What is the best Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

Garchomp , same as the originals. 600 BST, Dragon/Ground, 130 Attack, available from Gible in Wayward Cave. The Grand Underground makes it slightly easier to find strong Pokemon early, but Garchomp is still the top non-legendary. Infernape is critical since the Fire-type drought from original DP is still present.

Is BDSP harder than the original Diamond and Pearl?

Cynthia is significantly harder. She has competitive held items (Leftovers, Yache Berry on Garchomp), better movesets, and smarter AI that switches and predicts. Her Garchomp is a notorious team wiper. The rest of the game is about the same difficulty. Mandatory Exp. Share keeps your team leveled but also makes you slightly overleveled for gyms.

What is the best starter in BDSP?

Chimchar . Same reasoning as original DP — Infernape is almost mandatory because Sinnoh has barely any Fire-types. The Grand Underground adds a few more options, but Chimchar from the start is still the most efficient choice. Piplup into Empoleon (Water/Steel) is a solid defensive second pick.

What does the Grand Underground add to the tier list?

The Grand Underground has Pokemon Hideaways with encounters not in the original DP surface routes. Pokemon like Houndoom , Absol, and Ralts are available earlier than in the originals. It partially fixes the Fire-type problem since you can find Houndour underground. It also gives you access to evolution stones earlier. Check the Underground before assuming a Pokemon is unavailable.

What's the best team for a BDSP playthrough?

Infernape (starter), Staraptor from Starly on Route 201, Garchomp from Gible in Wayward Cave, Gyarados from Magikarp, Lucario from Riley's egg on Iron Island, and Roserade with a Shiny Stone. Same core as original DP because the remakes didn't change the Sinnoh roster much.

Is the Fire-type drought fixed in BDSP?

Barely. The Grand Underground adds Houndour as a catchable Fire-type before the postgame, which helps slightly. But the surface encounters are the same as original DP — Chimchar's line and Ponyta are still your main Fire options. If you don't pick Chimchar, check the Underground for Houndour as your backup coverage.

How do you beat Cynthia in BDSP?

Cynthia's Garchomp holds a Yache Berry (halves Ice damage once), so don't expect an Ice move to one-shot it. It also knows Swords Dance and will boost if given a free turn. Bring your own Garchomp or a fast Ice-type that can hit twice. Her Spiritomb has no weaknesses in BDSP (no Fairy type in this game's engine). Her Milotic, Roserade, and Lucario all carry competitive items too. Have a plan for each of her six.

Best Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Pokemon

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Tier List

Sinnoh remade faithfully on the Switch, with every Pokemon ranked. BDSP keeps the original Diamond and Pearl's Fire-type drought and limited regional dex, but the Grand Underground adds new encounter options. Cynthia got buffed with competitive items and smarter AI. Same physical/special split, same Garchomp dominance, harder Champion fight.

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BEST POKEMON IN BRILLIANT DIAMOND & SHINING PEARL

BDSP is a faithful remake of Diamond and Pearl, and the tier list is mostly the same with a few key differences. The Fire-type drought is still here — Infernape and Rapidash are your main options. Garchomp is still the best non-legendary at 600 BST. The Grand Underground adds encounters not in the original DP, giving you more team options mid-game. Cynthia is harder this time with competitive items and smarter AI, so your team needs to be ready for a real fight.

Pokemon Spotlight

Garchomp

600

#1 Pick#0445

Garchomp

dragongroundAtk 130

Base Stat Total600/720

Cynthia's ace for a reason. 130 Attack at 102 Speed with Dragon/Ground coverage. BDSP's Cynthia runs Swords Dance Garchomp with competitive AI, and it's the hardest fight in the game. Available from Wayward Cave before gym four.

Garchomp — S Tier, 600 BST

Cynthia's ace for a reason. 130 Attack at 102 Speed with Dragon/Ground coverage. BDSP's Cynthia runs Swords Dance Garchomp with competitive AI, and it's the hardest fight in the game. Available from Wayward Cave before gym four.

Dialga

680

#2 Pick#0483

Dialga

steeldragonSpA 150

Base Stat Total680/720

Brilliant Diamond's box legendary. Steel/Dragon resists 10 types and only falls to Fighting and Ground. 150 Sp. Atk with Draco Meteor and Flash Cannon. Dialga dominates the Sinnoh roster with its near-unmatched defensive typing.

Dialga — S Tier, 680 BST

Brilliant Diamond's box legendary. Steel/Dragon resists 10 types and only falls to Fighting and Ground. 150 Sp. Atk with Draco Meteor and Flash Cannon. Dialga dominates the Sinnoh roster with its near-unmatched defensive typing.

Weavile

510

#3 Pick#0461

Weavile

darkiceSpe 125

Base Stat Total510/720

Weavile's 125 Speed and 120 Attack make it BDSP's premier revenge killer and pursuit trapper. Dark/Ice STAB coverage hits Psychic, Ghost, Flying, Dragon, and Ground types for super effective damage. It's frail at 70/65/85 defenses, but most targets don't survive long enough to fight back.

