Pokemon GO: Can 5-star raids be beaten solo?

For many players, the 5-star raids in Pokemon GO are more than just another battle. These are full events that require players to ask for backup by leaving frantic messages about the challenge that just appeared in the group chat.

However, many players don't have friends who can drop everything to come to the raid location or don't have any remote raid passes to spare.

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Can 5-star raids be completed solo in Pokemon GO?

An Image displaying many players working together in Raids (Image via Niantic)

Short Answer: Not anymore.

What separates different tiers of raids from each other is that certain raids are meant to be done with one player while other raids are meant to be done with many people. 5-star raids are an example of this.

5-star raids are simply meant to be done with, at the very least, 1 other person. However, there have been some reported instances of players completing certain 5-star raids by themselves. The majority of these cases have been against Genesect. Other cases were against the 5-star Bidoof raids.

As of now, there are no 5-star raids that are possible or confirmed to have been beaten by one person alone. All recent 5-star raids are reserved for Legendary Pokemon or Mythical Pokemon tied to an event or theme. These kinds of Pokemon are always considered to be some of the strongest in the franchise.

While no 5-star raid can be beaten by one player, every current 3-star raid can be beaten by one person without needing backup from friends. These bosses are Gengar, Snorlax, and Galarian Stunfisk.

While it is unfortunate that 5-star raids cannot be done with one trainer, there are some solutions to getting a group for the next time one spawns near you.

Social media websites like Facebook often have groups for Pokemon GO in certain areas. It could be as simple as searching up "Pokemon GO" followed by your city to find a bunch of trainers looking for raid groups, trades, and friend requests.

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Note: The article reflects the views of the writer.