Eternatus in Pokémon GO: A Game Changer for Raids and Max Battles?

Eternatus

Eternatus is one of the most feared and revered creatures in the Pokémon universe and the mainline games. Now, this Poison/Dragon type behemoth has debuted in Pokémon GO and exerted new control of the meta with its wild stats, the signature Dynamax Cannon, and its shocking power-up requirements.

Through the Dark Skies event, all trainers can get themselves an Eternatus (yes, only one) for free via an encounter in the GO Pass: Max Finale. This Pokémon has the most rigorous Candy requirement of any addition to the game, only obtainable from Eternamax Eternatus Max Battles.

With so much grind involved, you must be wondering if it is all worth the effort, or should you just catch the one up for grabs and let it decay in your collection.

Don’t worry as well will break down the intricacies surrounding this Legendary and see just how much it fills the meta’s barrel.

Eternatus overview

	Eternatus PoisonDragon
Max CP	5007
ATK	278
DEF	192
HP	268
Weak to
Resists
Fast moves	Poison Jab Poison Dragon Tail
Charge moves	Sludge Bomb Dynamax Cannon Flamethrower

• Eternatus packs a high ATK, a little higher than Dialga and Reshiram, still lower than Palkia Origin, giving it instant potential in the DPS meta.
• It is quite bulky as well, welcoming good TDO into the mix.
• It has an amazing Poison moveset and its signature Dynamax Cannon, a Dragon-type Charged Attack. As such, it has nailed the moveset department.

Dynamax Cannon

Dynamax Cannon is an astronomically strong 1-bar Dragon-type Charged Attack, boasting 215 power and a cooldown of only 1.50s. 

This gives it a DPS of 143.33 and a DPE of 2.15, resulting in an outrageous DPSxDPE value of 308.16. Dynamax Cannon’s figures put other powerful moves like Behemoth Bash, Crush Grip, Dragon Ascent, and Freeze Shock to shame, establishing Eternatus as a dominant force in the Pokémon GO meta.

So, is Eternatus the new ruler, the rightful heir to the crown? Let’s find out!

Eternatus in PvE (Raids)

In the Dragon meta

Here are the best Dragon-type attackers in Pokémon GO, sorted as per our GO Hub DPS Comparer Tool:

• Trainers, this is not the time to be humble because Eternatus is the new best Dragon in Pokémon GO, taking over the long-held throne of Mega Rayquaza. 
• While its DPS is appreciably better than Mega Rayquaza, its TDO is way ahead, cementing Eternatus as a bulky, offensive monster.
• Mega Rayquaza still has one ace up its sleeve: boosting the damage of all Dragon (and Flying) moves in the Raid Battle. This is particularly great for large Raid groups and Party Power. 
• Mega Garchomp is all set to gain Breaking Swipe in the massive move shakeup in September 2025, and this Pseudo Legendary has TDO higher than Mega Rayquaza.
• Eternatus, Mega Rayquaza, and Mega Garchomp take the podium spots in Dragon-type performance, although Ice and Fairy types often wind up being better in situations of double weakness and weather boosts.
• Overall, Eternatus is arguably the best Dragon type in Pokémon GO. 

In the Poison meta

Eternatus does double duty at its finest, as this Pokémon is the second-best Poison type in the game.

• Its DPS is only slightly behind Mega Beedrill, but Eternatus has a far better TDO to boot.
• However, Eternatus has an issue that would have made it less preferable to the other stalwarts except Naganadel (despite having the highest TDO): lack of resistance to Fairy attacks.
• Indeed, both Mega Beedrill and Nihilego resist Fairy-type damage while Eternatus takes neutral damage due to its Dragon sub-typing. After all, one of the primary uses of Poison types is to beat Fairy Raid Bosses.
• Against Grass-type Raid Bosses, however, Eternatus is again just behind Mega Beedrill, with Nihilego taking neutral damage because of its Rock sub-typing.
• For Fairy Bosses, Steel types are often better, and for Grass Bosses, Fire and Flying types are often better.

As a generalist

Generalists are popular for not giving a worry about any boosts or weather, and simply taking on battles with their grasp on the horns. These are the crème de la crème of numbers in Pokémon GO, sporting the best neutral damage imaginable.

