6 Most And 6 Least Powerful Pokémon In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
One of the most exciting aspects of picking up a Pokémon game is getting to see all of the new creatures available to capture and battle. Part of the fun is discovering exactly which Pokémon are worthy additions to your team and which should be left out of your squad. "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet” are no different in that respect and introduce 107 new critters within the land of Paldea, including the starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly (via Nintendo Life).
While early reactions to the Generation 9 games revealed some technical issues, there's no denying the fact that they have a strong lineup of Pokémon — at least in terms of design. After all, not every Pokémon can be a world-beater when it comes to fighting. There are always stronger and weaker creatures in the series and here we are going to run through the overpowered titans to hunt down and the weaklings that are best avoided if you want to keep up your winning streak.
Least Powerful: Charcadet
This ninth-generation Fire-type Pokémon can be found throughout Paldea, although it's a rare creature that you'll likely not encounter all that often. Considering its scarcity, you might think that Charcadet is a strong Pokémon that is a good choice to have on your team. That wouldn't necessarily be true, as this little fiery humanoid has pretty low base stats of just 255. It is also especially slow, making it more vulnerable to being hit first if the opposing Pokémon is faster. With just 10 moves available to learn as it levels up, Charcadet mostly utilizes Fire-type attacks and thus is a bit one-dimensional when it comes to battles as well.
While some people online have spoken about certain versions of Charcadet having some use, others have pointed out how weak the Pokémon is and how easily it can be defeated by even much lower-level creatures. Charcadet can also be tricky to evolve, as it doesn't transform in the traditional way by leveling up but rather by using a specific item. Depending on whether you're playing "Scarlet" or "Violet," it can either evolve into Armarouge or Ceruledge by being exposed to a certain type of armor that you can purchase from an NPC.
Most Powerful: Garganacl
Despite its status as a newcomer to the series, Garganacl has already developed a reputation as one of the best Rock-type Pokémon available to players. In fact, some fans even think it comes close to stellar Pokémon such as Tyranitar and others believe that it is an ideal choice for players to include in their teams — especially early on in the game. The final stage of Nacli's tree, Garganacl evolves from Naclstack and can act as an effective tank thanks to its large HP and defense stats. In total, the Pokémon has base stats of 500, making it an effective and well-rounded addition.
But it isn't just the stats that make Garganacl a powerful creature. Its Hidden Ability stops opponents from being able to lower its stats. Meanwhile, Sturdy prevents the fighter from being knocked out if its HP is full, giving it a chance to always get some damage in itself before being defeated. The final ability, Purifying Salt, blocks status effects and provides resistance to Ghost-type attacks, offering more protection. In terms of moves, it can learn Recover to regain HP and has the new move Salt Cure, which causes damage every turn, deals extra damage to both Water and Steel-types, and is regarded as one of the strongest moves included in "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet" (via Kotaku).
Least Powerful: Wiglett
Of the Pokémon in "Violet" and "Scarlet," Wiglett may have attracted the most attention. Resembling Diglett from the Generation 1 titles, it isn't a variation of that creature but rather a distinct species of its own (via Inverse). The Water-type evolves into the imaginatively named Wugtrio, much like Diglett transforms into Dugtrio. Unfortunately, this particular creature doesn't have much going for it in terms of battling and doesn't even have the benefit of evolving into an impressive Pokémon, as Wugtrio is not all that much better than its predecessor.
The main issue for Wiglett is its incredibly low base stats, with its HP being the standout for all the wrong reasons at a score of just 10. That means that Wiglett is practically a sitting duck and any major hit could take it out of a battle before it has even really begun. Throw in its poor Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense and Wiglett won't cause too much concern to opponents, even if it does have quite a high Speed value of 95.
Most Powerful: Baxcalibur
Baxcalibur is a dual Ice and Dragon-type Pokémon that is part of the evolutionary tree of Frigibax and evolves from Arctibax at the relatively high level of 54. Considered a pseudo-Legendary Pokémon due to its high stats and strength, it has quickly established itself as one of the best new additions in "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet." With base stats of 600, it has great HP and exceptional attacking ability. This has led to Baxcalibur being considered a wall breaker as it can pack a strong punch and defeat Pokémon that would otherwise pose major problems to a player).
