Stats & Training
Lugia's spread favors special bulk over offense. Sp. Def leads the defensive side, Attack eats the cost. Yields 3 Sp. Def EVs per defeat. Slow 1.25M XP grind to level.
It sleeps in a deep-sea trench. If it flaps its wings, it is said to cause a 40-day storm.
It sleeps in a deep-sea trench. If it flaps its wings, it is said to cause a 40-day storm.
Lugia Weakness
Electric, Ice, Rock, Ghost, and Dark moves hit Lugia for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. Lugia's overall bulk (106/130/154) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Psychic |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Diamond & Pearl, Gengar's Shadow Ball hits Lugia for 67-79%. Zapdos's Thunderbolt hits Lugia for 46-54%. Aerodactyl deals 64-76% with Stone Edge.
 Gengar GhostPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Lugia View Gengar builds →Shadow Ball 2x67-79% Focus Blast8-10% Explosion33-39% | ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Lugia View Zapdos builds →Thunderbolt 2x46-54% Heat Wave16-19% | ||
 Aerodactyl Rock | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Lugia View Aerodactyl builds →Stone Edge 2x64-76% | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Lugia View Weavile builds →Ice Shard 2x29-34% Pursuit 2x29-34% | ||
 Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityOblivious ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Lugia View Mamoswine builds →Ice Shard 2x43-51% Superpower10-12% Stone Edge 2x71-83% | ||
Diamond & Pearl Evolution
A Psychic/Flying-type legendary, Lugia doesn't evolve or breed. At 680 total stats, it's meant to stand on its own. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Diamond & Pearl Lugia Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 4.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Coverage runs deep. Lugia can hit 12 types beyond STAB, including Water and Normal. The offense anchors on Sky Attack and Future Sight while TMs handle everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Lugia in Diamond & Pearl
Lugia can't be caught in Diamond & Pearl. Bring it over from Gold, Crystal, or Ultra Moon instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Lugia is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Special encounter in:
Then trade to Diamond & Pearl.
Also found in:
Lugia Guide
For the Diamond & Pearl meta, At 680 BST, Lugia is built different. We rank it S-Tier. As a Legendary Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a pivot.
In Diamond & Pearl, watch for Raikou (Electric), Lapras (Ice), and Tyranitar (Rock) when using Lugia. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Lugia has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
In Diamond & Pearl, Run Multiscale on Lugia. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Lugia also gets Pressure, but they don't compare.
In Diamond & Pearl, Lugia fills the pivot role. It's a mixed attacker with base 90 Attack and 90 Sp. Atk. Base 110 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
In Diamond & Pearl, Lugia's hidden ability is Multiscale. Halves damage taken from full HP. Better than the standard options for competitive play.
Game Availability
Lugia has appeared in 17 games since Gold & Silver, spanning 9 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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves