-1.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
Overpowered level strength doesn't matter when the rest of the competition is also overpowered. Smogon's Uber tier of Pokemon competitive battling has overpowered box art Legendaries across the board, so you can't have high base stat totals and expect to be the best.
More than in any other tier arguably, little intricacies like type matchups, stat distribution, abilities, and having a few more moves in your arsenal matter when competing in Ubers. These Legendary Pokemon went beyond being better than other Pokemon at large, and have become the leaders of the leaders of the pack, thanks to all those aspects.
15 Dialga
The Diamond and Brilliant Diamond mascot is a 150 Special Attack offensive machine, while also boasting one of the best defensive type combinations out there. It's one of the Uber tier's best options for a Choice Specs wallbreaker.
Unfortunately, there are a few things holding it back from being truly great in Ubers. It lacks a solid STAB Steel-type attack, its best option probably being the mediocre 80 base power Flash Cannon. It also lacks a bit in Speed and doesn't have a spectacular ability to put it over the hump.
14 Mewtwo
A 154 Special Attack monster, the pure Psychic-type Mewtwo is at its best beating the Uber tier's walls with brute force. With a wide movepool and access to Nasty Plot for setting up, Mewtwo is rarely not an offensive threat.
That said, there are similar Pokemon in the tier that arguably do its job better, like Shadow Rider Calyrex. One wrong move can put it to bed with its below-average defenses, and it's difficult to switch in without the help of a pivot.
13 Lunala
It's not the Psychic/Ghost-type to watch out for in Ubers, but Lunala is a threat in its own right. It's definitely better than Shadow Rider Calyrex defensively, especially since it has the Shadow Shield ability that halves damage taken at full HP.
Its 137 Special Attack is no joke, either, especially when it has the movepool it has. It's gotten equal usage as both a defensive utility Pokemon and a wallbreaker. The one relative weakness that holds it back is its mediocre 97 Speed, which isn't bad, but lags behind most of the Uber-tier's strongest.
12 Lugia
Having the Multiscale ability automatically makes you one of the meta's best walls, and Lugia has that along with excellent defensive stats. Its typing leaves it vulnerable to the tier's many Ghost- and Dark-type offensive threats, but it can otherwise be relied on to take a hit or two.
Move-wise, it's at its best playing support, with Toxic, Whirlwind, and Defog being solid options. Toxic is a particularly important move, being its best option for significant damage since it doesn't have excellent attacking stats. Still, it has access to a few attacking moves, best used in a pinch.
11 Eternatus
Eternatus is a two-way threat, having the offensive stats to deal big damage and good defensive type matchups against most of the meta's biggest threats. Being the only Poison-type Legendary can be pretty helpful when the Fairy-type Xerneas is the one to beat.
The 145 Special Attack and 130 Speed are usually put to use with Sludge Bomb and the signature Dynamax Cannon. The remaining two moveslots are best occupied by your choice of Flamethrower, a viable coverage option for Steel-types, Recover for healing, and/or Toxic for long-term chip damage.
10 Groudon
Generation Eight's Uber tier has a quintessential Ground-type option: the god of the land itself. With its 150 Attack and great physical bulk, Groudon's a fantastic wallbreaker for leaving the tier's Steel-types shaking in their boots.
Its signature Precipice Blades, while not as accurate as a regular Earthquake, pack a big, 120 base power punch. Not to mention, the sunlight from its Drought ability could potentially soften any Water-type blows, or set up for one of the tier's Fire-types, like Ho-Oh or Reshiram. It can learn Stealth Rock, too.
9 Palkia
The Water/Dragon-type Legendary of Sinnoh has had long-standing dominance as one of the Uber-tier's best wallbreakers, boasting 150 Special Attack and an excellent pool of STAB attacking moves. Hydro Pump and the signature Spacial Rend are a potent one-two punch.
It's also solid defensively, working as one of the tier's best defensive checks for Kyogre thanks to its typing and 120 Special Defense stat. That said, it's only really good against Pokemon it matches up well against type-wise, since it doesn't have access to any special set-up moves.
8 Rayquaza
Without the Mega Evolution to bring it beyond Ubers into the fabled Anything Goes tier, Rayquaza is still amazing offensively, if a bit high-maintenance. Its 95 Speed sticks out quite a bit as a weakness, especially when paired with its mediocre defenses.
