There may not be quite as many as there are for some of the more popular Pokemon types like Psychic and Fire, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still some great ice-types to choose from. These freezing cold fighters are an important part of any balanced team and can be incredibly useful when given the right conditions.
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Across the series' eight generations there have been more than 50 Pokemon with access to the element. While there are quite a number of duds among them, there are also a few Pokemon that really stand out. Whether because of their scarily high stats or their magnificent move sets, these ice-types would be great additions to any trainer's team.
Updated on August 10, 2021 by Tom Bowen: Together with bug-types, many consider ice-types to be some of the worst in the Pokemon series. While it's certainly true that there are far fewer great ice-type Pokemon than there are for some of the other types though, there are still plenty of great ice-types for players to choose from. Each generation of games has widened the pool in this regard, to the point where there are now 57 different ice-types available when those with multiple types are taken into account. When up against grass, ground, flying, or dragon-types, they can be a vital part of any player's party, so selecting a good one can be incredibly important for those looking to battle competitively. These are some of the best ice-types that each generation has to offer and could help turn the tide if and when the going gets tough.
8 Piloswine (Gen 2)
Piloswine's Base Stats
- HP: 100
- Attack: 100
- Defense: 80
- Special Attack: 60
- Special Defense: 60
- Speed: 50
Example Move Set
- Earthquake
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Stealth Rock
After a solid start in Gen 1, Gold & Silver dropped the ball a little when it came to ice-type Pokemon. There are only a handful of them to choose from and they're all a little underwhelming when compared to the series' other ice-type offerings. Keeping that in mind, Piloswine is probably, on balance, nothing more than the best of a bad bunch.
It has somewhat decent attack stats and isn't too bad when it comes to defense either. Its secondary typing and abilities are what sets it apart from the competition though and, following the addition of a further evolutionary stage in Gen 4, it actually becomes a pretty viable option for competitive battles when paired with a Life Orb.
7 Avalugg (Gen 6)
Avalugg's Base Stats
- HP: 95
- Attack: 117
- Defense: 184
- Special Attack: 44
- Special Defense: 46
- Speed: 28
Example Move Set
- Avalanche
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Avalugg's insanely high physical defense stat makes it one of the most durable Pokemon out there and it backs this up with a fairly decent attack stat. Even in the event that it does find itself up against an enemy that it's weak to, the Sturdy hidden ability is able to prevent it from being taken out in a single hit, making it a decent physical wall.
Where Avalugg lets itself down a little, however, is in its low special stats and snail-like speed. As a result of the latter, it's all but guaranteed that Avalugg will be taking its turn second and, if up against an enemy with a decent special attack, it's unlikely to survive for more than a few turns.
6 Weavile (Gen 4)
Weavile's Base Stats
- HP: 70
- Attack: 120
- Defense: 65
- Special Attack: 45
- Special Defense: 85
- Speed: 125
Example Move Set
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
Sneasel is a strong contender when it comes to being the best ice-type in gen 2, but it falls just a little short in a few different areas. The additional evolutionary stage added in Diamond & Pearl, however, is more than enough to tip the scales in its favor. Its combined base stats are increased by 80, and it even becomes a little faster too.
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Weavile's high speed and attack stats make it an incredibly useful Pokemon to have in one's party, and its ability to learn dark-type moves through its secondary typing is a big plus as well. Weavile also has the incredibly useful Pickpocket hidden ability that allows it to steal held items from any Pokemon that attacks it, which can quickly turn the tide in its favor if the circumstances are right.
5 Silvally (Gen 7)
Silvally's Base Stats
- HP: 95
- Attack: 95
- Defense: 95
- Special Attack: 95
- Special Defense: 95
- Speed: 95
Example Move Set
- Crunch
- Ice Fang
- Multi-Attack
- Swords Dance
Silvally is a little similar to Arceus in that it is able to take on the properties of any elemental type, meaning that it can be made into an ice-type Pokemon. Again, like Arceus, Silvally has very well-balanced stats, although they're quite a bit lower than the ones sported by the aforementioned God Pokemon.
