Ranking Every Spider Pokemon

Spiders — you either love them or you hate them. Most people are not fans of the creepy crawlies and would rather run in the opposite direction screaming at the top of their lungs than have a giant tarantula on their Pokemon team.

But while the Pokemon world must be even more difficult for those with arachnophobia than the real world is, there are still plenty of spider Pokemon that deserve some love. They’re just trying to live their best life, after all. So if you’ve been thinking about facing your fears and partnering up with a spider Pokemon, we’ve ranked them to make your decision easier.

Updated on January 30, 2025 by Ryan Hay: Turns out, the Pokemon Company is a bit light on releasing new Pokemon based on spiders. Perhaps it is due to some acquired arachnophobia over the years, or that the shape of a spider is a bit limited on the design space. Either way, these eight Pokemon still deserve some love, and we revamped this piece with a few new pictures, quality of life updates, and more to give these arachnids some love.

8

Spinarak

The String Spit Pokemon

Spinarak is pretty adorable for a spider Pokemon, we have to give it that. Just look at the giant face plastered on its back. It probably just wants to be your friend! Spinarak is a Bug and Poison-type Pokemon and actually has some pretty unique moves like:

• Toxic Thread
• Psychic
• Skitter Smack

The face on Spinarak’s body isn’t just there for show, either. It will smile whenever you feed or pet it. We’re not sure if that’s more creepy or cute, but it’s certainly something!

7

Joltik

The Attaching Pokemon

Joltik doesn’t necessarily look like a spider Pokemon. You would be forgiven for thinking it was based on a tick, especially when you consider its Pokedex entry and how it often hitches rides on Yamper while sapping out all its energy.

But once Joltik evolves, it becomes quite clear that it was, in fact, a spider all along, which might be a nasty surprise or a happy accident for unsuspecting trainers. Joltik is a Bug and Electric type, which is quite a unique combination for a spider Pokemon.

6

Ariados

The Long Leg Pokemon

Ariados is the evolution of Spinarak, and that extra power it receives after its glow-up is what places Ariados closer to the top spot in terms of the best spider Pokemon. Ariados has a decent physical Attack stat, but it lost its smiley-back face somewhere in the evolution, which is quite sad.

Besides losing Spinarak’s most endearing feature, Ariados is definitely an improvement in terms of stats and not a bad Pokemon to have on your team in the slightest. Plus, it’s a spider, so you have more chance of your opponent simply running away in fear as soon as you release it.

5

Dewpider

The Water Bubble Pokemon

Dewpider is most definitely the cutest spider Pokemon in the Pokemon universe. You might take one look at it and think it’s an adventurous space spider, but the space helmet-looking bubble around Dewpider’s head is actually made out of water.

A neat detail that gets lost in the games is that the bubble of water around Dewpider’s head isn’t a part of the Pokemon; it only needs it when it is on land.

So, if a Dewpider is underwater, it walks on all four legs and with its head naturally submerged underwater.

Dewpider can’t breathe air, so it carries a little bubble of water on its head everywhere it goes. Dewpider is a Bug and Water type, as you probably could have guessed, and even though its stats aren’t quite as good as some of the other spider Pokemon, it gets bonus points because it is just so adorable.

4

Tarountula

Tarountula is another spider Pokemon that crawled its way higher on this list due to its cuteness. It is also first introduced in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Fun little fact, Tarountula is the only spider Pokemon to actually have eight legs!

Tarountula is one of the first Pokemon you can catch along Route 1, which means it almost certainly would have held a precious spot in your party in Paldea at one point or another. If you squint hard enough, Tarountula almost looks like a ball of yarn rather than a spider. This might be a useful tactic to employ if you dislike spiders but still want to catch ‘em all.

3

Galvantula

The EleSpider Pokémon

Galvantula is the fully evolved form of Joltik. Its bright yellow color and fluffy-looking exterior definitely make it one of the cuddliest electric Pokemon out of them all, but even though it would probably be a great hugger with all those arms, we’re still on the fence about whether we would be brave enough to give it a try.

While Galvantula doesn’t have the best stats in the game, it does learn some unique moves that are not shared by many other Pokemon. You can have your Galvantula learn moves like:

• Electroweb
• Skitter Smack
• Throat Chop

Among those moves, Throat Chop is unique in that it is the only Dark-type move Galvantula can learn through leveling. Thanks to Galvantual’s higher speed stat, you’ll have a solid chance to deal the first blow on your opponent’s Pokemon.

2

Spidops

The Trap Pokemon

Spidops is Tarountula’s evolution, and it certainly left all the cuteness of its previous form behind in exchange for goggles and a bipedal form. Spidops is the only spider Pokemon that walks on two legs in the Pokemon universe, which is both terrifying and cool at the same time.

Spidops is a defensive Pokemon, so if you’re looking for an intimidating tank for your Pokemon team, a spider Pokemon like Spidops would be the perfect option to have your opponents trembling in their boots.

Spidops is known as the Trap Pokemon, which is interesting since it shares this category with Stunfisk, a Pokemon that it otherwise has nothing in common with.

1

Araquanid

The Water Bubble Pokemon

Araquanid makes it to the top spot due to its incredible Special Defense and its striking good looks. Araquanid is the evolution of Dewpider, as you may be able to tell from the bubble that still surrounds its head. Like most spider evolutions, it is no longer as cute as Dewpider, but it is undoubtedly cool nonetheless.

If you’re looking for an absolute tank for your Pokemon team that is both cool and scary, Araquanid is the best choice by far. It may not be as cuddly as Galvantula or walk on two legs like Spidops, but its great type advantages and Water Bubble ability make it a great Pokemon to have on your team.