Greninja The Mario Karter
Greninja the Water/Dark Ninja
- Pronouns
- He, Him, His
I've already ranked the eighteen types in Pokémon from worst to best, so why not rank the eight Eeveelutions from weakest to strongest?
Number 8: Glaceon
Starting us off in 8th place is naturally the weakest Eeveelution, and I have to give that award to Glaceon. For starters, let's talk about the Ice type in general. If you've seen my Pokémon type ranking thread, you'll know that the Ice type ranks 17th for a plethora of reasons. The main problem with it is the fact that it only resists itself and is weak to four types: Fighting, Rock, Steel, and Fire, and to add insult to injury, Steel, Fire, Water, and Ice all resist this type, making it annoying to get some decent damage on the most frequently used Pokémon. Sure, it's super effective against Flying, Ground, Grass, and Dragon, which are all nice types to be super effective against, but what good does that do when you have abysmal speed and these Pokémon often have access to moves that will obliterate any Ice type in their path? Now, don't get me wrong, a Special Attack stat of 130 isn't anything to sneeze at, and it actually has pretty solid Defense stats for an Ice type, but with really bad HP and Speed, the writing was already on the wall for Glaceon. As it stands, it has no access to Hidden Power, so with that being taken away from it as of Generation VIII, the only viable coverage move it has is Shadow Ball. Even if Hidden Power were to return, Glaceon would still be at the bottom of this list.
Number 7: Flareon
Now, moving on to the 7th place spot is the Eeveelution you would all be expecting to be in Glaceon's place, and that is Flareon. Yeah, Flareon may not be as bad as Glaceon, but it's still not very good either. Like Glaceon, Flareon suffers from having bad HP and Speed stats, but its main problem comes from its lack of decent Fire type attacks. It has a phenomenal Attack stat of 130, but the only real decent physical moves it has access to are Flare Blitz, which has recoil damage, Super Power, which lowers attack and defense, and Iron Tail, which has a relatively bad 75% accuracy. Now, it does have a decent Special Attack stat, so you could trap moves like Lava Plume, Shadow Ball, and Mystical Fire, but it's not really worth it to make it a mixed attacker. Again, that Speed stat is really going to be holding it back in the long run, and I think a simple swap of the Special Attack and Speed stats could have made it a little more viable, as it does have some decent coverage.
Number 6: Leafeon
The 6th place Eeveelution is the last Eeveelution on this list that isn't all that good, and that's Leafeon. In terms of stat distribution and coverage, Leafeon is a step in the right direction. It has 110 Attack and 95 Speed, which is great, with the weird decision to give it a base 130 Defense stat. I feel like Leafeon could have been slightly higher tiered if you just swapped those stats a bit, like making the Attack 130, the Speed 110, and the Defense 95. That extra 15 in Speed and 20 in Attack really could have made it a formidable opponent, but let's talk about the other positives Leafeon has. It has access to amazing Grass type moves like Leaf Blade, Solar Blade, and Seed Bomb and decent coverage options like Iron Tail and X-Scissor. Its loss of Knock Off is what holds Leafeon back. Sure, if you're only using it for Dark type coverage, then Bide is a decent replacement, but the reality is, Knock Off is so much more useful than being a Dark coverage move.
Number 5: Jolteon
For the 5th place spot, we're moving into the actually decent Eeveelutions, starting with Jolteon. I wish Jolteon could be a lot higher on this list. I mean, just look at how cool it is. I'd even go as far to say that Jolteon is the most popular of the original three Eeveelutions. It just looks powerful, and to be quite honest, it is. It has 110 Special Attack, 95 Special Defense, and 130 Speed. Even if you include forms like Speed Deoxys and Mega Alakazam, Jolteon has one of the highest base speed totals, which is pretty crazy to think about, so that means Jolteon must be really good, right? Well, kind of. It can do decently well, but its lack of coverage makes it less viable compared to some other Pokémon. See, Jolteon's main purpose was to hit really hard with its Electric attacks, and then Volt Switch out if a major threat came by, but this kind of role was easily taken over by much better Pokémon over the years like Rotom Wash and Tropicoco, and since it loses a lot of its good coverage moves like Hidden Power and Signal Beam, while only having access to moves like Shadow Ball and Pin Missile, Jolteon is a lot harder of a sell to use in a team. At this point in time, the only real reason I can see someone using a Jolteon is because it's their favorite Pokémon. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I'm just saying that there are better options out there.
