Paldea is packed with new creatures, but only a handful are worth building a serious team around. The picks below cover raw power, useful abilities, and a few oddballs that punch well above their stat totals. Whether you want a tournament-ready sweeper or a tank that refuses to die, these are the Generation 9 Pokémon that earn their place.
Quick answer: Koraidon and Miraidon top the list with a 670 base stat total, followed by Palafin’s Hero Form (650) and the pseudo-legendary Baxcalibur (600). For non-legendary value, Gholdengo, Annihilape, Clodsire, and Ceruledge are the most reliable additions.
Base stat totals at a comparison
Stat totals are the fastest way to gauge raw power. Here is how the top picks stack up, along with their typing and standout stat.
| Pokémon | Type | Base stat total | Standout stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koraidon | Fighting / Dragon | 670 | Attack 135, Speed 135 |
| Miraidon | Electric / Dragon | 670 | Sp. Atk 135, Speed 135 |
| Palafin (Hero Form) | Water | 650 | Attack 160 |
| Baxcalibur | Dragon / Ice | 600 | Attack 145 |
| Gholdengo | Steel / Ghost | 550 | Sp. Atk 133 |
| Kingambit | Dark / Steel | 550 | Attack 135 |
| Annihilape | Fighting / Ghost | 535 | Attack 115 |
| Glimmora | Rock / Poison | 525 | Sp. Atk 130 |
| Clodsire | Poison / Ground | 430 | HP 130 |
Koraidon and Miraidon: the box-art legendaries
The two cover legends share a 670 base stat total, the highest in Generation 9. Koraidon is the Scarlet exclusive, a Fighting/Dragon-type built for physical offense with strong Attack, Defense, and a Speed stat of 135. Its Orichalcum Pulse ability sets harsh sunlight on entry, and signature attacks like Collision Course hit hard. Moves such as Close Combat, Low Kick, and Outrage round out a roster-anchoring attacker.
Miraidon is the Violet exclusive and the special-attacking counterpart. Its Electric/Dragon typing pairs with the Hadron Engine ability, which sets Electric Terrain the moment it enters battle and boosts its Special Attack. With high Speed, it tends to outpace and remove threats before they act. Coverage options like Draco Meteor and Volt Switch let it adapt mid-match.
Note: You can only carry one version-exclusive legendary in your party at a time. The second one is obtainable after the main story but mostly serves as a Ride Pokémon.
Palafin and its Zero to Hero transformation
Palafin looks ordinary until its Zero to Hero ability kicks in. Switch this Water-type out and back in, and it shifts into Hero Form, where its base stat total jumps to 650. That figure is higher than Paldea’s own pseudo-legendary, and its Attack climbs to a punishing 160. Terastallizing Palafin adds a 1.5x damage boost on top.
To evolve Finizen into Palafin, you need to level it while connected to other players online via the Union Circle. After that, the form switch is purely a battle mechanic that triggers on the swap.
Baxcalibur: Paldea’s pseudo-legendary
Baxcalibur is the final evolution of Frigibax and the region’s pseudo-legendary, sitting at a 600 base stat total. It is a Dragon/Ice-type with a brutal 145 Attack and a healthy 115 HP, which is unusual for a heavy physical attacker. Its other stats land in the average range, but the offensive output and bulk make it a late-game powerhouse. It becomes available fairly late in the campaign.
Gholdengo: the Pokédex number 1,000 closer
Gholdengo is the evolution of Gimmighoul and the creature that fills Pokédex slot 1,000. It is a Steel/Ghost-type with a 550 base stat total and a 133 Special Attack. Its Good As Gold ability is the real draw, granting full immunity to opposing status moves and protecting it from effects like Curse and Strength Sap. Pair that with its signature move Make It Rain, which deals damage and scatters coins, and you get a versatile special attacker.
To evolve Gimmighoul, you need 999 Gimmighoul Coins in your bag, then level it up. You will know it worked when Gimmighoul evolves on the level-up screen.
Kingambit and Annihilape: the surprise stage-3 evolutions
Two older lines picked up powerful new evolutions in Paldea. Kingambit is Bisharp’s Dark/Steel evolution with a 550 base stat total that leans hard into physical Attack (135) and Defense, at the cost of Speed and Special Attack. Its Steel typing grants plenty of resistances, though watch out for its 4x Fighting weakness. To evolve Bisharp, defeat three Bisharp that lead packs of Pawniard.
