Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a benchmark game, adding quite a bit to the franchise despite not being Gen 8's principal game. With the lot of new Pokemon entering the fray and the overhaul in battle mechanics reshaping how the game is played, some new moves were bound to come, too.

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Legends: Arceus released 24 new moves, most of which are signature moves and all of which are listed below (although there are a few groups of moves clustered into single entries). Under the new battle mechanics, some of them are ultimately not that significant, some are quite useful in certain circumstances, and some are so important in a Pokemon's arsenal.

18 Power Shift

Unown in Pokemon Legends Arceus spelling out the common internet phrase WT!?

Power Shift is a pretty simple move: it switches the user's offensive and defensive stats.

Ultimately, it's way too niche and situational, and not worth spending either a turn or a moveslot on. It's down there with Power Split, Power Swap, and Power Trick as insignificant, essentially useless status moves that start with the word, "Power".

17 Chloroblast

Hisuian_Electrode_Banner

Hisuian Electrode's Chloroblast is, fittingly, the most explosive move on here, for better or worse.

Chloroblast deals a ton of damage, to the tune of 120 base power, at perfect accuracy or at least close to it depending on the Style used. The problem comes with its secondary effects; it significantly lowers the user's action speed and deals a ton of recoil, usually half the user's max HP. It's great as a go-for-broke move when Electrode's already at low health, but it doesn't have much sensible utility in other situations.

16 Raging Fury

Hisuian_Arcanine

Hisuian Arcanine's signature move, Raging Fury, is a solid enough Fire-type move, but it's neither reliable nor potent enough to stand out and replace staples like Fire Blast and Flamethrower. In fact, it has Fire Blast's inferior accuracy (85%) and is in the ballpark of Flamethrower's inferior base power (90).

What makes it different is its ability to fixate its user on the move, which has its own pros and cons. It's good in certain situations, but that doesn't help its standing against moves with purely positive secondary effects.

15 Bleakwind Storm, Wildbolt Storm, Sandsear Storm, And Springtide Storm

Pokemon Legends Arceus Forces of Nature Thundurus Enamorus Landorus Tornadus

All the Forces of Nature, including the new Enamorus, got new signature moves.​​​​​​ All of them are quite similar, having the same base power and accuracy, and mostly the same special effects.

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All have the very high 95 base power, but that's offset by just 80% accuracy. The original three's versions inflict status ailments 30% of the time, with Bleakwind Storm inflicting frostbite, Wildbolt Storm paralysis, and Sandsear Storm burn. Springtide Storm is a bit different, affecting stats instead, with it raising all of Enamorus' stats in her Incarnate forme and lowering the target's defensive stats in Therian.

14 Mountain Gale

Hisuian_Avalugg_Banner

Mountain Gale is a very imperfect attacking move, as it lowers the user's action speed and has just 85% accuracy. The one thing you can credit it for is that it hits pretty hard, at 100 base power.

The idea of a move like that belonging to a high-Attack-stat behemoth like Hisuian Avalugg sounds pretty tough; that is until you look at its horrible Speed stat which will further be harmed by the move lowering user action speed.

13 Headlong Rush

Ursaluna from Pokemon Legends Arceus Cropped

With Earthquake not making the cut for Legends: Arceus, most Ground-types are missing that crucial attacking move they've relied on for years. Ursaluna (and Torterra) perhaps got Legends: Arceus' closest substitute to it: Headlong Rush.

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It has the same 100 base power and 100% accuracy, though it does lower the user's defensive stats; it's essentially a Ground-type Close Combat. While lowering defenses aren't great, at least you could use it repeatedly if you're not getting hit.

12 Mystical Power

Pokemon Legends Arceus Lake Guardians Trio Uxie Mesprit Azelf

Another Legendary trio gets another new signature move shared among them: Mystical Power. While it technically works the same for all three of the Lake Guardians, it fits one of them better than the other two, thanks to the move's focus on the user's stats.

Mystical Power has a decent 70 base power and 90% accuracy. Its main selling point is its raising either the user's offensive of defensive stats, depending on which is higher. While it'd be nice on Uxie for getting defensive boosts, that kind of move is quite a bit better on offensive Pokemon, like Azelf or Mesprit with more Effort Levels spent on offensive stats.

11 Wave Crash

Basculegion skipping through water with trainer

A Pokemon with as high an Attack stat as a (male) Basculegion deserves a high base power signature move. Unfortunately, while Wave Crash's base power is decent at 75, high it is not, at least to make a massive difference as an offensive Pokemon.

What's worse, it deals quite a bit of recoil, the standard 33% when not using Agile or Strong Style. All of this, despite the 100% accuracy, makes Wave Crash painfully mediocre.

10 Psyshield Bash

A player riding the Wyrdeer mount in Pokemon Legends Arceus

Wyrdeer's signature move is not quite game-changing, but it's very solid to have in an arsenal. Psyshield Bash is a Psychic-type, 70 base power, 90% accuracy move that raises the user's defensive stats.