Regardless, all it needs is a chance to set up, having access to Dragon Dance. From there, it has its choice of massive attacking moves, such as STAB Draco Meteor, signature STAB Dragon Ascent, the 180 base power V-create, and a priority move in Extreme Speed.
7 Ho-Oh
Like many Fire/Flying-types, Ho-Oh got a gigantic buff with the introduction of the Heavy Duty Boots, a held item that takes care of its crippling weakness to Stealth Rock. The Generation Two Legendary can now be at its best, especially defensively.
Its resistance to Fairy and Fighting, and immunity to Ground, are so valuable in the meta with Xerneas, Groudon, Marshadow, and Zygarde causing a lot of trouble in the tier. Its ability to heal up with Regenerator makes it even harder to kill long-term. Offensively, it has a 130 Attack stat as well,
6 Zygarde
On paper, Zygarde might look like a slower version of Garchomp, but it's much, much more than that. Especially with its Power Construct ability, Zygarde has the bulk to deal with Ubers' best physical threats, as well as the potential to either play utility or set-up sweeper.
It has a great support movepool with Toxic, Dragon Tail, and Glare, and an even better attack pool with its signature moves, Thousand Arrows and Scale Shot, and either Dragon Dance or Coil for setting up. It's a bit slow, though, and there's always the prospect of OHKO-ing it before Power Construct activates.
5 Dusk Mane Necrozma
In terms of Steel-types and their place in the Uber-tier meta, Dusk Mane Necrozma is better than Dialga in just about every respect. Better defenses all around. A better attacking stat in 157 Attack. Better STAB Steel-type moves. A fantastic ability.
Above all, it's way more versatile, with several recognized movesets out there. Some focus more on the offensive, with multiple attacking moves and Dragon Dance, while others focus on the defensive potential, with Moonlight as a healing move and Stealth Rock for some support.
4 Kyogre
Kyogre is the Water-type personified and at its most powerful, showing the type's offensive and defensive potential. Combining both massive bulk and attacking power, Kyogre is best used as a special wallbreaker.
Not only does it have access to strong Water-type special attacks, but they all get a boost from its Drizzle ability. It also has access to a few coverage moves and a set-up move in Calm Mind for fully maximizing its offensive potential. That said, Kyogre's best paired with an offensive check to the many Dragon-types in the Uber tier that resist Water-type attacks.
3 Xerneas
One word: Geomancy. The most feared set-up move in all of Pokemon is Xerneas's bread and butter. When executed while holding a Power Herb, this pure Fairy-type can become a nigh-unstoppable threat in an instant.
At that point, watch out for the Fairy Aura-boosted Moonblast; it will willingly go on a sweeping spree if you don't have a check for it. It's not deadweight without the Geomancy boosts, either; it can deal good damage anyway with its raw 131 Special Attack. It's also bound to have a coverage move like Thunder or Aromatherapy for pinch support.
2 Shadow Rider Calyrex
Shadow Rider Calyrex is the Psychic/Ghost-type to watch out for, outnumbering Lunala in Special Attack and, more importantly, Speed. It's the benchmark to which other Pokemon in the tier are compared and matched up.
You know it packs a nasty Astral Barrage, so any move you make should be well-thought-out with that potential threat looming. Matter of fact, if you want to be taken seriously, you should probably have a Shadow Rider Calyrex on your team. It's not a one-trick pony, either (no pun intended); the rest of its moveslot could pack Psyshock, Trick with a Choice Scarf, or even Leech Seed for crying out loud.
1 Yveltal
Almost purely thanks to how it matches up type-wise against most of the meta's other threats, Yveltal has gotten tons of usage in Generation Eight Ubers. Dark/Flying is an excellent blanket check typing, with Shadow Rider Calyrex, Zygarde, Groudon, and even non-banned Uber regulars like Buzzwole matching up negatively to it.
This is also without mentioning its offensive potential, having the deadliest STAB Knock Off competitive players have ever seen thanks to its high Attack and the Dark Aura ability. Next to that, it has tons of utility options like Defog, U-Turn, and Roost.