Darkrai PvE & PvP meta analysis

Darkrai

The mysterious and spooky Darkrai is a stuff of nightmares, quite literally! This Mythical Dark type Pokémon is among the biggest icons in the franchise and a highly sought-after grab in Pokémon GO. 

With so many Megas and Shadows raking up the spotlight, where does Darkrai stand in the PvE meta? How does it compete with Dark as well as Ghost typed when it comes to taking on Psychic type Raid bosses?

And does it make a substantial impact in the PvP meta? Let’s get cracking on how Darkrai fares in the Pokémon GO meta, starting with the basics.

Darkrai Stats & Matchups

Darkrai Dark
Max CP at lvl 40 4227
Max CP at lvl 50 3739
ATK 285		DEF 198		HP 172
Weaknesses			Resistances
Bug Fairy Fighting			Psychic Dark Ghost

Note that Darkrai double resists Psychic type moves while also dealing super-effective damage to these Pokémon.

Some of the most powerful Legendaries and Mythicals are Psychic types, making them highly-anticipated Raid bosses. This included stalwarts like the classic Mewtwo, its eventual Mega Y form, the Deoxys quadrate, Necrozma and its fusions, Ultra Necrozma, and Mega Metagross.

These powerhouses are weak to Dark type moves, and with a whopping 285 ATK, Darkrai is savage. 

However, as mentioned previously, Darkrai has to contend with other Dark types as well as Ghost types for super-effective damage. Let’s delve into Darkrai’s fortunes in the game.

Darkrai in PvE

When considering Mega Evolutions and Shadows, Dark type Pokémon like Mega and Shadow Tyranitar take the cake in both DPS (Damage Per Second) and TDO (Total Damage Output). On the other hand, the Megas of Absol and Houndoom, and the Shadows of Weavile and Honchkrow boast higher DPS than Darkrai.

Adding Ghost types in the mix, the Megas of Gengar and Banette, and Shadows of Gengar and Chandelure join the party, all ahead of Darkrai in DPS.

So, to be fair and generous to Darkrai who doesn’t have a Mega Evolution and is yet to have its Shadow in Pokémon GO, let’s discount Megas and Shadows. The former lasts only 8 hours at a time while the latter is too expensive to power up, so it makes sense to go ahead with this comparison.

For this, we’ll use GO Hub’s Pokémon DPS and TDO Comparer tool.

In terms of DPS

It’s quite obvious that Ghost types lead the charge when it comes to dishing out the highest damage output against Psychic type Raid bosses. In fact, even the Pokémon of the hour, Darkrai, is deadlier with Shadow Ball as its Charge attack, a non-STAB Ghost type move, over Dark Pulse, a STAB Dark type move 😮 

That said, consider that:

• If the Psychic type Raid boss has a Ghost type Charge attack, Dark types are clearly better, with Hydreigon being a tad better than Darkrai with the difference being extremely marginal
• If the Psychic type Raid boss has a Fighting type Charge attack, Ghost types are far better due to double resistance
• If the Psychic type Raid boss has a Psychic type Charge attack, Dark types are far better due to double resistance but keep in mind that Ghost types still deal higher DPS. So, dodging is desired
• As such, the top counters to use boil down to the typing of the Psychic Raid Boss’ Charge attacks

Now, let’s have a look at their TDO values.

In terms of TDO

Darkrai has sort of a middle ground in TDO, boasting neat survivability and proves its mettle against both Psychic and Ghost type Raid bosses.

Final verdict: Darkrai in PvE

While Hydreigon has a little bit more DPS, its TDO is pretty much higher, making the Pseudo Legendary an overall better choice.

Ultimately, Darkrai is a pretty good DPS attacker when Dark types are the preferable choice. It double resists Psychic type damage while also resisting Ghost type moves, making it an overall amazing pick as long as the Raid boss doesn’t have a Fighting Charge attack.

Feel free to include it in your Raid party along with Mega Tyranitar, Dawn Wings Necrozma, Hydreigon, maybe a Shadow, Darkrai, and Blacephalon. You may edit this as per availability and the Raud boss’ moveset.

Darkrai in PvP

For starters, Darkrai is ineligible for the Great League and its high stats severely limit its viability in the Ultra League.

So, the Master League it is! Darkrai is a functional pick in this format, especially with the surge in Psychic and Ghost threats.

But, there are two glaring issues that leave Darkrai (Snarl | Dark Pulse and Focus Blast) in an awkward space in the Master League:

1. Yes, it’s a great Pokémon to beat usual suspects like Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma, Giratina Origin and Altered, Mewtwo, Solgaleo, and Metagross. The surprise wins include Dialga (both base and Origin), that too barely. But, that’s about it 🙁 
2. Its meh bulk makes Darkrai take a lot of damage even to high-octane Quick attacks, so you can’t expect any magic from it
3. Yveltal exists and Sucker Punch got super buffed to become a clone of the old Counter, making Yveltal clearly better than Darkrai by every means

Final verdict: Darkrai in PvP

It does brilliantly as a specialist, eliminating Psychic and Ghost type threats, and can manage to get the best of the mighty Dialga on occasions but it’s far from a generalist. If you want to use a Dark type Pokémon in the Master League, go with Yveltal instead… it’s one of the best.

Conclusion

Darkrai rounds up as a good Dark type Pokémon for PvE and a niche role in the Master League. If you catch a Hundo or Shundo, and you like Darkrai, go ahead and power it up. That said, keep in mind that Hydreigon and Tyranitar are way cheaper to power up and max out, with Mega Tyranitar being the best overall.

All the best, trainers!