Cresselia Best Moveset
120 HP with 110/120 balanced defenses on Psychic with AbilityLevitate blocking Ground. Held ItemMental Herb blocks Taunt to guarantee support moves go through. NatureCalm maximizes special bulk. The moveset absorbs hits from both sides and supports with MoveThunder Wave, MoveLunar Dance, and MoveTrick Room. B-Tier as a defensive support anchor.
120/120/130 defenses with Levitate in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Calm Mind plus Moonlight walled most special attackers. Too bulky for the tier below, not offensive enough for the top.
Best Moves
Best Build
Cresselia best EVs are HP and Defense
Wall Moveset
- Lunar Dance
- Ice Beam
- Psychic
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
Stronger wallbreakers and Knock Off users punished the Leftovers reliance in Gen V (Black & White). Cresselia couldn't keep up with the format's rising offensive power.
Wall Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Moonlight
- Toxic
- Psychic
Recommended Teammates
Settled into a consistent role in Gen VI (X & Y). Thunder Wave support and Moonlight recovery fit defensive teams. Three gens of steady decline from the top.
Wall Moveset
- Lunar Dance
- Moonlight
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
Pursuit trappers threatened to remove Cresselia entirely in Gen VII (Sun & Moon), and Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain replaced its Calm Mind role on most teams.
Wall Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Moonlight
- Lunar Dance
- Trick Room
Recommended Teammates
Stuck between tiers in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Too defensive for the level above, too bulky for the level below. The definition of a tweener for two consecutive gens.
Utility Moveset
- Moonlight
- Lunar Dance
- Trick Room
- Moonblast
Recommended Teammates
Lunar Blessing was a new move in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet) but couldn't offset six gens of power creep passing Cresselia's offensive stats by.
Wall Moveset
- Lunar Dance
- Moonlight
- Trick Room
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Cresselia Weakness
Cresselia is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark. 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.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Bug, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fighting, Psychic |
What is Cresselia Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Cresselia
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityProtosynthesis ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Great Tusk builds →Rapid Spin10-11% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityBulletproof ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Chesnaught builds →Knock Off 2x18-21% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPsychic Surge ItemTerrain Extender NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Indeedee builds →Dazzling Gleam13-15% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves View Landorus-Therian builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityNeutralizinggas ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Weezing-Galar builds →
| ||
Evolution
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
How to Get Cresselia
Cresselia can't be caught in Scarlet & Violet. Bring it over from Diamond & Pearl, 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 Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
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.
How to Get Cresselia in Legends: Arceus
Cresselia doesn't appear in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Transfer it from Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Cresselia cannot be caught in the wild in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, but you can still get it via these paths:
Obtain and trade from these games:
Then trade to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Cresselia can't be caught in Sword & Shield. Bring it over from Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Cresselia cannot be caught in the wild in Sword & Shield, but you can still get it via these paths:
Obtain and trade from these games:
Then trade to Sword & Shield.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Base Stats
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 Guide
Cresselia is a Legendary Pokemon rated B-Tier. At 580 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a wall. That 120 base HP does the heavy lifting.
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 a special attacker with base 75 Sp. Atk. Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the wall role.
The core moveset is Lunardance, Moonlight, Trickroom, and Ice Beam. Lunardance leads at 0% usage. This set covers the wall role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
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.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves