Thundurus Best Moveset
Electric/Flying at 125 Sp. Atk and 111 Speed with AbilityPrankster giving priority to MoveThunder Wave and MoveRain Dance. Held ItemHeavy Duty Boots blocks TermEntry Hazards. NatureTimid outspeeds most of the tier. The moveset combines fast special Electric TermStab with priority support. AbilityDefiant is the offensive alternative. B-Tier through versatile support and offense.
Prankster gave priority to Thunder Wave and Taunt in Gen V (Black & White). Paralyzed entire teams before they could move. Banned from standard play for Prankster abuse.
Best Moves
Best Build
Thundurus best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Stallbreaker Moveset
- Thunder Wave
- Hidden Power Ice
- Taunt
- Thunder
Recommended Teammates
Dropped to standard play in Gen VI (X & Y). Prankster Thunder Wave still disrupted teams, but Electric/Flying had answers now. Nasty Plot swept after paralyzing the check.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Hidden Power Ice
- Thunder Wave
- Focus Blast
- Volt Switch
Recommended Teammates
Stuck between tiers in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Prankster was nerfed to fail against Dark-types. Lost the ability to paralyze one of the types it needed to hit most.
Support Moveset
- Thunder Wave
- Defog
- Hidden Power Ice
- Thunderbolt
Recommended Teammates
Three gens of decline from the peak in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Prankster utility was less valuable when Heavy-Duty Boots and faster threats dominated the format.
Special Stallbreaker Moveset
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Taunt
- Volt Switch
Recommended Teammates
Fell further in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Four gens since the top. Prankster was still useful but the format had adapted past Thunder Wave disruption.
Special Stallbreaker Moveset
- Thunder Wave
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Taunt
Recommended Teammates
Thundurus Weakness
Type-wise, Thundurus takes extra damage from Ice and Rock. Ground moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. With 79 HP and balanced defenses, Thundurus can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ice, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Flying, Bug, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
What is Thundurus Weak Against
ExcellentBest Pokemon Against Thundurus
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Thundurus View Alomomola builds →Flip Turn15-18% Scald11-14% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Thundurus View Moltres builds →Flamethrower31-37% U Turn10-12% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Thundurus View Corviknight builds →U Turn10-12% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Toxapex builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterbubble ItemCustapberry NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Thundurus View Araquanid builds →Liquidation19-22% Surf23-27% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Thundurus View Zapdos builds →Hurricane19-23% Volt Switch24-29% Heat Wave33-39% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Dondozo builds →
| ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemRocky Helmet NatureBold Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemDamprock NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Thundurus View Pelipper builds →Hurricane15-18% U Turn6-8% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrought ItemHeatrock NatureTimid Moves View Ninetales builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityNeutralizinggas ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Weezing-Galar builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves View Tornadus-Therian builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Rotom-Wash builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemWellspringmask NatureJolly Moves View Ogerpon-Wellspring builds →
| ||
Evolution
No breeding, no evolution. Thundurus is a Electric/Flying legendary with 580 base stat total that you obtain once and build around. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Shiny Thundurus
Already blue, stays blue with minor tweaks. Thundurus drew the short straw among the genies since its base color is so close to what a "cool" shiny would look like anyway.
Shiny Thundurus Evolution
Does Not EvolveShiny Thundurus Odds & Hunting Methods
9 of 9 VerifiedHow do we research these odds?
We check every game where a shiny is possible, then rank each one by the best method available in that game, so the row at the top is the fastest route overall.
Odds marked verified are cross-checked against multiple independent sources before we publish them. Where a rate is not yet confirmed we mark the row pending rather than guess a number.
Read our full methodologyHow to Get Thundurus
No wild encounters for Thundurus in Scarlet & Violet. It can be transferred in from Sword & Shield or Legends: Arceus.
Thundurus 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.
Thundurus waits at a fixed spot in this game. Head to Coastlands Camp for a one-time encounter. No random spawns or encounter rates involved — it's a set battle at a known location.
How to Get Thundurus in Legends: Arceus
Thundurus appears across 1 spot in endgame routes. The list below shows where it turns up, so pick the one you can reach first in your playthrough.
Best Locations to Catch Thundurus in Sword & Shield
Thundurus thunders in for Ultra Moon players alone, the storm genie awaiting a late-story wormhole trip into the Ultra Space Wilds, charged to level 60.
How to Get Thundurus in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Base Stats
Thundurus's built around mixed offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, Defense pays for it. Near-impossible to catch, worth 3 Attack EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Quick as a flash, it materializes out of nowhere. It pulverizes foes into nothingness with showers of devastatingly powerful lightning bolts launched from the string of orbs on its tail.
Thundurus Event Distributions
Thundurus is available through a handful of Mystery Gift event distributions rather than as a regular giveaway.
Milos Island Thundurus GiftMay 2012BlackWhiteBlack 2White 2Not shiny
Il folgorante ThundurusSunNot shiny
Bolt Strike Pokemon Thundurus Gift!Ultra SunNot shiny
Thundurus Guide
Thundurus plays as a sweeper. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move.
Thundurus's hidden ability is Defiant. It raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered. Situational compared to Prankster.
Thundurus pairs best with Dragapult, Alomomola, and Goodra Hisui. Dragapult has Decent synergy and covers what Thundurus can't handle on its own.
Timid is the go-to nature for Thundurus. That's +Speed / -Attack. Pair it with 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the sweeper role.
Game Availability
Thundurus has appeared in 9 games since Black & White, spanning 5 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 5BWDebut
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 7Let's Go
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
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Where to go next after Thundurus.
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