Walls that use status or special moves love Bold. 10% more Defense and Attack goes down, which doesn't matter if you're not clicking physical attacks. Over in HeartGold & SoulSilver, Lugia is one of the most popular Bold users, alongside Mesprit and Latios. Everstone passes Bold to every offspring starting in Gen 5. Synchronize handles wild encounters.

Bold raises Defense by 10% and lowers Attack by 10%. Physical walls and support Pokemon that use special moves. 100 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
SHOWINGRegional54
#PokemonTierRoleAbility+Def-AtkSpe
1
Lugia
Lugia
PSYCHICFLYING
SBulky SupportMultiscale
130+18
90-11
110
2
Mesprit
Mesprit
PSYCHIC
SBulky SupportLevitate
105+15
105-13
80
3
Latios
Latios
DRAGONPSYCHIC
SBulky SupportLevitate
80+13
90-11
110
4
Giratina
Giratina
GHOSTDRAGON
SBulky SupportPressure
120+17
100-12
90
5
Skarmory
Skarmory
STEELFLYING
ABulky SupportSturdy
140+19
80-10
70
6
Milotic
Milotic
WATER
ABulky SupportMarvelscale
79+13
60-8
81
7
Clefable
Clefable
FAIRY
ABulky SupportMagic Guard
73+12
70-9
60
8
Slowbro
Slowbro
WATERPSYCHIC
ABulky SupportRegenerator
110+16
75-10
30
9
Jirachi
Jirachi
STEELPSYCHIC
ABulky SupportSerenegrace
100+15
100-12
100
10
Uxie
Uxie
PSYCHIC
ABulky SupportLevitate
130+18
75-10
95
11
Torkoal
Torkoal
FIRE
ABulky SupportDrought
140+19
85-11
20
12
Mew
Mew
PSYCHIC
ABulky SupportSynchronize
100+15
100-12
100
13
Raikou
Raikou
ELECTRIC
ABulky SupportInnerfocus
75+12
85-11
115
14
Bronzong
Bronzong
STEELPSYCHIC
ABulky SupportLevitate
116+16
89-11
33
15
Jolteon
Jolteon
ELECTRIC
ABulky SupportVoltabsorb
60+11
65-9
130
Lugia
Lugia
PSYCHIC FLYING
S
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Multiscale
+Def
130 +18
Spe
110
Mesprit
Mesprit
PSYCHIC
S
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Levitate
+Def
105 +15
Spe
80
Latios
Latios
DRAGON PSYCHIC
S
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Levitate
+Def
80 +13
Spe
110
Giratina
Giratina
GHOST DRAGON
S
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Pressure
+Def
120 +17
Spe
90
Skarmory
Skarmory
STEEL FLYING
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Sturdy
+Def
140 +19
Spe
70
Milotic
Milotic
WATER
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Marvelscale
+Def
79 +13
Spe
81
Clefable
Clefable
FAIRY
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Magic Guard
+Def
73 +12
Spe
60
Slowbro
Slowbro
WATER PSYCHIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Regenerator
+Def
110 +16
Spe
30
Jirachi
Jirachi
STEEL PSYCHIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Serenegrace
+Def
100 +15
Spe
100
Uxie
Uxie
PSYCHIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Levitate
+Def
130 +18
Spe
95
Torkoal
Torkoal
FIRE
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Drought
+Def
140 +19
Spe
20
Mew
Mew
PSYCHIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Synchronize
+Def
100 +15
Spe
100
Raikou
Raikou
ELECTRIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Innerfocus
+Def
75 +12
Spe
115
Bronzong
Bronzong
STEEL PSYCHIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Levitate
+Def
116 +16
Spe
33
Jolteon
Jolteon
ELECTRIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Voltabsorb
+Def
60 +11
Spe
130
+10%Defense
-10%Attack
Flavor Preference
Likes Sour, dislikes Spicy
Competitive Role
Physical walls and support Pokemon that use special moves.
Bold vs Impish
Choose Bold
+Defense / -Attack
  • Pokemon that need to check physical threats (use +Def)
  • Pokemon that need to check special threats (use +SpD)
  • Walls and tanks that rarely attack
Choose Impish
+Defense / -Sp. Attack
  • Defensive Pokemon that still need attacking power
  • Pokemon that run both physical and special moves
How to Get
SynchronizeLead with a Bold Pokemon that has the Synchronize ability. Wild Pokemon will match its nature. (Gen 3+)
BreedingGive the parent with Bold nature an Everstone. The offspring will inherit it. (100% since Gen 5)
Nature MintUse a Bold Mint to change stat effects to Bold. The original nature name stays but stats change. (Gen 8+)
Other +Defense Natures
Impish (-Sp. Attack)Lax (-Sp. Defense)Relaxed (-Speed)
What does the Bold nature do in Pokemon?
Bold raises Defense by 10% and lowers Attack by 10%. At level 100 with full investment, that's roughly a 30-point swing on the boosted stat. Pokemon with Bold nature prefer Sour flavor and dislike Spicy.
What are the best Bold nature Pokemon?
Top Bold users include Lugia, Mesprit, Latios, and Giratina. They benefit from the Defense boost because their main damage comes from that stat. The Attack drop doesn't hurt them since they don't rely on it.
Is Bold a good nature for competitive Pokemon?
Bold is a strong competitive nature. It fills a solid niche for defensive builds. The key is matching it to Pokemon that don't need Attack in their moveset.
How do I get a Bold nature Pokemon?
Synchronize is the fastest method. Lead with a Pokemon that has Synchronize and Bold nature, and wild encounters match it (Gen 3+). Breeding works too: give the Bold parent an Everstone and all offspring inherit the nature. Nature Mints (Gen 8+) let you change the stat effect to Bold without rebreeding.
Should I use Bold or Impish?
Bold prioritizes special defense utility, while Impish goes for physical defense utility. Pick Bold when your Pokemon's role depends on the stat it boosts. Go with Impish when physical defense utility matters more for your team.