Pokémon Survivors tier list

Every Pokémon’s numbers

On each difficulty, the share of runs that beat Mewtwo (endless mode counts as a win) and, in brackets, how many runs. The score compares the odds of winning with the average’s: 1× is average.

#	Pokémon	Tier	Score	Normal	Hard	Nightmare	Avg. minute
1	Chespin	S	2.82×	90% (51)	50% (24)	37% (75)	15.3
2	Spheal	S	2.71×	85% (73)	57% (35)	37% (30)	15.2
3	Larvitar	S	2.25×	91% (58)	64% (42)	9% (96)	13.0
4	Charcadet	S	2.20×	86% (105)	64% (64)	7% (112)	12.8
5	Porygon	S	2.06×	69% (45)	60% (47)	23% (31)	13.4
6	Toxel	S	1.91×	67% (63)	49% (43)	22% (49)	12.1
7	Chikorita	S	1.81×	79% (151)	56% (48)	7% (74)	12.6
8	Bulbasaur	A	1.75×	78% (474)	42% (142)	8% (202)	12.6
9	Smeargle	A	1.73×	95% (19)	41% (17)	17% (46)	11.5
10	Litten	A	1.72×	71% (277)	45% (89)	10% (108)	11.8
11	Deino	A	1.71×	91% (76)	54% (56)	4% (84)	14.7
12	Beldum	A	1.59×	77% (84)	37% (67)	10% (67)	10.6
13	Squirtle	A	1.56×	55% (475)	40% (98)	16% (123)	11.9
14	Grookey	A	1.48×	68% (90)	38% (26)	14% (35)	11.8
15	Swinub	A	1.47×	78% (67)	45% (22)	8% (39)	12.4
16	Poliwag	A	1.42×	70% (43)	25% (28)	25% (20)	11.6
17	Bagon	A	1.39×	80% (60)	40% (75)	5% (133)	8.9
18	Grubbin	A	1.37×	59% (75)	49% (37)	10% (31)	10.2
19	Popplio	A	1.36×	64% (117)	42% (45)	8% (62)	11.4
20	Shroomish	A	1.35×	85% (34)	59% (17)	3% (34)	11.2
21	Mareep	A	1.35×	59% (83)	39% (59)	10% (67)	10.0
22	Cubone	A	1.34×	63% (35)	47% (15)	15% (13)	12.1
23	Scraggy	A	1.34×	94% (16)	40% (20)	7% (27)	9.5
24	Kabuto	A	1.32×	87% (30)	48% (27)	3% (31)	11.3
25	Honedge	B	1.30×	72% (87)	34% (56)	7% (74)	11.0
26	Fuecoco	B	1.27×	65% (185)	45% (53)	4% (68)	11.4
27	Gastly	B	1.24×	66% (110)	45% (77)	4% (155)	9.6
28	Dratini	B	1.23×	69% (118)	44% (85)	4% (162)	9.3
29	Tepig	B	1.22×	66% (65)	44% (18)	6% (35)	10.6
30	Exeggcute	B	1.22×	58% (19)	38% (16)	12% (26)	8.2
31	Pichu	B	1.21×	41% (181)	46% (76)	9% (167)	9.0
32	Munchlax	B	1.20×	51% (47)	41% (17)	12% (25)	9.3
33	Ralts	B	1.20×	69% (118)	37% (90)	4% (134)	10.2
34	Aron	B	1.18×	78% (50)	40% (57)	2% (44)	11.5
35	Togepi	B	1.16×	57% (109)	48% (58)	4% (102)	9.6
36	Quaxly	B	1.16×	73% (67)	33% (39)	4% (47)	9.3
37	Oshawott	B	1.16×	68% (136)	26% (50)	7% (54)	10.8
38	Trapinch	B	1.12×	86% (49)	42% (33)	0% (38)	11.5
39	Tinkatink	B	1.11×	58% (69)	33% (55)	7% (42)	8.9
40	Dreepy	B	1.11×	66% (100)	25% (105)	8% (119)	9.4
41	Snorunt	B	1.09×	64% (87)	33% (52)	5% (43)	12.2
42	Snivy	B	1.08×	57% (161)	33% (39)	6% (50)	10.7
43	Rowlet	B	1.06×	64% (286)	34% (89)	4% (128)	10.6
44	Roggenrola	B	1.06×	73% (45)	38% (24)	2% (45)	10.0
45	Feebas	B	1.04×	69% (58)	26% (35)	5% (62)	9.2
46	Budew	B	1.03×	65% (48)	27% (37)	5% (39)	8.4
47	Scyther	B	1.01×	51% (71)	39% (62)	4% (136)	7.7
48	Horsea	B	1.01×	65% (31)	21% (38)	9% (11)	11.1
49	Sprigatito	B	1.01×	53% (280)	34% (76)	5% (82)	9.7
50	Gible	B	1.00×	70% (94)	31% (93)	3% (139)	9.1
51	Machop	C	0.99×	62% (86)	40% (63)	2% (56)	9.7
52	Mudkip	C	0.99×	62% (556)	30% (159)	4% (147)	11.2
53	Azurill	C	0.98×	53% (58)	38% (32)	3% (32)	10.1
54	Chimchar	C	0.98×	61% (261)	31% (84)	3% (88)	11.2
55	Electrike	C	0.96×	45% (40)	22% (37)	9% (54)	7.8
56	Vulpix	C	0.95×	47% (19)	38% (24)	3% (30)	8.5
57	Riolu	C	0.95×	56% (149)	24% (85)	6% (141)	8.1
58	Zorua	C	0.95×	77% (62)	32% (37)	1% (85)	9.7
59	Abra	C	0.92×	65% (105)	18% (80)	6% (67)	9.4
60	Swablu	C	0.91×	53% (59)	22% (36)	6% (51)	9.1
61	Rockruff	C	0.91×	53% (66)	28% (32)	4% (28)	9.3
62	Larvesta	C	0.89×	62% (86)	31% (49)	2% (55)	9.9
63	Growlithe	C	0.89×	60% (43)	39% (28)	0% (34)	10.2
64	Teddiursa	C	0.89×	47% (30)	44% (16)	0% (19)	7.9
65	Geodude	C	0.88×	60% (48)	22% (36)	4% (56)	7.3
66	Shinx	C	0.87×	46% (107)	31% (32)	4% (52)	9.2
67	Pidgey	C	0.83×	41% (100)	29% (52)	5% (87)	7.7
68	Piplup	C	0.83×	58% (193)	22% (58)	3% (65)	10.2
69	Houndour	C	0.82×	59% (41)	32% (38)	0% (33)	9.6
70	Torchic	C	0.79×	44% (530)	26% (134)	5% (109)	9.3
71	Treecko	D	0.73×	47% (421)	24% (170)	4% (189)	8.4
72	Slakoth	D	0.73×	63% (30)	14% (49)	3% (110)	5.3
73	Sobble	D	0.72×	46% (148)	24% (67)	2% (48)	8.5
74	Scorbunny	D	0.71×	36% (316)	25% (72)	4% (71)	8.2
75	Shuppet	D	0.71×	48% (33)	16% (37)	2% (46)	7.2
76	Turtwig	D	0.71×	42% (224)	21% (72)	4% (53)	7.6
77	Zubat	D	0.70×	48% (83)	19% (43)	2% (49)	7.8
78	Cyndaquil	D	0.68×	46% (420)	19% (96)	4% (114)	9.2
79	Noibat	D	0.67×	58% (359)	29% (122)	1% (156)	10.4
80	Totodile	D	0.63×	45% (297)	17% (94)	3% (102)	8.2
81	Eevee	D	0.62×	43% (262)	21% (180)	3% (188)	7.3
82	Magikarp	D	0.57×	39% (177)	17% (103)	3% (119)	7.3
83	Charmander	D	0.54×	44% (1,920)	23% (374)	2% (496)	9.5
84	Fennekin	D	0.50×	45% (247)	9% (74)	1% (75)	8.9
85	Starly	D	0.45×	23% (131)	15% (46)	1% (88)	4.1
86	Froakie	D	0.37×	38% (951)	13% (344)	1% (407)	7.8