Number 4: Vaporeon
Starting the upper half of this list in 4th place is the last of the OG Eeveelutions, Vaporeon. Vaporeon has a bit of bulk on it, with 95 Special Defense and 130 HP. Thus far, Umbreon was the only other Eeveelution to have a 65 in its HP stat, but Vaporeon takes the whole cake with that one, with it being the highest it can be. It also has that 110 Special Attack, which helps out a lot more than some of the others on this list. Naturally, Toxic and Heal Bell are taken away from Vaporeon, but what puts it this high on the list is its move pool. While missing some crucial moves, it still maintains heavy moves like Shadow Ball, Surf, Muddy Water, and most importantly, Ice Beam. With Ice Beam, you get all the benefits of an Ice type move without having the drawbacks of being an Ice type.
Number 3: Espeon
As we move on to the top 3, the 3rd place spot goes to Espeon. Like Jolteon, Espeon focuses on its special stats. It has 110 Speed, 95 Special Defense, and 130 Special Attack, and that's not so surprising, considering how good the Psychic type does with Special Attack on average, and being that Psychic type is a strong type stats wise, that bodes very well for this Eeveelution. Next, we have its moves. Espeon has one of the best move pools of any Eeveelution. It has access to Shadow Ball, which is really nice on a Psychic type Pokémon, but it can also dish out Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, and Grass Knot, which could come in handy in very specific situations, but it really shines with its ability choices. First is Synchronize, which will pass on Burn, Paralysis, or Poison to an opponent that gave you the Status Condition. This will discourage a lot of stallers from messing with you if you have your Espeon out. It also has Magic Bounce, which will reflect any stat changing moves thrown at it, along with being able to throw back Stealth Rocks and Spikes, which is so incredibly useful. When you combine all of these factors together, you get yourself a great Pokémon, but its consistent goodness comes from its versatility. There are so many good options for Espeon that it was guaranteed to get a top 3 spot.
Number 2: Umbreon
The 2nd place spot on this list is held by Umbreon. This Pokémon has 95 HP, 110 Defense, and 130 Special Defense. Before Generation VIII came out, this thing was such an indominable wall that people would rage quit as soon as they saw it. Umbreon was that feared in the competitive scene. The reason it doesn't get 1st place is because it had some moves like Toxic and Heal Bell taken away from it, but it's still a defensive wall. Also, despite not hitting very hard itself with base 65 Attack and 60 Special Attack, the Dark type overall is a heavy hitter, with its Attack far outclassing the rest of its stats. It also looks really cool with the yellow linings on its black skin and provides a menacing look with those red eyes.
Number 1: Sylveon
The 1st place spot for best Eeveelution has to go to Sylveon. The Fairy type was introduced in Generation VI, and with the Pokémon it can do well against, this type was set for success right away, and Sylveon was not an exception to that. It has three good stats spread out with 95 HP, 110 Special Attack, and 130 Special Defense. I'm not a big fan of that spread, but it works, so I can't say much. It has 60 Speed, which would normally be a detriment to Pokémon like this, but it has a nice trick up its sleeve being Pixelate, the ability to turn any Normal type move into a Fairy type move. It's absolutely beautiful. I wish all of the Eeveelutions had an ability like this for their respective types, but I digress. Having coverage options in Mystical Fire, Magical Leaf, Psyshock, and Shadow Ball really boosts its versatility. Sylveon may be the newest Eeveelution, but it is by no means a slouch and has proven right off the bat that it is the superior Eeveelution in terms of strength.
Conclusion
Well, that wraps up this ranking. Honestly, it was hard to rank these Eeveelutions the way I did, because each one has its own benefits, but some are better than others. What did you think of these rankings? Do you agree with me, or do you believe I overlooked something about one of them? Let me know in the comments below, as I'm really curious in how you view the Eeveelutions.