Also adding to its potential for causing massive amounts of damage is its Thermal Exchange ability as it leaves the Pokémon immune to Fire status effects and can boost its attack when hit with Fire attacks (via Game8). Ice Body gives it the opportunity to heal after every turn, while the newly introduced move Glaive Rush is as powerful as Outrage with a power level of 120. Combined with the fact that Baxcalibur can learn a wide array of moves thanks to its dual-typing and boost its stats with the move Dragon Dance, the Pokémon is an excellent choice as a sweeper that can wipe out entire teams by itself.
Least Powerful: Pawmi
There's no denying that Pawmi is a cute Pokémon. In fact, the little critter has already attracted a legion of fans who find it completely adorable and become a popular source of fan art. As a Pikachu clone, that's to be expected and the little critter certainly delivers in terms of looks (via Game Rant). The Electric-type can evolve into Pawmo and is essentially a rodent that can shoot electricity out of its front paws.
Unlike Pikachu, though, Pawmi has very low base stats — a full 80 points lower than its inspiration with a rating of 240. That makes it one of the weakest Pokémon in the Generation 9 titles. With a move pool made up of almost exclusively Electric and Normal-type attacks, it is further limited in its effectiveness. It can use its Nuzzle move to paralyze Pokémon to make them easier to catch, however (via The Phoenix Desertsong).
Pawmi does have a useful ability in the form of Natural Cure, which can heal any status effects when a battle ends or when it is switched out. This can prove an effective tool in matches where status effects can play a big part in the overall strategy. However, this doesn't make up for its other weaknesses and Pawmi is unlikely to figure much into the competitive scene.
Most Powerful: Roaring Moon
Part of the additional group classification known as Paradox Pokémon introduced in "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet", Roaring Moon is a dual Dragon and Dark-type that bears a resemblance to Salamence. According to Game Rant, it has become a firm fan-favorite and is arguably the strongest of the Paradox Pokémon thanks in large part to its high base stats of 590. Of course, its dual-typing also means that it is resistant to a lot of different types, including Ghost, Fire, Water, and Grass, as well as possessing complete immunity to Psychic-type attacks.
With a deep move pool, Roaring Moon can also learn more than 70 different attacks, allowing for a lot of versatility so that players can adapt the Pokémon to suit their own teams and strategies. As noted by Game8, it has lots of attacking potential and access to Dragon Dance, further boosting its stats to make it more formidable. This makes it a suitable Pokémon to act as a sweeper that can quickly dispatch multiple enemies in a row, especially when using moves such as Outrage. No wonder it had fans excited about using it when the game launched and the full stats were revealed.
Least Powerful: Flittle
Flittle is a Psychic-type Pokémon that floats along the ground and appears to be a little yellow ball. It can evolve into the more powerful Espathra when it reaches level 35, although if you aren't interested in that Pokémon then it might be better to ignore Flittle altogether as it doesn't offer much as a fighter. With base stats of 255, it isn't quite as weak as some of the other examples discussed previously but don't let that fool you. The Pokémon only has an impressive Speed rating, with its HP, Attack, and Defense all at very low levels. It does have a slightly higher Special Attack stat but that is wasted as almost half of its attacking moves are Physical.
Flittle can learn a total of 10 different moves as it levels up and, among them, only Psybeam and Uproar are powerful attacks that can deal significant damage. More importantly, only Confusion and Psybeam get the same-type Attack bonus when used in battle, restricting how effective Flittle can be in a fight.
Most Powerful: Glimmora
Glimmora is a Pokémon introduced in "Scarlet" and "Violet" that has drawn in a steady number of fans thanks to its versatility and unique abilities. A Rock and Poison-type Pokémon, it evolves from Glimmet and has base stats of 525 with a Special Attack of 130. It can operate as a lead Pokémon to set up a battle by applying the hazard Stealth Rock or put its Special Attack stat to good use as an offensive part of a team. As pointed out in a Reddit thread, all of that makes Glimmora a frustrating challenge to play against.
