Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go: Top Attackers, defenders & PvP champions

If you want to dominate the Pokemon Go Battle League, Raids, PvP content, or Gyms you need to know which Pokemon are worth leveling up, so here are our recommendations to become unstoppable in Niantic’s mobile game.

If you want to become one of the best trainers in Pokemon Go having the most powerful ‘mon on your team will be essential. Despite the mobile game having a simple premise, there’s a lot of depth to the mechanics, especially when it comes to battles.

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to obtain stronger Pokemon in the game. From fights against tough Team Rocket leaders including Giovanni, Sierra, and Arlo, as well as the weekly Spotlight Hours events, and Community Days, you’ll regularly be adding new Pokemon to your team, and it’s essential to know which ones you should focus on catching.

With that in mind, here are the best attackers, defenders, and PvP champions available in Pokemon Go.

Contents

• Best attackers in Pokemon Go
• Pokemon Go attackers tier list
• Best defenders in Pokemon Go
• Pokemon Go defenders tier list
• Best Pokemon for PvP
  • Great League
  • Ultra League
  • Master League

Trainers should think carefully about the Pokemon they send into raids and gyms.

The best Pokemon in Pokemon Go explained

It’s difficult to say what the best Pokemon in Pokemon Go are, as it really depends on what you’re looking for. To defeat Raid Bosses you’ll need powerful attackers, to protect Gyms you’ll need sturdy defenders, and winning PvP Battles is a whole different ball game.

To help you figure out what to focus on, we’ve rounded up the best Pokemon for each area of the game based on everything from stats, max CP potential, weaknesses, our own experiences with the game, and how well they’ll actually perform in battle.

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While the below Pokemon are all excellent choices, the basics still remain: You’ll need to make sure that they have decent stats, spend time powering them up, and teach them the best moves before letting them loose in the world.

Best attackers in Pokemon Go

If you’re looking to take part in Raid Battles and catch some powerful Legendaries, then you’ll need the very best attackers on your team.

Mega Evolved Pokemon are typically the best options, however, the most important thing is choosing a lineup of Pokemon that can exploit the weaknesses of the specific Raid Boss you’re fighting.

We’ve rounded up some of the top attackers that you can use in Pokemon Go below, as well as details of their optimal movesets and what they’re strong against.

3: Primal Groudon

Primal Groudon is the overall best Ground-type Pokemon in the whole game.

• Fast Move: Mud Shot
• Charge Move: Precipice Blades* or Earthquake

With an outstanding ATK stat of 353 and a total damage output of 1040.63, Primal Groudon is -and apparently will forever be- the ultimate Ground-type Pokemon in the game.

This massive beast has a huge max CP of 5902 that can be boosted by raising it to level 50 or by taking advantage of Sunny weather. More so, its signature move Precipice Blades has a damage of 130, and combined with Mud Shot, they are endgame. Just be careful of Water-type enemies.

2: Mega Rayquaza

Despite its Dragon-typing, Mega Rayquaza shines as a Flying-type attacker.

• Fast Move: Air Slash
• Charge Move: Dragon Ascent* or Outrage

As far as Dragons go, you won’t get much better than Rayquaza. Dragon-type moves are rarely resisted, making it a great all-around attacker with Dragon Tail and Outrage.

However, Rayquaza can be better utilized as a great Flying-type attacker, where powerful moves like Air Slash give it a big advantage once combined with its Legacy move Dragon Ascent.

1: Primal Kyogre

Primal Kyogre is the ultimate attacker and leader of the Water-type Pokemon.

• Fast Move: Waterfall
• Charge Move: Origin Pulse* or Surf

As expected, the Legendary creature Kyogre and its Primal forme remain one of the best attackers in Pokemon Go, with a huge 353-attack stat and the versatility to perform well in loads of different scenarios.

Using a combination of Waterfall and its signature move Origin Pulse -or Surf if you don’t have OP- it’s a powerhouse, especially with a CP that now reaches 5,902. Push it to level 50 or boost it with Rainy weather and it’s unstoppable.

Pokemon Go best attackers tier list in 2024

Our top 10 picks for the best attackers alongside their best moves and type advantages in Pokemon Go are as follows:

As always, you’ll need to take typing into consideration. The Legendary Water-type Kyogre may feature at the top of our list, for example, but it will always struggle against a strong Electric-type or Grass-type opponent.

Best defenders in Pokemon Go

If you want a Pokemon to leave at a gym in order to earn your daily coins, or you need a bulky option to send out first in battle and wear your opponents down, then get one of these defenders on your team.

Ultimately, you’ll be looking for a good combination of Defense and Stamina, the latter of which decides how much HP it has and how long it will be able to stay in a gym before needing to rest.

3: Metagross

Metagross is super popular as a gym defender.

• Fast Move: Zen Headbutt
• Charge Move: Meteor Mash

The Steel/Psychic-type Metagross will do a brilliant job of defending Gyms, as it has great stats and a whopping 10 type resistances. With the charge move Meteor Mash under its belt, it will also deal some serious damage, extending its use beyond just being a defender.

2: Togekiss

Togekiss sits at the top of the Fairy-type Pokemon in the franchise.

