | Dragon/Dark | 5★ | Physical | 117 | 128 | ×1.46 |
| Iron Hands (shown as Ferropalmas) | Fighting/Electric | 4★ | Physical | 139 | 99 | ×1.47 |
| Garchomp | Dragon/Ground | 5★ | Physical | 119 | 121 | ×1.42 |
| Ursaluna | Ground/Normal | 4★ | Physical | 128 | 99 | ×1.47 |
| Rampardos | Rock | 4★ | Physical | 114 | 102 | ×1.61 |
| Haxorus | Dragon | 4★ | Physical | 104 | 119 | ×1.51 |
| Iron Moth (shown as Ferropolilla) | Fire/Poison | 4★ | Special | 106 | 124 | ×1.47 |
| Iron Leaves (shown as Ferroverdor) | Grass/Psychic | 5★ | Physical | 110 | 122 | ×1.42 |
| Buzzwole | Bug/Fighting | 4★ | Physical | 118 | 111 | ×1.46 |
| Great Tusk (shown as Colmilargo) | Ground/Fighting | 4★ | Physical | 122 | 115 | ×1.42 |
| Salamence | Dragon/Flying | 5★ | Physical | 113 | 120 | ×1.44 |
| Walking Wake (shown as Ondulagua) | Water/Dragon | 5★ | Special | 115 | 124 | ×1.39 |
Damage is the Pokémon's multiplier on its strong side. Since the October 18 update, physical moves use Attack and special moves use Special Attack, so a Physical Pokémon loses damage with special moves.
A tier (non-legendary)
Dragonite, Tyranitar, Iron Thorns (shown as Ferropúas), Flutter Mane (shown as Melenaleteo), Blacephalon, Volcarona, Nihilego, Dragapult, Darmanitan, Archeops, Chandelure, Gholdengo, Excadrill, Slither Wing (shown as Reptalada), Rhyperior, Metagross, Sneasler, Kingambit, Hydreigon, Iron Valiant (shown as Ferropaladín), Pheromosa, Mamoswine, Porygon-Z, Conkeldurr, Naganadel, Glimmora, Gyarados, Archaludon, Rillaboom, Sandy Shocks (shown as Pelarena), Iron Bundle (shown as Ferrosaco), Kleavor, Espeon, Cetitan, Alakazam, Vikavolt, Annihilape, Togekiss, Weavile, Inteleon and 72 more.
Best starters (personality test)
The personality test picks your first Pokémon from 29 starters. You can turn the suggestion down and choose another. Starters are close in strength, so pick one you like. Here is the order by stats:
| # | Starter | Type | Strong side | HP | Speed | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scorbunny | Fire | Physical | 92 | 107 | ×1.09 |
| 2 | Sobble | Water | Special | 92 | 107 | ×1.08 |
| 3 | Grookey | Grass | Physical | 92 | 105 | ×1.06 |
| 4 | Treecko | Grass | Special | 88 | 107 | ×1.06 |
| 5 | Turtwig | Grass | Physical | 95 | 91 | ×1.07 |
| 6 | Psyduck | Water | Special | 92 | 101 | ×1.06 |
| 7 | Slowpoke | Water/Psychic | Physical | 110 | 84 | ×1.06 |
| 8 | Mudkip | Water | Physical | 92 | 95 | ×1.08 |
| 9 | Litten | Fire | Physical | 90 | 107 | ×1.06 |
| 10 | Totodile | Water | Physical | 92 | 96 | ×1.06 |
| 11 | Quaxly | Water | Physical | 95 | 99 | ×1.06 |
| 12 | Bulbasaur | Grass/Poison | Special | 90 | 97 | ×1.06 |
| 13 | Tepig | Fire | Physical | 99 | 97 | ×1.05 |
| 14 | Popplio | Water | Special | 92 | 95 | ×1.06 |
| 15 | Fuecoco | Fire | Special | 100 | 93 | ×1.05 |
| 16 | Sprigatito | Grass | Physical | 88 | 105 | ×1.04 |
| 17 | Torchic | Fire | Special | 90 | 97 | ×1.08 |
| 18 | Froakie | Water | Special | 88 | 108 | ×1.04 |
| 19 | Piplup | Water | Special | 94 | 95 | ×1.04 |
| 20 | Oshawott | Water | Special | 95 | 97 | ×1.05 |
| 21 | Chespin | Grass | Physical | 95 | 94 | ×1.04 |
| 22 | Fennekin | Fire | Special | 88 | 103 | ×1.04 |
| 23 | Charmander | Fire | Special | 88 | 105 | ×1.03 |
| 24 | Cyndaquil | Fire | Special | 88 | 105 | ×1.03 |
| 25 | Rowlet | Grass/Flying | Physical | 101 | 96 | ×1.00 |
| 26 | Chimchar | Fire | Physical | 90 | 104 | ×1.02 |
| 27 | Chikorita | Grass | Physical | 90 | 97 | ×0.97 |
| 28 | Squirtle | Water | Special | 90 | 96 | ×0.97 |
| 29 | Snivy | Grass | Physical | 90 | 104 | ×0.95 |
Best Pokémon at each gacha rarity
Pulls are 1★ 45%, 2★ 30%, 3★ 17%, 4★ 6.5% and 5★ 1.5%. A ×10 pull guarantees at least one 4★, and each regional banner has a 5★ pity at 70 pulls. These are the strongest of each rarity:
| Rarity | Best five (tier) |
|---|---|
| 1★ | Abra (C), Gastly (C), Darumaka (C), Solosis (C), Carvanha (C) |
| 2★ | Kadabra (B), Haunter (B), Cranidos (B), Duosion (B), Gurdurr (B) |
| 3★ | Darmanitan (A), Barraskewda (A), Passimian (A), Stonjourner (A), Sawk (A) |
| 4★ | Kartana (S), Xurkitree (S), Iron Hands (shown as Ferropalmas) (S), Ursaluna (S), Rampardos (S) |
Several 4★ Pokémon reach S tier, so a good 4★ can carry you while you wait for 5★ pulls. Duplicates turn into coins (15, 30, 60, 120 and 300 by rarity, triple for shinies), and 1 pull in 100 is shiny.