Glimmora also has access to two important abilities that further increase its usefulness in competitive battles. Its hidden ability is Corrosion, allowing the Pokémon to poison Steel and Poison-types that would usually be immune to such damage. That combines well with its signature move Mortal Spin, as it is guaranteed to poison the opposing Pokémon if it hits. Meanwhile, the Toxic Debris ability will shoot out Toxic Spikes when it is struck with a Physical Attack, essentially damaging opponents with a free extra hit.
Least Powerful: Nymble
Bug-types have developed a reputation over the years as belonging to one of the weakest groups of Pokémon, despite the fact that they can have some useful moves and abilities for competitive play (via CBR). This may have something to do with the fact that they often have low base stats and are used by low-level trainers early on in games when they are not at their full potential. Nymble is the latest Bug-type Pokémon introduced in "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet" and, unfortunately, it doesn't do much to dispel that reputation.
Weighing in with base stats of just 210, Nymble is among the lowest-rated Pokémon in the series. It has particularly bad Special Attack and Special Defense levels and thus is susceptible to those types of moves. This, coupled with its low HP, ensures that Nymble can be dispatched quite quickly in battles. The Pokémon also has a small move pool that contains a little over 30 options in total, meaning that there are far better choices out there for players when it comes to filling out their team, even in the early portions of "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet."
Most Powerful: Iron Moth
Iron Moth is another Paradox Pokémon. While it isn't quite as powerful as Roaring Moon, it still stands out as an impressive battler. One of the major advantages of Iron Moth is that it is a dual-type Fire and Poison Pokémon. This makes it effective against a wide range of opponents, as these attacks both have good coverage against many other types. Add in the fact that it is resistant to eight types, including Bug, Ice, Steel, and Fairy, and it is a Pokémon that will work well in many situations.
With a 140 rating, Iron Moth's Special Attack category stands out among its high base stats of 570. This combines well with the moves it can learn from gaining experience, almost all of which are Special Attacks, such as Overheat, Hurricane, and Sludge Wave. Players have also been impressed by Iron Moth's high speed, along with its signature move, Fiery Dance, which has a good chance of boosting its Special Attack even further. As an offensive Pokémon, it can play an important role on a roster and prove capable of devastating teams with Grass, Fairy, and Ice-type Pokémon (via Game8).
Least Powerful: Tarountula
A Bug-type Pokémon that can be found quite early in "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet," Tarountula will likely be one of the first wild creatures that players encounter. That might be why it isn't a particularly powerful Pokémon in the games. It has one of the lowest base stats, with a rating of just 210, and possesses unimpressive Speed and HP. These facts alone would make it a Pokémon that most players would do well to avoid but it also struggles in other areas.
Tarountula is only resistant to three types — Fighting, Ground, and Grass — and has no immunities. Its move pool is also quite small, restricting the number of moves it can learn, lowering its versatility, and cementing Tarountula's place among the bottom rung of fighters. As reported by Game Rant, Tarountula does have one positive aspect in that it can learn the move Silk Trap when it evolves into Spidops. This is a move similar to Protect but that has the added advantage of also lowering the Speed of the opponent, which could make it useful in competitive play as a way of reducing the stats of opposing Pokémon in a relatively safe way.
Most Powerful: Chien-Pao
One of the Legendary Pokémon in "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet," Chien-Pao is arguably a vital member of any competitive player's team. The Dark and Ice-type Pokémon has already been touted as possibly being banned from tournaments due to its overpowered kit. After all, the Sword of Ruin ability can lower the Defense of every other active Pokémon in a battle by a quarter and it can learn Dragon Dance to boost both its Attack and Speed (via Smogon Forums). This can help it overcome its low HP and Defense.
Chien-Pao has the highest Special Attack stat of any Pokémon in "Scarlet" and "Violet," exceeding both Iron Moth and Hatterene. It combines this with an incredible Special Defense of 120 and a fast Speed of 100 for a total base stat level of 580. Even those Pokémon that might be more agile are not safe, as Chien-Pao can also learn Ice Shard, which gets priority in battle ensuring it will hit first. Game8 suggested that it can be sent out in competitive contests to immediately put opposing Pokémon at a disadvantage and then strike with devastating attacks such as Ice Spinner and Crunch.