Pokemon Sword & Shield: Nintendo Reveals New Starter Pokemon For Gen 8

Screen Rant

By Riley Little

Published Feb 27, 2019

Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtain on the starter Pokemon that will be made available at the beginning of the series' 8th generation games.

The cast of 8th generation starter Pokemon has been revealed, allowing fans to pick which characters they'll be able to select in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. As the most profitable media franchise in the entire world, a new entry in the Pokemon franchise is always going to have the immediate attention of any audience it is targeting. Nintendo Switch owners in particular have had a few opportunities to enjoy the series through games like Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Eevee! and Pokken Tournament DX.

Each of the titles has served its own audiences, whether that be fans of the mobile game Pokemon GO or those that like to duke it out in a legitimate Pokemon fighting game. Still, gamers have been waiting since the launch of the console for a core entry in the series. Not wanting to disappoint its fans, The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have delivered on this with Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. However, with these new titles comes one of the more anticipated aspects of a brand-new game in the series: new starter Pokemon.

Nintendo hosted a seven-minute Nintendo Direct presentation to show off the newest additions to the core line of Pokemon games, where the company also revealed the identity of a handful of new Pocket Monsters. The Gen 8 starter Pokemon were the entirety of the newcomers shown, but trainers can now begin arguing which of the new beasts is the one that they'll be beginning their journey with. Fortunately, there's some diversity within the new cast of starters for fans looking to shake things up.

The new Pokemon are none other than Grookey (the Grass-type starter Pokemon based on a monkey), Scorbunny (the Fire-type starter Pokemon based on a bunny), and Sobble (the Water-type Pokemon based on a lizard). Each has its own immediate appeal for aspiring Pokemon Masters, but ultimately it will come down to what the final evolutions for each character will look like and how powerful they'll become – at least for players that are thinking longterm.

Not much is known about the new starter Pokemon outside of their names and typing, but news is sure to drop as Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield approach their release later this year. In the time spectating the two, gamers are sure to get even more details about the new Switch title. Be sure to stay tuned to Screen Rant in the meantime to keep up to date on Grooker, Scorbunny, Sobble, and everything else in the world of Pokemon.

More: Pokemon GO Guide: How to Catch Smeargle

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield arrive exclusively for Nintendo Switch in late 2019.