How good is Charizard in Pokemon GO? (October 2021)

The fan-favorite Flame Pokemon, Charizard, is a Pokemon that even people unfamiliar with Pokemon GO or the Pokemon franchise as a whole can identify. What many people may not know, however, is how well Charizard performs in Pokemon GO's Battle League.

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Is Charizard Viable in Pokemon GO?

Charizard is also one of the few Pokemon to be capable of Mega Evolution in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

There are a lot of factors that must be considered when figuring out what makes a Pokemon viable. The different tiers of Pokemon GO's Battle League must first be considered. Pokemon GO has three other Leagues players can challenge, i.e., Great League, Ultra League, and Master League.

In Pokemon GO's Great League, only Pokemon with a combat power of 1,500 and below can enter. Charizard performs rather average in this tier. Due to the overabundance of Water and Rock types in this tier, Charizard lacks the space needed to truly take advantage of its large attacking stat. For reference, Ivysaur, the pre-evolved form of Venusaur, is rated at 3.5/5, while Charizard is only rated a 3/5.

In Pokemon GO's Ultra Tier, only Pokemon with a combat power of 2,500 or below can enter. Charizard performs much better in this tier. With the smaller roster of Pokemon that can reach a combat power of anything close to 2,500, Charizard has a strength advantage over the weaker sections of this tier which make up a large majority of Pokemon in this tier. Charizard receives a rating of 4/5 in this tier.

Pokemon GO's Master Tier is where things get shaky, not just Charizard but a large majority of every other Pokemon in Pokemon GO. This is due to the addition of Legendary Pokemon. While there were no restrictions on Legendary Pokemon entering any of the different tiers below this one, this is the tier where most Legendary Pokemon inhabit due to their large maximum combat power. Charizard performs poorly in this tier due to the abundance of Pokemon much more powerful in this tier like Kyogre or Regirock. Ho-Oh is a better Fire and Flying-type to use in this tier. Charizard receives a 2/5 in this tier.

In summary, Charizard performs with mediocrity in every tier aside from Ultra Tier. Due to the abundance of Water-type Pokemon in Pokemon GO, Charizard should always be used with caution. Charizard also takes a huge amount of damage from Rock-type attacks due to both Flying and Fire types being weak to them.