The Strongest Pokemon With Multiple Forms

Summary

• Zacian and Zamazenta can transform into their Crowned Sword and Crowned Shield forms, gaining Steel-type and two powerful signature moves.
• Hoopa can change into Unbound form, gaining the type combination of Psychic and Dark, increased stats, and an impressive signature move called Hyperspace Fury.
• Primal Groudon and Kyogre undergo Primal Reversion in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which allows them to become extremely powerful.

The Pokemon franchise is filled to the brim with fresh and exciting mechanics that give its titular creatures access to brand-new forms, like Mega Evolution, Regional Variants, or Gigantamax. But what about the old-school method? What about all the Pokemon that can change forms regardless of a specific gimmick?

That’s right, several distinct Pokemon can change into a different form for in-game lore reasons, and most of the time, these transformations give them a significant boost in battles. The following Pokemon are the strongest examples of this in the entire franchise, but it’s important to keep in mind that the aforementioned mechanics (Mega Evolutions, Regional Variants, and Gigantamax Forms) will not be accounted for in this list, as the alternate forms need to be innate to each Pokemon’s unique biology.

8

Zacian And Zamazenta

Heroes Of Many Battles / Crowned Sword And Crowned Shield

• Base Stat Total: 670 (Crowned)

The Box Art Legendaries of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Zacian and Zamazenta, are particularly interesting because they are not at full power when the player first encounters them at the beginning of the adventure. These base forms are called “Hero of Many Battles,” and to wield their incredible weapons and reach their fullest potential, they both need to be equipped with the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield, respectively.

Zacian is a pure Fairy-type and Zamazenta is a pure Fighting-type, but when they transform into their Crowned Sword and Crowned Shield forms, they gain the secondary Steel-type. On top of that, these forms have better stats and give them access to their destructive signature moves: Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash. These moves are extremely strong, especially when used against a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokemon, like Eternamax Eternatus.

7

Hoopa

Confined / Unbound

• Base Stat Total: 680 (Unbound)

Like most Mythical Pokemon before it, Hoopa is stronger than the majority of regular Pokemon, but it’s way less strong than other creatures with similar base stats, especially because it’s notably brought down by its horrendous type combination of Psychic and Ghost. However, everything changes when it interacts with a Prison Bottle, which allows the Mischief Pokemon to transform into its Unbound form.

Hoopa Unbound is a force to be reckoned with. Not only do its stats gain 80 more points in total, but it also changes its typing to Psychic and Dark, which overall have fewer weaknesses. Lastly, it gets access to Hyperspace Fury, a Dark-type physical move that does 100 points of damage, can break through Protect, and ignores the target’s Defense stat. The fact that such a cute and small Pokemon can turn into such a massive beast of destruction is almost impossible to believe.

6

Dialga, Palkia, And Giratina

Altered / Origin

• Base Stat Total: 680 (Origin Formes)

Giratina is famous for being one of the very first Box Art Legendaries to ever get an alternate form. Pokemon Platinum introduced its Origin Forme, slightly improving its stats and changing its ability to Levitate. This sole feature made Giratina significantly more interesting and stronger than the other two Pokemon of Myth, Dialga and Palkia.

As a result, Pokemon Legends: Arceus introduced brand-new Origin Formes for the other two Pokemon to level the playing field. While Origin Dialga and Origin Palkia don’t get new abilities, they also have better stats, not to mention that their signature moves (Roar of Time and Spacial Rend, respectively) also receive a remarkable boost when they are in these forms. Furthermore, Giratina’s signature move, Shadow Force, also received the same buff in this game.

5

Calyrex

Normal / Shadow Rider / Ice Rider

• Base Stat Total: 680 (Riders)

At first glance, the Legendary Pokemon Calyrex doesn’t seem particularly strong or intimidating, as it has a bizarre design, a disadvantageous type combination, and a base stat total of just 500, which is quite mediocre for a Legendary. But, of course, when it uses the Reins of Unity on one of its two steeds—Spectrier and Glastrier—Calyrex can turn into its potent Shadow Rider and Ice Rider forms.

