Last updated:
There are Pokémon of various types in Pokémon GO, but if you're looking for the best Pokémon to use for gym battles, raids, and GO Battle League, you'll find that most just don't cut it for PoGo raids. Here's our Pokémon GO tier list of the strongest Pokémon that are worth your Candy and Stardust.
How We Rank
Different raid battles, including mega raids, call for varying considerations. DPS and TDO for raids, bulk for gym defense and best defenders, and win rates for GO Battle League. Versatility matters across content. Along with these, we also cross-reference raid rankings, league data, and attacker lists.
But if you want the best Pokémon right away, consider Pokémon accounts from igitems to skip the grind.
Pokemon Tier List
| Tier | Pokémon | Role / Type |
|---|---|---|
| S | Mewtwo | Psychic Attacker |
| Rayquaza | Dragon Attacker | |
| Primal Groudon | Raid Attacker (Ground/Fire) | |
| Primal Kyogre | Raid Attacker (Water) | |
| Mega Rayquaza | Dragon Attacker | |
| Shadow Dialga | Steel Attacker | |
| A | Dialga | Steel Attacker |
| Palkia | Water Attacker | |
| Shadow Garchomp | Dragon Attacker | |
| Mega Blaziken | Fire Attacker | |
| Shadow Machamp | Fighting Attacker | |
| Zekrom | Electric Attacker | |
| B | Garchomp | Raid Attacker (Dragon/Ground) |
| Mega Lucario | Raid Attacker (Fighting/Steel) | |
| Metagross | Raid Attacker / Defender (Steel/Psychic) | |
| Conkeldurr | Fighting Attacker | |
| Mamoswine | Ice Attacker | |
| Chandelure | Ghost Attacker | |
| C | Reshiram | Fire Attacker |
| Salamence | Dragon Attacker | |
| Rhyperior | Ground Attacker | |
| Darkrai | Dark Attacker | |
| Heatran | Fire Attacker | |
| D | Mewtwo | Psychic Attacker |
| Dragonite | Dragon Attacker | |
| Tyranitar | Dark Attacker |
Meta Overview
The Pokemon GO meta showcases the overwhelming dominance of legendary Pokemon and their enhanced variants across all competitive formats. Shadow forms and Primal evolutions continue to reshape raid effectiveness, while Mega evolutions provide crucial temporary power spikes for challenging encounters.
Everything Pokemon GO
407 resourcesThe full igitems Pokemon GO hub — calculators, tier lists, guides and all services in one place.
S Tier
Mewtwo and Shadow Dialga anchor the highest tier with their exceptional Psychic and Dragon/Steel typing versatility across raids and PvP formats. Rayquaza maintains its legendary status as the premier Dragon attacker, while Mega Rayquaza elevates this dominance to unprecedented levels.
Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre represent the pinnacle of Ground/Fire and Water-type damage respectively, delivering unmatched performance against their respective weaknesses while providing weather boost benefits to teammates during raid encounters.
A Tier
Dialga and Palkia form the legendary Dragon duo foundation, offering reliable Steel/Dragon and Water/Dragon coverage for diverse raid scenarios. Shadow Garchomp elevates the already formidable Ground/Dragon attacker to new heights with enhanced damage output.
Mega Blaziken provides exceptional Fire/Fighting type damage with superior stats, while Shadow Machamp remains the quintessential Fighting-type powerhouse. Zekrom rounds out this tier as the premier Electric/Dragon legendary, delivering consistent performance against Flying and Water-type raid bosses with its impressive attack stats.
B Tier
Garchomp establishes itself as the premier non-Shadow Ground and Dragon attacker, offering consistent performance without the Shadow investment requirements. Mega Lucario provides exceptional Fighting and Steel-type coverage with its enhanced Mega evolution stats.
Metagross continues its reign as the top Steel-type attacker with its powerful Meteor Mash moveset, while Conkeldurr serves as a reliable Fighting-type alternative. Mamoswine dominates Ice and Ground-type roles with its impressive bulk and attack power, and Chandelure delivers superior Ghost and Fire-type damage for specialized raid encounters.
C Tier
Reshiram provides solid Dragon and Fire-type coverage as a legendary option, while Salamence offers reliable Dragon-type damage with good accessibility. Rhyperior serves as a dependable Ground and Rock-type attacker with impressive bulk.
Darkrai maintains its position as a premier Dark-type attacker despite limited availability, and Heatran rounds out this tier with its unique Fire and Steel typing combination for specialized raid scenarios.
D Tier
Standard Mewtwo provides accessible Psychic-type damage without Shadow investment costs. Dragonite offers reliable Dragon-type performance with excellent availability, while Tyranitar maintains relevance as a Dark and Rock-type option despite power creep from higher-tier alternatives.
Building Your Pokémon GO Roster
After checking on the tier list, build your top raid attackers first as the best Pokémon GO attackers to power up to help catch more legendaries. The Primals and Rayquaza, with the highest CP among raid attackers, are currently the absolute best Pokémon to power up for gym or raid content, and Crowned Sword Zacian for Master League.
If you're looking to take a shortcut and skip the grind, igitems offers PokéCoins to help you participate in raids through raid passes and remote raid bundles. This Pokémon GO guide is updated regularly, so check back again for the latest news about meta.
Changelog
- Refreshed tier list for June 2026.
- Refreshed tier list for Memories in Motion Season.
- Refreshed tier list for Memories in Motion Season.