Cresselia absorbs special hits like nothing. Levitate gives it a Ground immunity, making it even harder to wear down. The tradeoff is physical coverage — anything hitting that side gets through. Only weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark.
Cresselia's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with HP doing the heavy lifting. And the slow 1.25M XP grind means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 3 Sp. Def EVs.
Cresselia is reminiscent of the crescent moon. It leaves a brilliant line of light in its wake as it flies across the night sky. I daresay it resembles the heavenly maiden who created the Milky Way.
Cresselia Weakness
VulnerableCresselia is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Cresselia's overall bulk (120/110/120) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
Cresselia is strong overall with 580 total stats as a Psychic legendary. Can't breed it, so you're locked to whatever you catch or receive.
How to Evolve
Cresselia runs a standard defensive wall set. Sassy nature with a spread EV build EVs shapes the build, while Leftovers brings passive recovery each turn. Levitate supports the kit from the background.
Best Build
Best Cresselia Moveset
- Lunar Blessing
- Trick Room
- Psychic
- Ally Switch
Recommended Teammates
Most of Cresselia's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Future Sight and Psychic, but Ice and Normal and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The offense anchors on Psychic and Zen Headbutt, with Normal and Fairy coverage and more adding reach. It's a workable movepool for Cresselia that handles most situations. Psychic and Moonblast give it enough punch where it matters.
Most of Cresselia's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Future Sight and Dream Eater, but Ice and Normal and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Most of Cresselia's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Future Sight and Psychic, but Ice and Normal and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Cresselia can't be caught in Scarlet & Violet. Bring it over from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Cresselia is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also found in:
Cresselia waits at a fixed spot in this game. Head to Moonview Arena for a one-time encounter. No random spawns or encounter rates involved — it's a set battle at a known location.
Best Locations
Cresselia doesn't appear in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Transfer it from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Cresselia is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Special encounter in:
Then trade to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Also found in:
Cresselia can't be caught in Sword & Shield. Bring it over from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Cresselia is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Special encounter in:
Then trade to Sword & Shield.
Also found in:
Cresselia is a Legendary Pokemon rated B-Tier on our tier list. At 580 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a wall. That 120 base HP does the heavy lifting.
Cresselia doesn't evolve. As a Legendary Pokemon, it stands on its own without an evolutionary line. It's a Psychic type with 580 BST.
Cresselia gets Levitate. But Levitate is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that. On wall sets, Levitate pairs with Cresselia's base 110 Defense to absorb physical hits on the switch.
Cresselia is leaning toward the special side (base 75 Sp. Atk). Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 85 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. Fits the wall role.
Cresselia appears in 13 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.
Since Diamond & Pearl, Cresselia has appeared in 13 games. Legendary Pokemon like Cresselia are usually found through story events or special post-game areas rather than random encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A