How to beat Hypno in raids in Pokemon GO

A longtime favorite in both Pokemon and Pokemon GO, Hypno is an effective battler as a Psychic-type Pokemon, especially in Great League PvP.

Currently, Hypno is also a three-star raid boss, so players have the opportunity to take it on and capture it in order to expand their roster with another strong Psychic-type Pokemon. Hypno can be a tough fight, but it isn't invincible, and using the right counters and assistance from other Pokemon GO trainers can topple Hypno quickly and effectively. Specifically, honing in on Bug, Dark, and Ghost-type moves will exploit Hypno's elemental weaknesses and cause super effective damage.

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Pokemon GO: Great Pokemon and move picks to battle Hypno in raids

Hypno is one of the better fighters in the Psychic-type elemental category, but it still has its weaknesses like all Pokemon (Image via Niantic).

Though there are tons of Pokemon and moves in Pokemon GO that match the required types to take advantage of Hypno's weaknesses, there are some options that perform exceptionally well. It should be no surprise that these Pokemon pop up often in raids, as their capabilities specifically in a raiding situation are very well-known. The top picks for moves and Pokemon to counter Hypno and whittle down its HP fast can be found below:

Fast Moves

• Snarl (Dark-type)
• Bite (Dark-type)
• Shadow Claw (Ghost-type)
• Hex (Ghost-type)
• Bug Bite (Bug-type)
• Fury Cutter (Bug-type)
• Sucker Punch (Dark-type)

Charge Moves

• Shadow Ball (Ghost-type)
• Crunch (Dark-type)
• Foul Play (Dark-type)
• Dark Pulse (Dark-type)
• Megahorn Bug-type)
• X-Scissor Bug-type)
• Bug Buzz Bug-type)
• Payback (Dark-type)

Pokemon

• Gengar/Mega Gengar
• Houndoom/Mega Houndoom
• Gyarados/Mega Gyarados using Dark-type moves
• Darkrai
• Chandelure
• Giratina
• Yveltal
• Weavile
• Hydreigon
• Beedrill/Mega Beedrill
• Tyranitar using Dark-type moves
• Honchkrow
• Absol
• Bisharp
• Banette
• Krookodile
• Genesect
• Escavalier
• Pinsir
• Mismagius
• Yanmega
• Sharpedo using Dark-type moves
• Scizor
• Cacturne using Dark-type moves
• Shiftry using Dark-type moves

Utilizing these moves and Pokemon in Pokemon GO, Hypno's damage from Psychic-type attacks should be mostly resisted with the exception of a few Pokemon while also taking a large amount of super effective damage. It is highly unlikely that a solid group of players utilizing these counters would run out of time during a raid battle with Hypno if these Pokemon and moves (or some alternatives of the same types) are utilized. Hypno isn't known for being particularly sturdy compared to some other raid bosses, and once players know the best team they can use against it, Hypno can be beaten and captured quickly and repeatedly if a trainer chooses to do so in Pokemon GO.