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Team Rocket (specifically Jesse and James) were more comic relief characters than an actual threat to Ash and his friends in the anime. Even in Pokemon games, Team Rocket and the other deviant teams weren't much of a danger to players. But, Team Rocket in Pokemon GO isn't as easy to shrug off as with previous titles. The main reason is that Team Rocket uses Shadow Pokemon, which have unique abilities not present in "normal" Pokemon.

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Shadow Pokemon are among the strongest Pokemon in Pokemon GO (aside from Mega Pokemon) and are quite valuable for battles, especially Raids. But with so many Shadow Pokemon available to choose from in Pokemon GO, players may find it challenging to pick the ones that will help them beat Pokemon Raids easily.

Updated December 13, 2022, by Daniel Dilena: Even though Shadow Pokemon remain limited to the Pokemon GO universe, they still prove to be effective in the competitive and Raid scene. Although the "Purified" version of a Shadow Pokemon does have a slight advantage in terms of HP and Defense, they're no match for Shadow Pokemon when it comes to Attack, making them the ideal Pokemon for high-level Raids like Hariyama. Due to their usefulness and popularity, Niantic has continued to release Shadow Pokemon for players to add to their Shadowdex. As a result, the best Shadow Pokemon are constantly changing, giving players more options for creating their own Raid-stomping Shadow team.

13 Shadow Raikou

Pokemon GO Shadow Raikou

Raikou is the strongest of the three Legendary Dogs, meaning its Shadow form makes it even stronger. Shadow Raikou is naturally resistant to Flying, Steel, and Electric-type attacks, but is weak to Ground-type moves, like Earthquake and Mud Shot. Unfortunately, the only way of obtaining Shadow Raikou (aside from trading) is by defeating Giovanni. Even then, Giovanni's Legendary lineup changes every month, so players will have to keep a lookout until he has Raikou again.

The best moves Shadow Raikou can learn are Volt Switch (Quick Move) and Wild Charge (Charge Move). As mentioned previously, players should avoid using him in Raids that feature a Rock-type Pokemon like Landorus (Therian), Groudon, or Mamoswine. Other than that, Raikou is a good Shadow Pokemon for players to have in their lineup.

12 Shadow Charizard

Pokemon GO Shadow Charizard

Fans of the original 151 Pokemon will be happy to know that Shadow Charizard finally makes the cut as one of the strongest Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO, thanks to a recent update. Aside from increased Base Attack, Shadow Charizard also has a decent amount of HP (158 at max CP). Shadow Charmander (Charizard's first evolution) can be seen with various Team Rocket Grunts but has also appeared with Team Rocket Leader Cliff.

In terms of moves, Shadow Charizard excels best with Fire Spin (Quick Move) and Blast Burn (Charge Move). To obtain Blast Burn though, players will have to use an Elite TM, which isn't always easy to get. Alternatively, players can use Overheat (non-Elite TM) since it does a decent amount of damage as a Charge Move.

11 Shadow Magnezone

Pokemon GO Shadow Magnezone

Shadow Magnezone is among the tankiest of all Shadow Pokemon, boasting 205 Defense. Thanks to its high Defense, Shadow Magnezone is the ideal Pokemon to use in Legendary Raids (similar to Shadow Hariyama). However, the feature that makes Shadow Magnezone a top Shadow Pokemon is its resistance to 12-element types.

Spark (Quick Move) and Wild Charge (Charge Move) are the ideal moves to teach Shadow Magnezone, but Charge Beam can be used instead of Spark. Players should also avoid using Shadow Magnezone against Fire-type Pokemon since it has a particular weakness against them.

10 Shadow Luxray

Pokemon GO Shadow Luxray

Yet another Electric-type Pokemon that ranks among the best Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO is Shadow Luxray. This Generation 4 Pokemon has a strong Base Attack of 232 and a max CP of 2,888. Unfortunately, it does lack HP and Defense, making it the glass cannon of Shadow Pokemon.

Players should teach their Shadow Luxray Snarl (Quick Move) and Wild Charge (Charge Move). An alternative build for Shadow Luxray is Hidden Power (Quick Move) and Psychic Fangs (Charge Move), but that requires an Elite TM. Most Grunts will have a Shadow Shinx, but Sierra has been known to include Shadow Luxray in her lineup.

9 Shadow Zapdos

Pokemon GO Shadow Zapdos

Another Giovanni-locked Shadow Pokemon players should catch is Shadow Zapdos. Since it's a Legendary Pokemon, Shadow Zapdos boasts high HP and Defense, two essential attributes for Raid battles. Its Base Attack is 253, but a Perfect IV Shadow Zapdos may have an even higher Attack rating.

The best Quick Moves for Shadow Zapdos are Thunder Shock (Elite TM) or Charge Beam. Both attacks offer a decent amount of damage while still having a fast attack animation. As for Charge Moves, Zap Cannon and Drill Peck are the top two picks. By teaching Shadow Zapdos either of these moves, players can transform it into a top Shadow Pokemon.

8 Shadow Tyranitar

Shadow Tyranitar Pokemon GO

Shadow Tyranitar is hardly worth using for Raids and even less for the GO Battle League without the right attack moves. But players that manage to get a decent Shadow Larvitar and teach it the right moves will have a force to be reckoned with in Raids.

