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Pokemon GO has released nearly all of the core series "box legendaries" over the years. These legendary creatures have earned their names courtesy of appearing on the cover art of the core series Pokemon games beginning from Generation II onward. That said, which of the box legendaries is the strongest when it comes to GO? The answer is a tricky one to parse, to say the least.
When taking a look at each box legendary's stats, movesets, and PvE/PvP viability in Pokemon GO, a clearer picture can come into focus. For the sake of comparison, all of the box legendaries ranked on this list will be at their strongest forms in GO, not simply the forms they appeared in on their cover art.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game
Ranking the best box legendaries in Pokemon GO, weakest to strongest
19) Lunala
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Despite having a diverse moveset and a Ghost/Psychic type combination in Pokemon GO, Lunala is let down by having two double weaknesses. Both Dark and Ghost-type moves and Pokemon give it a very difficult time, and it doesn't really have the stats for high-end PvP. It can serve as a middling PvE attacker in raids and elsewhere, but unfortunately, not much has worked in Lunala's favor.
18) Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles)
Zamazenta benefits in Pokemon GO from a great base Attack stat of 254 and base Defense of 236, making it a reliable brawler in PvP. However, as a mono Fighting-type without its Crowned Shield form being available in GO, it's an easy legendary to counter, and it sadly lacks the high-end firepower for the toughest PvE raids in its Hero of Many Battles form.
Hopefully, Niantic will introduce Zamazenta's Crowned Shield form in the future, as it will go a long way in making Zamazenta a much more versatile and capable battler.
17) Solgaleo
With a high base Attack (255) and Stamina (264) stat, one might think Solgaleo is perfect for any Pokemon GO battle. This holds true in Master League PvP, but its poor collection of learnable moves holds it back in high-end PvE environments like raids. It can still perform well in tier-1 and tier-3 raids, but when it comes to the ultimate raiding experience, other Psychic and Steel-types are preferred.
16) Xerneas
As a mono Fairy-type with a base Attack stat of 250 and a base Stamina of 246, Xerneas is a bulky brawler that's perfectly suited for taking on the many Dragon-types of the Master League meta. It has a diverse learnable set of Charged Moves, allowing it to counter many opponents at once, and in the right situations, it can deal quality DPS against raid bosses as a raid attacker as well.
The raid bosses in question will ideally be weak to Xerneas' Fairy-type moves like Geomancy and Moonblast, but a situationally good PvE attacker is still a quality PvE attacker all the same.
15) Kyurem
Kyurem would undoubtedly be higher on this list if its Black and White fused Kyurem forms were available in Pokemon GO. However, until that day comes, Kyurem has some issues despite being a quality combatant in both PvE raids and the Ultra/Master League PvP. An Ice/Dragon-type is hard to come by, and access to the exclusive Ice-type move Glaciate bolsters Kyurem's case.
14) Ho-Oh
Ho-Oh wasn't bad when it was introduced to Pokemon GO, but it got a pretty sizable boost when it received the move Sacred Fire, giving it more (but not spectacular) PvE raid viability. However, where Ho-Oh shines is in Master League PvP where its base Defense of 244 comes in handy. Even when in its Shadow Ho-Oh form, this Pokemon Gold box legendary isn't to be trifled with.
13) Lugia
While Lugia might not have the firepower of Ho-Oh in Pokemon GO, it actually benefits more from its stats since they're defense and HP-oriented. It may only have a base Attack stat of 190, but with a base Defense of 310, Lugia can take some punishment. Even better, access to the move Aeroblast ensures that Lugia performs well in both PvE and PvP even if it isn't the best cover legendary in GO.
12) Yveltal
When it comes to high-octane offense in Pokemon GO, Yveltal can meet the challenge. With a base Attack of 250, a base Stamina of 246, and access to a quality collection of Flying and Dark-type moves, Yveltal can bring the pain. Unfortunately, its Defense stat of 185 means it can't take as much. Still, Yveltal is a high-end raid attacker that can hold its own, particularly in Master League PvP.
11) Zacian (Hero of Many Battles)
Like Zamazenta, Zacian would likely be higher on this Pokemon GO list if it had access to its Crowned Sword form. However, even without it, Zacian performs very well thanks to its quality base Attack/Defense stats (254 and 236 respectively) as well as a fairly unique Fairy/Steel typing. It's a tough opponent to counter in PvP and can serve as an admirable Fairy-type attacker in raids as well.
