Nearly every Pokemon player has had a beloved Flying-type on their team during one adventure or another. Adorable birds like Starly and Pidgey roam early Routes in almost every game, ready for players to catch and train into magnificent fighters. Legendaries like Ho-Oh and Yveltal soar through the skies, ready to join the team of a worthy trainer.
Whether humble or regal in origin, Flying-types make for fantastic battle partners. Pokemon of this type have, on average, the highest Speed of all fully-evolved Pokemon, and their attacks hit hard against the common types Grass, Bug, and Fighting. But of all the powerful moves at their disposal, which generation gave players the best one?
8 Gen VIII: Dual Wingbeat
- Power: 40
- Accuracy: 90%
- PP: 10
The only Flying-type move introduced in the latest generation (aside from Max moves), Dual Wingbeat is a bit of a letdown compared to others on this list. Granted, a single use does hit twice, giving it a total of 80 damage. However, its accuracy and PP are mediocre at best considering its power.
This attack would work fantastically as a mid-game move. Unfortunately, though, no Pokemon are currently able to learn it through level up. This may change in future generations, but for now, Dual Wingbeat's only source is the Move Tutor on the Isle of Armor. Most of the time, it's just not worth the trouble.
7 Gen III: Bounce
- Power: 85
- Accuracy: 85%
- PP: 5
For the power that it has, most players would expect Bounce to have more available uses than it does. Because of its low PP and mediocre accuracy, players have to be judicious in how they use this move.
However, Bounce can still be very useful in battle. After the user "bounces up" on the first turn of the move, they enter a semi-invulnerable state in which it is very difficult to hit them with a move. When they slam down on the target in the second turn, they not only deal damage, but have a chance to cause paralysis as well.
6 Gen V: Hurricane
- Power: 110
- Accuracy: 70%
- PP: 10
Though this move has considerable power, its poor accuracy means that it can leave trainers frustrated. However, since it deals high damage and carries a chance to confuse its target, plenty of players do their best to make it work.
Thankfully, if used while it is raining, Hurricane will bypass accuracy checks to hit its target everytime. Conversely, its accuracy is cut to 50% in harsh sunlight. It can be a useful move in the right circumstances, but players need to use weather conditions to their advantage.
5 Gen II: Aeroblast
- Power: 100
- Accuracy: 95%
- PP: 5
Lugia's signature move befits a Pokemon of its status. With its high base power and its increased Critical Hit rate, it has the potential to deal massive damage. However, its low PP, as well as its rarity as the signature move of a Legendary, renders it less useful than other moves on this list.
For players who manage to get Lugia on their team, its signature attack is well worth using. Let it fly, and land those devastating critical hits.
4 Gen VII: Beak Blast
- Power: 100
- Accuracy: 100%
- PP: 15
For this decreased-priority move, the user charges up at the beginning of its turn, and lets the attack fly at the end. Not only does this attack pack a serious punch (or rather, peck), but it can also leave the target with a burn — which no other Flying-type attack can do. It also boasts a surprisingly high number of uses for such a powerful move.
The only drawback to this move is how few Pokemon can learn it — currently, only one. As Toucannon's signture move, players have to get their hands on this tropical bird on order to use Beak Blast.
3 Gen IV: Brave Bird
- Power: 120
- Accuracy: 100%
- PP: 15
Gen IV gave players a fantastic Flying-type attack that was widely available through some of the games' most common Pokemon. With high base power and surprisingly high PP, it has remained useful in games since.
The downside to this attack is the significant recoil damage that the user takes. Whenever Brave Bird successfully lands, the user will receive an equivalent of one-third of the damage done to the target. Players need to be careful with this attack. It's best to have the user hold a Sitrus Berry in battle, to allow it to recover from the recoil.
2 Gen VI: Dragon Ascent
- Power: 120
- Accuracy: 100%
- PP: 5
With both high power and accuracy, Dragon Ascent is reliable and capable of dealing huge damage. Unfortunately also lowers the user's Defense and Special Defense by one stage each, leaving them vulnerable to future attacks. Still, considering the damage it can do, it's often worth using.
Unfortunately, as this is Rayquaza's signature move, it is currently the only Pokemon who can use it. For those fortunate enough to have this legend on their team, Dragon Ascent gives them a huge advantage in any battle.
1 Gen I: Sky Attack
- Power: 140
- Accuracy: 90%
- PP: 5
When it comes down to it, no generation introduced a better Flying-type move than the first one did. Sky Attack takes one turn to charge up, after which it unleashes a ridiculous amount of damage on its foe. Though its accuracy leaves a little bit to be desired, players can circumvent this by equipping their Pokemon with the Wide Lens, boosting accuracy.
Sky Attack's low PP and its charge turn mean that trainers need to carefully judge the right moment to select this attack in battle. When used strategically, though, it's one of the best attacks that a Flying-type Pokemon can use in any game.