Charizard, The Flame Pokémon. When this Pokémon expels a blast of superhot fire, the red flame at the tip of its tail burns more intensely. Its wings can carry this Pokémon close to an altitude of 4,600 feet. It blows out fire at very high temperatures. Charizard flies around the sky in search of powerful opponents. It breathes fire of such great heat that it melts anything. However, it never turns its fiery breath on any opponent weaker than itself.
Overview
One of the most well known Pokemon, Charizard has been a fan favorite since its release in RBY. As such Charizard has had a long competitive history, being a niche option since GSC with its access to Belly Drum and later adding a Salac Berry to its arsenal. However Stealth Rock in combination with Infernape amd Heatran really put the nail in Charizard's competitive coffin for awhile. With the release of XY however Charizard received not one but two excellent Mega Evolutions which bring it to the forefront of relevance in all areas of competitive play.
Positives
Sweeper - Charizard's role in most teams since its release is that of a sweeper. With the new options that Z Crystals bring, this gives Charizard flexibility on how it does this either through Sunny Day or just boosting and going in.
Negatives
High Maintenance - Fire/Flying gives some nice resistance but the quad weakness to Rock really hinders Charizard with how common Stealth Rock is. While not as hard as prior generations with the new Defog mechanics, Charizard demands you have a way to remove Stealth Rock or it's going to be dead weight. This is especially true of the Solar Power versions as they lose health per turn limiting how long Charizard can function to 4 turns instead of 8.
Abilities
Blaze - Raises Fire attacks power by 1.5x when below 33% health - This was great with the old Belly Drum Salac set as you would get to Ľ health and get a bonus to your Fire-type attacks. Still great on sets that don't revolve around Sunny Day, but it's not always going to be impactful.
Solar Power - Raises Special Attack by 1.5x but loses 1/8th max HP while Sunny Day is in effect - Obviously used on a Sunny Day set, with Z-Sunny Day this set can clean late game quite well as it packs a bit more power than Charizard's other sets.
Movesets
Z-Hold Hands
-Hold Hands
-Fire Blast
-Air Slash / Focus Blast
-Hidden Power Grass / Roost
Item Attached: Normalium Z
Ability: Blaze
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
A bulkier cleaner, Z-Hold Hands is the key here as it gives +1 to all stats, making Charizard quite bulky as well as powerful. Fire Blast is the primary STAB as it can cleave through foes after the +1 boost. Air Slash and Focus Blast fight for slot two, Air Slash beings a more reliable STAB in exchange for power while Focus Blast helps handle Pokemon such as Audino and Guzzlord. Hidden Power Grass and Roost are the final options. Hidden Power Grass gives a more reliable way to hit Rock-types threats as well as Water-types, while Roost gives a way to recover giving Charizard more staying power.
Normalium Z is required for Z-Hold Hands, while a Timid nature is taken to utilize Charizard's Speed tier as effectively as possible. You could drop some of the offense investment to give Charizard a little bit of bulk, but the stat boost is usually enough for its bulk needs.
Sunny Day Sweeper
-Sunny Day
-Fire Blast
-Solar Beam
-Focus Blast
Item Attached: Firium Z
Ability: Solar Power
EVs and Nature:
252 SpA /4 SpD /252 Spe
Timid Nature
The glass cannon, this set is meant to hit hard and fast. Z-Sunny Day both sets up the sun Charizard needs but also grants +1 Speed. With Solar Power this effectively grants +1 Special Attack and Speed on top of boosting Fire Blast damage by 1.5x, allowing Charizard to muscle through very durable threats. Solar Beam takes slot 2 due to using Sunny Day, giving Charizard a powerful option to break through some bulky Waters. Finally Focus Blast helps deal with bulky Normals and Guzzlord which would wall Charizard otherwise.
Life Orb can be run over Firium Z for more of a wallbreaker set as well on Sunny Day teams, though this gives up the Speed boost from Z-Sunny Day so it changes the set's role somewhat. Charizard gets enough of an offense boost with the Solar Power combo so giving it the extra Speed from Timid nature tends to be more useful.
Other Options
Choice Specs - While other Fire-types pack more power such as Typlosion, Solar Power Charizard hits quite hard with a Choice Specs and its Flying typing is a nice addition for lower tier Sunny Day teams.