10) Zekrom
Either Reshiram or Zekrom could fit perfectly in this spot on the list, but Zekrom is ever so slightly lower due to its vulnerabilities. While its sky-high damage capabilities as an Electric-type are unquestioned, it does still have more weaknesses than Reshiram, as it's weak to Ice-type attacks. It's a damage factory in both PvE and PvP, but Zekrom has just one more flaw than its counterpart.
9) Reshiram
As previously mentioned, Reshiram and Zekrom are pretty identical box legendaries in Pokemon GO, but Reshiram has the benefit of possessing no weakness to Ice-type moves like Zekrom. Access to Charged Moves like Fusion Flare and Draco Meteor allows Reshiram to serve as an outstanding Fire-type or Dragon-type raider, and its Master League bona fides are well-known too.
8) Origin Forme Giratina
Ever since its arrival to Pokemon GO in 2019, Origin Forme Giratina has been a monster in PvE and PvP. With fantastic Stamina (base 284), a quality Attack stat (225), and a Dragon/Ghost-type combo, Origin Forme Giratina is the perfect mix of survivability and offense. Even though it performs best as a Ghost-type fighter, type coverage isn't so worrisome when Giratina is dealing so much damage.
7) Primal Kyogre
While Kyogre was the box legendary of Pokemon Sapphire, it came into its own in Pokemon Alpha Sapphire when it received its Primal Form. In Pokemon GO, Primal Kyogre is by far the game's best Water-type in PvE thanks to its immense Attack stat (353) and access to the Charged Move Origin Pulse. It can't be used in PvP in most situations, but it also excels in specialty formats that permit it.
6) Mega Rayquaza
Granted, Mega Rayquaza hasn't appeared as a box legendary, but Rayquaza was the box legendary of Pokemon Emerald and its Mega Evolution makes it the best Dragon and Flying-type fighter. While it's usually relegated to PvE, the rare PvP formats that allow megas make this creature a force that can deal so much damage that it can easily win even unfavorable matchups outright.
5) Primal Groudon
Pokemon GO has a long list of the best PvE attackers, but Primal Groudon is the cream of the crop. Its base stats (353 Atk, 268 Def, 218 Sta) are spectacular, it has access to the incredible Ground-type move Precipice Blades, and it can even serve as a Fire-type attacker when needed. Like Primal Kyogre, Primal Groudon is mostly stuck in PvE, but it brings nothing but dread when allowed in PvP.
4) Dialga (Origin Forme)
At the highest levels, Dialga's Origin Forme surpassed its base form's already capable PvE and PvP capabilities significantly, making it one of the best raid attackers and one of the best Master League picks in one fell swoop. With well-rounded stats (270 Atk, 225 Def, 205 Sta), a fantastic Steel/Dragon type combination, and access to Roar of Time, Origin Dialga is always a threat.
3) Palkia (Origin Forme)
Not every Pokemon GO addition lives up to expectations, but Origin Forme Palkia is one of the exceptions. Access to Spacial Rend makes this Water/Dragon-type even more formidable in both the raid and Master League arena, and its superior base stats (286 Atk, 223 Def, 189 Sta) ensure that even its counters have a hard time overtaking it in battle. Origin Palkia is a threatening and respectable force.
2) Dawn Wings Necrozma
Necrozma hasn't been part of Pokemon GO for long, but its fused Dawn Wings and Dusk Mane forms have already skyrocketed up the PvE and PvP rankings. Dawn Wings isn't quite as magnificent as Dusk Mane, but it still benefits from an intriguing Ghost/Psychic type combination, great base Attack stats (277), and access to the devastating Ghost-type attack Moongeist Beam.
With fantastic offensive stats and a stellar collection of learnable moves, Dawn Wings Necrozma's relative lack of durability is of little consequence. One Moongeist Beam landed on an opponent is usually enough to settle the battle.
1) Dusk Mane Necrozma
Fans may not have expected it, but Dusk Mane Necrozma has risen through the ranks of the game's box legendaries to be an absolute beast in raids and Master League PvP. With a Psychic/Steel type combination, access to several other moves with different types like Shadow Claw and Dark Pulse, and the ability to use Sunsteel Strike, Dusk Mane Necrozma is a dread to face in battle.
Even as an attack-oriented Pokemon, Dusk Mane Necrozma's type combination gives it a whopping ten elemental resistances, ensuring that countering it on the fly won't be an easy task, and in the raid arena, Dusk Mane excels as both a Psychic and Steel-type attacker.
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