Weavile — A Tier, 510 BST

Weavile's 125 Speed and 120 Attack make it BDSP's premier revenge killer and pursuit trapper. Dark/Ice STAB coverage hits Psychic, Ghost, Flying, Dragon, and Ground types for super effective damage. It's frail at 70/65/85 defenses, but most targets don't survive long enough to fight back.

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BST 150 — 720

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Offense 0 — 350

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Meta-Defining 3 Pokemon

Same Sinnoh dominance as the originals, now with Grand Underground shortcuts to reach them faster.

#1
Dialga
SteelDragon
WallbreakerSPECIAL
HP
100
Atk
120
Def
120
SpA
150
SpD
100
Spe
90
AbilityPressure
NatureTimid
ItemAdamant Orb
Flash Cannon80
Draco Meteor130
Roar of Time150
Dragon Pulse85
HP
100
Atk
120
Def
120
SpA
150
SpD
100
Spe
90
#2
Palkia
WaterDragon
SweeperSPECIAL
HP
90
Atk
120
Def
100
SpA
150
SpD
120
Spe
100
AbilityPressure
NatureTimid
ItemLustrous Orb
Spacial Rend100
Hydro Pump110
Thunder110
Fire Blast110
HP
90
Atk
120
Def
100
SpA
150
SpD
120
Spe
100
#3
Garchomp
DragonGround
SweeperPHYSICAL
HP
108
Atk
130
Def
95
SpA
80
SpD
85
Spe
102
AbilityRough Skin
NatureJolly
ItemLife Orb
Earthquake100
Swords Dance–
Stealth Rock–
Protect–
HP
108
Atk
130
Def
95
SpA
80
SpD
85
Spe
102

Strong Picks 2 Pokemon

Type coverage strong enough for Cynthia's buffed team. These carry you through all of Sinnoh.

#4
Weavile
DarkIce
SweeperPHYSICAL
HP
70
Atk
120
Def
65
SpA
45
SpD
85
Spe
125
AbilityPressure
NatureJolly
ItemHeavy Duty Boots
Ice Shard40
Swords Dance–
HP
70
Atk
120
Def
65
SpA
45
SpD
85
Spe
125
Clefable

Solid Choices 25 Pokemon

Grand Underground encounters help, but these can't match the S-Tier power ceiling.

Situational 41 Pokemon

Mandatory Exp. Share keeps them leveled, but they still fall behind when it counts.

Niche 3 Pokemon

Grand Underground gives you better alternatives for every team slot.

FAQ

Garchomp, same as the originals. 600 BST, Dragon/Ground, 130 Attack, available from Gible in Wayward Cave. The Grand Underground makes it slightly easier to find strong Pokemon early, but Garchomp is still the top non-legendary. Infernape is critical since the Fire-type drought from original DP is still present.
Cynthia is significantly harder. She has competitive held items (Leftovers, Yache Berry on Garchomp), better movesets, and smarter AI that switches and predicts. Her Garchomp is a notorious team wiper. The rest of the game is about the same difficulty. Mandatory Exp. Share keeps your team leveled but also makes you slightly overleveled for gyms.
Chimchar. Same reasoning as original DP — Infernape is almost mandatory because Sinnoh has barely any Fire-types. The Grand Underground adds a few more options, but Chimchar from the start is still the most efficient choice. Piplup into Empoleon (Water/Steel) is a solid defensive second pick.
The Grand Underground has Pokemon Hideaways with encounters not in the original DP surface routes. Pokemon like Houndoom, Absol, and Ralts are available earlier than in the originals. It partially fixes the Fire-type problem since you can find Houndour underground. It also gives you access to evolution stones earlier. Check the Underground before assuming a Pokemon is unavailable.
Infernape (starter), Staraptor from Starly on Route 201, Garchomp from Gible in Wayward Cave, Gyarados from Magikarp, Lucario from Riley's egg on Iron Island, and Roserade with a Shiny Stone. Same core as original DP because the remakes didn't change the Sinnoh roster much.
Barely. The Grand Underground adds Houndour as a catchable Fire-type before the postgame, which helps slightly. But the surface encounters are the same as original DP — Chimchar's line and Ponyta are still your main Fire options. If you don't pick Chimchar, check the Underground for Houndour as your backup coverage.
Cynthia's Garchomp holds a Yache Berry (halves Ice damage once), so don't expect an Ice move to one-shot it. It also knows Swords Dance and will boost if given a free turn. Bring your own Garchomp or a fast Ice-type that can hit twice. Her Spiritomb has no weaknesses in BDSP (no Fairy type in this game's engine). Her Milotic, Roserade, and Lucario all carry competitive items too. Have a plan for each of her six.

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