We've talked about the best team compositions in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet and we've also talked about the best support Pokemon in the current meta but who are the Top 10 Strongest Scarlet and Violet Pokemon?
Top 10 Strongest Pokemon in Gen 9 (Scarlet & Violet)
In this list, we have taken into consideration the viability of these Pokemon to be used in ranked battles and in VGC, with the exception of those that are banned from the official circuit, of course. We have nitpicked the contenders and here are the best Pokemon (exclusively to Gen 9) in Scarlet and Violet!
10. Maushold
Stats
HP – 74
Attack – 75
Defense – 70
Sp. Attack – 65
Sp. Defense – 75
Speed – 111
Total – 470
The first Pokemon on the list of Scarlet and Violet's Strongest Pokemon is Maushold. Surprising as it may seem, Maushold can actually take both attacker and support role. With its Signature Move of Population Bomb, it does a max of 10 hits with 20 base power with an accuracy rate of 90%. Let Maushold hold the Wide Lens to give a 9% accuracy increase and that leaves you with 99% accuracy rate. What's interesting is Maushold's Technician Ability which boosts moves with under 60 base power by 50% so Population Bomb then does a 30 base power damage output multiplied by 10! Go crazy with Maushold and let them feel the power of friendship!
9. Meowscarada
Stats
HP – 76
Attack – 110
Defense – 70
Sp. Attack – 81
Sp. Defense – 70
Speed – 123
Total – 530
Next on the list of the strongest Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet is Meowscarada. Of the three starter Pokemon Stage 2 evolutions, Meowscarada is the one poised to be top pick since it has its Signature Move, Flower Trick, which has 70 base power that never misses and always lands a critical hit. That means 105 base power that ignores defense buffs. Don't forget that Meowscarada has its Hidden Ability Protean, which changes the your type depending on the type of the move that you used. Take note that Protean was nerfed during Gen 9 since it can now only be used once per switch in. Nevertheless, Meowscarada remains as a formidable foe to ignore.
8. Baxcalibur
Stats
HP – 115
Attack – 145
Defense – 92
Sp. Attack – 75
Sp. Defense – 86
Speed – 87
Total – 600
Scarlet and Violet's Pseudo Legendary is one of the Strongest Pokemon, undeniably. Its stats aren't really mega impressive compared to other Pseudo Legendary Pokemon but there is still an edge when it comes to utilizing Baxcalibur for ranked battles or in VGC. This Pokemon in particular is weak against Fighting, Rock, Steel, Dragon, and Fairy-types so it really benefits a lot from having an Electric Tera type. The typical moveset for Baxcalibur is really slamming opponents with Glaive Rush. It has a 120 base power and a 100% accuracy rate but a major drawback to this is that on the next turn, Baxcalibur will receive twice as much damage from the opponent. That shouldn't be an issue since Baxcalibur can learn the move Protect and just whisk away any incoming damage and prepare for the next attack. It has access to other moves like Ice Beam, Earthquake, and Aqua Tail for good measure. Baxcalibur is sure to be a hard hitting tank ready to take a hit and dish out big damage.
7. Palafin
Stats
HP – 100
Attack – 70 becomes 160
Defense – 72 becomes 97
Sp. Attack – 106
Sp. Defense – 62 becomes 87
Speed – 100
Total – 650
A gimmicky Pokemon but one of the strongest Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet nonetheless, Palafin is here to make some waves (and deliver them)! Its stats go from Zero to Hero for sure with its Hero Form after performing a Flip Turn and switching Palafin back in to action. Its Defense stat goes from 72 to 97, Sp. Defense from 62 to 87, amd Attack stat goes from a measly 70 to a whopping 160! Although some consider it to be a weakness since you'll have to switch in and out, you can still win the battle with its Wave Crash move that dishes out 120 base power with a 100% accuracy rate. Imagine being hit by something with that much base power with a 160 Attack stat? You're very much assured that you will hit hard. As for its Held Item, it's usually given Choice Scarf or Punching Glove and is best partnered with Grimmsnarl since it can set up various screens to help protect your team from incoming damage while setting up the Hero Form. Keep an eye out, there's a new Hero in town!
6. Kingambit
Stats
HP – 100
Attack – 135
Defense – 120
Sp. Attack – 60
Sp. Defense – 85
Speed – 50
Total – 550
The Stage 2 evolution of Pawniard, Kingambit, is a considerable contender as one of Scarlet and Violet's strongest Pokemon as it has its Signature ability Supreme Overlord which raises its Attack and Sp. Attack stats for every fainted Pokemon in your party. Sucker Punch is a priority move for Kingambit given that it only has 50 speed. If you think the x4 weakness to fighting is a nuisance, remember that you can get a Tera type that counters this since this is the latest gimmick of the 9th generation of Pokemon Games. Nevertheless, when things look bleak and most of your Pokemon are already down for the count, you can expect to clutch easily with Kingambit!