Let’s use our Comparer tool once again:

• In this area, Dragon Ascent Mega Rayquaza retains the moniker of being the best Pokémon in the game, dishing out the highest neutral damage of all. It’s the undisputed best, ladies and gentlemen.
• The unreleased Mega Mewtwo Y is a close second, exhibiting tremendous power levels.
• The monster of the moment, Eternatus, occupies a respectable standing, but with Poison Jab and Dynamax Cannon. It just edges out Crush Grip Shadow Regigigas.
• The combo of Dragon Tail and Dynamax Cannon has slightly lower DPS than the Poison Jab variant, but it is going to be more common (and usable). Nonetheless, this combo is also fantastic and barely shy of Crush Grip Shadow Regigigas’ display.
• Ultimately, Eternatus is THE BEST non-Mega, non-Shadow in Pokémon GO. No arguments here.

Comparing DPS and TDO between Eternatus and Mega Rayquaza at certain levels

Through our trusty DPS Comparer Tool:

• A level 48 Eternatus does more damage than a level 50 Mega Rayquaza. The difference is marginal, at around 0.167%.
• A level 47 Eternatus does more or less the same damage as a level 50 Mega Rayquaza, with Mega Ray leading by just 0.5%. However, Eternatus still has superior TDO.
• In fact, a level 46 Eternatus boasts higher TDO than a level 50 Mega Rayquaza.

Eternatus in Max Battles

Max Battles are the gimmick associated with Eternatus, and no points for guessing, this Pokémon will contribute tremendously to this mechanic!

Yes, Eternatus is usable in Max Battles (just like the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta) without Dynamaxing, but it brings damage boosts unlike what the doggo duo can imagine, all thanks to its Dynamax Cannon Adventure Effect.

Here’s how Eternatus’ Adventure Effect works:

• Trainers can activate Dynamax Cannon’s Adventure Effect by using 5,000 Stardust and 30 Eternatus Candy to temporarily boost their Pokémon’s Max Moves by one level in Max Battles for 10 minutes.
• Max Moves that are locked will temporarily be raised to Level 1.
• Max Moves that have been fully trained to Level 3 will increase to Level 4, which will provide an outsized power relative to a standard level up.
• Dynamax Cannon’s Adventure Effect is not applicable to Zacian and Zamazenta (including their Crowned forms).
• You can extend the timer for this Adventure Effect in increments of 10 minutes by using more Stardust and Eternatus Candy. The timer can be raised to 2 hours when you tap ‘Use,’ and you can tap it again to add more time, up to 24 hours in all.
• All Max Moves are boosted by Eternatus, but we will specifically focus on Max Attacks.

Now, to get into more details for Max Attacks boosted by Eternatus, you need to know that the base damage levels of Max Moves for Level 1,2, and 3 are 250/300/350.

Boost from Zacian Crowned Sword

With the 5% boost offered by Behemoth Blade, the damage of these moves (250/300/350) transcends to 262.5/315/367.5.

Note: During the Dark Skies event, Zacian and Zamazenta’s Adventure Effects got buffed, offering a 10% Attack/Defense multiplier in Max Battles and 20% in Raids.

So, the buffed doggos boost 250/300/350 to 275/330/385 in Max Battles during the Dark Skies event. It remains to be seen if these boosts are permanent.

Boost from Eternatus

• Dynamax Cannon takes it to a different dimension, upping the values from 250/300/350 to 300/350/450, matching the damage of GMax Moves.
• That’s not all, as for GMax moves, it adds another 100 DMG, resulting in a whopping 550 DMG.
• This makes Eternatus an invaluable addition to Max Battles, making it easier to beat Gigantamax Pokémon thanks to heightened damage figures.
• Eternatus’ boosts are still higher than those offered by buffed Zacian and Zamazenta.

Eternatus is going to change the face of Pokémon GO, bringing in a grind and meta shift unlike ever before.

So, get your Eternatus and do your best to power it up as much as possible, if you can! It’s also a deserving candidate for a future Gold Bottle Cap. If you are able to pull off two Charged Attacks for Eternatus (Dynamax Cannon and Sludge Bomb), it can efficiently fulfill both Dragon and Poison type roles with just a single Fast TM. But what makes Eternatus special is undoubtedly the Dragon-type role.

That said, you’re not losing out on anything with your Mega Rayquaza, Black Kyurem, and Mega Garchomp. These Pokémon are (and will remain) top-notch Dragons, and not having a powered-up Eternatus in your collection doesn’t hurt you at all. Eternatus is indeed the best, but at the same time, not a must-have by any means.

All the best, trainers!