What Are the Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go?

Last week, a Niantic official gave a very strong hint that Legendary Pokemon would be added to Pokemon Go this summer. Legendary Pokemon are the most powerful Pokemon in the franchise, ancient and powerful beasts with devestating attacks that are also (usually) a major pain to catch.

We don’t know how Legendary Pokemon will play into Pokemon Go, but we do know which ones are currently coded in the game. And thanks to a deep dive into Pokemon Go‘s code, we also know what attacks they have in the game…at least for now.

Here’s a look at every Legendary Pokemon from the first and second generations, along with their key attacks and maximum CP. Please note that we’re not including the Mythical Pokemon Mew and Celebi, as they’re technically a different category of Pokemon and could be used in an entirely different way within Pokemon Go.

Articuno

Max CP: 2933

Ideal Moveset: Frost Breath/Blizzard

Articuno is the only Legendary Pokemon that has actually appeared in Pokemon Go. Last year, a rogue Niantic customer service representative gave a single player in Ohio an Articuno to make up for a complaint. Niantic’s higher-ups later “collected” the Articuno, confirming that it was indeed legitimate. 

Although it’s the mascot for the largest team in Pokemon Go, Articuno is the weakest of the the three Legendary Birds. With a below average Attack stat, but decent Defense and Stamina stats, Articuno could make for a decent Gym Defender. It’s best use will probably be to clear out Dragonite, as Articuno will easily be the strongest Ice-Type Pokemon in the game when it appears. 

Zapdos

Max CP: 3330

Ideal Moveset: Charge Beam/Thunder

Hopefully, Zapdos will be available to players that aren’t part of Team Instinct. Otherwise, a lot of Pokemon Go players will be missing out on the most powerful of the Legendary Birds. Zapdos is a pure attacker – it has mediocre Stamina and Defense, but has one of the strongest Attackers in the game. The only downside we see to Zapdos is that its fast attack Charge Beam is pretty weak. Since Zapdos has only one available fast attack, we’re guessing that its moveset will get an upgrade before it actually appears in Pokemon Go. 

Moltres

Max CP: 3272

Ideal Moveset: Fire Spin/Overheat

Moltres’s stats are nearly identical to Zapdos, which is why the two Pokemon’s CPs are so close. Moltres has a better fast attack than Zapdos in Fire Spin, and Overheat is just a touch weaker than Zapdos’s Thunder attack. Of course, Moltres’s Fire-Type attacks are super effective against a lot more Pokemon than Zapdos’s Electric-Type attacks, which could mean that Moltres is the better overall play. Still, Moltres won’t even be the strongest Fire-Type Pokemon in Pokemon Go once Legendary Pokemon are added.

Mewtwo

Max CP: 4760

Ideal Moveset: Confusion/Psychic

We have no idea how Pokemon Go is going to work once Mewtwo joins the game. Mewtwo’s Attack stat is the highest in the game by a wide margin, and it should be powerful enough to cut through entire gyms on its own. The only thing holding Mewtwo back is that it has a lackluster move pool, although that probably won’t matter due to its sheer power. If you see Mewtwo lurking at the end of a gym, get ready to have a Tyranitar ready to go with some Dark-Type attacks. 

Raikou

Max CP: 3349

Ideal Moveset: Volt Switch/Thunder

Raikou is one of the three Legendary Beasts, powerful Pokemon that were resurrected by Ho-Oh after an ancient tower burned down. Raikou is both the strongest attacker of the Legendary Beasts and the most well-rounded of the three Pokemon. Raikou doesn’t have any glaring stat deficiencies. It has a top-tier Attack stats and strong Stamina and Defense stats. If it comes down to choosing just one Legendary Beast, Raikou is probably your strongest play. 

Entei

Max CP: 3412

Ideal Moveset: Fire Spin/Overheat

Entei has the highest CP of the Legendary Beasts, but it has a pretty glaring deficiency: no Defense. This shaggy Legendary Beast has a pretty subpar Defense-stat, which means it won’t be able to take too many hits, even if it does have a high Stamina stat. Entei is probably the weakest of the Fire-Type Legendary Pokemon…even if it has a higher CP than Moltres.  

Suicune

Max CP: 2823

Ideal Moveset: Extrasensory/Hydro Pump

Even though Suicune is a mascot Pokemon, it’s the weakest Legendary currently programmed in Pokemon Go. Suicune has decent Defense and Stamina stats, but a cruddy Attack stat. Plus, it has an awful moveset with no Water-Type fast moves. Most high level players already have a Pokemon that’s more powerful than Suicune, so don’t bank on it becoming a gamechanger.

Lugia

Max CP: 3598

Ideal Moveset: Extrasensory/Future Sight

Although Lugia is the guardian of the oceans, it’s actually a Psychic/Flying type. Lugia has great Defense and Stamina stats but a mediocre Attack stat, which means that it’s probably best suited as a gym defender. Both Alakazam and Mewtwo have better Attack stats, so it’s not worth using Lugia primarily as an Psychic attacker unless you don’t have better options. 

Ho-Oh

Max CP: 4650

Ideal Moveset: Steel Wing/Brave Bird

Mewtwo might be the pure attacker in Pokemon Go, but Ho-Oh is arguably the most powerful. Ho-Oh has top tier Attack, Defense, and Stamina stats, plus access to the strongest Charge move in the game: Brave Bird. All the Legendary Pokemon (except for Suicune) are pretty great, but Ho-Oh is definitely the one you’ll want the most.