Bug Pokémon are generally perceived as weak, but this isn’t entirely accurate, although Bug-types do have the lowest base stat total of all types. Along with Grass, Bug is also the most commonly resisted type in the games, with seven different types resisting it. Currently, there are 84 Bug-type Pokémon, making it the sixth most common type in the franchise.
They’re usually paired with either Flying or Poison, and no Pokémon gains Bug as a secondary type upon evolution, a trait it shares with Normal. It’s also the only type that hasn’t been assigned to a Legendary Pokémon so far, although at least two of its most popular representatives are often conflated with the catagorization.
10 Araquanid
One of two Bug/Water Pokémon introduced in Generation VII, Araquanid evolves from Dewpider starting at level 22. It has a base tat total of 452, with excellent Special Defense, high Defense, average HP and Attack, and awful Special Attack and Speed, making it an ideal tank for many teams.
Thanks to its dual-typing, Araquanid has five resistances and only three weaknesses. Its move-set is nothing out of the ordinary, though two of its strongest moves, the Water-type Liquidation and the Bug-type Lunge, become accessible until the high levels of 50 and 44, respectively.
9 Frosmoth
Frosmoth has the privilege of being the only Pokémon with the unique Bug/Ice-type combination. It’s also a curse, however, as it gives it two four-times weaknesses to Fire and Rock, plus vulnerabilities to Steel and Flying. With only three resistances, things might not look all that promising.
Frosmoth has a decent base stat total of 475, with excellent Special Attack, good Special Defense, and average numbers in all other categories. Its move set has a nice balance between both types, and it even learns the excellent Bug Buzz at the relatively low level of 32. Frosmoth can be a good ally, but it should always be accompanied by a good strategy.
8 Orbeetle
One of the latest additions to the Bug family, Orbeetle evolves from the unbelievably cute Dottler at level 30 and is the final evolution of Blupbug. Fairly accessible from early on, Orbeetle also has a Gigantamax form, but it’s extremely tough to get it.
Orbeetle has a high base stat total of 505, with excellent Defense and Special Defense, above-average Special Attack and Speed, and terrible HP and Attack. Thanks to its unique Bug/Psychic typing, it also has a whopping six weaknesses and only four resistances, making it an interesting choice that comes with a lot of risks.
7 Ribombee
A dual-type Bug/Fairy Pokémon, Ribombee might seem frail at first, but it’s actually a very capable creature. It has incredible Speed and high Special Attack, and, even if the rest of its stats are simply average, it has everything it needs to win. Ribombee hits very hard and extremely fast, meaning it has the possibility to OHKO more than one foe.
Ribombee has five weaknesses, but, fortunately, it has just as many resistances, as well as an immunity to the powerful Dragon-type. Its move pool isn’t the best, as it learns Bug Buzz and Dazzling Gleam, two of the most powerful Bug and Fairy moves, at the absurdly high levels of 56 and 48, respectively. However, it learns its former signature move, Pollen Puff, upon evolution, giving it a powerful weapon in battle.
6 Escavalier
Escavalier has the distinction of evolving via one of the most unique methods in the entire franchise. It evolves from Karrablast when traded for a Shelmet, which evolves into Acelgor simultaneously. Because of how overpowered its secondary Steel-type is, Escavalier boasts eight resistances and one immunity. It has a four-times weakness to the common Fire-type, but that’s its only weakness.
Escavalier also has absurdly high Attack, high Defense and Special Defense, below-average HP and Special Attack, and shockingly terrible Speed. It will never move first, but it’s bulky enough to resist a non-Fire hit and strong enough to seal the deal with one powerful blow.
5 Heracross
One of Generation II’s most emblematic Pokémon, Heracross is one of Ash’s most memorable Johto teammates. It has an admittedly low Special Attack, but the rest of its stats are very well-rounded. A Physical attacker with an excellent 125 Attack, it has high Special Defense, as well as decent HP, Defense, and Speed.
Generation VI made Heracross even more powerful by giving it a Mega Evolution, taking its stat total to a Pseudo-Legendary 600 level and giving it an insanely high 185 Attack. Heracross doesn’t come without its disadvantages, though, as it is four-times weak to Flying and has vulnerabilities to Fire, Psychic, and Fairy. Still, it boasts five resistances, making this incredible Pokémon an excellent choice for any team.
4 Scizor
Speaking of excellent Johto Pokémon, Scizor is yet another example of how great the Bug-type can be. It evolves from Scyther when traded holding a Metal Coat and, like Heracross, is capable of Mega Evolving. With an excellent 500 base stat in its normal form and particularly high Attack and Defense, Scizor is taken to the next level with its Mega, climbing all the way to a 600 base stat where its Attack and Defense reach Legendary levels.
A dual-type Bug/Steel Pokémon, Scizor, like Escalier, only has one weakness, a quad-vulnerability to Fire. It more than makes up for that by having eight resistances and one immunity, making it the ideal Pokémon for any superhero team.
3 Golisopod
The second of Alola’s Bug/Water Pokémon, Golispod is blessed with a signature ability that ranks as one of the best in the entire core series of games. Emergency Exit allows it to be switched out by another Pokémon whenever its health drops below half of its full HP.
Besides its excellent ability, Golisopod also has a very high base stat total of 530, elevated by its great Attack and impressive Defense stats. It’s terribly slow, though, and has a pretty underwhelming Special Attack. Like Araquanid, Golisopod only has three weaknesses and boasts five resistances. It evolves from the wimpy-looking Wimpod starting at level 30.
2 Volcarona
A Pokémon often confused for a Legendary, Volcarona serves as the signature Pokémon for Unova’s League Champion, Alder. A dual-type Bug/Fire mon, Volcarona evolves from Larvesta at the insanely high level of 59. It has excellent Special Attack and Special Defense, as well as Speed, although its Physical and HP attributes are average at best.
Its dual-type makes it four-times weak to Rock and vulnerable to Flying and Water. However, it has twice as many resistances and a wide move-set that includes several powerful Bug and Fire moves. Majestic-looking and extremely strong, Volcarona definitely ranks as the best Gen V Bug and one of the overall best in the franchise.
1 Genesect
Not a Legendary but a Mythical, Genesect is further proof that Generation V was the best time for Bug-types. A Bug/Steel Pokémon that shares all the resistances and the immunity of its type combination as well as its sole Fire weakness, Genesect also has four other forms that alter the type of its signature move, Techno Blast.
With a base stat total of 600, Genesect has high everything, with Attack and Special Attack as its two highest stats. It only learns one Steel move via level up, which is unfortunate, but its expanded move-set via TM/TR more than makes up for that, covering everything from Grass to Ice.
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