
Raikou is a Tier 5 Legendary Raid Boss in Pokémon GO, with a Raid Boss CP of 45435. Raikou is a pure Electric type, meaning it is weak to Ground types, while resisting Electric, and Steel types. It is boosted by Rainy weather.
Raikou can be caught in the following CP-ranges:
- 1889-1972 CP for a regular Level 20 encounter
- 2361-2466 CP for a Rainy weather boosted encounter (Level 25)
Raikou duo is possible, but it would require maxed out counters, as well as Best Friend Bonus, Sunny weather Boost, and a good amount of luck. We suggest you to take on Raikou in groups of 4-6 for high-level players, or 7-20 for lower level players.
Raikou is one of the Johto Beasts (together with Entei and Suicune), a Legendary Trio originally discovered in the Johto Region (Gen II). This guide has been updated as of July 2021.
Best Raikou Counters in Pokémon GO
# | Attacker | Fast Move | Charge Move | Faints | TTW |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Precipice Blades Ground | 9 | 468.2s |
2. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Earth Power Ground | 12 | 551.5s |
3. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Precipice Blades Ground | 13 | 555.4s |
4. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | High Horsepower Ground | 18 | 513.9s |
5. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 15 | 557.6s |
6. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Earth Power Ground | 12 | 652.4s |
7. |
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Tackle Normal | High Horsepower Ground | 13 | 654.4s |
8. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 19 | 600.5s |
9. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Earthquake Ground | 18 | 602.0s |
10. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Scorching Sands Ground | 20 | 610.8s |
11. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | High Horsepower Ground | 18 | 611.2s |
12. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 15 | 661.7s |
13. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Earthquake Ground | 23 | 592.7s |
14. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 21 | 636.4s |
15. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earth Power Ground | 27 | 565.8s |
16. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Scorching Sands Ground | 20 | 658.5s |
17. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 21 | 623.7s |
18. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Earth Power Ground | 24 | 627.5s |
19. |
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Tackle Normal | High Horsepower Ground | 13 | 774.6s |
20. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 19 | 719.1s |
21. |
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Dragon Tail Dragon | Outrage Dragon | 27 | 626.1s |
22. |
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Fury Cutter Bug | Earthquake Ground | 22 | 669.8s |
23. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 19 | 713.4s |
24. |
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Psycho Cut Psychic | Psystrike Psychic | 39 | 565.7s |
25. |
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Ice Fang Ice | Scorching Sands Ground | 20 | 713.1s |
26. |
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Fury Cutter Bug | Earth Power Ground | 27 | 654.4s |
27. |
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Mud Shot Ground | Earthquake Ground | 29 | 671.1s |
28. |
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Mud-Slap Ground | Earthquake Ground | 21 | 755.5s |
29. |
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Fire Fang Fire | Scorching Sands Ground | 35 | 622.0s |
30. |
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Bite Dark | Brutal Swing Dark | 23 | 727.8s |
All data and numbers used in this article are extracted from our GO Hub Database.
For more accessible options, Swampert, Nidoking, Hippowdon, and even Seismitoad (yes really) all make the list after the top 30.
Please note that this list is based on overall performance against all Raikou movesets, and Pokémon in this list have maxed out stats (powered up to level 40). Actual results may vary, depending on the moveset on the Raid Boss and the conditions of the Raid Battle.
Raikou Moveset Analysis
Raikou has access to the following moves:
Fast | Charge |
---|---|
|
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*Best moveset for Raikou is in bold
- Thunder hits hard, but it gets resisted by Ground types
- Wild Charge and Thunderbolt don’t hit as hard as Thunder, and also get resisted by Ground types
- Shadow Ball is a powerful move, but doesn’t deal Super Effective damage to any of your counters (unless you choose to fight with Mewtwo)
Again, you don’t need to worry about any of these moves, as almost all counters resist Electric moves due to their Ground typing.
Weather Effects
Raikou is boosted by Rainy weather, while being more vulnerable in Sunny weather.
Rainy weather will give you the chance to catch Raikou at level 25, but the battle will be harder because of Raikou’s boosted Electric moves. If you want the fight to be easier, challenge Raikou in Sunny weather to boost your Ground counters.
Weather | Pro | Con |
---|---|---|
Sunny | Boosts Ground types | – |
Windy | – | – |
Partly Cloudy | – | – |
Cloudy | – | – |
Snow | – | – |
Rainy | Allows a Level 25 Encounter from Weather Boost. | Boosts Raikou’s Electric moves |
Fog | – | Boosts Raikou’s Shadow Ball Ghost |