Number 8: Glaceon
Starting us off in 8th place is naturally the weakest Eeveelution, and I have to give that award to Glaceon. For starters, let's talk about the Ice type in general. If you've seen my Pokémon type ranking thread, you'll know that the Ice type ranks 17th for a plethora of reasons. The main problem with it is the fact that it only resists itself and is weak to four types: Fighting, Rock, Steel, and Fire, and to add insult to injury, Steel, Fire, Water, and Ice all resist this type, making it annoying to get some decent damage on the most frequently used Pokémon. Sure, it's super effective against Flying, Ground, Grass, and Dragon, which are all nice types to be super effective against, but what good does that do when you have abysmal speed and these Pokémon often have access to moves that will obliterate any Ice type in their path? Now, don't get me wrong, a Special Attack stat of 130 isn't anything to sneeze at, and it actually has pretty solid Defense stats for an Ice type, but with really bad HP and Speed, the writing was already on the wall for Glaceon. As it stands, it has no access to Hidden Power, so with that being taken away from it as of Generation VIII, the only viable coverage move it has is Shadow Ball. Even if Hidden Power were to return, Glaceon would still be at the bottom of this list.
Number 7: Flareon
Now, moving on to the 7th place spot is the Eeveelution you would all be expecting to be in Glaceon's place, and that is Flareon. Yeah, Flareon may not be as bad as Glaceon, but it's still not very good either. Like Glaceon, Flareon suffers from having bad HP and Speed stats, but its main problem comes from its lack of decent Fire type attacks. It has a phenomenal Attack stat of 130, but the only real decent physical moves it has access to are Flare Blitz, which has recoil damage, Super Power, which lowers attack and defense, and Iron Tail, which has a relatively bad 75% accuracy. Now, it does have a decent Special Attack stat, so you could trap moves like Lava Plume, Shadow Ball, and Mystical Fire, but it's not really worth it to make it a mixed attacker. Again, that Speed stat is really going to be holding it back in the long run, and I think a simple swap of the Special Attack and Speed stats could have made it a little more viable, as it does have some decent coverage.
Number 6: Leafeon
The 6th place Eeveelution is the last Eeveelution on this list that isn't all that good, and that's Leafeon. In terms of stat distribution and coverage, Leafeon is a step in the right direction. It has 110 Attack and 95 Speed, which is great, with the weird decision to give it a base 130 Defense stat. I feel like Leafeon could have been slightly higher tiered if you just swapped those stats a bit, like making the Attack 130, the Speed 110, and the Defense 95. That extra 15 in Speed and 20 in Attack really could have made it a formidable opponent, but let's talk about the other positives Leafeon has. It has access to amazing Grass type moves like Leaf Blade, Solar Blade, and Seed Bomb and decent coverage options like Iron Tail and X-Scissor. Its loss of Knock Off is what holds Leafeon back. Sure, if you're only using it for Dark type coverage, then Bide is a decent replacement, but the reality is, Knock Off is so much more useful than being a Dark coverage move.
Number 5: Jolteon
For the 5th place spot, we're moving into the actually decent Eeveelutions, starting with Jolteon. I wish Jolteon could be a lot higher on this list. I mean, just look at how cool it is. I'd even go as far to say that Jolteon is the most popular of the original three Eeveelutions. It just looks powerful, and to be quite honest, it is. It has 110 Special Attack, 95 Special Defense, and 130 Speed. Even if you include forms like Speed Deoxys and Mega Alakazam, Jolteon has one of the highest base speed totals, which is pretty crazy to think about, so that means Jolteon must be really good, right? Well, kind of. It can do decently well, but its lack of coverage makes it less viable compared to some other Pokémon. See, Jolteon's main purpose was to hit really hard with its Electric attacks, and then Volt Switch out if a major threat came by, but this kind of role was easily taken over by much better Pokémon over the years like Rotom Wash and Tropicoco, and since it loses a lot of its good coverage moves like Hidden Power and Signal Beam, while only having access to moves like Shadow Ball and Pin Missile, Jolteon is a lot harder of a sell to use in a team. At this point in time, the only real reason I can see someone using a Jolteon is because it's their favorite Pokémon. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I'm just saying that there are better options out there.
