Which Legendary Bird is best in Pokemon Go: Articuno, Moltres, or Zapdos?

Daniel Megarry
The Legendary Bird trio appearing in Pokemon Go

The Legendary Birds are three of the most popular 5-Star Raid Bosses in Pokemon Go, but which one is best? Should you catch Articuno, Moltres, or Zapdos? Let’s explore…

Battling and catching Legendary creatures is one of the most exciting parts of Pokemon Go, and everyone has their personal favorites. But when a trio turns up, like Kanto’s Legendary Birds, how do you know which one to catch?

The Legendary Birds can also be available for trainers to face in Shadow Raids. For example, Articuno will appear in Shadow Raids throughout the month of November 2023.

We’ll examine Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos’ performances to see which one is best and, as a result, which one is worth your time and resources.


Contents


Zapdos is the best Legendary Bird to catch in Pokemon Go
Zapdos is a solid performer across both PvP and PvE in Pokemon Go.

Which Legendary Bird is best in Pokemon Go?

All three Legendary Birds are great, but Zapdos is the best overall as it can put in a decent performance across the Go Battle League, has the highest Attack stat of the trio, and is also one of the best Electric-type PvE attackers in the game.

If you’re just looking for a Go Battle League champion, focus on Articuno, as it performs incredibly well in the Ultra League with wins against Giratina and Cresselia. Avoid using it in Raids, though, as it’s simply inferior to other Ice-types like Mamoswine.

Finally, if you’re specifically looking for a PvE attacker to dominate Raids, Moltres is a brilliant choice. Not only is it one of the top Fire-type attackers in Pokemon Go, but it can also be a top Flying-type attacker with the right moveset.

Each of the Legendary Birds serves a purpose, so deciding which is best really depends on what you’re looking for. It’s also worth considering what you already have – if you lack a strong Fire-type, for example, it’s a good idea to focus on Moltres.

Articuno, Moltres & Zapdos stats in Pokemon Go

You can see individual stats for Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos in Pokemon Go below:

Pokemon Attack Defense Stamina Max CP
Articuno 192 236 207 3450
Moltres 251 181 207 3917
Zapdos 253 185 207 3987

When are the Legendary Birds returning to Pokemon Go?

Articuno will be available in Shadow Raids throughout November 2023. Previously, Moltres was the Shadow Raid headliner. With some Legendaries being out of rotation for months or even years, it’s definitely a good idea to catch the Legendary Birds while they’re still around.

Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos do return quite often during special events. Check out our Pokemon coverage to stay updated with their confirmed arrival dates.

In the meantime, you can read some of our Pokemon Go guides below: 

Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule | Current Raid bosses | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters guide | Sierra counters guide | Grunt counters guide | How to catch a Ditto in Pokemon Go | What are Strange Eggs? | How to get Remote Raid Passes in Pokemon Go | Fastest way to get Best Buddy status in Pokemon Go | Pokemon Go catching tips | Pokemon Go types chart | How to get shiny Charmander in Pokemon Go | Most expensive Pokemon cards | Pokemon Go promo codes