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Fans of the Pokemon franchise know Snorlax is a rather lazy and gluttonous Pokemon. Snorlax is one of the original 151, and is currently not able to evolve. However, it received a pre-evolution, Munchlax, in Generation 4. Those looking to use Snorlax to defend gyms or in PVP in Pokemon GO should make sure it has good IVs and a good set of moves.

Unlike in the earlier Pokemon games, Pokemon GO trainers won't need a Poke Flute to wake and catch Snorlax this time around. It's still a rare Pokemon and may take more than a few Poke Balls to catch. Players who want to use Snorlax will want to make sure it has the best moves for gyms and PVP.

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How to Get Snorlax in Pokemon GO

pokemon go snorlax munchlax egg

Snorlax can normally be caught from Team GO Rocket members as a Shadow Pokemon. However, it's quite rare and difficult to catch. Players can challenge Team GO Rocket at black Poke Stops or the Rocket Balloons. As most players know, the Team GO Rocket grunts' teams are randomized. If a female grunt says one of the following lines, then that means she will have a Shadow Snorlax (2022):

  • Don't bother, I've already won.
  • Winning is for winners!
  • Get ready to be defeated!

However, thanks to Pokemon GO's 2022 Greedy Glutton event, players have a chance of seeing a Snorlax in the wild/on the overworld map for a limited time. When catching Snorlax (or Shadow Snorlax), players should use Razz Berries to make the capture easier.

Another method to get Snorlax is to evolve Munchlax. The 7km Eggs that players can receive from friends as Gifts have a chance of hatching a Munchlax, along with two other Pokemon. Currently, Munchlax only hatches from the 7km Eggs received during the Greedy Glutton event. It's possible that once the event ends, Munchlax will disappear from the 7km Eggs roster. To evolve Munchlax, players can feed it 50 Snorlax Candy.

Understanding Snorlax: Typing & Moves

pokemon anime snorlax baseball cap

Snorlax is known in the mainline games for its incredible HP and its powerful Attack. It's a Normal-type Pokemon, and its Normal-type attacks won't inflict super-effective damage on any Typing. Snorlax makes a good wall in battle or defending gyms.

Strong against

N/A

Weak against

Fighting

Not very effective against

Rock, Steel, *Ghost

Resists damage from

N/A

* In regular Pokemon games, Normal-type moves can't inflict damage on Ghost-type Pokemon. Likewise, Ghost-type moves are ineffective against Snorlax. In Pokemon GO, this is changed where Normal-type and Ghost-type moves will inflict "not very effective" damage on Ghost and Normal-type Pokemon, respectively.

Snorlax can have any of the following Quick Moves and Charge Moves in Pokemon GO:

Quick Move

Charge Move

  • Lick (Ghost-type)
  • Zen Headbutt (Psychic-type)
  • Earthquake (Ground-type)
  • Heavy Slam (Steel-type)
  • Outrage (Dragon-type)
  • Skull Bash (Normal-type)
  • Superpower (Fighting-type)
  • Hyper Beam (Normal-type)
  • Body Slam (Normal-type)
  • Frustration (Normal-type; Shadow Snorlax only)
  • Return (Normal-type; Purified Snorlax only)

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Best Moves for Snorlax in Pokemon GO

pokemon go snorlax

Four of Snorlax's Charge Moves are not Normal-type, meaning Snorlax can potentially have a decent coverage against other Types. Unfortunately, Snorlax's Quick Moves are not Normal-type (except for Yawn, which can be obtained via Elite TM), meaning it won't get STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) from its Quick Moves.

The following movesets are just a few options for players to use for Snorlax:

Quick Move

Charge Move

Pros & Cons

Moveset option #1

Lick

Return

  • Pros
    • Lick will deal super-effective damage to Ghost-type Pokemon, which resist Normal-type moves in Pokemon GO.
    • As a Normal-type, Snorlax can make the most out of the Return/Frustration Move.
    • STAB is gained from the Charge Move.
    • Lick has an EPS of 12, making it Snorlax's highest EPS-generating Quick Move.
  • Cons
    • Return is only available if the Snorlax is Purified, meaning it will need to have been caught as a Shadow Pokemon from Team GO Rocket.
    • Lick doesn't deal much damage (5 damage) and is an overall weak Ghost-type move.
    • Return won't be very effective against Steel or Rock-type Pokemon.

Moveset option #2

Zen Headbutt

Superpower

  • Pros
    • Zen Headbutt will give Snorlax coverage against Fighting-type Pokemon, which is the one Typing that is super effective against Normal-types.
    • Zen Headbutt is Snorlax's strongest Quick Move (12 damage).
    • Thanks to this moveset's coverage, a Snorlax with this combination is suitable for PVP.
    • Superpower is strong against Dark, Normal, Rock, Ice, and Steel-type Pokemon.
  • Cons

Moveset option #3

Zen Headbutt

Outrage

  • Pros
    • Zen Headbutt is super effective against most Fighting-type and Poison-type Pokemon.
    • Outrage is a Dragon-type move that's strong against most Dragon-type Pokemon.
    • Outrage has a base damage of 110.
  • Cons
    • Snorlax receives no STAB from either Move.
    • Outrage doesn't provide much coverage and isn't useful when battling Fairy-type Pokemon.
    • Zen Headbutt is not very effective against most Dark-type Pokemon.

Moveset option #4

Lick

Hyper Beam

  • Pros
    • Arguably Snorlax's best moveset thanks to Lick's EPS and Hyper Beam's damage (150).
    • Hyper Beam is one of the best Normal-type moves in-game.
  • Cons

Some other Charge Moves that players can swap out are Skull Bash and Earthquake. Skull Bash can substitute the Lick + Hyper Beam moveset at the cost of lower damage. The Skull Bash Move will still give Snorlax STAB. If players want more coverage, they can have Earthquake instead. This is super effective against Types that Snorlax's Normal-type Charge Moves would be ineffective against, ie: Steel and Rock-type Pokemon. In addition, Earthquake is strong against most Fire and Poison-type Pokemon too.

Most wild Snorlax will have high CP, but its appraisal, like other Pokemon, will be randomized. Players will want a Snorlax with high HP and Attack. Powering up Snorlax can be expensive thanks to the Stardust and Candy cost, and since Snorlax isn't too common in the wild, players may want to set it as a Buddy or use Pinap Berries/Silver Pinap Berries when they encounter one.

Pokemon GO is available for mobile devices.

MORE: Pokemon GO: Full Game Guide | Tips, Tricks, and Events