Best Pokemon In Pokemon GO: Strongest Pokemon To Win Every Battle

The best Pokemon in Pokemon GO will always be a subjective topic depending on your definition of "best". Looking at it from a position of best equals strongest is much easier however, because there are a select group of pocket monsters in Pokemon GO that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Whether you want the best attackers to take down a feisty raid boss or you need the best defenders to hold on to a gym and earn your 50 coins for the day, we've got the Pokemon for you. These are the best Pokemon in Pokemon GO.

Best Pokemon In Pokemon GO: What Makes A Strong Pokemon?

A Pokemon’s strength is determined by its Combat Power (CP). This is the number you see above a Pokemon any time you tap on its profile. The higher the CP, the more damage a Pokemon’s attacks will do. You can increase your Pokemon’s CP by tapping ‘Power Up’. It’ll use up Candies and Stardust, but it’ll increase the strength of that Pokemon.

Some Pokemon are more likely to reach higher CP levels than others. For example, a Trubbish that you catch in the wild will usually have a CP below 600, and no matter how often you power it up, will hit a CP cap of 1,000. This maximum CP cap varies widely between Pokemon: legendaries are more likely to hit maximum CP, as are the final evolutions of Pokemon, such as Dragonite. Having a higher IV Pokemon - determined by appraisal - will increase the max CP it can hit.

To help you choose which Pokemon you’ll train to hit max CP, we’ve got a list of ten of the best Pokemon in Pokemon GO. This isn’t necessarily the ten strongest—as a lot of those are legendary Pokemon only available in very infrequent raids—but a mixture of Pokemon that are readily available, and very strong when fully upgraded.

Best Pokemon In Pokemon GO

Dragonite

First up is a relatively common Pokemon, but one that grows very strong. The final evolution of Dratini, the Dragon-type Dragonite can hit a maximum CP of 3,792. It’s a particularly good choice for novice Pokemon GO players, as you’ll come across a lot of Dratini in the wild during semi-frequent Dragon-type events. It’ll take a while to fully evolve, as Dragonair needs 100 Candy to evolve into Dragonite, but it’s certainly worth the end result.

Tyranitar

Next is another Pokemon that’s quite easy to evolve throughout the early stages of your Pokemon GO adventure. Tyranitar starts off as Larvitar which, like Dratini, you can find in the wild during special events. Once it’s fully evolved, Tyranitar has a maxium CP of 3,834 – making it stronger than Dragonite. It’s also one of the strongest Rock-type Pokemon in the game.

Rhyperior

Rhyperior is slighty less common, and evolves from Rhyhorn, to Rhydon as the second stage. This Ground- and Rock-type Pokemon can reach 3,733 CP when boosted to its fullest capacity. The only drawback is Rhyperior’s significant weakness to Water and Grass-type Pokemon, making it a risky choice.

Blissey

You might not expect Blissey to be one of Pokemon GO’s most powerful fighters, but it absolutely is. Blissey can reach a maximum CP of 2,757, once you’ve evolved it from a Happiny to a Chansey. Blissey is much better as a defensive Pokemon, with moves like Zen Headbutt and Dazzling Gleam, so this is the number one choice for defending gyms.

Slaking

Believe it or not, Slaking is actually the strongest Pokemon in the game when it comes to raw CP value. It can reach a CP of 4,431, which is higher than anything else. As a Normal-type Pokemon it isn’t especially effective against particular Types – and its trademark Yawn move does no damage. Therefore, even though it’s strong, Slaking isn’t a great fighter.

Garchomp

The final evolution of Gible is a Dragon- and Ground-type, with a max CP of 3,962. Its Dragon Tail and Outrage moves are particularly damaging, too. This makes Garchomp a very strong choice.

Metagross

Metagross isn’t the best attacking Pokemon, but its max CP of 3,791, and its high HP, make it a strong choice to place in Gyms. Definitely keep an eye out for its Meteor Mash move, which takes full advantage of this Steel-type Pokemon.

Salamence 

It isn’t the first Dragon-type on this list, but Salamence is certainly a Pokemon to consider. With a 3,749 max CP and a base attack rating of 277, it’s a quick and powerful fighter.

Togekiss 

Togekiss may start out as the lil' baby Togepi, but this final evolution form is another one of the best defenders in Pokemon GO. It has a max CP value of 3,332 and thanks to being a Fairy-type, offers an interesting curveball in battles.

Mewtwo 

Last on the list, Mewtwo might be a Legendary Pokemon, but you can catch it through mandatory research – meaning if you play enough, you’ll definitely have a chance to catch it. With a maximum CP of 4,178 and a Psystrike move that does 47 damage per second, Mewtwo certainly lives up to its reputation.

There you have it – the strongest Pokemon to keep an eye out for in Pokemon GO. If you have these in your team, you’ve got a very good chance of succeeding in most encounters you’ll face. If you want more, check out our other Pokemon GO guides below:

Pokemon Go Ditto | Pokemon Go Eevee evolutions | Pokemon Go promo codes | Pokemon Go teams | Pokemon Go raids | Pokemon Go Mewtwo | Pokemon Go Arlo counters | Pokemon Go Cliff counters | Pokemon Go Sierra counters | Pokemon Go Giovanni counters