Strongest legendaries and mythicals
| Pokémon | Type | Strong side | HP | Speed | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eternatus | Poison/Dragon | Special | 133 | 133 | ×1.50 |
| Regigigas | Normal | Physical | 120 | 120 | ×1.58 |
| Mewtwo | Psychic | Special | 118 | 133 | ×1.55 |
| Solgaleo | Psychic/Steel | Physical | 132 | 119 | ×1.45 |
| Lunala | Psychic/Ghost | Special | 132 | 119 | ×1.45 |
| Kyogre | Water | Special | 115 | 116 | ×1.52 |
| Groudon | Ground | Physical | 115 | 116 | ×1.52 |
| Koraidon | Fighting/Dragon | Physical | 115 | 135 | ×1.44 |
| Dialga | Steel/Dragon | Special | 115 | 116 | ×1.52 |
| Reshiram | Dragon/Fire | Special | 115 | 116 | ×1.52 |
| Zekrom | Dragon/Electric | Physical | 115 | 116 | ×1.52 |
| Palkia | Water/Dragon | Special | 110 | 120 | ×1.52 |
Legendaries also show up as bosses in rifts. Beating one creates a bond that fuses up to four of your moves so they fire together from one slot.
Tips for using the tier list
- Match moves to the strong side. Give a Physical Pokémon physical moves and a Special Pokémon special moves.
- Speed is movement. Faster Pokémon dodge more in a bullet-heaven run, which helps low-HP picks like Kartana.
- Pokémon don't evolve in PokéSurvivor, so a 1★ Abra stays an Abra. Moves level up and can evolve instead.
About the game
PokéSurvivor is a free fan-made “bullet heaven” game in the style of Survivor.io, with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon-style sprites, 966 Pokémon from all nine generations and a banner per region. It's played on its official site, pokesurvivor.com, and it's open source on GitHub. The developer says the game has no official cryptocurrency, token or NFT. It isn't made by or affiliated with Nintendo, Game Freak or The Pokémon Company.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Pokémon in PokéSurvivor?
Among non-legendaries, Slaking, Kartana, Xurkitree, Baxcalibur and Roaring Moon have the best stats in the October 18, 2026 update. Legendaries such as Eternatus, Regigigas and Mewtwo are stronger still.
What is the best starter in PokéSurvivor?
By stats, Scorbunny, Sobble and Grookey, ahead of Treecko and Turtwig. Starters are close, so the personality test pick is fine. You can also turn it down and choose another.
What are the gacha rates in PokéSurvivor?
1★ 45%, 2★ 30%, 3★ 17%, 4★ 6.5% and 5★ 1.5%. A ×10 pull guarantees a 4★ or better, each banner has a 5★ pity at 70 pulls, and 1 pull in 100 is shiny.
Do Pokémon evolve in PokéSurvivor?
No. Your Pokémon stays the same species, but its moves level up and can evolve.
Physical or special: does it matter in PokéSurvivor?
Yes, since October 18, 2026. Each move is physical or special and uses the matching attack stat, so pick moves on your Pokémon's strong side.
Where do I play PokéSurvivor?
On its official site, pokesurvivor.com, in a browser on PC or a phone held sideways. It's free.
Why does PokéSurvivor show Spanish names like Bramaluna?
A few newer Pokémon use their Spanish names in the game data. Bramaluna is Roaring Moon, Ferropalmas is Iron Hands, Colmilargo is Great Tusk and Melenaleteo is Flutter Mane.
Is there a PokéSurvivor token or coin?
No. The developer says PokéSurvivor has no official cryptocurrency, token or NFT. Any token using the name was made by someone else.