Which creatures dominate in Pokémon Go? Strategic choices vary significantly depending on battle formats, whether securing Gym positions, defeating Raid bosses, or outplaying rivals in PvP matches.
This guide categorizes top contenders by combat roles and elemental affinities. We highlight premier attackers, resilient defenders, and type-specific specialists to optimize team composition.
Elite Pokémon by Elemental Affinity
With over 900 species available, selecting optimal combatants proves challenging. Legendary Pokémon often lead the meta, though variants like Shadow forms and regional adaptations introduce complexity. Mega Evolutions generally outperform standard forms in offensive roles but remain unavailable for defense.
Type effectiveness remains crucial for maximizing damage output. Some species excel in dual-type configurations, like Rayquaza performing admirably as both Dragon and Flying specialist when equipped appropriately.
This comprehensive breakdown prioritizes non-Mega combatants due to temporary evolution limitations. Shadow variants receive mentions where applicable.
Type Specialists Breakdown
| Element | Top Contenders | Combat Role | Primary Attack | Signature Technique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairy | Togekiss Enamorus Xerneas |
Defense Offense Offense |
Charm Fairy Wind Geomancy |
Dazzling Gleam Dazzling Gleam Moonblast |
| Dark | Tyranitar Hydreigon Darkrai |
Assault Assault Assault |
Bite Bite Snarl |
Brutal Swing Brutal Swing Dark Pulse |
| Dragon | Eternatus Black Kyurem Origin Forme Palkia |
Offense Offense Offense |
Dragon Tail Dragon Tail Dragon Tail |
Dynamax Cannon Outrage Spacial Rend |
| Ice | White Kyurem Baxcalibur Mamoswine |
Assault Assault Multi-Purpose |
Ice Fang Ice Fang Powder Snow |
Ice Burn Avalanche Avalanche |
| Psychic | Mewtwo Hoopa (Unbound) Lunala |
Assault Assault Assault |
Psycho Cut Confusion Confusion |
Psystrike Psychic Psychic |
| Electric | Regieleki Zekrom Xurkitree |
Assault Assault Assault |
Thunder Shock Charge Beam Thunder Shock |
Thunder Cage Fusion Bolt Discharge |
| Grass | Kartana Shaymin (Sky Forme) Zarude |
Assault Assault Assault |
Razor Leaf Magical Leaf Vine Whip |
Leaf Blade Grass Knot Power Whip |
| Water | Kyogre Quaquaval Primarina |
Assault Assault Assault |
Waterfall Water Gun Water Gun |
Origin Pulse Hydro Cannon Hydro Cannon |
| Fire | Reshiram Heatran Blacephalon |
Assault Assault Assault |
Fire Fang Fire Spin Incinerate |
Fusion Flare Magma Storm Mystical Fire |
| Steel | Crowned Sword Zacian Crowned Shield Zamazenta Dusk Mane Necrozma |
Assault Assault Assault |
Metal Claw Metal Claw Metal Claw |
Behemoth Blade Behemoth Bash Sunsteel Strike |
| Ghost | Dawn Wings Necrozma Lunala Dragapult |
Offense Offense Offense |
Shadow Claw Shadow Claw Astonish |
Moongeist Beam Shadow Ball Shadow Ball |
| Bug | Volcarona Genesect Kleavor |
Assault Assault Assault |
Bug Bite Fury Cutter Fury Cutter |
Bug Buzz X-Scissor X-Scissor |
| Rock | Rhyperior Rampardos Terrakion |
Dual Role Dual Role Assault |
Smack Down Smack Down Smack Down |
Rock Wrecker Rock Slide Rock Slide |
| Ground | Landorus (Therian) Groudon Garchomp |
Assault Assault Assault |
Mud Shot Mud Shot Mud Shot |
Sandsear Storm Precipice Blades Earth Power |
| Poison | Eternatus Nihilego Naganadel |
Assault Assault Assault |
Poison Jab Poison Jab Poison Jab |
Dynamax Cannon Sludge Bomb Sludge Bomb |
| Flying | Rayquaza Yveltal Enamorus |
Assault Assault Assault |
Air Slash Gust Fairy Wind |
Dragon Ascent Oblivion Wing Fly |
| Fighting | Terrakion Lucario Keldeo |
Assault Assault Assault |
Double Kick Force Palm Low Kick |
Sacred Sword Aura Sphere Sacred Sword |
| Normal | Regigigas Blissey Snorlax |
Assault Defense Defense |
Hidden Power Pound Lick |
Crush Grip Dazzling Gleam Body Slam |
Premier Offensive Units
Non-Mega attackers dominate this ranking to reflect practical team-building constraints. Damage potential, type coverage, and survival capability were key evaluation metrics.