Stat boosts are always nice, but the 90% accuracy could be a bit better. It also just doesn't have as much to offer as Legends: Arceus' other new moves, thereby placing it in the middle of the pack.

9 Ceaseless Edge And Stone Axe

Pokemon Legends Arceus Regional Variants Hisuian Samurott Kleavor

Hisuian Samurott's and Kleavor's signature move are exactly the same, just with different types: Ceaseless Edge being Dark-type and Stone Axe Rock-type. Both have 65 base power, 90% accuracy, and a high crit ratio, and deal several turns of passive damage via splinters, depending on the Style used.

The secondary effects are great, and its base power is decent, but there will be times when all that could be for naught; that 90% accuracy has come back to bite battlers at the worst times.

8 Dire Claw

Sneasler stands with its arm raised and claws brandished.

Sneasler could fare to be one of the best offensive Pokemon from Legends: Arceus, and its signature move plays a part in that. Dire Claw is up there among the best moves with a high critical hit ratio.

Dire Claw has 60 base power and 100% accuracy, and alongside the high crit ratio, has a 50% chance (80% on Strong Style) to deal one of three status conditions: poison, drowsiness, or paralysis. This is all great, though the little bit of RNG with inflicting status ailments could be a problem strategically.

7 Infernal Parade, Barb Barrage, And Bitter Malice

Pokemon Legends Arceus Regional Variants Hisuian Typhlosion Overqwil Zoroark

Like with Ceaseless Edge and Stone Axe, Hisuian Typhlosion's, Overqwil's, and Hisuian Zoroark's signature moves are essentially different-typed versions of each other, having the same 60 base power and 100% accuracy.

They are all basically frocked-up versions of Hex, doubling power on targets with status conditions. What makes these three better than Hex is that they each a 30% chance of providing their own status conditions on non-statused targets, with Infernal Parade dealing burns, Barb Barrage poison, and Bitter Malice frostbite.

6 Esper Wing

Hisuian_Braviary_Banner

What are called priority moves under traditional mechanics have mostly been left behind in Legends: Arceus' battle mechanics overhaul, but one of the new moves they've created would arguably rank as one of the best ones out there.

Hisuian Braviary's signature Esper Wing is a 75 base power move and 90% accuracy. Not only does it raise the user's action speed, it also has a high crit ratio, all of which are great to have on a move that already has very good base power, though the accuracy will screw you over occasionally.

5 Take Heart

pokemon legends arceus legendary pokemon manaphy

Spoiler alert: four of the top five moves introduced in Legends: Arceus are status moves. Two of them are healing moves, and the first of which is Take Heart, Phione and Manaphy's new signature move.

Take Heart heals the user from status ailments and, in addition, raises their offensive and defensive stats. It works as both set-up and healing, which is a lot of utility to pack into one move. From its use, you could turn from crippled deadweight to an immediate threat.

4 Triple Arrows

Hisuian Decidueye in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

As it stands, Triple Arrows is the best attacking move on the list, not necessarily because it packs a gigantic punch; it only has 50 base power. It manages to stand out mainly thanks to the great extra utility it provides, while also being 100% accurate.

Along with attacking the opponent, it lowers their defensive stats. It also primes the user, meaning it raises the power of their attacks by 50%. All this makes the opponent way more vulnerable for a higher-power move that Hisuian Decidueye might have in its arsenal.

3 Shelter

Hisuian_Goodra

It's one thing to raise defensive stats, but it's another to double down on that by obscuring yourself, or making yourself harder to hit. That's what Shelter, Hisuian Goodra's signature move, provides, while also raising the user's speed value.

It's great on the new pseudo-Legendary regional variant, boosting already-great defenses into near unkillable levels, and that's if you even get hit at all.​​​​​

2 Victory Dance

noble Pokemon Lilligant preparing for battle in Pokemon Legends Arceus

With Hisuian Lilligant being worshipped across Hisui, it fittingly has a fantastic set-up move, maybe the best ever. Victory Dance prepares its user for an onslaught on its opponents with the kinds of benefits it brings.

This Fighting-type status move grants raised offensive and defensive stats, and raises the user's move damage by 50%, and raises the user's action speed. That's such a big offensive boost packed into one move, and fits well with Hisuian Lilligant's offense-oriented makeup.

1 Lunar Blessing

Cresselia in Pokemon Legends Arceus

Just like with Victory Dance easily being the best set-up move of the bunch, Cresselia's brand new signature move will easily take the cake as the best healing move of the bunch. The Psychic-type Lunar Blessing is an absolute lifeline.

Not only does it heal the user by 50%, it also (1) heals status ailments, and (2) obscures the user. Not only do you get yourself significantly healed, but you're harder to hit. With this move in its arsenal, Cresselia becomes way more difficult to kill.

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