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Fire-type Pokemon are known for their destructive power. They have devastating attacks and the ability to burn foes with a status that reduces attack and deals damage over time. Many fire Pokemon also have the required Attack or Special Attack stats to take advantage of these intense moves. Since there are quite a few of these molten monsters these days, some get overlooked despite being formidable in combat.
10 Torkoal
This usually calm reptilian Pokemon seems more like a cozy companion than a hardened fighter, but looks can be deceiving. Torkoal has the ability Drought, which upon entering battle summons Sunny Day, a weather condition that boosts fire type attacks (among doing other things).
Because of this automatic boost, any fire attack Torkoal uses will deal greater damage. With access to moves like Fire Blast, Lava Plume, and Overheat, this normally defensive Pokemon can be a great lead and offensive force. They can even set up Stealth Rocks to chip away at the foe’s team over time and have the defense to outlast many other leads.
9 Heatmor
Many dismiss this wonky fellow, though they can be a valuable part of any team. Heatmor’s offensive stat points are split between Attack and Special Attack, making it not great at either but also versatile.
Heatmor can unexpectedly learn some great attacks to counter common threats to fire Pokemon. For example, Giga Drain can be used on unsuspecting Water-type foes, while Focus Blast can shatter Rock-type adversaries. This species also has some sneaky moves like Sucker Punch and Knock Off to add to their versatility.
8 Magcargo
Here’s another slow, defensive Fire-type. Species like these are far and few in between, overlooked because people would rather use more immediately mighty Pokemon. Those that do so, however, will miss out on Magcargo’s hidden potential. They have an ability called Weak Armor, which raises their speed at the expense of their defense when struck by a physical attack.
Magcargos also know Shell Smash, enabling them to capitalize on this increase in speed by getting faster while simultaneously boosting their offensive stats. Magcargo is an unexpected sweeper that can decimate unprepared teams.
7 Darmanitan
This beast is like a train with no brakes. With a tremendous Attack stat and monstrous physical moves like Flare Blitz and Earthquake, Darmanitan can shatter most enemy defenses. They have nice coverage moves for type variety that make them even more deadly, including Stone Edge, Superpower, and Zen Headbutt.
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With decent speed and access to the Sheer Force ability to increase the damage of certain moves, Darmanitan is a threat to every team.
6 Flareon
This cuddly-looking pocket monster not only gets picked after other offensive Fire-types but also other evolutions of Eevee. Flareon, however, fills an unexpected niche. They have the ability Guts, which drastically raises their Attack stat when they have a status ailment.
Furthermore, Flareons can learn the move Facade, which gets its damage boosted from the user’s status ailments as well. Sending Flareon out against a foe that will inflict them with something can turn the opponent’s strategy against them.
5 Rapidash
This speedy steed comes with great attack and excellent offensive coverage. Great physical moves like Flare Blitz, Wild Charge, and High Horsepower allow Rapidash to deal out hard hits to most opponents before they can move.
The recoil for some of these attacks can pose an issue unless a trainer teaches their Rapidash Morning Sun so that they can heal themselves when needed. For particularly tough foes, this species can also use Sword Dance for a significant Attack boost.
4 Pyroar
Despite its cool design, this Pokemon doesn’t see a whole lot of competitive use. They lean towards being a special attacker, though physical Pyroar sets can take advantage of the ability Moxie, which grants an Attack boost each time an opponent is knocked out.
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Combining this with the attack Flame Charge can turn Pyroar into a fast and powerful sweeper. Their signature move Noble Roar is also worth noting because it can drop a foe’s Attack and Special Attack simultaneously.
3 Alolan Marowak
Some may consider Marowak to be an intruder here since most know this Pokemon primarily from its Ground-type origins. Alolan Marowak, being a Fire-type and Ghost-type, has access to a large array of attacks.
There aren’t too many types or type combinations that can protect an opponent from the usual Alolan Marowak sets. They also have the Rock Head ability, which protects them from recoil damage and makes the ever-mighty Flare Blitz even more potent.
2 Typhlosion
Many consider this fire-maned monster to be the “least interesting” starter evolution. True, Typhlosion’s design is simple, but that is because bells and whistles are not needed on a volcano.
With access to the devastating attack Eruption and a high enough Speed stat to grant it the first move more often than not, Typhlosion can be a dangerous threat to any opposing Pokemon that does not resist fire. And even some who do.
1 Chandelure
This Ghost/Fire-type Pokemon has a terrifying Special Attack stat, one that allows Chandelure to make use of its arsenal of high-damage moves like Shadow Ball, Fire Blast, and Dark Pulse. A trainer could focus on a full-out offense with said attacks or they could implement one of the many combos available to this dual-type Pokemon.
For example, Will-o-wisp combined with Hex can cripple a target and then punish it further. On top of all this, Chandelure has the ability Infiltrator, which lets it bypass an opponent’s Substitute if they intend on hiding from the onslaught of spectral flames. Of all the underrated Fire-type Pokemon, this one is potentially the most dangerous.
NEXT: Pokemon: Every First Gen Fire Pokemon, Ranked