Number 4: Vaporeon
Starting the upper half of this list in 4th place is the last of the OG Eeveelutions, Vaporeon. Vaporeon has a bit of bulk on it, with 95 Special Defense and 130 HP. Thus far, Umbreon was the only other Eeveelution to have a 65 in its HP stat, but Vaporeon takes the whole cake with that one, with it being the highest it can be. It also has that 110 Special Attack, which helps out a lot more than some of the others on this list. Naturally, Toxic and Heal Bell are taken away from Vaporeon, but what puts it this high on the list is its move pool. While missing some crucial moves, it still maintains heavy moves like Shadow Ball, Surf, Muddy Water, and most importantly, Ice Beam. With Ice Beam, you get all the benefits of an Ice type move without having the drawbacks of being an Ice type.
Number 3: Espeon
As we move on to the top 3, the 3rd place spot goes to Espeon. Like Jolteon, Espeon focuses on its special stats. It has 110 Speed, 95 Special Defense, and 130 Special Attack, and that's not so surprising, considering how good the Psychic type does with Special Attack on average, and being that Psychic type is a strong type stats wise, that bodes very well for this Eeveelution. Next, we have its moves. Espeon has one of the best move pools of any Eeveelution. It has access to Shadow Ball, which is really nice on a Psychic type Pokémon, but it can also dish out Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, and Grass Knot, which could come in handy in very specific situations, but it really shines with its ability choices. First is Synchronize, which will pass on Burn, Paralysis, or Poison to an opponent that gave you the Status Condition. This will discourage a lot of stallers from messing with you if you have your Espeon out. It also has Magic Bounce, which will reflect any stat changing moves thrown at it, along with being able to throw back Stealth Rocks and Spikes, which is so incredibly useful. When you combine all of these factors together, you get yourself a great Pokémon, but its consistent goodness comes from its versatility. There are so many good options for Espeon that it was guaranteed to get a top 3 spot.
Number 2: Umbreon
The 2nd place spot on this list is held by Umbreon. This Pokémon has 95 HP, 110 Defense, and 130 Special Defense. Before Generation VIII came out, this thing was such an indominable wall that people would rage quit as soon as they saw it. Umbreon was that feared in the competitive scene. The reason it doesn't get 1st place is because it had some moves like Toxic and Heal Bell taken away from it, but it's still a defensive wall. Also, despite not hitting very hard itself with base 65 Attack and 60 Special Attack, the Dark type overall is a heavy hitter, with its Attack far outclassing the rest of its stats. It also looks really cool with the yellow linings on its black skin and provides a menacing look with those red eyes.
Number 1: Sylveon
The 1st place spot for best Eeveelution has to go to Sylveon. The Fairy type was introduced in Generation VI, and with the Pokémon it can do well against, this type was set for success right away, and Sylveon was not an exception to that. It has three good stats spread out with 95 HP, 110 Special Attack, and 130 Special Defense. I'm not a big fan of that spread, but it works, so I can't say much. It has 60 Speed, which would normally be a detriment to Pokémon like this, but it has a nice trick up its sleeve being Pixelate, the ability to turn any Normal type move into a Fairy type move. It's absolutely beautiful. I wish all of the Eeveelutions had an ability like this for their respective types, but I digress. Having coverage options in Mystical Fire, Magical Leaf, Psyshock, and Shadow Ball really boosts its versatility. Sylveon may be the newest Eeveelution, but it is by no means a slouch and has proven right off the bat that it is the superior Eeveelution in terms of strength.
Conclusion
Well, that wraps up this ranking. Honestly, it was hard to rank these Eeveelutions the way I did, because each one has its own benefits, but some are better than others. What did you think of these rankings? Do you agree with me, or do you believe I overlooked something about one of them? Let me know in the comments below, as I'm really curious in how you view the Eeveelutions.
