Is Zapdos Good in Black 2 & White 2 Playthrough?
Transfer only. Electric/Flying with AbilityPressure. If imported, one of the best Electric-types in the game. Handles Skyla, Marlon, and contributes against Iris with strong Sp. Atk and few weaknesses.
Zapdos resists most of Cheren's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos resists most of Roxie's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos resists most of Burgh's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos trades roughly evenly with Elesa's team.
Zapdos trades roughly evenly with Clay's team.
Zapdos resists most of Skyla's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Drayden's team.
Zapdos resists most of Marlon's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Shauntal's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Grimsley's team.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Caitlin's team.
Zapdos resists most of Marshal's coverage and hits back hard.
Zapdos has the type edge here and should clean up Iris'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 Zapdos in Black 2 & White 2
No wild encounters for Zapdos in Black 2 & White 2. It's available in Red & Blue, Yellow, or Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
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
Ice and Rock moves hit Zapdos for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. With 90 HP and balanced defenses, Zapdos 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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Zapdos Weak Against
ExcellentBest Pokemon Against Zapdos
 Glaceon Ice | C | |
 Rampardos Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cranidos (Nacrene City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Rampardos builds →Head Smash 2x179-210%KO Ice Beam 2x33-39% | ||
 Kyurem DragonIce | B | |
Obtain MethodGiant Chasm Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Kyurem builds →Ice Beam 2x88-104%KO Stone Edge 2x64-76% | ||
Glaceon Ice | C | |
 Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 2x99-117%KO Ice Beam 2x45-53% | ||
 Regice Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodUnderground Ruins Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Regice builds →Ice Beam 2x70-83% Ancient Power 2x30-36% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Forretress builds →Rapid Spin12-14% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Jellicent builds →Scald17-20% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Zapdos View Breloom builds →Mach Punch11-13% Bullet Seed7-8% | ||
Zapdos Evolutions
A Electric/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
B2W2 Zapdos Best Moveset
Electric/Flying TermStab at 125 Sp. Atk and 100 Speed answers Water and Fighting types before they respond. AbilityPressure wears down PP on the opponent's best moves. The moveset combines offensive power with bulk that takes hits from both sides. Only 25%% MoveStealth Rock damage keeps the switch cost manageable.
Best Build
Zapdos best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power Ice
- Volt Switch
- Roost
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Zapdos. TMs unlock coverage across 9 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Sky Attack and Zap Cannon 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
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
A legendary Pokémon that is said to live in thunderclouds. It freely controls lightning bolts.
Zapdos Black 2 & White 2 Guide
For the Black 2 & White 2 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. Heat Wave with Leftovers is the standard set.
Pressure increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. That's the one you want on Zapdos. Static is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Zapdos is a special attacker with base 125 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.
In Black 2 & White 2, run Heat Wave, Hiddenpowerice, Volt Switch, and Roost on Zapdos. Heat Wave is the most common pick at 0% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.
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