One of the great things about Pokemon that can change their type like this is the wide array of moves that their versatility typically gives them access to, and Silvally is no different in this regard. Together with its high stats, this can make Silvally an incredibly powerful Pokemon and a great addition to any team. Ice may not be one of its stronger types, but it can still pack quite the punch in this form.
4 Glalie (Gen 3)
Glalie's Base Stats
- HP: 80
- Attack: 80
- Defense: 80
- Special Attack: 80
- Special Defense: 80
- Speed: 80
Example Move Set
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Spikes
Although there is a strong argument to be made for evolving Glalie into a Froslass, Glalie's Mega Evolutionary form does just about enough to deter most players. It offers a combined base stat boost of 100 and brings its speed stat to within 10 of Froslass', which is the latter's strongest asset.
In its base form, Glalie is a fairly solid choice thanks to its balanced stats but after mega evolving, it becomes a fantastic attacker. Unfortunately, Glalie's pure Ice-typing does limit its move set a little and together with its Refrigerate ability can make it pretty useless when up against Fire, Steel, Water, or other ice-type Pokemon.
3 Articuno (Gen 1)
Articuno's Base Stats
- HP: 90
- Attack: 85
- Defense: 100
- Special Attack: 95
- Special Defense: 125
- Speed: 85
Example Move Set
- Freeze-Dry
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Substitute
There are plenty of great ice-type Pokemon to choose from in gen 1, but, by virtue of its high base stats, Articuno just about gets the nod. It is the very first legendary Pokemon that most players will encounter and has the kind of stats needed to back up its status. Given how long players would have to wait until they got another legendary ice-type, it's perhaps unsurprising that Articuno remained popular for as long as it did.
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Articuno is incredibly strong in the defense department, while its attack stats and speed aren't too far behind either. That it's also a flying-type can at times work against Articuno, although this does provide access to a few very powerful moves and can be particularly useful when up against either fighting or bug-type Pokemon.
2 Glastrier (Gen 8)
Glastrier's Base Stats
- HP: 100
- Attack: 145
- Defense: 130
- Special Attack: 65
- Special Defense: 110
- Speed: 30
Example Move Set
- Avalanche
- Close Combat
- High Horsepower
- Swords Dance
Glastrier is one of the more recent ice-type Pokemon to appear in the franchise, having first been introduced in the Crown Tundra DLC last year. It's perhaps not as good as some of the many Legendaries that were cut from the games, but, as far as ice-types go, few are better, It has very high defensive stats and is a wonderful physical attacker too, but where Glastrier really shines is in its fusion form.
When combined with a Calyrex, the resulting Ice Rider receives a noticeable increase in all of its base stats. It becomes one of the best physical attackers in the game with a base stat of 165 and a theoretical maximum of 471. It does come up a bit short in the speed department, but its solid defensive numbers more than make up for this.
1 Kyurem (Gen 5)
White Kyurem' Base Stats
- HP: 125
- Attack: 120
- Defense: 90
- Special Attack: 170
- Special Defense: 100
- Speed: 95
Example Move Set
- Draco Meteor
- Fusion Flare
- Ice Beam
- Roost
With combined base stats of 660, Kyurem is already an incredibly impressive Pokemon. Thanks to its black and white forms taking this up to 700, however, it has the potential to be one of the very best in the series. Of course, obtaining either form can be a little tricky these days and will require a copy of either Black 2 or White 2, but it's still a fantastic Pokemon nonetheless.
One thing that makes Kyurem so great is the ability to select between its two different forms. Black Kyurem specializes in physical attacks while the white variant is instead designed for moves that rely on the special attack stat. Regardless of which form players choose, Kyurem has strong defensive numbers and, while not the fastest of Pokemon, its 95 speed stat is far from slow.