Which are the best Shadow Pokemon for Go Battle League and raids in Pokemon Go?
And that’s not just because of the growing list of types of Pokemon.
As of February 2025, there are382 Shadow PokemoninPokemon Go.
The 20% boost is no joke.
Level for level, a 15/15/15 regular Mewtwo is outclassed by a Shadow Mewtwo.
But is a Shadow Garchomp better than, say, a regular Salamence?
And for the record, yes, it is.
Fire-types are overrepresented here, so weve cut those back to highlight others that might catch your eye.
When Mega Mewtwo arrives, it will no doubt outclass the Shadow variant, too.
It is excellent in raids and PVP alike.
Released in summer 2020, Shadow Mewtwo has stayed head and shoulders above the competition.
This Pokemon is also very good in Master League.
You will win a lot of matches with this Pokemon.
There are subtle differences between the two, but were going to talk generally here.
Neither are all that hot in raids, but they really burn bright inGo Battle League!
Whichever you choose, its a bit of a demon inMaster League- if you know how to use it.
As long as you know that Brave Bird nukes your defense, you should be fine.
Use it as a closer and you should be good.
Shadow Groudon is second only to the God-tier Primal.
So, it excels at raids, that much is obvious.
What about Go Battle League?
The Continent Pokemon is spectacular in Master League, spamming enemies and stripping Shields like the best of them.
But its Flying is where Shadow Moltres really spreads its wings as the strongest Shadow Legendary attacker.
So how does it fare as a raid attacker?
Its not bad at all, and is easily a top-five option.
If youre looking purely at raids though, Shadow Raikou is a better option.
If you dont have one though, Shadow Zapdos is a great option.
You would be wrong, but that doesnt mean that the angry whale god is a bad Pokemon.
It is, far and away, the strongest non-Mega Water-jot down attacker.
Its not even close.
The next best non-Mega Pokemon after this?
So how does it fare in Master League?
If it doesnt resist Water, youre laughing - Arceus help them if theyre weak to water.
As long as you know your match-ups, you should be fine.
It can deal phenomenal damage.
Once Shadow Zekrom is released, this will naturally knock Shadow Raikou out of pole position.
In terms of Master League, you want to swap Thunderbolt for Shadow Ball as coverage.
This will help you bring down some of the scarier stuff, like Dusk Mane Necrozma.
Plus, if youre keen Shadow Latios in Master League, youre going to be leaning into its Dragon-typing.
Youll want to drop Zen Headbutt for Dragon Breath and Psychic for the Legacy move Luster Purge.
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Think about it: who would win in a battle out of Tyranitar and Mesprit.
Its not even close, is it?
Legendary generally means strong, but technically its just a lore thing.
These are generally those who could be a Legendary Pokemon in terms of stats.
Again, this is an editorialised list of Pokemon, not simply those who have the biggest attack stats.
Shadow Salamence easily ranks second in terms of most powerful Shadow Pokemon in the game.
When it comes to raids, this is the elite in your Dragon-key in army.
Give it that tasty 20% attack boost and you are laughing maniacally.
What makes this even better is that Shadow Rhyperior is a fantastic all-rounder.
Not only is it great in raids, but Rhyperior is on our permanent Team Go Rocket Grunt-counter team.
If you have a Shadow Rhyperior, that just makes you win faster.
Which means, surely, that Shadow Rhyperior is also excellent in Master League?
Dialga, Mewtwo, Dawn Wings Necroma, Giratina Origin and Xerneas all think so…
But coming back to the Ghost-typing, this bang out is incredibly useful against Psychic-types.
Given that it isnt a Legendary, its relatively easy to power up, too.
Sadly, Ghosts are notoriously squishy.
Ramping that attack for Raids is great, but awful for PVP.
The rest of the game answers to Tyranitar.
Ok, its not that simple, but its pretty close.
Brutal Swing took Tyranitar from a middling Pokemon to something terrifyingly strong.
Master League, you ask?
If you want some anti-Psychic, anti-Flying tech, its a great left-field option that many wont see coming.
Just be aware that it does die to a lot of the meta.
This fan favourite packs an incrediblebulletpunch.
If whatever youre raiding is weak to Steel, this Pokemon is essential.
If youre curious about its standing in Master League, its not bad, just in an awkward place.
Youre better off keeping it for raids unless you need non-Dialga anti-Fairy tech.
Any of these Shadow Starters are (almost) equally good as a Fire-key in raid attacker.
Emboar pips the post by a snout-hair, so were writing about that.
This makes Shadow Garchomp the most accessible top-tier Ground attacker in the game.
Its also an incredibly strong Dragon-throw in attacher if you swap Mud Shot for Dragon Tail.
The best bit about this versatility?
Its almost on-par with Shadow Rhyperior as a Ground-key in attacker, and incredibly good in Master League.
That said, it is a bit of a corner case, used exclusively for anti-Steel tech.
There is debate over Scorching Sands vs Drill Run.
There are no Legacy moves here and Candy is pretty easy to get hold of!
But its Ultra League where we truly shine.
What are Shadow Pokemon?
Officially, Shadow Pokemon are those captured and experimented on by Team Go Rocket.
They will abandon one of their Pokemon, giving you a chance to catch it.
This is where things get a little weird.
Good luck finding the most powerful Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon Go!