5. Dondozo / Tatsugiri
Stats
HP – 150
Attack – 100
Defense – 115
Sp. Attack – 65
Sp. Defense – 65
Speed – 35
Total – 530
Next on the list of strongest Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet is actually the pairing of Dondozo and Tatsugiri. You might be wondering why but it actually makes perfect sense! When you pair Dondozo, you literally eat Tatsugiri with Order Up and you boost your stats by 2 whole stages! Dondozo is actually pretty bulky with its 150 HP and is a good leftovers users. You can also opt Tatsugiri to hold Toxic Orb to let it faint while inside Dondozo and bring out its next best partner, Flamigo. With Flamigo's Ability, Costar, it will imitate Dondozo's stat changes and blast opposing Pokemon with Brave Bird. It's a cheeky combination but it's actually pretty great!
4. Garganacl
Stats
HP – 100
Attack – 100
Defense – 130
Sp. Attack – 45
Sp. Defense – 90
Speed – 35
Total – 500
This monstrous Pokemon is part of the strongest in Scarlet and Violet as it is extremely bulky! It has 130 a Defense stat and is great for the Trick Room mechanic. It is best to use a Garganacl that has Purifying Salt so it can protect itself from status conditions and it halves damage taken from ghost-type moves. Throw it a ghost tera type and that leaves you with only having dark-type moves to worry about. With this Pokemon, the world is your oyster since Garganacl has great movesets. It can learn Iron Defense, Recover, Wide Guard, Salt Cure, Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Body Press, Block, Substiture, Protect, Explosion, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Zen Headbutt, or Trick Room. Leave your opponents stumped and make them worry about fending their own with this tank of a Pokemon.
3. Armarouge
Stats
HP – 85
Attack – 60
Defense – 100
Sp. Attack – 125
Sp. Defense – 80
Speed – 75
Total – 525
We're down to our top 3 strongest Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet and we've got the Scarlet exclusive Armarouge in the spotlight. Best paired with Indeedee-F with the Psychic Surge ability, it sets the Psychic Terrain perfect for Armarouge since it gets a 1.5x boost for its Expanding Force move and hits both enemies. Let your Indeedee-F spam Follow Me and annihilate opposing Pokemon with your combo. Armarouge also has a Wide Guard and Trick Room for utility and is best with the Held Items of Choice Specs or Safety Goggles to protect yourself from enemies like Amoonguss with Spore. Either way, this lethal combination is something to be worried about especially for your opponent.
2. Annihilape
Stats
HP – 110
Attack – 115
Defense – 80
Sp. Attack -50
Sp. Defense – 90
Speed – 90
Total – 535
Top 2 on the list is the perfect partner for any support Pokemon, Annihilape. This particular hard hitter takes a little bit of time to warm up but is really interesting when it starts heating up for battle. With its Defiant Ability, its Attack stat is raised by 2 stages everytime any of its stats are lowered. As mentioned, you can pretty much pair Annihilape with any great support Pokemon but one notable pairing would be with Maushold. Get a Maushold that has the Friend Guard Ability (which cuts incoming damage to teammates by half) and hit Annihilape with the Population Bomb. Since this has 10 hits guaranteed (if your Maushold has Wide Lens), it is the perfect set up for Rage Fist. Quick tip: Let Annihilape hold Safety Goggles or Choice Band for good measure and get a Ghost Tera type and just Annihilape them all. Get it?
1. Gholdengo
Stats
HP – 87
Attack – 60
Defense – 95
Sp. Attack – 1333
Sp. Defense – 91
Speed – 84
Total – 550
The strongest Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet is the hardest to evolve and the Coin Entity Pokemon, Gholdengo! It has the ability of Good as Gold which gives it immunity from all status condition moves like Spore and Will o' Wisp making it pretty durable against opposing Pokemon. It has its signature move of Make It Rain which has 120 base power and 100% accuracy that hits both opposing Pokemon but drops your Sp. Attack down. You also have the moves Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Protect, Dazzling Gleam, Psychic, Power Gem, and Nasty Plot available as part of your arsenal. Gholdengo is usually (and best partnered with) Murkrow since it has the access to the Prankster ability and the move Haze to reset its Sp. Attack back to normal after dishing out Make It Rain. Hit 'em all and hit 'em hard with this literally shiny Pokemon.
There are a lot of other Pokemon that can be part of this list but we've summarized them based on the ranked battles and VGC eligibility for good measure. If you found this guide helpful, make sure to check in for more about the latest news, updates, and events on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet here on ClutchPoints Gaming! Best of luck, Trainers!