The top 10 best Legendary Pokémon of all time, ranked

Legendary Pokémon have been in the game since the first generation and are generally classified as incredibly rare and powerful Pokémon. They are usually featured in the lore of their debut game’s region, with myths and tales of their might found scattered around in the game’s environment or even by word of mouth. Here are our top 10 Legendary Pokémon.

Related: The top 10 best Dark-type Pokémon of all time, ranked

10. Cresselia

A physically and specially defensive Psychic-type, Cresselia’s impressive defenses allow it to safely soak hits from powerhouses such as Garchomp and Salamence, both notorious sweepers. With an excellent sustain in the form of Moonlight, Cresselia is an excellent executor of Trick Room and provides additional utility in the form of Lunar Dance, which knocks Cresselia out, but fully heals an ally, even restoring their PP to full. It is an excellent support teammate and is a great defensive setter for Trick Room teams.

9. Darkrai

Darkrai is a Specially offensive glass cannon, beating out fellow Dark-type Yveltal in terms of speed, though it lacks the bulk that Yveltal has. Darkrai has excellent coverage and a wide range of utility moves to choose from, with popular options being Nasty Plot and of course, Hypnosis to take advantage of Darkrai’s Bad Dreams ability. Dark Pulse is its go-to Dark-type move, and many sets will also have it run Sludge Bomb to take care of opposing Fairy-types.

8. Zacian

With its unique Intrepid Sword ability giving it a free Attack buff upon switching in, it is no wonder that Zacian is such a highly sought-after offensive Pokémon. Being a Fairy-Steel type also offers it unique resistances and access to some extremely powerful Same Type Attack Bonus moves, making it a powerful wallbreaker. Its signature move, Behemoth Blade, doubles its damage if the target is Dynamaxed, making it great to deal with an opponent’s Dynamaxed Pokémon.

7. Eternatus

Eternatus is another anti-Dynamax Pokémon. With the ability to check walls such as Kyogre, Eternatus has earned itself a spot in the meta with its great offensive potential and fantastic typing. Its signature move, Dynamax Cannon, is a Dragon-type move that doubles in power if the foe is Dynamaxed, and its Poison typing gives it access to moves such as Sludge Bomb to deal with opposing Fairy-types. With access to the sustaining move Recover and the ability to spread Poison via Toxic and Toxic Spikes, Eternatus will definitely be a threatening presence on any team.

6. Mewtwo

With a massive Sp. Attack and Speed, along with its huge range of coverage moves, Mewtwo has been a formidable offensive presence since its debut generation. Its signature move Psystrike mows down common Special walls such as Blissey, as it deals damage based on an opponent’s Defense stat instead of their Sp. Defense stat. It has a wide array of move options, with common picks being Shadow Ball, Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Recover, and even Nasty Plot to take its already massive Sp. Attack stat to even greater heights. A Nasty Plot-boosted Mewtwo is capable of one-hit KOing many non-resistant Pokémon.

5. Dialga

Dialga’s excellent Dragon and Steel typing give it great defenses, though it is mainly used as a pure Special offensive cannon, firing off coverage moves such as Fire Blast, Thunder, Flash Cannon, Power Gem, and of course, Draco Meteor. It is a great offensive pick as Draco Meteor mows down opposing Dragons, while Flash Cannon easily takes care of most Fairy-types Dialga switches into. Many players pair it with a Choice Specs, allowing it to deal a huge chunk of damage to even the most Specially defensive of walls, such as Kyogre.

4. Marshadow

Marshadow’s unique typing grants it resistance to Normal and Fighting-type moves and opens up a whole new world of Same Type Attack Bonus moves for it. As a fast physical sweeper, Marshadow’s pure offensive prowess causes even the bulkiest of walls to sweat as they face down a Technician-boosted Shadow Sneak. With the Life Orb held item and a Jolly Nature, Marshadow is capable of knocking out fellow Legendary Eternatus in 2 hits. Popular move choices include Ice Punch, Low Kick, Shadow Sneak, and Bulk Up. Marshadow works well with other strong wallbreakers and teammates who can set up entry hazards to make its presence all the more threatening.

3. Arceus

With its flat 120 base stats and incredible type versatility, thanks to its Multitype ability, Arceus certainly deserves its spot on this list. Having 120 in every stat means that Arceus can be built according to a team’s needs, though its access to the powerful priority Physical move Extreme Speed makes Physical Arceus a more compelling choice for many players. With Swords Dance to boost its Attack and Shadow Claw to take care of Ghost-type Pokémon who are immune to Extreme Speed, Arceus is a powerful revenge killer that slots in nicely on many teams.

2. Giratina

In its base form, Giratina is a powerful defensive pick, with its ability to Defog and spread status with Will-O-Wisp and Toxic, making it a great fit in stall teams. It can even learn Roar to force opposing Pokémon to switch out and into its team’s own entry hazards. Its Origin form, however, has its offensive and defensive stats swapped, making it a bulky mixed attacker that can threaten top-tier Ground-types like Groudon and Landorus due to its Levitate ability. It also has access to various fantastic Physical and Special moves such as Draco Meteor, Poltergeist, Stone Edge, and Hex, making it a truly intimidating opponent to face on the battlefield.

1.Calyrex

Finally, we have another dual form Pokémon, a native of the Crown Tundra, Calyrex. Its Ice Rider form boasts of a monstrous Attack stat and is known for being one of the scariest physical wallbreakers in the game to date. With access to the devastating Substitute and Swords Dance combo, Ice Rider’s signature move Glacial Lance will tear through the competition. Shadow Rider Calyrex, on the other hand, is a top-tier Special sweeper, ripping through opponents’ Defenses and Sp. Defenses with Psyshock and Astral Barrage respectively. Both forms are incredibly powerful offensive picks that have influenced the current Sword and Shield metagame, thus earning them the spot as our top 1.