Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go: Top Attackers, defenders & PvP champions (December 2024)
NIANTICWith so many choices available in Pokemon Go‘s competitive mode, players can have trouble finding the toughest fighters worth leveling up for combat. So here are our top picks for the Battle League, Raids, PvP, Gyms, and more.
Those who want 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 weakness.
Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to obtain stronger Pokemon in the game. From fights against tough Team Rocket leaders including 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 you should focus on catching.
With that in mind, here are the best attackers, defenders, and PvP champions available in Pokemon Go.
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 and Primal Reversion 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.
1. Mega Rayquaza
Niantic- Fast Move: Dragon Tail
- Charged Move: Dragon Ascent* and 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 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
The Pokemon Company- 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
The Pokemon Company- 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 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:
| 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 | Shadow Mewtwo |  | Psycho Cut | Psystrike | Bug / Dark / Ghost |
| #5 | Dawn Wings Necrozma |  | Shadow Claw | Moongeist Beam | Dark / Ghost |
| #6 | Mega Lucario |  | Force Palm | Aura Sphere | Fighting / Fire / Ground |
| #7 | Mega Blaziken |  | Counter | Blast Burn | Flying / Ground / Psychic / Water |
| #8 | Dusk Mane Necrozma |  | Shadow Claw | Sunsteel Strike | Dark / Fire / Ghost / Ground |
| #9 | Mega Garchomp |  | Dragon Tail | Outrage | Ice / Dragon / Fairy |
| #10 | Mega Salamence |  | Dragon Tail | Fly | Ice / Dragon / Fairy / Rock |
As always, you’ll need to take typing into consideration. The Legendary Water-type Kyogre may be feature on 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.
1. Blissey
The Pokemon Company- 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
The Pokemon Company- Fast Move: Zen Headbutt
- Charged Move: Body Slam and Superpower
Sitting at number two of our top three is 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
THE POKEMON COMPANY- 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 best defenders tier list in 2024
The full list of our top 10 picks for the best defenders in Pokemon Go are as follows:
| 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 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. You can find our complete Great League guide here, or check out our top three recommendations below.
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.
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 on the Great League thanks to its bulkiness and strong moveset – which benefits from STAB.
Tackle is a really bad option, so Pick Astonish for your Fast Move, as it is the only Ghost-type attack and has great sinergy 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 as it’s very affordable.
Ultra League
With a higher CP limit of 2500, the Ultra League is where the big players start to emerge. You can find our complete Ultra League guide here, or check out our top three recommendations below:
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.
Clefable (XL)
NIANTIC- Fast Move: Fairy Wind
- Charged Moves: Swift and Moonblast
The key to winning Battle League encounters – or at least getting an advantage – is to access your Charged Moves fast so you can force your opponent to use their shields early on.
Clefable’s Fast Move Fairy Wind is very fast and it benefits from STAB, so you can boost your Charged Moves quickly. Moonblast is a nuke with 130 damage, though it is quite costly and has a chance of lowering your Attack stat, while Swift is cheap and faster, and can expand your coverage.
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. We’ve got a more in-depth Master League guide here, or you can find our top recommendations below:
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 you can add to your Pokemon Go team. For more game content, check our guide with the Battle League schedule and rewards, as well as our rankings for the Best Mega Evolutions, the cutest or the creepiest Pokemon.