Deciding on the best Flying-type Pokemon is difficult because different Pokemon are suitable for different scenarios. The synergy between their secondary typing, movepool, and abilities is what dictates whether a Pokemon is considered good or not. A Flying-type with high HP and Defenses is not any better or worse than one that has high offensive stats; they simply fill different roles in a party.
The easiest way to gauge a Flying-type Pokemon’s ranking relative to others of its type is to look at thePokemon’s viability in the competitive sceneand see how powerful they are when pitted against the best.
10Corviknight
Introduced: Generation 8
Corviknight’s excellent typing and defensive stats allow it to fill an uncommon niche among Flying-type Pokemon: a tank. Most Flying-type Pokemon tend to favor offense over defense, with high attack or special attack and very little bulk. The only notable examples that break this mold are Corviknight and Skarmory, with Corviknight coming out slightly ahead thanks to its wider movepool and more balanced stats.
Thanks to its Flying/Steel-typing, Corviknight is only weak to Fire and Electric-type moves, resistant to eight other types, and immune to Poison and Ground. The cherry on top is that it has access to Roost, allowing it to recover any chip damage it receives during the course of a fight in a single move. With aheld item like Leftovers, Corviknight can even afford to spam moves like Brave Bird, allowing it to take down opposing Pokemon solo.
9Charizard
Introduced: Generation 1
No best Flying-type Pokemon list would be complete without this fire breathing lizard in the mix, asnot only is Charizard incredibly iconic, but it is one of the only Flying-type Pokemon with two Mega Evolutions, allowing players a lot of build diversity when it comes to selecting its moveset.
In its base form, Charizard functions as a balanced Special Sweeper, utilizing its high Special Attack and Speed to blitz opponents before they manage to hit it. As Mega Charizard X, it loses its Flying typing and becomes a Fire/Dragon-type, becoming equally proficient in Physical and Special attack and decent defenses. In Mega Charizard Y form, it goes all-in on Sp. Atk, raising this stat to a whopping 159.
8Yveltal
Introduced: Generation 6
Yveltal is a Dark/Flying-type Legendary Pokemon exclusive to Pokemon Y, boastingone of the highest stat totals in all of Pokemon. It has balanced stats across the board, with its highest being Attack and Sp. Atk at 131 each. This means players can build Yveltal as a Physical or Special Attacker, depending on their needs.
Unfortunately, Yveltal’s movepool leaves a lot to be desired, lacking good STAB moves with greater than 100 base power and 100 accuracy. Its signature Flying-type move is Oblivion Wing with a base power of 80 and perfect accuracy. If this move deals damage, it also heals Yveltal for 75% of the damage dealt, which gives it a ton of sustain in prolonged fights.
7Celesteela
Introduced: Generation 7
Celesteela is a Steel/Flying-typeUltra Beast introduced inPokemon Sun and Moon. Like Corviknight, Celesteela has one of the best secondary typings for a Flying-type Pokemon: Steel. This gives it eight resistances and two immunities, leaving only Fire and Electric-type moves as its counters.
In terms of stats, Celesteela is almost completely balanced, with the key exception of Speed, which is only at 61. Like all Ultra Beasts, its ability is Beast Boost, which makes it so that anytime Celesteela knocks out a Pokemon, its highest stat is increased by one stage. This works exactly like Moxie, one of the best Pokemon abilities in the franchise, but better because each Ultra Beast has different stats they excel at. In the case of Celesteela, it’s Special Attack.
6Mega Salamence
Introduced: Generation 3
One of the fiercest Pseudo-legendaries, Salamence is a Dragon/Flying-type with incredible stats and a movepool to take advantage of them. Thanks to its excellent Attack stat, it’s a physical sweeper first and foremost, that relies on its high Speed to devastate opponents before they can react. While both of Salamence’s defensive stats are low, this is only relative. 80 Def and Sp. Def is perfectly serviceable in most scenarios. Salamence is deathly afraid of Ice-types, however, as they deal 4x damage to it.
In Mega Salamence form, Salamence goes from an excellent Pokemon to a terrifying one. With a base total of 700, Mega Salamence is a huge threat on the battlefield, one that can easily sweep an entire party of six without any stat boosts. The only answer to Salamence in this form is a speedy Ice-type that hits hard enough to crack its boosted defenses.
