Which Pokemon Protagonists Used Eevee As Their Starter Pokemon?

Honestly, Eevee is one of those Pokémon I’ll loudly stan in any lobby chat — and when people ask which protagonists actually started with Eevee, the short story is: in the core mainline series, it’s pretty rare. The clearest, canonical place where the player character is partnered with an Eevee from the very beginning is 'Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!'. That game was built around Eevee as the player’s mascot partner (just like 'Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!' centers Pikachu), so the protagonist effectively “starts” with an Eevee that tags along, levels up, and unlocks unique interactions. It’s the most mainstream example where Eevee functions exactly like a starter Pokémon in the way longtime fans expect.

If you step into spin-offs and side titles, the list gets friendlier for Eevee fans. In multiple entries of the 'Pokémon Mystery Dungeon' franchise you can play as Eevee — sometimes the game’s personality quiz slots you into a species that can be Eevee, and in other versions you can specifically pick Eevee as your playable form. That includes titles like 'Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX', 'Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky', 'Super Mystery Dungeon', and a few others in that line where being an Eevee is a legit starting choice. I’ve spent many cozy evenings as a tiny Eevee in those dungeons; the emotional contrast of being adorable and unexpectedly durable is chef’s kiss.

Beyond Mystery Dungeon, a handful of spin-offs and smaller games let you control or use Eevee very early on. For example, the toy-brawler series 'Pokémon Rumble' and some mobile/handheld spin-offs make Eevee available as an early playable figure. But in the main numbered games — like the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar, and Paldea titles — Eevee is rarely handed to the protagonist as a default starter. You can catch or be gifted an Eevee in many of those games, but it’s not the standard starter choice like Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle (and their regional variants).

If you’re thinking about anime and manga protagonists, the situation is more varied: Eevee and its evolutions show up a lot as partner Pokémon for side characters, rivals, and secondary leads, but the most famous anime protagonist — Ash — didn’t start his journey with Eevee as his starter. I like pointing that out because it’s a favorite trivia nugget to drop in casual convos: Eevee’s presence in the franchise is huge, but it’s usually a special treat (like ‘‘Let’s Go, Eevee!’’) rather than the default beginning-of-the-journey pick in the numbered series. Personally, I recommend trying a playthrough where you start with Eevee in 'Let's Go, Eevee!' or rolling an Eevee personality in a Mystery Dungeon game — you get both a nostalgic vibe and a surprisingly versatile teammate, and it never stops being charming to watch those evolution choices unfold.