It’s difficult to find the best Pokémon among the hundreds of creatures available in Pokémon Go. Discover the list of the best attackers and defenders in Arena, and the terrors in Raid and PvP.
Catching and improving your creatures is crucial to progress and hope to become a great trainer in Pokémon Go. Behind this seemingly simple game lies an unsuspected strategic depth that has kept thousands of trainers in suspense for years.
If Raids, Star Hours and battles against Team Go Rocket bosses (Giovanni, Arlo, Cliff and Sierra) allow you to capture powerful Pokémon, it is important to know the most formidable creatures that the mobile application has to offer.
Without further ado, discover the best attackers and defenders in the arena, as well as the best creatures in Raid and PvP.
Summary
- The best Pokémon in Pokémon Go
- The best attacking Pokémon in Gym and Raid
- The best defending Pokémon in Gym
- The best Pokémon in PvP
Players should be careful which Pokémon they choose to send into battle!
The best Pokémon in Pokémon Go
Before getting to the heart of the matter, it is important to clarify that defining a “best Pokémon” in Pokémon Go is above all a question of context! Some creatures are particularly suited for a specific activity, but may perform poorly in other circumstances.
In Raids or to attack an Arena, Pokémon with a very high Attack stat and powerful offensive abilities are preferred. This is why Pokémon like Primal-Groundon, Mewtwo or even Mega Tyranitar are formidable during these activities.
On the contrary, it is HP and Defense that matter the most for a Pokémon whose objective is to defend a Gym. This is why Bliss, Togekiss and Snorlax are outstanding defenders.
Finally, PvP with the three main Leagues (Super, Hyper and Master) at the head of the competition is a much more complicated subject. To shine in these competitive formats, Pokémon must have PC as close as possible to the maximum authorized limit, an excellent type combination, stats in accordance with their role and overpowering abilities.
Finally, keep in mind that Types are an essential element to take into account in combat. Indeed, a type advantage has much more impact than a few CP, or even powerful attacks. To learn more, check out our Pokémon Go type chart.
The best attackers in Pokémon Go (Arena and Raid)
To storm a Raid or an Arena, we tend to favor Pokémon with great offensive abilities, and creatures generally with high CP.
This is why you will find in our ranking a number of legendary Pokémon, or even Dragon-type Pokémon which tend to display excellent attack stats.
3. First-Groudon
- Immediate attack: Mud Shot
- Charged Attack: Pangean Blade (signature attack) or Earthquake
With an Attack stat of 353 and powerful offensive abilities, the legendary Primal Groudon is undoubtedly the best Ground monster in Pokémon Go.
Beware of Water-type Pokémon, which are the only ones truly capable of holding back the powerful Primal Groudon.
2. Mega Rayquaza
- Immediate attack: Draco-Tail or Air Blade
- Charged Attack: Draco Ascension (signature attack) or Wrath
When it comes to Dragon-type Pokémon, you won’t find better than Mega Rayquaza. Few Pokémon resist the Dragon type, making it an excellent all-around attacker with Dragon Tail and Anger.
This creature can also be used as a Flying-type attacker if necessary, thanks to its dual typing.
1. Primo-Kyogre
- Immediate attack: Cascade
- Charged attack: Original Wave (signature attack) or Surf
The Primo version of the essential third-generation legendary Water is one – if not the – best Pokémon in Raid and Gym attacks.
Primo Kyogre displays an incredible max CP of 5,902, 353 Attack and a formidable range of attacks, especially if you have access to Original Wave.
Ranking of attackers on Pokémon Go (Raid, Arena)
Here is our selection of the 10 best attackers in Pokémon Go:
| Rang | Pokémon | Immediate Atk | Charged Atk | Type | |
| #1 | Primo-Kyogre | Cascade | Original Wave | Water | |
| #2 | Mega Rayquaza | Lame d’Air | Draco-Ascension | Dragon/Vol | |
| #3 | First-Groudon | Mud Shot | Pangean Blade | Ground/Fire | |
| #4 | Mega Tyranitar | Bite | Centrifugifle | Rock/Darkness | |
| #5 | Mega Brasegali | Flame Dance | Burst Fire | Fire/Fight | |
| #6 | Mega-Ectoplasm | Lick | Ball’Ombre | Spectre/Poison | |
| #7 | Dark Metagross | Pisto-Poing | Meteor Fist | Steel/Psychic | |
| #8 | Dark Mewtwo | Choc Mental | Psychic Strike | Psy | |
| #9 | Terrarium | Double Pied | Holy Blade | Sun/Combat | |
| #10 | Katagami | Slice Herb | Leaf Blade | Plant/Steel | |
As always, you’ll need to take the Pokémon’s type into account. For example, the legendary Water -type Kyogre may be on our list, but it will still struggle when facing an Electric- type or Grass- type opponent .
The best Defenders in Pokémon Go (Arena)
If you want a Pokémon to leave in Gym in order to earn your daily Pokécoins, then use one of these defenders on your team.
3. Metagross
- Immediate attack: Psykoud’Boul
- Charged Attack: Meteor Fist
Metagross, the Steel/Psychic-type creature, will make an excellent Pokémon for defending Gyms from Fighting-type attackers.
Its stats are excellent and it has 10 type resistances. With the charged attack Meteor Fist, it also deals serious damage, expanding its use beyond just being a defender.
2. Togekiss
- Immediate attack: Charm
- Charged Attack: Magic Burst
Togekiss is a particularly versatile Pokémon, boasting high and balanced stats for a max CP of 3767 at level 50.
