The best Bug-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Bugs. You could just squash them under the heel of your foot. Well, not in the Pokémon world.

Bug-type Pokémon have definitely come a long way since Gen I. From being jokes to making a joke out of the opponents they’re facing, Bug Pokémon are some of the top threats you will find in Gen IX.

Below, we will talk about the 10 best Bug-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet based on their design, lore, and competitive viability.

The 10 best Bug-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

10) Vespiquen

Vespiquen is a pretty sick Pokémon in its concept and design, with only female Combee being able to evolve into Vespiquen since this Pokémon is based off of the queen bee.

Vespiquen looks physically intimidating, and we would totally believe if it got the Intimidate ability for this reason as well. Gen IX did not give it this buff however, and buffs are something that this Pokémon definitely needs.

With bad offensive stats and good bulk that is betrayed by its horrendous defensive typing, there is little to no use for Vespiquen in a competitive setting. Hey, it looks super cool though. Let’s focus on that.

9) Masquerain

This fascinating Bug-type introduced back in Gen III makes its return in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and while Masquerain may be a victim of severe power creep as new games and Pokémon were released, it can still make good use of a supportive moveset.

Masquerain possesses the ability Intimidate, which will always make sure that it has something of a niche in competitive VGC. With a Choice Scarfed set, Masquerain can work as a dependable Intimidate pivot with speed control options such as Icy Wind and Tailwind, along with U-Turn to cause damage while bringing in a teammate.

What’s coolest about Masquerain is its design, however. It looks like those bright orange and white extensions are its eyes, but are actually antennae, giving it an intimidating look, which justifies the ability it gets from a design standpoint. Its actual eyes are the two small black dots on its head in the middle. If you look at it from that perspective, it actually looks pretty cute.

8) Rabsca

It’s been nine generations and only now we’ve gotten a dung beetle Pokémon in Rabsca’s pre-evolution, Rellor. Thankfully, Rabsca takes the concept of a dung beetle and raises the coolness factor threefold.

After evolving into Rabsca, this bug’s dung ball now turns into one filled with psychic energy instead. It is said that a sleeping infant rests inside the ball, which Rabsca keeps rolling around with its hind legs. A hypothesis posits that the infant inside the ball is actually Rabsca’s true body, since the body outside barely moves. Pretty intriguing stuff.

Rabsca acts as a Trick Room setter, with nothing special making it stand out from the other TR setters in the metagame except for one thing: Revival Blessing. This is a move that only two Pokémon get access to currently, letting the user revive a fainted ally from its team to 50 percent health. Because of how useful this move is, it only has 1 PP.

7) Kricketune

If you haven’t gotten a chance to fight or own a Kricketune of your own, you’re missing out on one of Game Freak’s best creations yet.

No, Kricketune is not especially strong in battle—it’s pretty atrocious in fact. There are almost no redeemable factors about it, and even its design and lore are pretty forgettable. There’s one thing about this ‘mon that is unforgettable though—its in-game cry.

If you’ve come across a Kricketune of your own in Scarlet and Violet, you know what we’re talking about. It’s the reason why Kricketune has become such a legend in the meme community of Pokémon. If you want to know what we’re talking about, then hear it for yourself.

6) Heracross

Heracross is a pretty stand-up guy. When Ash first got his Heracross in the anime, that also happened to be Heracross’ very first appearance in the anime as well, instantly turning into a favorite among Pokémon fans. It’s a kind, strong, and just Pokémon, seen to be sharing its food with other Pokémon that need it while standing up for weaker Pokémon that it sees getting picked on.

Heracross has returned in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it isn’t too shabby in a competitive setting either. Heracross gets access to two amazing abilities that give it great potential to become an overpowering sweeper: Moxie and Guts. 

Moxie gives Heracross incredible snowballing potential, letting it raise its Attack stat by one stage with every KO it picks up, and if you’re not careful, it can easily reach a point where even your Pokémon that resist its hits will get taken down in one hit.

The ability that is more optimal for Heracross in competitive VGC would be Guts, however. With consistently high damage output from the moment it gets burnt through its own Flame Orb, Guts gives Heracross a 1.5x damage multiplier to its Attack stat, making it deal monstrous amounts of damage.

5) Lokix

Here we go: the very first Bug/Dark dual-type, Lokix, and it took us only nine generations to get one. No big deal.

Lokix sports a pretty cool design, and when it isn’t resting, it enters Showdown mode in battle. In this battle mode, Lokix unfolds its third pair of legs that it keeps tucked away behind its back. It uses these legs, which resemble pocket knives, to jump in and swing at its foes, subduing them in no time. Lokix cannot stay in Showdown mode for too long though, since it places a huge strain on its body.

In competitive battles, Lokix isn’t too special. Its bulk is unserviceable, speed middling, and its Attack is just decent. It does have an amazing and rare ability in Tinted Lens, but that sadly cannot redeem Lokix all that much.

4) Slither Wing

This past Paradox form takes the idea of Volcarona and completely turns it on its head, making Slither Wing a badass brawling insect that makes The Great Khali look like a bug in comparison.

Slither Wing has good bulk coupled with decent Speed, but the real meat of this Pokémon lies in its offenses, specifically its Attack stat, which can be further boosted under harsh sunlight due to its ability Protosynthesis.

Its threatening offensive presence is further bolstered by an amazing movepool consisting of moves like First Impression, Leech Life, Close Combat, Earthquake, Wild Charge, and U-Turn.

3) Snom

Look at it. It’s the cutest thing to ever exist. It’s Snom. It’s got “nom” in its own name, which is pretty fitting, since it apparently eats a little too voraciously before it evolves. It needs heaps of food before it gets full and satisfied, and honestly, we’d give it all the food it wanted in the world.

Snom also has a cute little butt for its face, which only gives it additional points in our book.

2) Volcarona

The first Bug/Fire dual-type introduced back in Gen V—and the best one to date—Volcarona was a star and continues to be one in Scarlet and Violet.

Coming across and catching a Volcarona back in Pokémon Black and White almost made you feel like you were encountering a Legendary, and Volcarona definitely exudes the vibe of an incredibly strong foe.

Volcarona has amazing base stats, its Special Attack and Speed being standouts, which it can boost even further through the move Quiver Dance, along with its Special Defense. Its Defense is a little lackluster, but pair it with an Intimidate ‘mon and Volcarona is good to wreak chaos in competitive VGC.

1) Scizor

The poster child for cool Bug-type Pokémon, Scizor emanates awesomeness from pincer to toe. 

Its design is certainly mesmerizing, with the deep red and black giving it a formidable feel. The pincers it boasts are actually meant to be faux heads that it uses to scare off predators or foes, with the black eyespots and yellow pupils meant to resemble eyes.

Scizor has also historically been amazing in the competitive scene, carrying useful resistances to a plethora of types while being weak to only a single type—Fire. While it is a four-times weakness, being aware of the coverage that Pokémon in the metagame have should be enough to make sure you don’t let your Scizor get hit by a surprise Fire move from the opponent.

Furthermore, you can run Scizor in a Rain team to cut the power of Fire-type moves in half, so with a little bit of bulk, you can make sure your Scizor can take a hit from at least one Fire move.

Scizor’s Technician ability makes it so that every move that is 60 base power or below gets doubled in damage. Scizor’s infamous combo of Bullet Punch coupled with Technician still prevails, and with a Swords Dance boost or two, there’s nothing this bug can’t punch out of its way. For all of these reasons, Scizor comfortably sits at the No. 1 spot on this list.