5 Best and Worst Grass-Type Pokemon Designs

Grass-type Pokemon are among the most recognizable and popular, and it’s no surprise – the very first Pokemon listed in the Pokedex is a Grass-type, suggesting it might have been the first one designed. Along with Fire and Water, Grass is a core type that has appeared in every starter Pokemon line, all the way through the upcoming Generation 10 games, Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves. While we don’t yet know which new Grass-type Pokemon will appear in these games, there’s already a long history of amazing Grass-type creatures.

Look, I’ve played a lot of Pokémon, and not every design hits the mark – especially when it comes to Grass-types. While you can really do anything with the idea of a Grass Pokémon, sometimes it just doesn’t work. Some of them seriously don’t feel like Grass-types! The best ones just naturally look like they belong in the forest or a garden, even before you know their type. But the worst designs either try too hard with a weird gimmick, or they forget what plants even look like. Here are 10 Pokémon that really show how that can go wrong.

5) Worst Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Carnivine

I first encountered Carnivine way back in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and it was pretty cool! It’s clearly based on those Venus flytrap plants, which is a really smart idea for a Grass-type Pokemon. Everyone knows what a Venus flytrap is, and they look awesome, so it instantly makes for a great design. Plus, the whole ‘carnivorous’ thing just opens up a ton of cool possibilities for how they could design it.

Carnivine’s design feels over-the-top and silly. Its huge head and wide mouth make it look more like a cartoon than a plant, especially considering how scary it could be. It’s surprising that Game Freak took inspiration from a fascinating real-life plant and created something that feels like a monster. Despite all that, it’s still clearly a Grass-type Pokémon.

5) Best Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Lotad

Lotad, first appearing in the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, has a clever and successful design. It’s a Grass-type Pokemon that looks like a small water animal with a lily pad on its back, instantly showing its dual Grass and Water typing. The lily pad clearly links it to plant life and water environments, and its placement makes the design feel natural and believable – like it truly belongs in ponds and wetlands.

You know, what I really dig about Lotad is how straightforward it is. It doesn’t try to be super complicated or over-the-top with a bunch of flashy details. It just takes one really cool idea – a little lilypad Pokémon – and nails it. It feels like it totally belongs in the Pokémon world, and honestly, it proves that sometimes the simplest designs are the best. Less is definitely more with this one, and that’s why Lotad is so great!

4) Worst Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Whimsicott

Whimsicott debuted in the Pokémon Black and White games and draws inspiration from cotton plants and fairies. The idea behind this Pokémon is interesting, as cotton naturally connects to the plant world. However, its design focuses a lot on a soft, cloud-like look. Whimsicott emphasizes its Fairy typing more than its Grass typing, unlike its pre-evolution, Cottonee. Without knowing about Cottonee, you might even think it’s a purely Fairy-type Pokémon.

Although this creature has some grass-like features, they don’t stand out, which is odd considering the Fairy-type was added to its design later. The connection to plants isn’t very noticeable. Making its fluffy mane look more like cotton would improve the design and better highlight its Grass-type elements. Currently, it feels like that aspect was added as an afterthought.

4) Best Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Sawsbuck

Sawsbuck is a beautifully designed Grass-type Pokémon first appearing in Pokémon Black and White. It looks like a deer whose antlers change to reflect the current season, making it a truly unique Pokémon. The plants growing on its antlers change with each season, which perfectly captures the essence of a Grass-type Pokémon.

Sawsbuck’s design clearly draws inspiration from deer and their forest homes. It looks like it naturally belongs in the woodlands, easily blending into the environment. The Pokémon beautifully represents the life cycle of plants and how they change with the seasons. What’s also interesting is its unique typing – a combination of Grass and Normal, which is quite unusual.

3) Worst Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Exeggcute

I first encountered Exeggcute way back in the original Pokemon Red and Blue. It’s basically a bunch of eggs all stuck together, which sounds kinda weird, right? At first, I didn’t get why it was a Grass-type Pokemon. Looking at it, you just see cracked eggs with faces! But then I realized the eggs are supposed to look like seeds, which makes a lot more sense when you think about plants and how they grow. It’s a simple design, but it cleverly connects to its typing once you get it.