Top Attack Squad
| Position | Species | Quick Technique | Charged Technique | Optimal Matchups | Strategic Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Therian Landorus | Mud Shot | Sandsear Storm | Non-Ice/Water foes | Ground-type supremacy with devastating signature move |
| 9 | Terrakion | Double Kick | Sacred Sword | Multiple vulnerabilities | Reliable coverage against common defensive types |
| 8 | Rayquaza | Dragon Tail | Dragon Ascent | Dragon adversaries | Exclusive move enables type-flexible devastation |
| 7 | Crowned Shield Zamazenta | Metal Claw | Behemoth Bash | Steel-vulnerable targets | Exceptional durability complements offensive output |
| 6 | Dusk Mane Necrozma | Psycho Cut | Sunsteel Strike | Broad coverage | Overwhelms most non-resistant opponents |
| 5 | White Kyurem | Dragon Breath | Ice Burn | Dragons + Ice-weak foes | Powerful alternative to Black Kyurem variant |
| 4 | Crowned Sword Zacian | Metal Claw | Behemoth Blade | Steel-type threats | Unparalleled Steel-type damage potential |
| 3 | Dawn Wings Necrozma | Psycho Cut | Moongeist Beam | General purpose | Ghost/Psychic nuke with Raid dominance |
| 2 | Black Kyurem | Dragon Tail | Freeze Shock | Dragon/Ice-sensitive enemies | Dual-type mastery with overworld effects |
| 1 | Eternatus | Poison Jab | Dynamax Cannon | Universal threat | Unmatched Dragon/Poison hybrid with meta-defining impact |
Top Defensive Lineup
Gym defense prioritizes stamina and typing that counters common attackers. These selections discourage opponents through type resistance and high HP pools.
Gym Guardians Ranking
| Position | Species | Quick Technique | Charged Technique | Counters | Defensive Merit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Garchomp | Mud Shot | Earthquake | Electric threats | Thwarts common counters to popular defenders |
| 9 | Milotic | Waterfall | Hyper Beam | Most non-Grass/Electric | Balanced stats with deceptive offensive power |
| 8 | Rhyperior | Mud Slap | Rock Wrecker | Multiple types | Dual-type coverage deters various attackers |
| 7 | Goodra | Dragon Breath | Draco Meteor | Broad spectrum | Unpredictable movepool with bulk |
| 6 | Drifblim | Hex | Shadow Ball | Fighting specialists | Ghost typing neutralizes Machamp/Lucario counters |
| 5 | Snorlax | Zen Headbutt | Hyper Beam | General use | High stamina pool with mental-type disruption |
| 4 | Metagross | Zen Headbutt | Meteor Mash | Fighting-types | Steel resilience punishes common Normal-type counters |
| 3 | Togekiss | Charm | Dazzling Gleam | Multiple types | Fairy resistance to Dragon/Fighting moves |
| 2 | Chansey | Zen Headbutt | Hyper Beam | General use | Near-legendary HP stat with type diversity |
| 1 | Blissey | Zen Headbutt | Dazzling Gleam | Universal | Unrivaled defensive capabilities through sheer endurance |