Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go: Top attackers, defenders & PvP champions (2025)

With so many choices available in Pokemon Go‘s competitive mode, it’s tough to find the best Pokemon worth leveling up for combat — but there are some clear outliers for the Battle League, Raids, PvP, Gyms, and more. 

Trainers looking to be the very best and capture all of the creatures in Pokemon Go will need some powerful beasts on their team. This doesn’t just mean any Legendary Pokemon or Mega Evolution can be slotted in — you need a smart line-up that can make the most of an enemy’s weakness.

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to obtain stronger ‘mon in the game. From fights against Team Rocket‘s leaders — Giovanni, Sierra, Cliff, 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 are best to focus on catching in 2025.

Best attackers in Pokemon Go

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

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

1. Mega Rayquaza

• Fast Move: Dragon Tail
• Charged Move: Dragon Ascent* and Outrage

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

However, Rayquaza can also be 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.

2. Primal Groudon

• Fast Move: Mud Shot
• Charged Move: Precipice Blades* and Earthquake

With an outstanding ATK stat of 353, 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 6,672 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 120, and combined with Mud Shot, they are endgame. Just be careful of Water-type enemies. 

3. Primal Kyogre

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

As expected, the Legendary creature Kyogre and its Primal forme remain as 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 6,672. Push it to level 50 or boost it with Rainy weather and it’s unstoppable. 

Pokemon Go attacker tier list

RANK	POKEMON	SPRITE	FAST MOVE	CHARGED MOVE	WEAK AGAINST
#1	Mega Rayquaza		Air Slash	Dragon Ascent	Ice / Rock / Dragon / Fairy
#2	Primal Groudon		Mud Shot	Precipice Blades	Water / Ground
#3	Primal Kyogre		Waterfall	Origin Pulse	Electric / Grass
#4	Mega Salamence		Dragon Tail	Fly	Ice / Dragon / Fairy / Rock
#5	Shadow Mewtwo		Psycho Cut	Psystrike	Bug / Dark / Ghost
#6	Dawn Wings Necrozma		Shadow Claw	Moongeist Beam	Dark / Ghost
#7	Mega Lucario		Force Palm	Aura Sphere	Fighting / Fire / Ground
#8	Mega Blaziken		Counter	Blast Burn	Flying / Ground / Psychic / Water
#9	Dusk Mane Necrozma		Shadow Claw	Sunsteel Strike	Dark / Fire / Ghost / Ground
#10	Mega Garchomp		Dragon Tail	Outrage	Ice / Dragon / Fairy

As always, you’ll need to take the game’s type chart into consideration. The Legendary Water-type Kyogre may be featured on our list, for example, but it will always struggle against a strong Electric-type or Grass-type opponent.

Best defenders in Pokemon Go

When picking a defender, 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.

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.

1. Blissey

• Fast Move: Zen Headbutt
• Charged Move: Dazzling Gleam and Psychic

As far as best defenders go, Blissey remains the best choice for any trainer in Pokemon Go. 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.

2. Snorlax

• Fast Move: Zen Headbutt
• Charged Move: Body Slam and Superpower

Sitting at number two of our top three is the old Kanto icon, Snorlax. It has a high max CP of 3,225 with the potential to reach a solid 3,647 on level 50. Its Stamina stat may not be as good as Blissey’s, but its high CP, good Defense, and Attack stats combined should help ward off potential attackers.

3. Metagross

• Fast Move: Zen Headbutt
• Charged Move: Meteor Mash and Earthquake

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 Charged Move Meteor Mash under its belt, it will also deal some serious damage, extending its use beyond just being a defender.

Pokemon Go defender tier list

RANK	POKEMON	SPRITE	FAST MOVE	CHARGED MOVE	WEAK AGAINST
#1	Blissey		Zen Headbutt	Dazzling Gleam	Fighting
#2	Snorlax		Zen Headbutt	Body Slam	Fighting
#3	Metagross		Zen Headbutt	Meteor Mash	Ground / Ghost / Fire / Dark
#4	Umbreon		Snarl	Psychic	Fighting / Bug / Fairy
#5	Avalugg		Ice Fang	Body Slam	Fighting / Rock / Steel / Fire
#6	Ursaluna		Rock Smash	High Horsepower	Fighting / Grass / Ice / Water
#7	Goodra		Dragon Breath	Draco Meteor	Ice / Dragon / Fairy
#8	Mandibuzz		Snarl	Dark Pulse	Electric / Fairy / Ice / Rock
#9	Steelix		Dragon Tail	Heavy Slam	Fighting / Ground / Fire / Water
#10	Lapras		Ice Shard	Dragon Pulse	Electric / Fighting / Grass / Rock

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 is where the bigger players emerge, and the Master League has no limit. This means the best Pokemon for each League can be wildly different.

Great League

Galarian Corsola

NIANTIC/DEXERTO

• Fast Move: Astonish
• Charged Moves: Night Shade and Power Gem

Since its recent debut, Galarian Corsola has climbed the PvP ranks in the Great League thanks to its bulkiness and strong moveset, which benefits from STAB.

Tackle is a bad option, so Pick Astonish for your Fast Move, as it is the only Ghost-type attack and has great synergy with Night Shade.

