Tapu Lele Best Moveset
AbilityPsychic Surge sets Psychic Terrain on entry, blocking all priority moves and boosting Psychic damage by 30%. 130 Sp. Atk behind Psychic/Fairy TermStab hits devastatingly hard with the terrain boost active. The moveset shuts down priority users while dealing massive damage. S-tier because terrain plus raw power overwhelms everything.
Psychic Surge set Psychic Terrain on entry in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Boosted Psychic moves by 30% and blocked priority. 130 Sp. Atk with no Mach Punch or Sucker Punch coming back.
Best Moves
Best Build
Tapu Lele best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power Fire
- Psychic
Recommended Teammates
Two gens at the top in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Priority blocking protected teammates, and Choice Specs Psychic in terrain hit harder than most Pokemon could survive.
Special Revenge Killer Moveset
- Moonblast
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Psychic
Recommended Teammates
Tapu Lele Weakness
Type-wise, Tapu Lele takes extra damage from Poison, Ghost, and Steel. Dragon moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. Tapu Lele's special bulk (base 115 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Poison, Ghost, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Psychic |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Dragon |
What is Tapu Lele Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Tapu Lele
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tapu Lele View Cyclizar builds →Rapid Spin20-24% U Turn28-33% Knock Off26-31% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Toxapex builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Tapu Lele View Clodsire builds →Earthquake26-31% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemDamprock NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Tapu Lele View Pelipper builds →Hurricane24-28% U Turn13-16% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemSablenite NatureCareful Moves View Sableye-Mega builds →
| ||
Evolution
No breeding, no evolution. Tapu Lele is a Psychic/Fairy legendary with 570 base stat total that you obtain once and build around. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
How to Get Tapu Lele
Tapu Lele doesn't appear in Sword & Shield. Transfer it from Sun & Moon or Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Tapu Lele 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.
Tapu Lele is a fixed encounter, not a random spawn. Walk up to it, interact, and the battle starts immediately. Head to Ruins of Life when your team is ready for the fight.
How to Get Tapu Lele in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Tapu Lele waits at a fixed spot in this game. Head to Ruins of Life for a one-time encounter. No random spawns or encounter rates involved — it's a set battle at a known location.
How to Get Tapu Lele in Sun & Moon
Base Stats
Tapu Lele's built around special offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, HP pays for it. Near-impossible to catch, worth 3 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Although called a guardian deity, Tapu Lele is devoid of guilt about its cruel disposition and can be described as nature incarnate.
Tapu Lele Guide
Tapu Lele is a Legendary Pokemon rated B-Tier. At 570 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a wallbreaker. Base 130 Sp. Atk is where it shines.
Psychic Surge is the go-to ability for Tapu Lele. It when this Pokémon enters battle, it changes the terrain to Psychic Terrain. Its hidden ability Telepathy can work in specific setups.
Tapu Lele fills the wallbreaker role. It's a special attacker with base 130 Sp. Atk. Base 95 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
The core moveset is Moonblast, Psychic, Psyshock, and Taunt. Moonblast leads at 0% usage. Moonblast provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Tapu Lele has appeared in 3 games since Sun & Moon, spanning 4 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 4DP
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 7SMDebut
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