There are two combinations players should use with their Shadow Tyranitar. The first is using Smack Down (Fast Move) and Stone Edge (Charged Move), creating a pure Rock-type damage dealer that can topple most Bug-, Fire-, Flying-, and Ice-type Raid Pokemon. The second combination is Bite (Fast Move) and Crunch (Charged Move), some of the best Dark-type moves in Pokemon GO.

7 Shadow Hariyama

Shadow Hariyama Pokemon GO

Even though Shadow Hariyama isn't the best Fighting-type Shadow Pokemon on this list, it still boasts one of the highest Stamina (HP) stats in Pokemon GO, 302 at maxed CP. With that much HP, Shadow Hariyama can take a heavy beating against 5-Star or Mega Raid Pokemon before being K.O'd.

The ideal moves for Shadow Hariyama are Counter (Fast Move) and Dynamic Punch (Charged Move). Players use Counter over the other Fast Moves because it's one of the fastest DPS moves in Pokemon GO, meaning players can use their Charged Moves more often.

6 Shadow Entei

Shadow Entei Pokemon GO

Entei is one of the three Legendary Beasts (affectionately known as the Legendary Dogs) and has always been a worthy contender in the competitive scene in Pokemon GO. So, as players can expect, Shadow Entei is among the best Legendary Shadow Pokemon players can include in their Raid team. Shadow Entei's stats are also well-balanced (235 Attack, 171 Defense, and 251 Stamina), so it won't go down as quickly as other Shadow Pokemon or its "cleansed" counterpart.

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The best move setup players should have on their Shadow Entei are Fire Fang (Fast Move) and Overheat (Charged Move). If players don't have enough TMs or Stardust to change its moves though, then they can make do with Fire Spin (Fast Move) and Flamethrower (Charged Move).

5 Shadow Moltres

Shadow Moltres Pokemon GO

Shadow Moltres is a slightly better Raid Pokemon than Shadow Entei, mainly because it has a better Attack stat (Attack 251). Moreover, Shadow Moltres is a dual-type Pokemon (Fire/Flying), meaning it has better chances of countering a Raid Pokemon than a monotype like Entei.

Shadow Moltres has several move combinations that work well for Raids, but the best moves are Fire Spin (Fast Move) and Sky Attack (Charged Move). If a player already has a decent Shadow Entei, then they can teach their Shadow Moltres Wing Attack (Fast Move) since it's a powerful counter against Fighting-type Raid Pokemon.

4 Shadow Machamp

Shadow Machamp Pokemon GO

Fighting-type is one of the best offensive types in Pokemon GO as it can counter Dark-, Ice-, Normal-, Rock-, and Steel-type Pokemon with ease. And Shadow Machamp is the best Fighting-type Shadow Pokemon in the game, not to mention it has a decent set of stats (234 Attack, 159 Defense, and 207 Stamina).

Counter (Fast Move) is the most optimal move for Shadow Machamp coupled with Dynamic Punch (Charged Move). Players can change their Shadow Machamp's heavy attacker role to a more DPS by teaching it Bullet Punch (Fast Move) and Heavy Slam (Charged Move), making it viable as a Gym Defender.

3 Shadow Weavile

Shadow Weavile Pokemon GO

Weavile is one of the few Dark- and Ice-type Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO that can solo a low-tier (maybe higher with perfect stats) Raid Pokemon. But, due to its low Stamina stat (172), Shadow Weavile is something of a glass cannon, meaning players must pick their Raid fights carefully.

Shadow Weavile can fulfill two different types of roles in Pokemon GO, but for the most part, a full Dark-type role is best. Players will want to teach their Shadow Weavile Snarl (Fast Charge) and Foul Play (Charged Move). For the Ice-type role, Shadow Weavile should learn Ice Shard (Fast Move) and Avalanche (Charged Move).

2 Shadow Mamoswine

Shadow Mamoswine Pokemon GO

Despite being an unpopular Gen 2 Pokemon, Shadow Mamoswine is the top gun of Ice-type Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Shadow Mamoswine not only plays the role of a tank due to its high Stamina stat (242), but it also can be a powerful attacker since it has a 247 base Attack. On top of that, Mamoswine is a dual-type Pokemon (Ground/Ice), and it can counter Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel, Dragon, Flying, Grass, and Ground.

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The best moves for Shadow Mamoswine are Powder Snow (Fast Move) and Avalanche (Charged Move). Although slow, Powder Snow has a high charge rate, so players can use Avalanche more often. Bulldoze (Charged Move) is a good second choice for Charged Moves if a player is low on Stardust and can't change it.

1 Shadow Mewtwo

Shadow Mewtwo Pokemon GO

Undoubtedly, Shadow Mewtwo is the single best Shadow Pokemon to use in Raids as it has the strongest Attack stat (300), and that's after Niantic nerfed it. But, more than that, Shadow Mewtwo can learn almost any move of any type-specific move, from Thunderbolt to Hyper Beam. From all the possibilities of Fast Moves Mewtwo can learn, Confusion remains the best as it has a high DPS. As for Charged Moves, players can choose from the following:

  • Shadow Ball
  • Psystrike
  • Psychic
  • Thunderbolt
  • Flamethrower
  • Focus Blast
  • Hyper Beam (Legacy Move)

Players should choose a Charged Move that best fits or that their Raid team otherwise lacks. In terms of power, Hyper Beam is the hardest-hitting one, but it also takes longer to charge.

Pokemon GO is available now on iOS and Android.

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