Possible Partners
Hazard Control - As stated, Charizard really needs hazard control to shine as a cleaner late game. Xatu is a nice option with access to Magic Bounce to block hazards, Roost, and Defog if hazards are set anyway, all wrapped together with U-Turn to help get Charizard in safely. Outside of Xatu, Rapid Spin users are plentiful in the lower tiers and Kabutops is a strong option with its powerful physical attacks and access to priority to pick off weakened targets in a pinch. Finally Rotom and its many forms work well with their access to Defog, Trick to cripple special walls such as Audino, and Volt Switch to get Charizard in safe.
Countering Charizard
Special Walls - Outside the obvious Stealth Rock, Charizard lacks the ability to break through special walls, especially bulky Waters with the Z-Hold Hands set. This makes Slowking an excellent answer to Charizard, especially with an Assault Vest as even with Sunny Day up, Psyshock can deal solid damage. Mega Audino is an overall strong answer as well with solid bulk and recovery, giving it the ability to Toxic stall Charizard hard, especially with its Fairy typing unlike its PU standard form to negate its Fighting weakness.
Charizard, The Flame Pokémon. The overwhelming power that fills its entire body causes it to turn black and creates intense blue flames.
Overview
The later introduced Mega form that saw lot of screentime through an animated special Pokemon Origins, Mega Charizard X gives Charizard its long overdue Dragon typing in exchange for its Flying typing.
While trading up a Ground immunity sounds bad, Fire/Dragon STAB is near unresisted, blocked by very few Pokemon such as Azumarill, Heatran, and Tapu Fini. This gives Mega Charizard X an amazing matchup presence as once it gets in not much can take a hit well with its solid 130 base Attack and Special Attack.
Positives
Sweeper/Wall Breaker - 100 base Speed, 130 base Attack, near perfect coverage with STABs, and access to Dragon Dance, Mega Charizard X is a terrifying sweeper and a strong competitor for best overall user of Dragon Dance. With Earthquake to catch the three Pokemon that resist its STABs, one of which gets destroyed by it, Mega Charizard X can shred through teams with minimal effort. However, Mega Charizard X is the most unpredictable form of Charizard being a potent wall breaker with access to Swords Dance to blow holes in Stall teams as well as slower balanced teams.
Negatives
4 Moveslot Syndrome - Mega Charizard X is a Pokemon that really fits the mold of a Pokemon that suffers from 4 Moveslot Syndrome. Having to choose between 2 great STAB options per type on the physical side and 1 per type on the special side, Earthquake, Thunder Punch, two great boosting moves, Will-O-Wisp, and Roost. This makes Mega Charizard X a bit unpredictable but also means it has a blind spot somewhere, because it can't do everything it wants to and thus can be exploited once the foe learns its set.
Abilities
Tough Claws - Physical contact moves deal 33% more damage - One of the best abilities and works hand in hand with Charizard's best STAB options, it just fuels its power.
Movesets
Dragon Dance
-Dragon Dance
-Flare Blitz / Fire Punch
-Dragon Claw / Outrage
-Earthquake / Thunder Punch / Roost
Item Attached: Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws (Blaze on Charizard)
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Making use of Tough Claws and Dragon Dance, Mega Charizard X becomes a terrifying sweeper. Fire STAB wise there's options as Tough Claws works on both Flare Blitz and Fire Punch. Flare Blitz is often referred due to being high power with only recoil damage while Fire Punch is less power but no recoil. Dragon STAB is similar as Tough Claws works with Outrage and Dragon Claw. Unlike Fire STABs however the popular moves flipped favoring the weaker Dragon Claw to Outrage due to being locked into a move and the confusion afterwards. The final slot is open to a few options, though Earthquake is often preferred to destroy Heatran. Roost is an option to help Charizard stay around for longer while Thunder Punch is an option to chunk Tapu Fini and Azumarill.
Not much to say about the item or EV spread, though an Adamant nature is valid if you want the extra power over the Speed. However, as a sweeper the Jolly nature will usually be preferred.
