While Pokémon takes inspiration from all over the animal kingdom, the toad and frog Pokémon that make up a chunk of the Pokédex are some of our favorites. So, in this guide, we’ve listed all the awesome amphibian evolution lines from the series, from the first-generation frogs to the latest arrivals in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. So what are you waiting for? Let’s hop to it.
For more Pokélists, be sure to check out our guides to cat Pokémon, dog Pokémon, fish Pokémon, monkey Pokémon, and frog Pokémon’s natural enemy, all the spider Pokémon. Or, if you’re feeling nostalgic, turn back the years with our picks for the best gen 3 Pokémon, gen 5 Pokémon, gen 7 Pokémon, and gen 8 Pokémon. We’ve also got a complete Pokédex, in case you need reminding of the long list of catchable creatures.
With that out of the way, let’s leap with both back legs into this list of all the toad and frog Pokémon.
Poliwag / Poliwhirl / Poliwrath / Politoed
Sometimes, you just can’t beat the classic gen 1 Pokémon. The Poliwrath evolution line features some fantastic frog Pokémon, with the frogspawn Poliwag evolving into the hypnotic Poliwhirl before you use a water stone to add the heavyweight Poliwrath to your team. Outside of Blastoise, Poliwrath is one of the most competent water Pokémon of the first generation, with its influence continuing into Gold, Silver, and Crystal, thanks to Cianwood City’s gym leader Chuck choosing the water and fighting Pokémon as his ace monster.
Politoed gets its own paragraph here because we love Politoed. How could you not? If you’re anything like me and grew up without a Pokémon trading partner, you probably dreamed of one day owning this gen 2 Pokémon. Not only is it an iconic design, but Politoed is a staple of the competitive double VGC format, providing tanky support for rain teams while setting up the required precipitation with the Drizzle ability. It’s also one of the best shiny designs out there, with Politoed’s green and yellow design going all psychedelic with a pink and blue palette swap.
Bulbasaur / Ivysaur / Venusaur
Believe it or not, Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur are all frog Pokémon. I know, it might not be obvious at first, but the more you look at this evolutionary trio, the more obvious it becomes. Don’t just take my word for it, this information is from the highest source in Pokémon, designers Astuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori. Or, boot up Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee or Let’s Go Pikachu and watch any of these three hop around behind you like a toad leaps from lilypad to lilypad.
As the only frogs with a fire Pokémon weakness, this trio is pretty unique in terms of the rest of the Pokémon on this list. Venusaur is also the only frog Pokémon with both a Mega and a Gigantamax Pokémon form, with Game Freak often keen to revisit the original trio of starter Pokémon when introducing new mechanics. As long as the Pokémon series is still going strong, we expect to see Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur as common fixtures, and you know what? We’re not at all mad about it.
Froakie / Frogadier / Greninja
Greninja is something of a beast of a final evolution for a starter Pokémon, both in-game and in the anime series. For those who don’t know, Ash’s Greninja was so popular among fans that there have been official Game Freak giveaways to get the version from the anime in your game and even a special TCG card, making this Pokémon one of Ash’s most famous partners alongside legends like Charizard and Pikachu.
We can’t forget Froakie, though. It’s blue, it’s cute, and well, that’s enough for me. Considering there have been three new water-type starters since Froakie arrived with the rest of gen 6 Pokémon, we’re yet to meet one quite as charming. Frogadier is a little more forgettable than its basic form and final evolution, but you only have to deal with it from level 16 to 36, so it’s hardly a problem.
Croagunk / Toxicroak
With so many poisonous amphibians out there, it’s only right that the Pokémon series has its own toxic toad. However, this evolutionary line doesn’t just pack a punch with its venomous spit, but with its fists thanks to dual poison/fighting typing. This creature is not the sort of Pokémon you want to run into in a trainer battle if you’re unprepared, with Toxicroak capable of tearing through teams or forcing you into trudging back to the Pokémon Center by poisoning a party member.
Like Ash’s Greninja, Croagunk may be a familiar poison Pokémon to fans of the anime series. Brock, usually one for collecting rock-types, caught a Croagunk during his adventure through Sinnoh, with the two eventually forming a bond that rivals that of Ash and Pikachu. While we never see Brock evolve his beloved gen 4 Pokémon into Toxicroak, that doesn’t mean his partner Pokémon isn’t up to facing off in battles, with Brock coming to prefer sending out his Croagunk ahead of other mons like Steelix and Ludicolo.
Tadbulb / Bellibolt
Tadbulb and Bellibolt are the latest frog Pokémon to arrive in the Pokémon world, making their debut appearance in the gen nine games. However, while this pairing might find their home by the water, they’re actually electric-type attackers with no dual typing. If there ever were a battle of the frogs, Greninja wouldn’t want to bump into Bellibolt along the way.
Bellibolt is the evolved form of Tadbulb and makes for another froggy friend with a serious ground Pokémon weakness. While it’s not the best battler of the gen 9 Pokémon, Bellibolt can still provide a few shocks during your gym battle with Iona and is a worthy teammate if you’re looking to zap some bird Pokémon out of the sky. Outside of that, Bellibolt’s design makes it seem like a very cuddleable Pokémon, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it in Squishmallow form before too long.
Tympole / Palpitoad / Seismitoad
Seismitoad is the swamp frog of the Pokémon world, with dual water/ground typing offering it a powerful moveset, including heavy hitters like Surf, Earthquake, and Hydro Pump. In terms of weaknesses, there are pros and cons to picking Seismitoad for your party. The most significant benefit is that, unlike most other water Pokémon, this toad is immune to electric moves. However, with both water and ground typings weak to grass attacks, moves like Razor Leaf and Vine Whip are four times as effective against this big old toad.
There’s not much to say about Tympole besides that it’s a pretty cute starting point for this evolutionary line, with sweet little eyebrows that make it something of a Mr. Bean lookalike. Palpitoad, like many middle evolutions, is often overlooked, but it’s worth mentioning for its goofy smile alone. While this group of frog Pokemon might not be the most memorable from the series, these toads are certainly worthy of their place on this list.
There you have it, our guide to all the toad and frog Pokémon. To find out more about some of the typings we mentioned in this guide, check out our lists of the best water Pokémon, grass Pokémon, fighting Pokémon, electric Pokémon, and dark Pokémon. Or, if you’re looking to take on some frogs, see our guides to water Pokémon weakness, fighting Pokémon weakness, and grass Pokémon weakness.