How the tier list is made

It comes from the 26,774 runs finished over the last 30 days in the regular mode (no Daily Challenge, no Legend Mode), counted anonymously by the game. A win is a run that beat Mewtwo.

Each difficulty counts on its own. So a Pokémon with few runs can’t luck its way to the top, its win rate on each is pulled toward that difficulty’s average, as if it had played 30 more runs at the average: with 20 runs, the result moves a good way toward the average; with 500, it barely changes.

Then the score compares each Pokémon’s odds of winning with the average’s on each difficulty and blends the three: Hard counts 40%, Normal 30% and Nightmare 30%. Hard counts most because it has plenty of runs and is played mostly by people who already know the game, whatever their Pokémon. Normal is the most played, but it’s where beginners gather, and Nightmare is the toughest test but has few wins, so it swings more. Comparing odds instead of percentages makes going from 5% to 10% on Nightmare worth as much as going from 55% to 70% on Normal.

The tiers come from the score: S from 1.8× (nearly double the average’s odds), A from 1.3×, B from 1× (average or better), C from 0.75× and D below that. Anyone with fewer than 50 runs, all three difficulties together, stays under “No data” until it’s played more.

What the tier list doesn’t tell you

• Who picks matters. New players tend to go for the famous starters (Charmander alone has 1,920 runs on Normal), while the egg families are in the hands of people who have played enough to hatch them. That flatters the eggs’ win rates and drags down the popular starters’, without the Pokémon being that much better or worse.
• The Kecleon Shop matters too: players with more upgrades bought win more, with any Pokémon.
• The game changes. Moves, bosses and difficulties get tuned often, and runs from before a change still count until they leave the window.
• Even pulled toward the average, few runs make for shaky numbers: one tier between two Pokémon in the middle of the list means very little.
• In the end, the best Pokémon is the one you play well. Any of them can beat Mewtwo.