How to solo defeat Hoopa Unbound in Pokemon GO 5-star raids

It is possible to solo defeat Hoopa Unbound in Pokemon GO 5-star raids. This is great news for trainers wishing to up the challenge or those who don't have a community to play with. The creature debuts as a 5-star raid boss on February 15, 2025, and will appear in all Gyms around you from 2 pm to 5 pm local time.

This article covers all the counters that can solo defeat Hoopa Unbound in Pokemon GO 5-star raids. It also delves into the strategy you must follow to achieve this feat.

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Best counters to solo defeat Hoopa Unbound in Pokemon GO

The following Pocket Monsters can take down Hoopa Unbound on their own:

• Mega Pinsir with Bug Bite and X-Scissor
• Mega Heracross with Struggle Bug and Megahorn
• Mega Scizor with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
• Shadow Scizor with Fury Cutter and X-Scissor
• Shadow Pinsir with Bug Bite and X-Scissor
• Mega Beedrill with Bug Bite and X-Scissor

Note that these creatures must be at level 50 and preferably have 15 IVs in their Attack stat. Additionally, you require rainy weather to take down Hoopa Unbound on your own.

Mega Pinsir is best suited for all possible attack combinations you might find Hoopa Unbound using.

Hoopa Unbound in the official art (Image via TPC)

Check out the raid boss' stats and attributes to better understand why the aforementioned creatures are the best counters:

• Type: Psychic and Dark
• Combat Power: 57,305
• Attack: 311
• Defense: 191
• Stamina: 15,000 HP
• Fast Attacks: Astonish and Confusion
• Charged Attacks: Dark Pulse, Psychic, and Shadow Ball

Hoopa Unbound takes 256% damage from Bug-type attacks. Moreover, it has a mediocre Defense stat. This means powerful Bug moves shred through its HP bar. However, do note that most of the battles will come down to the wire.

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Best strategy to solo defeat Hoopa Unbound in Pokemon GO

Ideally, you should rely on either Mega Pinsir or Mega Heracross to solo defeat Hoopa Unbound in Pokemon GO. These creatures are able to take down the raid boss the fastest. They also faint only around 13 times, which helps you save resources.

Regular and Shiny Hoopa Unbound (Image via TPC)

Since you can Mega Evolve only one creature in one raid, choose one of these two. You can have the other, as well as other powerful Bug-type counters in your collection, as backup. However, attack only with the Mega of your choice.

Right before your attacker is about to faint, pause the battle by opening your bag. Use a healing item to bring your attacker to full HP. Repeat this process until the raid boss faints.

The additional creatures in your team are there to make sure you don't get kicked out of the lobby if your primary attacker faints by chance.

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Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

• Ditto disguises
• Buddy Evolution Adventure Together guide
• Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters