Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Thundurus is a dual type electric and flying Pokemon. It is a legendary Pokemon, which means that it does not evolve from or into any other Pokemon. Thundurus is classified by the Pokedex as the “Bolt Strike Pokemon” which is a nod to its general capabilities in battle. This guide will showcase Thundurus’s appearances in the anime, its capabilities in battle, as well as other general facts about Thundurus.
About Thundurus
Despite being a legendary Pokemon, Thundurus first appeared in the main series in the Black and White season with the episode Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 1. It also appeared alongside its trio, Tornadus and Landorus, in this episode. Thundurus is a legendary Pokemon which means that it does not have an evolved or pre-evolution form, however, it can change its form by using a Reveal Glass key item. When it changes forms, its primary stat becomes stronger but it loses a little speed and physical attack. The Pokedex mentions its affinity for lightning and can strike the region of Unova with lightning bolts.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 1 |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Not known to evolve from or into any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | N/A |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | The spikes on its tail discharge immense bolts of lightning. It flies around the Unova region firing off lightning bolts. |
Thundurus Base Stats
(Incarnate Forme)
| HP | 79 |
| ATTACK | 115 |
| DEFENCE | 70 |
| SP. ATTACK | 125 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 80 |
| SPEED | 111 |
| TOTAL | 580 |
(Therian Forme)
| HP | 79 |
| ATTACK | 105 |
| DEFENCE | 70 |
| SP. ATTACK | 145 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 80 |
| SPEED | 101 |
| TOTAL | 580 |
Appearance
Thundurus is a legendary Pokemon meant to represent a certain part of the forces of nature. As the electric type of the trio, Thundurus represents thunder and lightning, and floats around Unova on a cloud. It has a long spiked tail with individual segments and visually appears to be a genie in its Incarnate form. When it changes to its Therian form, it more closely resembles a snake or a dragon. Both forms are mostly blue with purple spots all over and have white clouds plus lightning ornaments found all over its body. Thundurus’s Incarnate form is much shorter than its Therian form at only 4 feet and 11 inches, or 1.5 meters, tall. Its Therian form is larger at 9 feet and 10 inches, or 3 meters, tall.
Behavior
In the series, Thundurus is shown to battle against Tornadus and their battle wreaks havoc on Milos Island. While Tornadus and Thundurus appear to butt heads often, Landorus often has to quell the rage of these two Pokemon to prevent further devastation. In this way, they are very similar to the generation three legendaries of Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. Despite Thundurus’s aggressive behavior, it is not malicious and is shown to repair Milos Islands wreckage before departing.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Thundurus is an offensive Pokemon with a strong physical and special attack coupled with a fast speed stat. While its defensive stats are respectable, it is more suited to be an offensive Pokemon in battle. Both forms are geared towards offense and the Therian form will hit harder, but will be slower in battle. As an electric and flying type Pokemon, Thundurus takes 2x damage from rock and ice type moves, is immune to ground and will take half damage from fighting, flying, bug, steel, and grass type moves.
Shiny Thundurus
While not much changes between Shiny Thundurus and regular Thundurus, it received a much more distinguishable shiny variant than the other two in the trio. A Shiny Thundurus replaces its blue colored body for a light purple color with the.strings in it’s tail also a darker purple. However, it can be difficult to tell the difference between regular and Shiny Thundurus but the fact that it gains a starry animation, like all shiny Pokemon, upon entering battle makes it easier.
Best Moveset
As a legendary Pokemon, Thundurus is typically reserved for formats that only allow legendary Pokemon. However, due to its stats being skewed in two different types of attacks, it is not particularly overpowered and can be seen in other competitive brackets. The typical game plan for Thundurus is to cover as many types as possible along with a disabling status effect move. Consider running Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Ice/Grass Knot, and Focus Blast/Grass Knot. Thunder Wave can cut your opponent’s speed and prevent them moving, Thunderbolt benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), and Hidden Power Ice/Grass Knot/Focus Blast are all used as type coverage options.
| Thunder Wave | Thunderbolt |
| Hidden Power Ice/Grass Knot | Focus Blast/Grass Knot |
How to Catch Thundurus in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Thundurus in Pokemon Go, your only option is to wait for one to appear as a tier five raid boss in Pokemon Gyms. As a legendary Pokemon, it cannot be hatched from eggs and you cannot encounter one in the wild. To make matters worse, it typically only appears as a tier five raid boss during special events. So keep your eyes peeled on nearby gyms for five star raids as well as current events to ensure you have an opportunity to encounter Thundurus. Since Thundurus does not evolve into any other Pokemon, you can utilize any candies you obtain for powering up your Thundurus. While there are two different forms for Thundurus, and both are available in Pokemon Go, you will need to encounter each form separately as there is currently no in-game mechanic to swap between the two forms.
Trivia
- Thundurus and Tornadus are often seen as parallels to each other, as they both have similar stat distributions in their incarnate forms and they both share an aggressive behavior towards the other.
- The inspiration for Thundurus’s design likely comes from the Raijin, a Japanese God of thunder and lightning. It could draw inspiration from genies.
- The name Thundurus is likely a combination of thunderous and Aeous (the ruler of winds in Greek myth).
Video
FAQ
How do you evolve Thundurus?
Thundurus is a legendary Pokemon that does not evolve from or into any other Pokemon. It does have a separate form that can be changed through the use of a Reveal Glass key item. In Pokemon Go, you cannot evolve Thundurus either and both forms will need to be encountered separately.
How do you get Thundurus Therian?
In the mainline games, you just need to obtain a Reveal Glass key item along with Thundurus itself. You will be able to swap between the forms through the use of the Reveal Glass item after you have obtained Thundurus in its Incarnate form.
Which Thundurus form is better?
Thundurus’s Incarnate form is faster than its Therian form, making it a more solid option for outspeeding the threatening offensive threats of your opponents. In competitive play especially, it appears that the Incarnate form has performed better than the Therian form. While the Therian form does hit harder, it could mean the difference of winning or losing if you end up going second.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Bolt Strike Pokemon”. As a legendary Pokemon, Thundurus has no problems operating as an offensive Pokemon in battle. In the competitive formats, where Thundurus is allowed, it has often been a Pokemon that required some form of coverage on every team. It is also a unique legendary Pokemon as it has two different forms to play with. Reserve a slot on your team for Thundurus for an offensive electric and flying type Pokemon.