If Togekiss is therefore not the most resistant defender, we must not neglect the damage he can inflict on attackers thanks to his powerful Fairy attacks.
1. Leuphorie
- Immediate attack: Psykoud’Boul
- Charged Attack: Magic Burst
When it comes to best defenders, Bliss remains the best choice in Pokémon Go for all trainers. This creature has a more than decent defense stat, but above all an incredible amount of HP, which makes it the perfect Pokémon to leave in Gyms.
However, one of the downsides of Bliss is that you’ll likely have trouble using it outside of this scenario.
Ranking of defenders on Pokémon Go
Here is our selection of the 10 best attackers in Pokémon Go:
| Rang | Pokémon | Immediate Atk | Charged Atk | Type | |
| #1 | Leuphorie | Psykoud’Boul | Magical Burst | Normal | |
| #2 | Togekiss | Charm | Magical Burst | Fairy/Flight | |
| #3 | Metalosse | Psykoud’Boul | Meteor Fist | Steel/Psychic | |
| #4 | Snorlax | Psykoud’Boul | Anger | Normal | |
| #5 | Noctali | Bark | Cheating | Darkness | |
| #6 | Milobellus | Cascade | Ultra laser | Water | |
| #7 | Seracrawl | Frostfangs | Avalanche | Ice | |
| #8 | Muplodocus | Draco-Breath | Draco-Meteor | Dragon | |
| #9 | Steelix | Do Queue | Earthquake | Steel/Ground | |
| #10 | Grodrive |
Punishment | Ball’Ombre | Spectre/Vol | |
Unlike many of the best Pokémon Go attackers we’ve featured, these defenders are rarely Legendary Pokémon . This means you should more easily catch one with high CP and stats.
The best Pokémon for PvP: Go Combat League
There are three main leagues in the Combat Go League: the Super League, the Hyper League and the Master League. They follow one another throughout each season, with only one appearing at a time, often alongside special cups such as the Retro Cup or Regional Cups.
Each league has different limits, the main one being PC limits. The Super League has a limit of 1500 CP, the Hyper League has a limit of 2500 CP, and the Master League has no restrictions. This means that the best Pokémon in each league can be very different.
The best Pokémon for the Super League
With a PC limit of only 1500, you won’t encounter many Legendary Pokémon in this League’s meta. You can find our complete guide to the Super League here, or check out our top three recommendations below.
Azumarill
- Immediate attack: Foam
- Charged attack: Hydrocannon and Ice Laser
Azumarill has long been considered one of the best fighters in the Super League thanks to his diverse list of attacks that can help offset his weaknesses.
Lemon of Galar
- Immediate attack: Mud Shot
- Charged Attack: Landslide and Earthquake
Galarian Lime isn’t the easiest Pokémon to obtain, but if you can, it proves to be a surprisingly effective fighter in the Super League.
Its dual Ground/Steel typing allows it to resist most Super League types, and it is particularly good at defeating Fairy types.
Desséliande
Desséliande shook up the meta in the Super League
- Instant Attack: Shadow Claw
- Charged Attacks: Seed Cannon & Shadow Ball
It’s rare that the arrival of a new Pokémon significantly impacts the meta of a Pokémon Go league… but that’s exactly what Desséliande did. Introduced for the Halloween 2021 event, the Ghost/Plant Pokémon has found a place of choice in the Super League AND in the Hyper League.
The best Pokémon for the Hyper League
With a higher CP limit of 2500, the Hyper League is where legendaries and starters start to shine. Here are our top recommendations below.
Registeel
- Immediate attack: Lock
- Charged Attack: Luminocannon and Ultralaser
This legendary Steel-type Pokémon is arguably the best choice for the Hyper League, as it has an incredible defense stat and an insane amount of resistances, allowing it to withstand a multitude of attacks.
Blizzaroi
- Immediate attack: Powder
- Charged Attack: Weather Ball (Ice) and Eco-Sphere
Blizzaroi is one of the most successful Pokémon in the Hyper League, thanks to its ability to take down some of the biggest threats such as Laggron, Togekiss, and Giratina (Alternate Form).
This creature nevertheless has many weaknesses, but it compensates with many powerful attacks.
Laggron
- Immediate attack: Mud Shot
- Charged Attack: Hydroblast and Earthquake
Laggron is a versatile fighter that is an excellent counter to the Fire and Steel types that dominate the Hyper League.
Also, its Water/Ground typing means it only has one weakness, Grass type. With Hydroblast and Earthquake attacks, this Pokémon is unstoppable!
The best Pokémon for the Master League
In the Master League, all PC limitations are removed. You can find our complete Master League guide here, or check out our top three recommendations below.
Dialga
- Immediate attack: Draco Breath
- Charged Attack: Iron Head and Draco Meteor
Dialga is considered by many players to be the champion of the Master League, and it’s not hard to see why.
It has an incredible amount of type resistances and a multitude of very powerful attacks, including Draco Breath, Iron Head and Draco Meteor, which make it a formidable Pokémon.
Lugia
- Immediate attack: Draco-Tails
- Charged Attack: Dive and Aeroblast
The Legendary Pokémon Lugia has incredible attacks, making it one of the best contenders for the Pokémon Go Master League, especially if it has the Dive Attack in its arsenal. This creature is also an excellent counter to Kyogre, Groudon, Dragonite and Togekiss.
Melmetal
- Immediate attack: Draco Breath
- Charged Attack: Mad Lightning and Chew
Melmetal is the most desirable Mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Go thanks to its performance in the Master League. With high damage and a massive amount of type resistances, he is incredibly difficult to take down.
Find our other Pokémon Go guides:
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