Pseudo-legendary Pokémon are some of the best in the game statistically, and tend to be pretty coveted among trainers. Depending on which one you’re talking about, they can be tough to track down and will take a considerable amount of time to train. So far, there are 8 pseudo-legendary Pokémon to catch and train. While all are statistically outstanding, some are better than others.
Even pseudo-legendaries have their flaws. Some are given the ability to Mega Evolve while others aren’t. Some have way too many type weaknesses to stomach. Whatever it may be, there are clear cut superior pseudo-legendaries when you look at them all in a vacuum. Here’s every one of them to date, ranked.
8 Kommo-o
The latest addition to the 600 club (base stat total) also happens to be the worst of the eight. Kommo-o may have some good things going for it, but in the end that’s not enough to outweigh all of its negatives. In regards to its Speed and HP base stats, Kommo-o won’t exactly wow you. Despite high Defense and Special Defense, those middling stats leave it pretty vulnerable a lot of the time.
In terms of what it does well, Kommo-o sticks out with base stats of 100 or more in everything other than Speed and HP. That not only means that it can deal a decent amount of damage, but take a good deal as well. Despite this, its weaknesses serve as some major discouragement. Kommo-o has five different type weaknesses. With one of them being a quadruple weakness to Fairy. That doesn’t exactly instill confidence in you.
7 Tyranitar
Some may be shocked to see this massive Pokémon so low in these rankings. One of the most easily recognizable and well-liked pseudo-legendaries, Tyranitar can certainly deal a massive amount of damage, and it doesn’t have all that bad Defense either. However, this excellent Pokémon has one huge glaring flaw: its various type weaknesses.
Tyranitar has monstrous Attack and Defense stats with exceptional Special stats to go along with it. Its Mega Evolution brings those stats up ridiculously, but doesn’t rid it of any of its type weaknesses. Tyranitar is weak to a whopping seven different types, with a quadruple weakness to Fighting thrown in there for good measure. It’ll deal some huge damage, sure, but it doesn’t offer much in regards to its reliability.
6 Dragonite
The first ever pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Dragonite is a fearsome an opponent as it ever was. Dragon types used to be some of the most busted in the game, and weren’t exactly a joy to take head on. Dragonite was the epitome of that sentiment, as it proved to be one of the strongest Pokémon available for several generations. Thanks to huge boons like Dragon Dance and the Multiscale ability, it's still a massive threat.
Dragonite doesn’t have a Mega Evolution, so that may turn some people off from the get-go. But it has great stat distribution all the same. With its weakest base stat (Speed) being a solid 80, Dragonite doesn’t give trainers all that much to complain about in that department. Its type weaknesses should concern you – at least somewhat. Aside from its annoying weakness to Dragon types, it’s also countered fairly easily by Fairy types and has a quadruple weakness to Ice types, which can decimate it in battle.
5 Goodra
Another Dragon-type, Goodra was first introduced in Gen VI and really stands out with its amazing Special Defense stat, along with more than solid HP, Attack and Special Attack. Really, the only thing that stands out as a weakness here is its base 70 Defense.
It has a handful of useful resistances; most notably Fire, Water and Electric. Like other Dragon-types, though, Goodra is weak to Fairy, Ice and other Dragon types. It’s a strong Pokémon that can thankfully withstand a good deal of Special damage, but Goodra is still very vulnerable against these three types. If you’re going up against someone who’s prepared to face Dragon-types, even this pseudo-legendary won’t be able to help you.
4 Metagross
Introduced in Gen III, Metagross is notable for both its unique Steel/Psychic-type pairing and its Mega Evolution. The first thing you’ll notice about Metagross is its subpar Speed stat. That makes it more or less a sure thing to attack last every turn. Its Defense and Special Defense stats are high enough that this isn’t too consequential, though.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, its Mega Evolution not only boosts up its defensive stats, but also shoots its Speed up to 110. Mega Metagross is quick enough to hit first, and durable enough that it won’t go down in just a few shots. Add in its nine different type resistances – including Fairy, Ice and Dragon – and you’ve got a pretty busted Pokémon.
3 Salamence
Another Gen III pseudo legendary, Salamence is another dual Dragon/Flying type on this list. Salamence has fairly solid stats all across the board, even without the boost it gets from its Mega Evolution. The most worrisome thing about it is its weaknesses.
Salamence has four of them; Rock, Ice, Dragon and Fairy – with the Ice weakness dealing quadruple damage. Even without the Mega Evolution, Salamence is a tough Pokémon and that makes it easier to look over those eye-opening weaknesses.
2 Hydreigon
Hydreigon is a tough Pokémon to gauge. It has its fair share of things going for it, but just as many negatives as well. A Dark/Dragon type, Hydreigon has more weaknesses than you’d ever want from a potential party member, regardless of its status as a pseudo-legendary.
Hydreigon has five different type weaknesses, including a quadruple weakness to Fairy-types. That kind of makes it useless in that one specific match-up. Despite its more than solid Defense and Special Defense stats, Hydreigon isn’t going to be able to pull out the win against a Sylveon most of the time. Aside from that, though, it’s a great offensive option for any party.
1 Garchomp
When it comes to pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Garchomp is the absolute best of the bunch. Another dual Dragon-type, this time Ground, Garchomp has phenomenal stats and the same old debilitating Dragon-type weaknesses to Ice, Fairy and Dragon.
Its Mega Evolution may not be something you want to use, believe it or not. That’s kind of rare for most Mega Evolved Pokémon. Garchomp’s Mega Evolution gives it tons more Attack and Special Attack, but at the cost of a 10 point reduction to its base Speed. 92 is still more than solid, though. Either way, you’re getting a great Pokémon that’s more than capable of taking opponents out quickly.