The top 10 Fire-type Pokémon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are:

The region of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is undoubtedly the largest in the series. Paldea sprawls extensively, as befits the first truly open Pocket Monsters experience. It would have been downright negligent to find too few Pokemon of any type within its borders, let alone such a popular type like Fire.

Fortunately, that did not happen. In Paldea, there are more than enough Fire-type Pokémon to satisfy our fiery preferences. Who among them is the best? Well, that depends on how one defines "best" - in this particular case, we will focus on viable contenders capable of igniting the battle in Scarlet & Violet, while also appropriately considering their coolness factor.

Updated on September 18, 2023, by Quinton O'Connor: With the release of the first half of the extensive DLC expansion for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, we take a look at our type rankings to see if there's anything from the Kitakami Regional Pokedex that qualifies!

10 Scovillain

There is something perfect about Scorvillain being a Grass/Fire type, and not just because it is a deliberately spicy pepper plant. Grass easily catches fire, hence the obvious type weakness; we suspect that anyone who takes a bite of Scorvillain will soon experience the same sensation on their tongue.

Scorvillain manages to make it here almost exclusively due to its coolness factor. In a competitive environment, we don't really see it as suitable for dominating all rounds with such delicate defensive capabilities (and there aren't many ways to work around that issue). On the other hand, Scorvillain is not weak against Fire, Water, Ice, or Ground. On the Grass side, it fares well against Fire and Ice, while on the Fire side, it brings good news against Water and Ground.

9 Coalossal

Coalossal was a beast in Pokémon Sword & Shield when circumstances aligned in its favor, but perhaps not as powerful in other situations. This trend will undoubtedly continue in Scarlet & Violet: the stony Fire tank with the ability 'Steam Engine' receives a tremendous speed boost of six stages when hit by a Fire attack (relatively unlikely) or a Water attack (significantly more probable).

Thanks to its fairly high HP and excellent Defense, Coalossal is capable of withstanding strong Water-based attacks. However, with a "decent at best" Special Defense stat of 90, it cannot prevent more specialized attacks from leaving a mark. Nevertheless, Coalossal is at least a good choice for the single-player campaign.

8 Armarouge

As visually cool as they may be, there were many hopes that Armarouge and Ceruledge would be champions in the competitive scene. Unfortunately, we won't go so far as to praise them, but they are nonetheless capable creatures overall. Armarouge's weaknesses to Ground, Rock, Water, Dark, and Ghost are partially offset by its resistance to an impressive seven other types, and its total base stat of 525 is wonderful.

Armarouge's impressive Special Attack stat is balanced out by a measly Attack stat, which prevents access to numerous top-tier Fire-type attacks. However, its movepool is sufficient to get by without them, although you must be cautious when using "Overheat" as it significantly reduces Armarouge's crucial Attack stat unless you switch out afterwards.

7 Ceruledge

We have a slightly stronger preference for Ceruledge in the upcoming competitive scene. Fire/Ghost is always an entertaining combination, bolstered by moves like Flare Blitz and Shadow Claw. Ceruledge is the exact opposite of Armarouge, as its Attack stat far surpasses its Special Attack stat. Granted, Ghost types don't have many physical attacks to choose from, but once again, Shadow Claw is a winner in this case.

Slight recommendations to complement Ceruledge's remaining moves at present would be Swords Dance and Close Combat. However, the recommendations will evolve over time and likely lead to a less conventional approach.

6 Volcarona

With a base stat of 550, Ceruledge grabs attention, and a Special Attack of 135 keeps it intriguing. We apologize if all the statistical jargon sounds a bit excessive, but at this point in the lifespan of the meta-game of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, this will be a crucial consideration. And consider this: Volcarona boasts an incredible Special Attack of 135. This Bug/Fire Pokémon from the Unova region masters Bug Buzz, Overheat, and the Special Attack-boosting move Fiery Dance.

Volcarona can also prepare with Leech Seed, a nice addition for a non-Grass Pokémon. However, be extremely cautious if you know your opponent has a Rock-type Pokémon on their team, as that will almost certainly result in an immediate knockout.

5 Chandelure

We can warmly welcome the popular Fire-type Pokémon favorite from Unova, Chandelure, to the roster of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Teal Mask DLC. With its inclusion in the new regional Pokedex, Chandelure brings its fantastic stats to the scene, and we can be certain that in the years to come, we will see at least some of them in top-tier teams.

Catch yourself a Litwick, evolve it into Lampent, and evolve that Lampent into the Special Attack superstar Chandelure as quickly as possible using a Dusk Stone.

4 Skeledirge

None of Skeledirge's stats rewrite the book on power, but it stands out with a Special Attack of 110 that can be paired with its signature move "Poltergeist" to deal decent damage while also allowing for a performance boost by gaining a boost after the hit lands.

Furthermore, Skeledirge is a Fire/Ghost Pokémon that we have already praised. It goes without saying that you should not have it in the same competitive team as Ceruledge. This crocodile-like starter from Paldean is our favorite from the fully evolved group, but perhaps we are simply looking forward to seeing a non-bipedal starter in its true form.

3 Arcanine

It comes as a surprise to Pokémon fans who are diving into the meta for the first time that Arcanine partially dominates the Fire-type lists. Growlithe and Arcanine have been part of the franchise from the beginning, and unlike Charizard and Moltres, their image is not printed in every textbook from here to Kanto.

But Arcanine is a threat, especially at this moment. Intimidate lowers the opponent's attack, but the arrival of the Clear Amulet, a held item that prevents the bearer from suffering an attack drop from attacks and abilities, is bypassed by this powerful pup's mighty Will-O-Wisp.

2 Chi-Yu

In the race for our top spot, we have Chi-Yu, a Dark/Fire fish (yes, there's no water to be found here) with extremely high stats and an ability called "Pearls of Decay" that reduces the opponents' special defense by a quarter. It's even better that Chi-Yu is firmly regarded as a special sweeper - meaning a Pokémon that is specifically designed to unleash a lot of special attacks.

Inferno and the ever-reliable Flamethrower are both great fire options, Dark Pulse works well for the Dark type, and Devastation (an attack used only by the four members of the Treasures of Decay) halves the target's current HP - situational, but a fantastic way to decimate bulky stall tactic tanks when needed.

1 Iron Moth

If there's ever a time to celebrate the existence of Volcarona, it's the ninth generation of the series. Not only is Volcarona one of the best Fire-type Pokémon, but Pokémon Scarlet & Violet take it a step further by introducing Ironmoth, an alternate version of Volcarona that may be the best in the game.

To start off, Ironmoth's stats jump by 20 points to reach 570. Quite impressive. This also includes a slight increase in its high special attack. Fire/Poison has eight resistances and only one double weakness (Ground). Poison is still not the most popular among the 18 Pokémon types, but Poison-type attacks can be, and Ironmoth has an abundance of them.

Ironmoth is a tough, resilient Fire-type Pokémon with all sorts of options to fill the meta with special-based attacks, in a metagame that also appears to be heavily focused on the offensive side of the competition equation.