Because of its design, Exeggcute feels more like it should evolve into a Flying-type Pokémon rather than a Grass-type. Although the idea behind it – growing from seeds into a tree – is interesting, the design doesn’t really show that. Compared to Pokémon like Sunkern, it’s clear the look could have been better. It’s also strange that it’s a Grass-type combined with Psychic.

3) Best Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Tropius

Tropius, first appearing in the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, is known for its imaginative design, uniquely combining elements of plants and animals. This Pokemon looks like a dinosaur with leaves growing all over and fruit dangling from its neck, instantly creating the image of a living, breathing tropical plant within the Pokemon universe. It’s a particularly creative example of a Grass-type Pokemon.

I always thought Tropius was such a cool Pokémon! The leaves on its body totally look like wings, and it really feels like plant life is just part of it, not just something it carries around. Plus, the fruit makes it seem like it’s all about growth and providing for others. It gives off this vibe of being a whole little ecosystem on legs. Honestly, it might not be the strongest in battle, but the design is amazing, especially when you think about how many awesome Pokémon designs Generation 3 gave us.

2) Worst Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Ferrothorn

Okay, so Ferrothorn showed up in Pokemon Black and White, and honestly, its design is kinda weird. It’s supposed to be a Grass-type, but it’s all metal and spikes – it really doesn’t look like a plant! I get they probably thought the green color would hint at it being Grass, but let’s be real, tons of Pokemon are green and aren’t Grass-types. It just doesn’t quite add up to me.

While it might seem like Ferrothorn’s spiky body resembles a pinecone, the design doesn’t quite capture that feeling. Even its arm-like vines appear metallic, emphasizing its Steel-type more than its Grass-type. This makes it feel less connected to nature and more like a machine, weakening its identity as a Grass-type Pokémon. It comes across as industrial rather than organic.

2) Best Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Trevenant

Trevenant, first appearing in Pokemon X and Y, is a fantastic depiction of a haunted tree. Its design cleverly blends natural features with a spooky feel, perfectly representing its Grass and Ghost typing. The wooden body, branch-like arms, and glowing eyes create a memorable shape that shows a tree brought to life, emphasizing the natural connection common to Grass-type Pokemon.

Trevenant stands out because it embodies the more unsettling aspects of the plant world. Forests often have a mysterious, even dangerous, feel, and Trevenant’s design really captures that mood. It also highlights the natural cycle of growth, decay, and renewal that’s central to plant life – something most Grass-type Pokémon don’t focus on. This makes Trevenant a particularly compelling example of a Pokémon that explores this often-overlooked side of nature.

1) Worst Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Kartana

Okay, so Kartana from Pokemon Sun and Moon is seriously one of the weirdest Pokemon designs I’ve ever seen, which, honestly, fits for an Ultra Beast. It doesn’t look like a normal animal or plant at all – it literally looks like it’s made of folded paper! I get the idea is based on origami, which is cool and creative, but it doesn’t really make sense that it’s a Grass-type. And then they added Steel-typing? That just makes it even more confusing, because if it’s Steel, it can’t actually be made of paper, right?

Kartana’s design, with its sharp, blade-like body and sharp angles, makes it appear more like a weapon than a plant. Though some believe its design is inspired by wood-pulp paper, this connection isn’t very clear. Because of this, Kartana doesn’t quite fit the natural, organic feel players usually associate with Grass-type Pokémon.

1) Best Design Grass-Type Pokemon – Bulbasaur

Man, Bulbasaur is such a classic! I remember starting my Pokemon journey way back in Red and Blue, and Bulbasaur was often my first pick. You instantly get what it is – a little dinosaur with a plant on its back, so you know it’s a Grass-type. And as it evolves, that plant bulb actually grows and blooms, which is a really cool visual way to show its power growing too. It’s just a really well-designed Pokemon, honestly.

Bulbasaur is special because of its perfect balance – the plant and animal parts of its design work together seamlessly. Even after many years, it’s still one of the best and most recognizable Grass-type Pokémon, and a high point for the type’s overall look. It will be exciting to see if any new Grass-type Pokémon in Pokémon Winds and Waves can match its iconic design.

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2026-03-24 00:18