Mixed Wallbreaker
-Overheat / Roost
-Flare Blitz
-Dragon Claw / Earthquake
-Swords Dance / Thunder Punch
Item Attached: Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws (Blaze on Charizard)
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk /4 SpA /252 Spe
Naive / Jolly /Adamant Nature
Aiming to be a wallbreaker, this set is very flexible. Flare Blitz is the only “set” move but is open to being switched if Dragon Claw or Fire Punch is more fitting for your team. The last slots are really a mix of all the moves listed. Swords Dance is great to break through slower teams as at +2 not much will take a hit and survive, especially a neutral Flare Blitz. Dragon Claw is a nice STAB option as stated in the prior moveset, giving a good option without the recoil of Flare Blitz. Earthquake breaks through Heatran and Tyranitar which could sponge hits otherwise, and Thunder Punch breaks through Tapu Fini, Mega Charizard X's best answer. Roost allows Mega Charizard X to heal off the damage it would take switching in and pairs really well with Swords Dance and a bulky EV spread. Overheat round out the moves as tech options to blast physical tanks, catching them off guard. This is a great option for Landorus Therian who is a common answer for Mega Charizard X due to Intimidate, but also hits the rarer Gliscor, Rocky Helmet Tornadus Therian, and Skarmory without huge recoil.
Other Options
SD Flame Charge - This is an effective set in Battle Spot, Swords Dance in combination with Flame Charge is a deadly set that preys on defensive play, having far higher payoff than a Dragon Dance set but requiring a bit more attention to pull off successfully.
Bulky Dragon Dance - With Dragon Dance, Roost, Will-O-Wisp, and a mono STAB, Mega Charizard X can become an unkillable tank with the right team support, burning physical threats on the switch in such as Landorus Therian and then can set up quite easily. EVs are customizable ranging from 252 HP/4 Atk / 252 Speed to 252 HP/ 4 Atk /252 SpDef, all depends on what you need Mega Charizard X to take hits from.
Partners
Pivots - Pokemon that can scout or pivot in with ease are huge boons for Charizard, especially the wall breaker set as it wants to pop in, KO something, and leave while Dragon Dance can do similar but more wants to come in and set up. Tornadus Therian is a great option with its access to Defog and Regenerator making it a pivot that keeps healthy with little effort. This and its ability to be a bulky sponge with Rocky Helmet helps deal with Azumarill and Heatran as well as check Landorus Therian while is the next solid option. Access to Stealth Rock, Defog, U-Turn, Intimidate, and Explosion all in one package, there's a reason Landorus Therian is considered one of or the best Pokemon in the game. Finally Magearna is great with an Assault Vest allowing it to check all the Tapus as well as Greninja, namely Ash Greninja while bringing Volt Switch to the table that's often going second allowing Charizard to get in safely.
Countering Mega Charizard
Bulky Waters - Tapu Fini is by far one of the best ways to get around Mega Charizard X with Nature's Madness and finishing it with Scald. Tapu Fini can be setup bait for a bulkier Dragon Dance set however, due to its own terrain preventing status moves. Azumarill is another good option due to resisting one and being immune to another STAB and threatening Waterfall or Play Rough in return all while being quite bulky. Mega Gyarados is a final great offensive option as with Intimidate it can negate the initial Dragon Dance, then threaten with Earthquake on the following turn while resisting Flare Blitz.
Charizard, The Flame Pokémon. Its bond with its Trainer is the source of its power. It boasts speed and maneuverability greater than that of a jet fighter.
Overview
The first of Charizard's Mega Evolutions revealed alongside the Megas for Blastoise and Venusaur. This form amplifies Charizards special side compared to Mega Charizard X leaning to the physical spectrum. Keeping its Flying typing, this mega form gets access to a rare ability in Drought, making Mega Charizard Y a truly terrifying Pokemon with boosted Fire Blasts and ability to use Solar Beam with ease to blow away threats that lack a resistance to it. This is also an interesting thing with Charizard as while Tapu Fini can get around Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y blows it up with Solar Beam, and the same is true in reverse. Dragons that can sponge Mega Charizard Y such as Latios have to be wary of Dragon Claw from Mega Charizard X, giving the Charizard player the ability to play mind games until they Mega Evolve.
Positives
Wallbreaker - While Mega Charizard X can be a wall breaker, it's by far inferior to Mega Charizard Y which is one of the best in general. 159 Special Attack and Drought boosting Fire Blast even bulky Water types will take massive damage, Tapu Fini taking up to 38% from it putting it in the range for Solarbeam. Mega Charizard Y also does not suffer from 4MSS like its X counterpart and has good enough coverage with Fire Blast, Solarbeam, and Focus Blast. This gives Mega Charizard Y the option to run Roost to stay around or lean into its supporting movepool to help its team later.
