Zacian Best Moveset
AbilityIntrepid Sword boosts Attack by one stage on entry, and 120 base Attack boosted to 180 effective at 138 Speed on Fairy hits with absurd force. Crowned Sword form adds Steel typing for 170 Attack, 115/115 defenses, and MoveBehemoth Blade. Held ItemChoice Scarf on the Hero form outspeeds everything. The moveset defines the top of the format. S-Tier through sheer stat dominance.
Intrepid Sword boosted Attack on entry in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). 170 effective Attack before using a move. Behemoth Blade from Steel/Fairy. The strongest Pokemon in the game. Banned from the restricted format.
Best Moves
Best Build
Zacian best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Play Rough
- Close Combat
- Wild Charge
- Crunch
Recommended Teammates
Dropped to the restricted format in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Intrepid Sword was nerfed to activate once. Still dominant, but the free boost was no longer repeatable on every switch.
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Play Rough
- Play Rough
- Close Combat
- Close Combat
Recommended Teammates
Zacian Weakness
Zacian is weak to Fire and Ground. On the flip side, it's immune to Poison and Dragon-type moves entirely. 9 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Zacian's overall bulk (92/115/115) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Rock, Dark, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison, Dragon |
What is Zacian Weak Against
FortressBest Pokemon Against Zacian
Garchomp threatens a KO with Earthquake (90-106%).
 Volcarona BugFire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureModest Moves View Volcarona builds →
| ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Zacian View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x90-106%KO | ||
Evolution
Zacian is a powerhouse with 700 total stats as a Fairy/Steel legendary. Can't breed it, so you're locked to whatever you catch or receive. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
How to Get Zacian
No wild encounters for Zacian in Scarlet & Violet. It's available in Sword & Shield and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Zacian 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.
You'll find Zacian at Tower Summit as a set encounter. It's always there at that location, so come prepared for the battle. The location details below cover exact positioning.
How to Get Zacian in Sword & Shield
Base Stats
Zacian's built around physical offense. Attack leads the charge, Sp. Atk pays for it. Very hard to catch, worth 3 Speed EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Able to cut down anything with a single strike, it became known as the Fairy King’s Sword, and it inspired awe in friend and foe alike.
Zacian Guide
Zacian is a Legendary Pokemon rated S-Tier. At 700 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a sweeper. Base 150 Attack is where it shines.
Intrepid Sword is the go-to ability for Zacian. It boosts Attack in battle. It's Zacian's only ability.
Zacian fills the sweeper role. It's a physical attacker with base 150 Attack. Base 148 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
Best way to handle Zacian: Priority moves (Mach Punch, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard) bypass its speed. Bulky walls that resist its STAB also shut it down.
Game Availability
Zacian has appeared in 2 games since Sword & Shield, spanning 3 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 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShDebut
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