Annihilape is Primeape’s Fighting/Ghost evolution with a 535 total and a 115 Attack. To unlock it, have Primeape learn Rage Fist at level 35, use that move 20 times in battle, and then it evolves. The Fighting/Ghost combination only gets stronger as a battle drags on, making it a strong physical threat.
Glimmora and Clodsire: poison-type standouts
Glimmora is a Rock/Poison-type that evolves from Glimmet, the bulb-like growths you spot on cave walls. With a 130 Special Attack and a 525 total, it works well as a hazard-setter and special attacker. Its signature move Mortal Spin damages the target, poisons it, and clears binding effects off Glimmora. Toxic Debris also lays spikes when foes make contact.
Clodsire is the tank of the group. The Poison/Ground evolution of Paldean Wooper has a 430 total built around a 130 HP and 100 Special Defense. It resists Electric and Poison attacks, and the Water Absorb ability variant heals it from Water moves. Moves like Toxic Spikes and Yawn wear opponents down, and Terastallizing into pure Poison clears its Grass weakness.
Ceruledge and Armarouge: the Charcadet split
Charcadet evolves into one of two Pokémon depending on your version, using armor obtained from an NPC in Zapapico. Violet players get Ceruledge, a Fire/Ghost-type whose blades transform into greatswords for heavy damage. Scarlet players get Armarouge, a Fire/Psychic-type with a more tactical lean. Both share a 525 total, are strong physical attackers, and have good Speed.
The Treasures of Ruin quartet
Generation 9 swaps the usual legendary trio for a quartet. All four share Dark as their primary type and a 580 base stat total, with different secondary typings and stat spreads. You unlock them by pulling stakes scattered across Paldea, which open their sealed shrines.
| Pokémon | Type | Ability | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wo-Chien | Dark / Grass | Tablets of Ruin | Special Defense |
| Chien-Pao | Dark / Ice | Sword of Ruin | Speed |
| Ting-Lu | Dark / Ground | Vessel of Ruin | HP |
| Chi-Yu | Dark / Fire | Beads of Ruin | Special Attack |
Chi-Yu sees the most competitive play thanks to its high Special Attack and the Beads of Ruin ability, which lowers the Special Defense of every other Pokémon on the field by 25%.
Paradox Pokémon and DLC additions
The Paradox Pokémon are ancient and futuristic relatives of older species. Most carry a 570 base stat total, with distribution that shifts toward Speed, physical, or special depending on the creature. Iron Bundle owns the highest Speed in the generation, while Iron Hands packs a huge 154 HP. Roaring Moon (Dragon/Dark) and Iron Valiant (Fairy/Fighting) break the pattern at 590.
Raging Bolt arrived with The Indigo Disk DLC and quickly became a staple. Believed to be an ancient relative of Raikou, this Electric/Dragon-type focuses on offense, with Thunderclap among its most devastating moves. Iron Moth, a Violet-exclusive Fire/Poison Paradox form tied to Volcarona, is another strong pick, using its 140 Special Attack alongside Toxic Spikes and a Quark Drive boost in Electric Terrain.
Ogerpon, introduced in The Teal Mask expansion, swaps types based on the mask it holds. Its default Teal Mask form is pure Grass, while the Cornerstone and Hearthflame masks push it into Grass/Rock and Grass/Fire territory, each boosting a different stat. Its Terastallization makes it a versatile, flexible attacker.
Underrated picks worth a spot
Not every strong team member needs a sky-high stat total. Greavard, the Ghost Dog Pokémon, hides in the snow and pops out to startle passers-by, evolving into Houndstone. Its friendly nature comes with a life-draining quirk that fits its ghostly lore.
Dachsbun, the evolution of Fidough, is a Fairy-type that learns Ghost and Dark moves. Its Well-Baked Body ability makes it immune to Fire-type attacks, which is a handy defensive niche. Dondozo is another option, a pure Water-type tank with 150 HP that pairs with Tatsugiri in double battles to power up Order Up.
Between the box-art legends, the Hero Form dolphin, the pseudo-legendary dragon, and a roster of high-utility evolutions, Paldea gives you plenty of room to build around raw power or clever abilities. Match a couple of heavy hitters with a tank like Clodsire or Dondozo, and you have a team ready for the toughest Trainers in the region.