Negatives
High Maintenance - Like normal Charizard, Mega Charizard Y is a high maintenance Pokemon as Stealth Rock will shave 50% of its health off switching in. This with Mega Charizard Y's very mediocre physical defense can make it easy to get it KOed without doing much if the user isn't careful. That said Mega Charizard Y is a high risk, high reward Pokemon due to its insane power and ability to support its team mid to late game.
Abilities
Drought - Induces Sunny Day upon entering the field - Shared with Groudon, Ninetales, and Torkoal, Mega Charizard Y is the setter that makes the most use out of the ability due to having Fire STAB off a monstrous 159 Special Attack.
Movesets
Drought Wallbreaker
-Fire Blast / Flamethrower
-Solar Beam
-Focus Blast / Earthquake
-Roost / Flame Charge / Hidden Power Ice
Item Attached: Charizardnite Y
Ability: Drought (Blaze on Charizard)
EVs and Nature:
4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
With Drought and Fire STAB bonus, Fire Blast is by far the preferred option due to its high power but Flamethrower is a nice secondary option due to more power points and better accuracy. As an example with Latios, Flamethrower does 39-48% while Fire Blast is 48-56% or a guaranteed 2HKO with Stealth Rock. Solar Beam and Focus Blast are coverage options with Solar Beam to blast through Rock and Water Pokemon such as Mega Diance, Tapu Fini, and Mega Gyarados. Solar Beam also gives Mega Charizard a way to threaten Garchomp who would be an excellent answer otherwise. Focus Blast hits Heatran but also breaks Tyranitar and its Mega Evolution. Earthquake is also strong against these foes and doesn't have accuracy problems, making it the preferred choice in Battle Spot despite not being able to OHKO Tyranitar.
Last slot has a plethora of options with Roost being the most common in 6v6 due to Mega Charizard Y being a mid game oriented Pokemon, meaning it will take a lot of chip damage. Defog is nice however to remove hazards if they go up while Mega Charizard Y is in. Flame Charge on the other hand is the most common move for it in Battle Spot allowing it to capitalize on the many switches it forces in order to clean up efficiently. Meanwhile Hidden Power Ice lets Mega Charizard Y muscle through Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Dragonite which otherwise reliably switch into it.
Other Options
-Tailwind is a more utility option that can be run to help a slower, powerful Pokemon act as a cleaner, such as Kyurem Black, as well as help Mega Charizard Y act as a cleaner itself. -Defog seems counter-intuitive on Charizard though with its extreme offensive pressure it can definitely find opportunities to clear hazards, and as a Flying-type it is still immune to all other forms of hazards. -Dragon Pulse can be used to hit Dragon Pokemon who are by far the best answers to Mega Charizard Y, doing 65-77% to Latios for an example, though it is usually worse than just using any other coverage move.
Possible Partners
Dragons - With Mega Charizard Y forcing Dragons in as well as its ability to beat most Fairy types due to its Fire typing, Dragon type Pokemon make excellent partners. Latios is a utility option as its ability to control hazards is much appreciated by Mega Charizard Y, while its base 110 Speed can get around Pokemon that Mega Charizard Y can bring in, such Keldeo and the rarer Terrakion, Meanwhile Mega Charizard Y forces Tyranitar in due to its high special bulk and Fire resistance. Sweeper wise Flynium Z Salamence works well as it also needs hazard control which Mega Charizard Y can help with, while Salamence appreciates Mega Charizard Y's ability to beat Latios, Mega Diancie, and Tyranitar while setting up on Heatran which can give Mega Charizard Y some trouble. Finally, Garchomp with Swords Dance can make a strong wall breaking core with few Pokemons being able to handle both threats, often forcing the opponent to give up something or take a lot of chip damage.
