Is Dialga Good in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Playthrough?
Brilliant Diamond box legendary. Steel/Dragon with 150 Sp. Atk and only two weaknesses (Fighting, Ground). Caught at Spear Pillar before the eighth gym. That timing matters enormously. Dialga handles Candice, Volkner, and most of the E4 from the moment you catch it. Cynthia's Garchomp threatens with Earthquake, but Dialga resists Dragon and hits back hard. Having a 680 BST legendary for the final two gyms and the E4 fundamentally changes the difficulty.
Dialga resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Dialga resists most of Gardenia's coverage and hits back hard.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Crasher Wake's team.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Fantina's team.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Dialga resists most of Candice's coverage and hits back hard.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Volkner's team.
Dialga resists most of Aaron's coverage and hits back hard.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Lucian's team.
Dialga has the type edge here and should clean up Cynthia's team.
How to Get Dialga in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
No wild encounters for Dialga in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. It's available in Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Dialga 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.
Dialga Weakness
Dialga's Steel/Dragon typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting and Ground. It shrugs off Poison-type attacks completely. 9 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Dialga's overall bulk (100/120/100) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Water, Electric, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
What is Dialga Weak Against
FortressBest Pokemon Against Dialga
 Machop Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machop builds →Focus Punch 2x77-91% Earthquake 2x36-43% | ||
 Cubone Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Cubone builds →Earthquake 2x39-48% Focus Punch 2x39-46% | ||
 Phanpy Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Phanpy builds →Earthquake 2x45-54% Rock Smash 2x14-18% | ||
 Geodude RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Geodude builds →Earthquake 2x54-64% Focus Punch 2x50-61% | ||
 Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Onix builds →Earthquake 2x39-48% Rock Smash 2x11-14% | ||
Machop Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machop builds →Focus Punch 2x81-97% Earthquake 2x37-44% | ||
Cubone Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Cubone builds →Earthquake 2x42-51% Focus Punch 2x39-47% | ||
Phanpy Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Phanpy builds →Earthquake 2x47-56% Rock Smash 2x14-17% | ||
Geodude RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Geodude builds →Earthquake 2x56-66% Focus Punch 2x54-64% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Onix builds →Earthquake 2x42-51% Rock Smash 2x14-17% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x51-61% Focus Punch 2x50-59% | ||
 Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x88-105%KO Earthquake 2x40-48% | ||
 Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Gastrodon builds →Earthquake 2x51-61% Rock Smash 2x16-18% | ||
 Donphan Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Donphan builds →Earthquake 2x70-83% Rock Smash 2x20-24% | ||
 Gabite DragonGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Gabite builds →Earthquake 2x56-66% Rock Smash 2x16-18% | ||
Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x51-61% Focus Punch 2x50-59% | ||
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x88-105%KO Earthquake 2x40-48% | ||
Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Gastrodon builds →Earthquake 2x51-61% Rock Smash 2x16-18% | ||
Donphan Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Donphan builds →Earthquake 2x70-83% Rock Smash 2x20-24% | ||
 Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodGreat Marsh Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Quagsire builds →Earthquake 2x53-63% Focus Punch 2x51-61% | ||
Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x47-56% Focus Punch 2x47-56% | ||
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x84-100%KO Earthquake 2x38-45% | ||
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x63-74% Rock Smash 2x18-22% | ||
Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Gastrodon builds →Earthquake 2x49-58% Rock Smash 2x14-17% | ||
Donphan Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Donphan builds →Earthquake 2x67-79% Rock Smash 2x18-22% | ||
Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x47-56% Focus Punch 2x46-55% | ||
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x84-99% Earthquake 2x37-45% | ||
Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x62-73% Rock Smash 2x17-20% | ||
 Medicham FightingPsychic | C | |
Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Gastrodon builds →Earthquake 2x49-58% Rock Smash 2x14-17% | ||
Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x46-54% Focus Punch 2x46-54% | ||
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x82-97% Earthquake 2x38-44% | ||
Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x61-72% Rock Smash 2x17-20% | ||
Medicham FightingPsychic | C | |
 Steelix SteelGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Steelix builds →Earthquake 2x49-58% Rock Smash 2x13-16% | ||
Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x46-54% Focus Punch 2x46-54% | ||
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x82-97% Earthquake 2x38-44% | ||
Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x61-72% Rock Smash 2x17-20% | ||
Medicham FightingPsychic | C | |
Steelix SteelGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Steelix builds →Earthquake 2x49-58% Rock Smash 2x13-16% | ||
 Hariyama Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Hariyama builds →Focus Punch 2x96-113%KO Earthquake 2x43-51% | ||
Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x47-55% Focus Punch 2x46-54% | ||
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x82-97% Earthquake 2x37-44% | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x69-82% Brick Break 2x35-41% | ||
Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x60-71% Rock Smash 2x17-20% | ||
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Garchomp's Earthquake hits Dialga for 83-98%. Urshifu threatens a KO with Close Combat (148-174%).
Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x83-98% | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnseenfist ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Dialga View Urshifu builds →Close Combat 2x148-174%KO Sucker Punch43-51% U Turn14-17% | ||
Dialga Evolutions
You can't breed Dialga or evolve it into anything else. This Steel/Dragon legendary packs 680 stats and doesn't need a chain to be relevant. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
BDSP Dialga Best Moveset
S-tier with Steel/Dragon typing resisting 10 types and 150 Sp. Atk at 120/100 across Defense and HP. Hidden AbilityTelepathy avoids ally damage. The moveset runs one of the best defensive typings in the game with massive special power behind it. Nothing in the format answers 150 Sp. Atk from something this hard to hit super-effectively.
Best Build
Dialga best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Flash Cannon
- Draco Meteor
- Roar Of Time
- Dragon Pulse
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without TMs, Dialga's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 9 types on top of Roar of Time and Draco Meteor for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It has the power to control time. It appears in Sinnoh-region myths as an ancient deity.
This Pokémon is spoken of in legend. It is said that time began moving when Dialga was born.
Dialga Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Guide
For the Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl meta, At 680 BST, Dialga is built different. We rank it S-Tier. As a Legendary Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a wallbreaker. Flash Cannon with Adamantorb is the standard set.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, watch for Lucario (Fighting) and Golem (Ground) when using Dialga. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Dialga has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
Pressure increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. That's the one you want on Dialga. Telepathy is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Dialga fills the wallbreaker role. It's a special attacker with base 150 Sp. Atk. Base 90 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
For Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Dialga has answers, but so do you. Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Physical attackers can break through.
Game Availability
Dialga has appeared in 13 games since Diamond & Pearl, spanning 7 generations. As a Legendary, it's typically a one-per-save encounter tied to the story or post-game content.
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