Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Every Pseudo Legendary ranked

Pseudo Legendary Pokemon are among the strongest species in Scarlet and Violet but fans are eager to know which is the best among them in the current meta. So, here’s our ranked list of the best Pseudo Legendaries in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Legendaries may be the strongest additions to the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games but there is a certain group of species that are as powerful or even better than some of the Legendary icons.

‘Pseudo Legendary’ is a fan-made term that refers to a set of Pokemon with 600 BST (base stat total), part of the slow experience group, and a three-stage evolutionary line. These species are usually in the teams of champions and the Elite Four in most games.

Now, with Gen 9 bringing several new moves, abilities, and items that have shaken up the meta and with no Mega Evolutions around, players want to find out the best Psueudo Legendaries for their teams in Paldea and the DLCs.

So here’s a comprehensive ranked list of the best Pseudo Legendary in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The best Pseudo Legendary Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet DLC

11. Goodra

The adorable Goodra has always suffered from a lack of usefulness when compared to other Pseudo Legendaries. Introduced in Gen 6, fans expected Goodra to be a Dragon/Fairy, Dragon/Poison, or even Dragon/Water type. But Goodra turned out to be a pure Dragon-type Pokemon.

Goodra excels in its Special Defense, sporting a monstrous 150 stat but it’s underwhelming due to a lack of reliable recovery, low speed, and limited offensive potential.

The Indigo Disk DLC of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gave it new moves such as Toxic, Scald, and Knock Off, in addition to bringing Weather Ball back to its movepool. These buffs make Goodra a great support Pokemon, but at the end of the day, it still falls behind other Pseudo Legendaries.

10. Hisuian Goodra

Goodra is the first Pseudo Legendary ever to receive a regional variant and it made its debut in Pokemon Legends Arceus. Also, unlike Goodra, its Hisuian version has a dual-type combination of Dragon and Steel.

From the type combination alone, Hisuian Goodra is a direct upgrade to regular Goodra as not only does it lose the typical weaknesses to the Dragon, Fairy, and Ice-type attacks, but it also boasts a whopping 10 resistances!

Additionally, Hisuian Goodra is a lot bulkier and its signature move, Shelter, can boost its Defense stat by two stages, making it a defensive tank that can even take STAB (same type attack bonus) super-effective hits.

Overall, Hisuian Goodra is a good Pokemon to use in general but other Pseudo Legendaries are even better.

9. Tyranitar

Tyranitar was among the most dominating Pseudo Legendary Pokemon until Gen 7 and to an extent in Gen 8, but the Scarlet and Violet meta has taken a toll on this Rock/Dark-type species.

While it is still a viable Dragon Dance Pokemon and can make good use of the Ghost Tera Type and moves like Knock Off, the fall of the Sand meta has dropped its relevance. Besides, without the move Pursuit in its movepool, it isn’t as much of a threat as it once was.

8. Salamence

Salamence may be one of the strongest Pseudo Legendary Pokemon on paper but when it comes to battles, it doesn’t do anything exceptional. It hits hard, can Dragon Dance, and has good abilities, but Saalamence’s constant nose dive since Gen 7 can be explained by the availability of more resourceful options.

It is easy to beat this Dragon/Flying-type as it is very limited. Additionally, with its Paradox counterpart Roaring Moon being more viable and the new item Clear Amulet canceling the effects of its popular Intimidate ability, Salamence is just outclassed even though it can be a good sweeper.

7. Metagross

Metagross is one of the several returning Pokemon from previous Gens in the Indigo Disk DLC of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and it’s now better than ever!

It received plenty of new moves in its kit including Heavy Slam to do considerable damage due to its massive weight, Psychic Fangs to break through screens, Knock Off to eliminate items from opponents, and Trailblaze to boost its speed while dealing damage.

With Tera Ground, it can also gain STAB from the deadly Earthquake or go Tera Steel to make Meteor Mash and Bullet Punch more effective. Metagross is pretty good now but in a game built on hyper offense and its low speed, it fails to get a higher rank.

6. Hydreigon

Hydreigon has probably the most well-balanced stats among the Pseudo Legendaries but its 4x weakness to Fairy-types always held it back. Gen 8 gave it Nasty Plot, turning this Special Attacker into a threatening sweeper but it reached its peak in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, thanks to Terastallization.

It no longer has to fear its usual weaknesses with Tera Types and with the move Tailwind, it has gained a lot of usage in battles as it changed the tide of the bout by doubling the Speed of its teammates for four turns. Hydreigon was once very easy to strategize around but in Gen 9, it has become very unpredictable, making it an excellent addition to your team.

