Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Pokémon

Become an irresistible duelant with these creatures

Niantic

The Ultra League is one of the most popular competitions in Pokémon Go’s PvP mode, the Go Battle League. It returns into the rotation of available disciplines from September 10 to 17, 2024.

Table of Contents

1. Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Leads
2. Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Safe Switches
3. Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Closers
4. Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Attackers

The upper limit for competition points (CP) in this format is 2,500 CP, but you won’t have to worry about any type-related restrictions: Being an open competition, you can field whichever Pokémon you like in Ultra League.

We have collected all the best Pokémon for Ultra League in Pokémon Go based on statistics and simulations provided by PvPoke.com, so you don’t have to worry about figuring out the meta.

Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Leads

You’ll want one of these Pokémon to open up the battle on your side. Their aggressiveness puts pressure on your opponent right from the beginning, while they are tough enough to survive a bit of punishment. This gives you time to think over your next steps and might give you an advantage in a battle of attrition. Ideally, of course, you achieve a quick first knockout.

1. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)
2. Malamar [XL] (Psywave, Foul Play, Superpower)
3. Zygarde (Complete Forme) (Dragon Tail, Crunch, Earthquake)
4. Clefable [XL] (Fairy Wind, Swift, Moonblast)
5. Shadow Feraligatr (Shadow Claw, Hydro Cannon, Ice Beam)
6. Shadow Machamp (Karate Chop, Cross Chop, Stone Edge)
7. Dusknoir [S][XL] (Astonish, Shadow Ball, Shadow Punch)
8. Shadow Steelix [XL] (Dragon Tail, Psychic Fangs, Crunch)
9. Lickilicky [XL] (Rollout, Body Slam, Shadow Ball)
10. Drifblim [XL] (Astonish, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind)

Pokémon marked with [XL] require Candy XL to reach their best performance levels, Pokémon marked with [S] perform comparably well in both their regular and Shadow forms.

Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Safe Switches

Should the initial pairing be to your disadvantage, you need to consider switching out your lead monster for another Pokémon. This is where Safe Switches come into play. They are either strong leads themselves or are specialized in countering some of the more popular members of that category. In any case, a switch will preserve your original lead to fight later on in the battle and perhaps force your opponent to also adapt their strategy on the fly, equalizing the battle once again.

1. Feraligatr [S] (Shadow Claw, Hydro Cannon, Ice Beam)
2. Drapion [S][XL] (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Crunch)
3. Shadow Ursaring (Shadow Claw, Swift, Close Combat)
4. Clefable [XL] (Fairy Wind, Swift, Moonblast)
5. Malamar [XL] (Psywave, Foul Play, Superpower)
6. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)
7. Kyurem (Dragon Breath, Glaciate, Dragon Claw)
8. Galarian Weezing [XL] (Fairy Wind, Brutal Swing, Play Rough)
9. Giratina (Altered Forme) (Shadow Claw, Dragon Claw, Shadow Sneak)
10. Goodra (Dragon Breath, Aqua Tail, Power Whip)

Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Closers

Once no shields are left in play on either side, you’ll want to use one of these Pokémon. They are incredibly tough thanks to their high defense and plenty of useful resistances or can knock out an opponent in one blow with their powerful Charged Attack.

1. Registeel [S][XL] (Lock On, Focus Blast, Zap Cannon)
2. Regirock [S] (Lock On, Stone Edge, Focus Blast)
3. Shadow Feraligatr (Shadow Claw, Hydro Cannon, Ice Beam)
4. Malamar [XL] (Psywave, Foul Play, Superpower)
5. Turtonator [XL] (Incinerate, Dragon Pulse, Overheat)
6. Zygarde (Complete Forme) (Dragon Tail, Crunch, Earthquake)
7. Florges (Fairy Wind, Disarming Voice, Moonblast)
8. Shadow Raikou (Volt Switch, Wild Charge, Shadow Ball)
9. Clefable [XL] (Fairy Wind, Swift, Moonblast)
10. Regice [S] (Lock On, Thunder, Blizzard)

Pokémon Go Ultra League: Best Attackers

If you’re left without shields while facing an opponent who still has that option available, these Pokémon are your best friends. They combine important resistances and powerful Fast Attacks to compensate for this disadvantage. For this reason, you rarely see Shadow forms in this role – they take more damage than their regular counterparts, making them a risky card to pull out at this stage of a match.

1. Zygarde (Complete Forme) (Dragon Tail, Crunch, Earthquake)
2. Steelix [XL] (Dragon Tail, Psychic Fangs, Crunch)
3. Clefable [XL] (Fairy Wind, Swift, Moonblast)
4. Mandibuzz [XL] (Snarl, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace)
5. Shadow Steelix [XL] (Dragon Tail, Psychic Fangs, Crunch)
6. Lickilicky [XL] (Rollout, Body Slam, Shadow Ball)
7. Giratina (Altered Forme) (Shadow Claw, Dragon Claw, Shadow Sneak)
8. Virizion (Double Kick, Leaf Blade, Sacred Sword)
9. Cobalion (Double Kick, Sacred Sword, Stone Edge)
10. Gastrodon [XL] (Mud Slap, Body Slam, Earth Power)

The Max Out update really did a number on the Ultra League meta, shaking it up in a similar way as the Great League: Names like Pangoro and Malamar suddenly rose the top, overshadowing a few mainstays like Zygarde and Feraligatr, which – to be fair – didn’t exactly fall off entirely. We’ve got a good mix of new and familiar faces this season, making Ultra League quite a refreshing format for once.

For more Pokémon Go, check out the overviews of the monthly Spotlight Hours and 5-Star Raids.