VGC & Double Battle Options
Charizard is a familiar face in modern Doubles formats, boasting one of the strongest spread moves in standard play and being very flexible and easy to build. Mega Charizard Y in particular makes a strong impact in Doubles with its Drought-boosted Heat Waves and access to Tailwind. The Fire/Flying typing is a mixed bag though because while it provides some very useful resistances and a Ground-immunity, it also suffers from a heavy Rock weakness which hurts when Rock Slide exists. However, it's a crazy strong special attacker in a format that's plagued with Intimidate everywhere, so dealing with it defensively is often more trouble than it's worth. If dealing with a powerhouse like that under Tailwind isn't scary enough, it's also very possible to see Mega Charizard Y's teammate pull out the Trick Room, making it a very deadly threat to deal with for some teams. In contrast, you should never expect to see Charizard's other forms in Doubles, unless they're bringing a wild team with Mega Charizard X for the variety.
Burning Strike
- Heat Wave
- Solar Beam
- Tailwind / Overheat
- Protect
Item Attached: Charizardite Y
Ability: Drought
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
As dangerous as Mega Charizard Y can be, the moveset will almost always look like this. Heat Wave is mandatory, despite the slight nerf in XY and the annoying 90 accuracy this move will always burn through foes that don't resist it due to the Drought boost. Solar Beam pairs well with this as well to deal with the likes of Tapu Fini, and even Tyranitar if Sand Stream isn't active. Tailwind allows Mega Charizard Y to support both the team and itself, giving it a big boost to its offensive pressure and letting it work through the likes of Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian. However, if this support isn't necessary then you can opt for Overheat instead to give Mega Charizard Y a single target nuke to remove a single threat that would otherwise live an expected Heat Wave or be protected by Wide Guard. While the offense drop is nasty, the power and slight accuracy it provides over Fire Blast makes it the preferred choice for this role. Protect is eternal.
The choice of nature not only depends on preference, but also team build. Modest is usually preferred to maximized Heat Wave power though, and since it often runs Tailwind or has Trick Room support there's not much lost from dropping the Speed. Running a bulkier Charizard is also perfectly valid especially if paired with Intimidate support, since being able to tank unexpected hits makes Mega Charizard Y even more dangerous.
Other Options
- A well timed Substitute can make Mega Charizard Y a menace to deal with, but making room for it can be difficult and it isn't always fast enough to make good use of it.
- Hidden Power Ice can allow Mega Charizard Y to snipe a Landorus-Therian or Mega Salamence reliably, though this usually means giving up Tailwind or Overheat. This can be worth it if neither move's utility is desired though.
- Landorus-Therian pairs well with everything, but it is also slightly preferred over Incineroar as a teammate here due to avoiding similar type stacking. Not that it's unlikely you'd use both of them anyway though.
- Cresselia appreciates the sun support to make Moonlight more effective for supportive roles and also provides Trick Room support, though keep in mind both of these are walled by Heatran so don't be caught off-guard against it.
- Mega Charizard Y pairs well with Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele, with the former providing great Speed pressure and the former forming a dangerous offensive core that can bust through most of each other's checks.
Countering Mega Charizard
Rocks - Similar to Volcarona, Stealth Rock is a great way to handle Mega Charizard Y if you can keep them up, but aren't always the best answer. Tyranitar is by far one of the best answers next to Latios with its insane special bulk and Sand Stream to negate the damage buff of Drought. However, it must be careful of Focus Blast despite the 70% accuracy. Mega Tyranitar falls in the same area and can beat Mega Charizard Y one on one due to having the slower Mega Evolution, thus canceling the sun which can put an aggressive Charizard player in a tough spot if they go for a Solar Beam for the reliability. Mega Diancie is the next solid answer as with the new Mega mechanics, it will outpace Mega Charizard Y on the Mega Evolution and OHKO it with a Rock STAB while having insane bulk coming before Mega Evolving. However, Mega Diancie does not want to take a Solar Beam so be mindful of switching into it directly.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Evolve Charmeleon
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Trade from Red/Blue/Yellow
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Charmeleon
Colosseum/XD:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Trade from HeartGold/SoulSilver
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Charmeleon
Black/White:
Transfer from Generation IV
Black 2/White 2:
Transfer from Generation IV
X/Y:
Evolve Charmeleon
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Sun/Moon:
Trade from Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Charmeleon
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Route 1, Route 2, Route 3, Route 4, Route 6, Route 7, Route 8, Route 10, Route 11, Route 12, Route 13, Route 14, Route 15, Route 16, Route 17, Route 18, Route 19, Route 21, Route 22, Route 23, Route 24, Route 25
Animé Appearences