5Landorus
Introduced: Generation 5
Among all the genie-like Pokemon, all of whom share its Flying typing, Landorus comes out on top. Landorus is a Ground/Flying Pokemon with two forms, Incarnate and Therian. Landorus Incarnate is an absolute monster in a fight, tricky to deal with and devastating if left unchecked. It can either have Sheer Force or Sand Force as its abilities, with Sheer Force being the clear winner.
Landorus Therian sacrifices balance in favor of overwhelming attack power, turning its 125 Attack to 145 Attack, and reducing its Speed and Special Attack to compensate. In Therian form,Landorus also gains the Intimidate ability, removing the option for the other two. In either form, Landorus is not a Flying-type to take lightly and makes for an excellent addition to any team.
4Ho-oh
Introduced: Generation 2
The legendary bird from Johto, Ho-oh, has a special place in every Pokemon fan’s heart because it was thevery first legendary Ash encountered in his journey in thePokemonanime. Luckily, Ho-oh isn’t a slouch in gameplay either, boasting incredible stats, a great offensive typing, and unique, powerful moves to make it all come together.
Ho-oh is a Flying/Fire-type Pokemon with a 680 base stat total. Its best stat, Sp. Def, sits at 154, meaning it can easily take on the role of a Special tank at the drop of a hat. An Attack of 130 allows Ho-oh to use moves like Sacred Fire and Sky Attack to great effect. The only thing holding it back, however, is its 4x weakness to Rock, which means that it is somewhat squishy when faced with a physical Rock-type Pokemon.
3Lugia
Lugia, the counterpart to Ho-oh in Johto, makes a slightly more compelling case as a Flying-type powerhouse, pushing it further up the list. Where Ho-oh has a 4x Weakness, Lugia has none, where Ho-oh lacks in physical defense, Lugia doesn’t. In fact, Lugia’s preferred role is a dedicated wall that can tank basically any attack that comes at it. Not only do its defensive stats benefit this playstyle, but its ability, Multiscale, is one of the best tanking abilities in the entire franchise.
To counterbalance this, Lugia doesn’t hit as hard as Ho-oh. This is perfectly fine, however, as Lugia can easily use stall tactics using a combination of Roost and Toxic to carry the day. The remaining two move slots can be used for coverage, in order to make up for the team’s weaknesses.
2Shaymin-Sky
Introduced: Generation 4
In its base form, Shaymin is a pure Grass-type Pokemon with perfectly balanced stats: 100 across the board. In its Sky form, however, Shaymin becomes a Grass/Flying-type with a different stat spread that leans heavily towards the glass cannon playstyle. It sacrifices its Defense and Special Defense, to gain a huge boost to Sp. Atk and Speed, transforming into a special sweeper.
However, it’s only with the addition of Shaymin-Sky’s ability, Serene Grace, that it gets counted among the best of the best among Flying-type Pokemon. Serene Grace makes it so that if a move has an additional effect, that effect is twice as likely to happen. This allows Shaymin-Sky to become an advanced version of Togekiss,perma-flinching with Air Slash, which, thanks to its high Speed, becomes even more of an issue. It also has access to Seed Flare, which reduces Sp. Def by two stages, as well as Earth Power, which does the same by one stage.
1Mega Rayquaza
Rayquaza is the undisputed king of the sky, considered only slightly less powerful than Arceus in the lore. But that’s only in his base form; Mega Rayquaza is on another level entirely. With a 780 base stat total, it is only inferior to Eternatus in its Eternamax form, and tied with Mega Mewtwo X and Y.
It is equally proficient in Attack and Special Attack, both sitting at a whopping 180. This means fans can build Mega Rayquaza according to their preferences, giving it moves like Outrage and Dragon Ascent to go full physical or choose moves like Draco Meteor and Hurricane to go the special route instead. Mega Rayquaza’s signature ability, Delta Stream, also gets rid of its one 4x weakness to Ice, turning it into only a 2x instead, while also weakening Electric and Rock-type moves. In its Mega form, Rayquaza is nearly impossible to handle, shoring up its weaknesses and capitalizing on its strengths. There is no other Flying-type Pokemon that competes.
