Special
Sweeper
BTier
111Speed · Fast

Stats & Training

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.

Base Stats
Pseudo
HP79
C
Attack115
B
Defense70
C
Sp. Atk125
A
Sp. Def80
C
Speed111
B
Total580
Details
Catch Rate
Legendary3 / 255
Growth Rate
Slow1.25M XP
Height1.5 m
4'11"Average
Weight61.0 kg
134.5 lbsStandard
Base XP290
Elite Yield
Abilities
PranksterTop Pick
Raises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.
DefiantHANiche
Raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered.
EV Yield
HPAtk+3DefSpASpDSpe
Strong Attack training target
Pokedex Entries
No Sword Shield entries available

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.

Legends: Arceus

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.

Thundurus Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Ice, Rock
0.5x (Resist)Grass, Fighting, Flying, Bug, Steel
0x (Immune)Ground
Type ChartExcellent
2Weak
5Resist
1Immune
Score+4
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
IceRock
½xResist
GrassFightingFlyingBugSteel
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
Ground
STAB (5)
WaterFlyingGrassFightingBug
How to Beat Thundurus in Sword & Shield (Best Counters)

In Sword & Shield, Lunatone's Ice Beam hits Thundurus for 40-48%. Weavile's Ice Shard hits Thundurus for 46-55%. Tyranitar's Stone Edge also KOs at 204-240%.

Lunatone
Lunatone
RockPsychic
A
Recommended Build
AbilityLevitate
ItemPower Herb
NatureModest
Moves
  • Ice Beam
  • Moonblast
  • PsychicSTAB
  • Meteor Beam
Damage vs Thundurus
Ice Beam 2x
40-48%
Moonblast
21-25%
Psychic
30-36%
View Lunatone builds →

Sword & Shield 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

No Evolution
Thundurus
#642ThundurusDoes not evolve

Breeding

Unavailable
Undiscovered egg group

Sword & Shield Thundurus Best Moveset

Nothing fancy here. Thundurus builds around Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, Calm nature for the right stat lean, and max HP and Sp. Def EVs. Prankster does its job quietly.

Best Build

Experimental
Ability
Prankster
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Thundurus
Calm+SPD

Thundurus best EVs are HP and Sp. Def

EVs

Doubles Bulky Support Moveset

  • TauntUtility
  • Eerie ImpulseSTAB
  • Sludge Bomb
  • Foul Play

Recommended Teammates

Amoonguss
AmoongussDecent
Dragapult
DragapultDecent

Moves

TMs define Thundurus's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Thunder and Fly, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it coverage across 9 types. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Astonish
—3010015Ghost
Lv 1
Thunder Shock
—4010030Electric
Lv 5
Leer
D—10030Normal
Lv 10
Swagger
D—8515Normal
Lv 15
Bite
C6010025Dark
Lv 20
Shock Wave
C60—20Electric
Lv 25
Agility
C——30Psychic
Lv 30
Charge
D——20Electric
Lv 35
Volt Switch
B7010020Electric
Lv 40
Crunch
C8010015Dark
Lv 45
Discharge
B8010015Electric
Lv 50
Uproar
C9010010Normal
Lv 55
Hammer Arm
C1009010Fighting
Lv 60
Rain Dance
C——5Water
Lv 65
Thunder
B1107010Electric
Lv 70
Thrash
B12010010Normal

TM Moves

TM
TR12
Agility
C——30Psychic
TM58
Assurance
—6010010Dark
TM31
Attract
C—10015Normal
TR01
Body Slam
C8510015Normal
TM43
Brick Break
C7510015Fighting
TM97
Brutal Swing
C6010020Dark
TR48
Bulk Up
C——20Fighting
TR32
Crunch
C8010015Dark
TR58
Dark Pulse
C8010015Dark
TM93
Eerie Impulse
S—10015Electric
TR80
Electro Ball
D—10010Electric
TM82
Electroweb
C559515Electric
TR26
Endure+4
C——10Normal
TM39
Facade
C7010020Normal
TR70
Flash Cannon
C8010010Steel
TM59
Fling
——10010Dark
TM06
Fly
B909515Flying
TR64
Focus Blast
C120705Fighting
TR81
Foul Play
A9510015Dark
TM09
Giga Impact
B150905Normal
TR77
Grass Knot
D—10020Grass
TM08
Hyper Beam
B150905Normal
TR31
Iron Tail
C1007515Steel
TR68
Nasty Plot
C——20Dark
TM57
Payback
D5010010Dark
TM25
Protect+4
B——10Normal
TR11
Psychic
C9010010Psychic
TM33
Rain Dance
C——5Water
TM21
Rest
C——10Psychic
TM42
Revenge-4
C6010010Fighting
TM76
Round
C6010015Normal
TM26
Scary Face
——10010Normal
TR27
Sleep Talk
C——10Normal
TR22
Sludge Bomb
A9010010Poison
TR78
Sludge Wave
C9510010Poison
TM96
Smart Strike
C70—10Steel
TM24
Snore
—5010015Normal
TR20
Substitute
C——10Normal
TR39
Superpower
B1201005Fighting
TR37
Taunt
S—10020Dark
TM23
Thief
C6010025Dark
TR09
Thunder
B1107010Electric
TM05
Thunder Punch
B7510015Electric
TM14
Thunder Wave
A—9020Electric
TR08
Thunderbolt
A9010015Electric
TM56
U-turn
B7010020Bug
TR35
Uproar
C9010010Normal
TM80
Volt Switch
B7010020Electric
TM46
Weather Ball
C5010010Normal
TR86
Wild Charge
B9010015Electric

Egg Moves

Thundurus doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Tut
Tutor
Lash Out
C751005Dark
Tutor
Rising Voltage
B7010020Electric

How to Get Thundurus in Sword & Shield

No wild encounters for Thundurus in Sword & Shield. It's available in White, Ultra Moon, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.

Thundurus is not available as a wild encounter in this game.

Special encounter in:

Legends: ArceusSpecial encounter · Coastlands Camp · Request: Incarnate Forces of Hisui

Then trade to Sword & Shield.

Also found in:

WhiteUltra Moon

Thundurus Guide

  • In Sword & Shield, Thundurus is a Legendary Pokemon rated B-Tier. At 580 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a sweeper. Taunt with Leftovers is the standard set.

  • In Sword & Shield, Thundurus's biggest threats include Walrein (Ice) and Rhyperior (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.

  • In Sword & Shield, Run Prankster on Thundurus. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Thundurus also gets Defiant, but they don't compare. With base 111 Speed, Prankster gives Thundurus an edge before opponents can react.

  • In Sword & Shield, Thundurus fills the sweeper role. It's a special attacker with base 125 Sp. Atk. Base 111 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.

  • For Sword & Shield, the core moveset is Taunt, Eerieimpulse, Sludge Bomb, and Foulplay. Taunt leads at 20% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.

Game Availability

Thundurus has appeared in 9 games since Black & White, spanning 6 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

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