Night Shade is a very cheap Charged Move with decent damage per energy, so go with it. Compliment it with Power Gem, as it will expand your coverage and it’s very affordable.

Clodsire

NIANTIC

• Fast Move: Poison Sting
• Charged Moves: Earthquake and Stone Edge

Clodsire appeared out of nowhere and stole the top spot basically because – in the new meta – it is good at everything.

This dual Poison/Ground creature works fine as a lead, switch, or closer thanks to its good Defense, but mostly its massive Stamina of 209.

The blob Clodsire might exert low Fast Move pressure, but it still manages to reach its incredible Charged Moves. Earthquake is one of the best moves of all time, and Stone Edge helps it expand its coverage even further. Clodsire’s access to 5 different types of moves makes it very hard to target and take down.

Mandibuzz

Niantic / The Pokemon Company

• Fast Move: Snarl
• Charged Moves: Dark Pulse and Aerial Ace

Despite its lack of outstanding moves, and having fewer resistances than other Great League recommendations, Mandibuzz does make up for that with a very high Defense stat and a solid Stamina stat.

Snarl has quicker energy generation than Air Slash, so we’d recommend using that Fast Move. Mandibuzz’s best Charged Move is Dark Pulse, as it deals good damage and benefits from STAB. In case you’re looking for more coverage, Aerial Ace is a good choice.

Ultra League

Corviknight (XL)

NIANTIC/DEXERTO

• Fast Move: Sand Attack
• Charged Moves: Sky Attack and Iron Head

Like most Steel-type Pokemon, one of Corviknight’s advantages is the many resistances it has. That along with its very good Defense and Stamina stats make this a very difficult creature to take down.

Even though it’s the only Fast Move that doesn’t benefit from STAB, Sand Attack offers great coverage and has a very fast energy gain, which is why is the ideal attack to use, as it will allow you to use your Charged Moves early.

As for Iron Head, it is the cheapest Charged Move, while Sky Attack deals pretty decent damage.

Feraligatr (Shadow)

NIANTIC

• Fast Move: Shadow Claw
• Charged Moves: Hydro Cannon or Ice Beam

The tough crocodile from Gen 2 works perfectly as a charger or closer thanks to its stats and moves. Despite its weaknesses, it can resist very used Pokemon types such as Steel and Fire, which is very handy in Ultra League.

Additionally, its move pool helps Feraligatr reach Charged Moves faster, so it can force the enemy to use its shields early on, leaving them defenseless for the rest of your team.

Primeape (XL)

NIANTIC/DEXERTO

• Fast Move: Karate Chop
• Charged Moves: Rage Fist and Close Combat

Even though Primeape doesn’t have an outstanding bulk, it’s still a great Fighting-type choice. While being similar to fan favorite Machamp, Primeape offers a wider coverage and lightning-fast moves.

Primeape works great as a lead or switch, as it has very spammy moves that can force the opponents to use their shields early on, leaving them open for a mighty Charged Attack.

Karate Chop is the standout of the Fast Moves, but there are plenty of great options for Charged Moves that will vary depending on what you need. The best part is that most of them are quite cheap without sacrificing the damage they can inflict.

Master League

In the Master League, all CP restrictions are removed, meaning you’ll need the help of XL Candy to win.

Zygarde Complete Forme (XL)

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

With a super bulky HP stat and a great balance between resistance and damage, Zygarde is one of the most desirable creatures in Pokemon Go since it debuted in July 2023.

Not only is this Pokemon incredibly difficult to take down, but it is the perfect counter for the many Dragon-type creatures going around this rank as well as others like Dialga, Lugia, and Kyurem.

More so, its ideal moveset deals plenty of damage with both Dragon Tail and Earthquake, while Crunch can help with your strategy as it baits shields.

Palkia Origin Forme (XL)

• Fast Move: Dragon Breath
• Charged Moves: Aqua Tail and Spacial Rend

Palkia Origin Forme sits at the top 3 of our ranking and is undoubtedly a Master League champion in Pokemon Go. With incredible Defense and HP and an outstanding Attack stat, this creature can be used as a Lead, Charger, or Closer if you want. 

For its Fast Move go always with Dragon Breath, as it is its strongest choice, and for its Charged Move, go with its special attack Spacial Rend.

Yveltal (XL)

Niantic / The Pokemon Company

• Fast Move: Sucker Punch
• Charged Moves: Dark Pulse and Oblivion Wing

The Pokemon Y mascot, the Legendary Yveltal, made a comeback to the Master League ranking due to a shift in the meta.

With extremely high Attack and Stamina stats, Yveltal is the ideal switch in a team. It can come in and deal plenty of damage while taking a punch without dying. As a dual Dark/Flying-type Pokemon, the best moveset to use is one that benefits from STAB.

Sucker Punch is cheap and helps boost the energy to use either Charged Move. Both Dark Pulse and Oblivion Wing have the same energy and deal almost exactly the same damage, so the one you use as a primary will depend on your target.

Those are the best Pokemon to add to your team in Pokemon Go. For more game content, check our guide with the Battle League schedule and rewards, as well as our rankings for the best Mega Evolutions, or the cutest or creepiest Pokemon.