The Pokémon on a trainer’s team can say a lot about them. Ice types, for example, are often cool (literally) and composed, though they can also get a little silly. With that kind of variety, we put together a list of the 10 best Ice types in ranked order. Evolutions are grouped together, but otherwise you’ll see a lot of unique ‘mons on this list.
Related: The top 10 best Fire type Pokémon of all time, ranked
10. Eiscue
Starting off on the silly side, we have Eiscue, the penguin with its head stuck in an ice cube. A penguin is an obvious choice for an Ice type, but its ability to block damage with the ice then regrow it during a blizzard is an extra strategic hook.
9. Vanillite, Vanillish, & Vanilluxe
Since the dawn of Pokémon, there’s been debate over whether or not people eat them. This vanilla ice cream line is one of the strongest cases for why you might want to try a little bite. Plus, they’re just so darn cute.
8. Snover & Abomasnow
Another easy design choice for an Ice-type Pokémon is a yeti. Rather than being simple monsters, Snover and Abomasnow look like combinations of snowy mountains, tree trunks, and pine needles. On top of that, Abomasnow got a super intimidating (and spiky) Mega Evolution in Gen 6.
7. Swinub, Piloswine, & Mamoswine
This is the last of the obvious Ice Pokémon designs, but you’ve just gotta love the progression here. Little Swinub is like a small, hairy pig. It turns into Piloswine, a furry boar with shaggy hair like the Beatles. Two generations later, the massive Mamoswine was introduced, finally giving us a woolly mammoth to train.
6. Kyurem
We’ve come to our first Legendary. Kyurem is an ice dragon, which is already pretty ‘cool.’ On top of that, it has multiple forms. The picture above is White Kyurem, the face of Pokémon White 2. Likewise, Black Kyurem graces the cover of Pokémon Black 2. It’s the only Pokémon with such a distinction.
5. Ice Rider Calyrex
This Legendary is also a special case. On its own, Calyrex is a Psychic/Grass type searching for its horse. Pairing it up with Glastrier creates the mounted duo you see above — one of the heaviest Pokémon of all time. Similarly, letting Calyrex ride Spectrier creates one of the fastest Pokémon.
4. Alolan Vulpix & Alolan Ninetales
Vulpix and Ninetales debuted in Gen I as Fire types, but when Sun and Moon came out, the world was introduced to regional variants. These two were converted to Ice types, a stark contrast to their fiery former selves. It was one of the smartest choices The Pokémon Company could have made, as it demonstrated just how different regional forms could be.
3. Regice
Gen 3’s Legendaries felt different: there were a lot of birds by that point, but the titans known as Regi were hefty, almost robotic creatures. They also had puzzle elements in their lairs, requiring trainers to take certain steps before the Pokémon would even appear. Regirock and Registeel are fine in their own elements, but Regice is the only one appropriate for this list.
2. Glaceon
Ice Pokémon have been around since the very beginning, but little Eevee didn’t get an Ice-type evolution until Gen 4. Every one of Eevee’s forms feels special, but Glaceon is one of the most fun to use thanks to its ability to move better and even heal inside of a hailstorm.
1. Articuno
Is this the #1 Ice Pokémon because “uno” is in the name? Maybe. But Articuno also deserves the top spot for being the very first Ice Legendary in the Pokémon series. Articuno is a trendsetter, making its Psychic-type Galarian form in Sword and Shield that much more striking.