• Fast Move: Charm
• Charge Move: Dazzling Gleam

Sitting at number two of our top three is Togekiss. It has a high max CP of 3,332 with the potential to reach a solid 3767 on level 50. Its Stamina stat may not be as good as Blissey’s or Snorlax’s, but its high CP, good Defense, and Attack stats should help ward off potential attackers.

1: Blissey

This cute Normal-type can defend from the best of the best with insanely high stamina.

• Fast Move: Zen Headbutt
• Charge Move: Dazzling Gleam

As far as best defenders go, Blissey remains the best choice in Pokemon Go for any trainer. It has a ridiculous amount of Stamina (496) and a decent Defense stat (169), making it the perfect ‘mon to leave in gyms as it will simply sponge damage.

Pokemon Go best defenders tier list in 2024

The full list of our top 10 picks for the best defenders in Pokemon Go are as follows:

Unlike many of the best Pokemon Go attackers we featured, the best defenders often aren’t Legendary. This means you should find it easier to catch one with decent stats and level them up to a high CP.

Best Pokemon for PvP (Go Battle League)

There are three major Leagues to enjoy in the Pokemon Go Battle League: the Great League, the Ultra League, and the Master League. These rotate throughout each season, with only one appearing at a time, often alongside special cups like the Retro Cup or the Kanto Cup.

Each league has different restrictions, the main one being the CP limit. The Great League has a 1500 CP limit, the Ultra League has a 2500 CP limit, and the Master League has no limit. This means the best Pokemon for each League can be wildly different.

Great League

With a CP limit of just 1500, you won’t encounter many Legendaries in the Great League meta.

Medicham

• Fast Move: Counter
• Charged Move: Dynamic Punch or Ice Punch

Medicham made it into the top tiers of the Great League thanks to its strong stats and moveset. It’s got good bulk and solid coverage options due to its resistances, making it one of the best options for your team despite falling short against Sableye or Jellicent.

Galarian Stunfisk

• Fast Move: Mud Shot
• Charged Moves: Rock Slide or Earthquake

Galarian Stunfisk isn’t the easiest Pokemon to get hold of, but if you can, it’s a surprisingly excellent fighter in the Great League. A unique Ground/Steel-typing means it’s resistant to most major Great League types and is particularly good at defeating Fairy-types.

Skarmory

• Fast Move: Steel Wing
• Charged Moves: Sky Attack or Brave Bird

Skarmory is the ultimate Pokemon to dominate Great League battles due to its great bulk, type combination, and strong moveset. With 10 resistances, it has a secured win against almost all the league champions.

Ultra League

With a higher CP limit of 2500, the Ultra League is where the big players start to emerge.

Registeel

• Fast Move: Lock-On
• Charge Moves: Focus Blast or Zap Cannon

This Steel-type Legendary is arguably the best choice for the Ultra League, as it has an incredible Defense stat and a massive amount of type resistances, which means it can take loads of hits. Meanwhile, Lock-On has one of the fastest energy generations in the game, allowing Registeel to unleash some brilliant Charged Moves.

Trevenant (XL)

• Fast Move: Shadow Claw
• Charge Moves: Seed Bomb or Shadow Ball

Trevenant quickly became one of the best performers in the Ultra League following its debut, thanks to its ability to take down some of the biggest threats like Swampert, Cresselia, Galarian Stunfisk, and Giratina. It does need XL Candy to reach its full potential, but it’s worth the investment to get a long-term champion.

Giratina (Altered Forme)

• Fast Move: Shadow Claw
• Charge Moves: Shadow Force or Shadow Sneak

Altered Forme Giratina is a well-rounded fighter that acts as a brilliant counter for more than 6 different types, including the Fire ones that dominate the Ultra League. Even better, its massive bulk and moves with STAB make it a must-have in the game as it dominates the meta.

Master League

In the Master League, all CP restrictions are removed, meaning you’ll need the help of XL Candy to win. We’ve got a more in-depth Master League guide here, or you can find our top recommendations below:

Dialga (XL)

• Fast Move: Dragon Breath
• Charge Moves: Iron Head and Draco Meteor

Dialga is considered by many to be the reigning champion of the Master League, and it’s not hard to see why. It has an incredible amount of type resistances and a lineup of very powerful moves including Dragon Breath, Iron Head, and Draco Meteor that make it a force to be reckoned with.

Mewtwo (XL)

• Fast Move: Psycho Cut
• Charge Moves: Psystrike or Focus Blast

The Legendary Mewtwo has an immense Attack stat, the ability to quickly spam Psystrike, and a wide array of secondary Charged Move types to choose from, which makes it one of the most versatile competitors in the Master League.

Zygarde (Complete Forme)

• Fast Move: Dragon Tail
• Charge Moves: Crunch or Earthquake

Zygarde is the most desirable creature in Pokemon Go since it debuted in July 2023 thanks to its performance in the Master League. With a great balance between resistance and damage, it’s incredibly difficult to take down. Any Master League team will benefit from a Zygarde with its Complete Forme.

Those are the best Pokemon in Pokemon Go, from attackers to defenders and PvP stars. Want to be the very best as you try to catch ’em all?

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