Should you purify Shadow Lugia in Pokémon Go?

Shadow Pokémon can be exceptionally powerful in Pokémon Go, and it helps to know which ones you should use to overwhelm any foe. Legendary Shadow Pokémon are some of the rarest ones in the game, and you might be wondering if you should purify your Shadow Lugia.

We normally recommend keeping any Legendary Shadow Pokémon you catch in Pokémon Go. However, there are distinct differences between Shadow Pokémon and their standard forms, so it’s important to know which is more worth your time. It all comes down to the Pokémon’s stats and what they’ll be fighting. Here’s what you need to know about Shadow Lugia and if it’s better than the standard one in Pokémon Go.

Is it better to purify Shadow Lugia in Pokémon Go?

When you put Shadow Lugia up against the original version, it’s clear that the standard version is stronger. You don’t want to use Shadow Lugia if you’re planning to go up against other Pokémon Go players in the Master League, which is where Lugia shines the most. You wouldn’t want to use it in the Ultra League, but you can use it in five-star raids to catch other Shadow Pokémon or to battle against Giovanni and other Team Rocket leaders.

What makes the original Lugia a solid choice is its hefty defenses. It has a high defense power, making it difficult to defeat when pitted against other Legendary Pokémon in the Master League. As a Shadow Pokémon, its attack power increases by 20%, but its defenses decrease by 20%. The amount of attack power it gains does not compensate for the lost defenses, leaving it vulnerable and easier to defeat against other players.

If you already have a strong Lugia on your team, you should keep Shadow Lugia. After all, it never hurts to have an extra Shadow Pokémon on your team. But if you don’t already have a reliable Lugia anywhere in your Pokémon Go collection, you should purify the one you catch. The standard version can do a lot more for you in the Master League, and it should be a far more valuable asset in other Pokémon Go activities.

If Niantic ever introduces the original appearance version of what Shadow Lugia looks like, then you’ll need to keep that one and never change it.