Pokémon Legends Z-A does not include Abilities. The passive effects that once defined matchups—think Levitate, Intimidate, or Blaze—don’t trigger in this entry. This follows the path set by Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which also shipped without Abilities.

Why abilities are missing in Legends Z-A

The Legends sub-series prioritizes faster, more readable encounters over layered passive triggers. Removing Abilities cuts a major source of invisible modifiers and matchup volatility. The trade-off is intentional: fewer automatic effects, more emphasis on positioning, timing, and the tools you actively choose.

Two Legends titles in a row have now shipped without Abilities. That points to a consistent design choice for this sub-series, even if it isn’t a blanket rule for the mainline games.

What replaces abilities in Pokémon Legends Z-A

Z-A doesn’t leave a vacuum. Several systems carry a lot of the weight Abilities once did, but in ways you can see and plan around.

  • Natures: Still present and still influential. Natures raise one stat and lower another, letting you steer a Pokémon toward a role (e.g., offense vs. bulk) without relying on passive triggers.
  • Held items: Back in play. Items now shoulder many of the passive, always-on benefits that used to come from certain Abilities or other mechanics. Because you select them explicitly, they’re easier to scout and counter in battle.
  • Reworked move effects: Interactions that previously hinged on an Ability are now tied to moves or timing. That shifts agency to when you act instead of what your Pokémon was born with.
  • Mega Evolutions: Megas return as a major, deliberate power spike governed by stones and timing, not by an automatic Ability swap.

How this changes team building and battles

Without Abilities, species identity leans harder on stats, typing, movepools, and item choices. That tends to:

  • Reduce surprise swings: You won’t lose a turn to an unexpected Intimidate or get blanked by Levitate. Counterplay is more about reads and item scouting.
  • Elevate items and natures: Fine-tuning spreads and picking the right item now matter more than rolling for an Ability variant.
  • Highlight move timing: Effects that gate damage, alter tempo, or create openings now live on moves you commit to using, not on a passive that fires without input.

Mainline games vs. Legends Z-A (quick comparison)

Mechanic Mainline (typical) Legends Z-A
Abilities Present, species- and form-dependent Not featured
Natures Present Present
Held items Present Present
Mega Evolutions Varies by title Present
Passive matchup swings Common (e.g., Intimidate, Levitate) Reduced; item- and move-driven

What about specific absent abilities?

Signature passives like Levitate, Intimidate, Protean, and Blaze do not activate in Legends Z-A. If you relied on those effects in past teams, you’ll need to recreate the intent through other levers:

  • For mitigation or immunity, look at defensive items and proactive move choices rather than an innate bypass.
  • For damage thresholds, use natures, EV-equivalent progression, and items to hit the same benchmarks an Ability once provided.
  • For tempo and control, plan your move order and Mega timing to create the windows Abilities used to open automatically.

Will abilities return in a future Legends game?

There’s no announcement committing the sub-series to or against Abilities long term. With two Legends releases omitting them, players should treat “no Abilities” as the current identity of this line, not a guarantee for all future entries.

Practical setup ideas without abilities

  • Lock in your Pokémon’s role via Nature first. Choose the Nature that supports the stat you need most for that slot, and accept the trade-off.
  • Use held items to cover gaps. If you’re missing a passive boost or safety net you used to get from an Ability, look for an item that supplies a similar effect or trigger condition.
  • Build around move-based pressure. Where a passive once applied automatically, ask which move can impose that state instead—and when you want it active.
  • Save Mega for leverage, not cleanup. In a world without Ability spikes, Mega timing can be the pivot that flips an unfavorable exchange.

The headline change is simple: no Abilities. The practical impact is more deliberate teams, clearer information in battle, and strategy that leans on choices you make—natures, items, moves, and when you go Mega—rather than a passive that fires behind the scenes.