5. Kommo-o

Perhaps the most unexpected Pseudo Legendary to be in the top 5, Kommo-o was once thought to be the worst of the lot but the tables have turned in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Right off the bat, this Dragon/Fighting-type can go Tera Steel to counter its biggest weakness, the Fairy-types, while also maintaining STAB on its excellent offensive type combination. Or, you can also go with Tera Type Normal to dish out STAB Boomburst.

While the potent Salac Berry and Belly Drum set is well-known, Kommo-o can also use the combination of Throat Spray and Clangorous Soul. With Clangorous Soul, Kommo-o loses 33% HP but immediately boosts all its other stats by one stage. Additionally, the item Throat Spray boosts Kommo’s Special Attack by one stage after it uses a sound move (like Clangorous Soul), turning this Pokemon into a powerful sweeper.

Not to mention, moves like Drain Punch keep it healthy throughout the battle while Body Press uses Kommo’s high Defense stat of 125 in damage calculations. Your opponent will never know what to expect!

4. Garchomp

Arguably the most popular Pseudo Legendary, Garchomp has been one of the most consistent Pokemon in the meta for years now. A wide variety in movepool, great stats, and an amazing type combination of Dragon and Ground have made Garchomp an asset to the meta.

In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it continues to be remarkable and also works better as a Hazard setter with access to Spikes and Stealth Rock. While it still fulfills its offensive role well, it is simply outclassed by other Pseudo Legendaries and better Pokemon that have at least one of its types, such as Roaring Moon, Great Tusk, and Landorus-Therian.

3. Dragonite

Nobody expected the Gen 1 Pseudo Legendary Dragonite to be relevant after all these years and surprisingly, it has been at its best in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

With the item Heavy-Duty Boots, this Dragon/Flying-type species doesn’t have to worry about taking damage from Hazards on the battlefield and its Multiscale ability helps negate damage from even Ice-type attacks, which it is 4x weak against.

But what really makes it formidable in Gen 9 is the Normal Tera Type that it can take full advantage of with Dragon Dance and the powerful Priority move Extreme Speed. Not to mention, its wide movepool helps it gain coverage against the meta, making Dragonite a powerful core breaker.

2. Dragapult

With a jaw-dropping Speed stat of 142, Dragapult can outspeed some of the strongest Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet, making it a major threat in any battle. But alongside its blistering speed, what makes it truly dangerous is that it’s very difficult to prepare against this Dragon/Ghost-type.

It has a good Attack as well as a Special Attack stat, so it can work as a mixed attacker. Your opponents would lose at least a Pokemon or two to Dragapult before they can figure out if you’re running Choice Band, Specs, or Scarf.

Moves like Draco Meteor, Dragon Darts, Phantom Force, and U-turn help Dragapult maintain momentum in the battle while Will-O-Wisp, Thunder (in Rain), and Thunder Wave can hinder even Pokemon trying to set up. All in all, Dragapult is an extremely powerful and flexible Pokemon that would have been number one if not for the sheer power and better movepool of the final Pseudo Legendary in this list.

1. Baxcalibur

Baxcalibur is the newest addition to the Pseudo Legendary family, introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. But this Pokemon has proved to be one of the most powerful Pokemon in the meta.

For starters, its 145 Attack stat, a respectable 87 Speed, and surprisingly good bulk make Baxcalibur a perfect Pokemon built for combat. Additionally, its Dragon/Ice-type and several powerful moves such as its signature Glaive Rush, Scale Shot, Icicle Crash, Icicle Spear, Ice Shard, Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, and even Earthquake make it a better version of the Legendary Kyurem.

If all this wasn’t amazing already, Baxcalibur is one of the best Pokemon to use the new item Loaded Dice, which ensures multistrike STAB moves like Scale Shot and Icicle Spear hit four to five times, making Baxcalibur attacks with a 100-125 base power attack each time, boosted by Dragon Dance or Swords Dance.

Also, its ability Thermal Exchange makes it immune to the Burn status and boosts its already massive Attack by one stage when hit by a Fire-type move. Under Snow, Baxcalibur receives a boost to its Defense stat and with Aurora Veil set up by a teammate, it can turn into an unstoppable force. You can also use Choice Band to take advantage of its high Attack stat and incredible damage output.

Baxcalibur even got banned to the Ubers tier of Smogon due to how powerful it is and this Pokemon is thriving there with the strongest Legendaries. All of this makes Baxcalibur the best Pseudo Legendary in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

This was the ranked list of all the top Pseudo Legendaries, with Baxcalibur taking the well-earned #1 spot. For more content on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, be sure to check out the following:

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC: How to use Synchro Machine | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC: Best species to Synchronize with | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How to get Hydrapple | How to get all starters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC: How to use & upgrade Item Printer | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC: How to open secret room in Area Zero