Is Zapdos Good in Scarlet & Violet Playthrough?
Zapdos resists most of Katy's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos resists most of Brassius's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Iono's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Kofu's team.
Zapdos resists most of Larry's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos trades roughly evenly with Ryme's team.
Zapdos trades roughly evenly with Tulip's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Grusha's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Rika's team.
Zapdos trades roughly evenly with Poppy's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Larry's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Hassel's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Geeta's team.
Zapdos cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four.
How to Get Galarian Zapdos in Scarlet & Violet
Galarian Zapdos doesn't appear in Scarlet & Violet. Transfer it from Red & Blue, Yellow, or Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Galarian Zapdos 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.
Zapdos Weakness
Electric, Ice, Flying, Psychic, and Fairy moves hit Zapdos for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Dark |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
What is Zapdos Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Zapdos
 Raichu Electric | C | |
 Cloyster WaterIce | B | |
 Wigglytuff NormalFairy | C | |
 Bellibolt Electric | C | |
 Oricorio Fire | C | |
 Florges Fairy | B | |
Raichu Electric | C | |
Cloyster WaterIce | B | |
 Bombirdier Dark | C | |
 Honchkrow Dark | B | |
Raichu Electric | C | |
 Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x77-90% Psybeam 2x61-73% | ||
 Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Cloyster WaterIce | B | |
Bombirdier Dark | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x74-87% Psybeam 2x60-72% | ||
Florges Fairy | B | |
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Raichu Electric | C | |
Honchkrow Dark | B | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Psychic 2x80-94% Dazzling Gleam 2x73-86% Thunderbolt 2x53-63% | ||
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
 Eelektross Electric | C | |
Florges Fairy | B | |
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Hatterene builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x76-90% Psybeam 2x64-75% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Psychic 2x83-99% Dazzling Gleam 2x75-89% | ||
Eelektross Electric | C | |
Florges Fairy | B | |
Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Hatterene builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x80-95% Psybeam 2x66-79% | ||
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Psychic 2x82-96% Dazzling Gleam 2x74-87% Thunderbolt 2x54-64% | ||
Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Hatterene builds →Psychic 2x88-104%KO Dazzling Gleam 2x78-92% | ||
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Florges Fairy | B | |
Eelektross Electric | C | |
 Braviary Normal | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Dream Eater 2x91-107%KO Moonblast 2x87-103%KO Thunderbolt 2x55-64% Icy Wind 2x34-40% | ||
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Toxtricity builds →Thunderbolt 2x77-90% Stored Power 2x12-14% | ||
Honchkrow Dark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Honchkrow builds →Brave Bird 2x109-129%KO Icy Wind 2x29-35% | ||
 Mandibuzz Dark | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x105-123%KO Moonblast 2x83-98% Thunderbolt 2x52-62% Icy Wind 2x32-38% | ||
Braviary Normal | C | |
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Toxtricity builds →Thunderbolt 2x73-86% Stored Power 2x11-14% | ||
Honchkrow Dark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Honchkrow builds →Brave Bird 2x105-123%KO Icy Wind 2x28-33% | ||
 Toucannon Normal | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x107-126%KO Moonblast 2x85-100%KO Thunderbolt 2x54-64% Icy Wind 2x33-39% | ||
Braviary Normal | C | |
Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Toxtricity builds →Thunderbolt 2x74-88% Stored Power 2x12-14% | ||
Honchkrow Dark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Honchkrow builds →Brave Bird 2x107-126%KO Icy Wind 2x28-34% | ||
Toucannon Normal | C | |
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Corviknight builds →U Turn2-3% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIcebody ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Avalugg builds →Rapid Spin9-10% Avalanche 2x20-24% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemRocky Helmet NatureBold Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityBulletproof ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Chesnaught builds →Knock Off5-6% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemDamprock NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Pelipper builds →Hurricane 2x43-51% U Turn1-2% | ||
Zapdos Evolutions
A Fighting/Flying-type legendary, Zapdos doesn't evolve or breed. At 580 total stats, it's meant to stand on its own. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
SV Zapdos Best Moveset
Electric/Flying at 125 Sp. Atk and 100 Speed with AbilityStatic threatening paralysis on contact. Held ItemHeavy Duty Boots blocks TermEntry Hazards damage. NatureBold with defensive investment creates one of the best defensive pivots in the format. The moveset clears hazards with Defog, absorbs hits, and fires back with special Electric TermStab. S-Tier since the competitive scene started.
Best Build
Zapdos best EVs are Defense and HP
Wall Moveset
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Volt Switch
- Heat Wave
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Zapdos. TMs unlock coverage across 7 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Close Combat and Brave Bird into something with actual range.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Event Moves
Base Stats
Attack and Speed carry most of Zapdos's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Near-impossible to catch and yields 3 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Zapdos Scarlet & Violet Guide
For the Scarlet & Violet meta, At 580 BST, Zapdos is built different. We rank it B-Tier. As a Legendary Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper. Hurricane with Heavy-Duty Boots is the standard set.
In Scarlet & Violet, watch for Raikou (Electric), Lapras (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Flying) when using Zapdos. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Psychic and Fairy-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Defiant raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered. That's the one you want on Zapdos. It's the only ability Zapdos has.
Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Zapdos is a special attacker with base 85 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.
In Scarlet & Violet, run Hurricane, Roost, Volt Switch, and Heat Wave on Zapdos. Hurricane is the most common pick at 0% usage. Hurricane provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
First obtainable in Red & Blue, Zapdos has been featured in 20 titles across 10 generations. Legendary status means a single encounter per playthrough in most games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
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 8SwShGalarian
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