A base stat total of 680 is already a noteworthy improvement, but these two forms stand out in the competitive Pokemon scene because of their solid type combinations, their two powerful signature moves (Astral Barrage and Glacial Lance) and, most important of all, their signature ability, As One, which basically lets them use two abilities at the same time. Needless to say, Calyrex would be nothing without Spectrier and Glastrier, and vice versa.

4

Kyurem

Normal / Black / White

• Base Stat Total: 700 (Black/White)

Kyurem is notorious for having the unexpected ability to fuse with the other two members of the Tao Trio, Zekrom and Reshiram, by using an item known as DNA Splicers. That’s how it gets access to its Black and White forms, and is just one step away from turning into the original dragon that was split into three different Pokemon.

Naturally, Black and White Kyurem get a small but important boost to their base stats and access to Zekrom and Reshiram’s signature abilities (which can ignore other Pokemon’s abilities) and their devastating signature moves. On top of that, these two forms of Kyurem can learn Freeze Shock and Ice Burn, respectively, two devastating Ice-type attacks with the destructive effects of the Electric and Fire-types.

3

Zygarde

10% / 50% / Complete

• Base Stat Total: 708 (Complete)

When it was introduced back in Pokemon X and Y, Zygarde was a seemingly normal Legendary Pokemon with a serpentine appearance hiding deep within an innocuous cave. However, in Pokemon Sun and Moon, fans were shocked to find that the Order Pokemon actually has five different forms (depending on how many Zygarde Cells it holds), of which only three are available to use in-game.

The wolf-like 10% form is relatively weak, but its Complete Forme stands out for being one of the most powerful Pokemon in the entire franchise. With a solid type combination of Dragon and Ground and four different signature moves, including the devastating Core Enforcer, Complete Zygarde is a true force to be reckoned with, and all of its forms will hopefully play an important role in the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

2

Necrozma

Normal / Dusk Mane / Dawn Wings / Ultra

• Base Stat Total: 754 (Ultra)

Necrozma took what made Kyurem interesting and elevated it to a whole new level. The Prism Pokemon can also fuse with the two Box Art Legendaries of its generation, Solgaleo and Lunala, to gain access to its Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings forms. These two variations of Necrozma not only obtain the secondary type and the signature moves of their respective Pokemon, but they also receive 80 more points to their stats.

Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozma are already quite impressive on their own, but unlike Kyurem, Necrozma also has access to an incredibly powerful third form when it holds the Ultranecrozium Z, called Ultra Necrozma. This is a Psychic and Dragon Pokemon (which is an excellent combination of types) with an impressive base stat total of 754 and an overpowered signature ability named Neuroforce that powers up all of its super-effective attacks. On top of that, it has exclusive access to Light That Burns the Sky, which is the most powerful Z-Move in the game. There’s no denying that Ultra Necrozma is one of the most imposing, threatening, and destructive creatures in the franchise, and it’s a good thing that it’s not available in every single Pokemon game.

1

Groudon And Kyogre

Primal Reversion

• Base Stat Total: 770 (Primal)

When compared to other Box Art Legendaries introduced after them, Groudon and Kyogre used to seem a lot less strong and important. Fortunately, the 3DS remakes of the generation three games, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, gave them a much-needed upgrade called Primal Reversion, which inadvertently turned them into two of the most powerful Pokemon in the entire franchise.

Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre gain 100 whole points to their stats, receive two devastating signature moves (Precipice Blades and Origin Pulse), and gain enhanced versions of their weather-summoning abilities that can cancel each other out. This is especially important for Primal Groudon, which has the type combination of Ground and Fire, so now it can fight its rival on equal footing. Needless to say, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are extremely destructive because they’re designed to be stopped by Mega Rayquaza, which, in turn, is possibly the most overpowered Pokemon ever created.