The best Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Lean, mean, destruction machines, the Fighting type has been pretty prevalent in the Pokémon game franchise ever since its release due to its immediate power and just how many types it hits for super-effective damage.

There have been a ton of Fighting-type Pokémon released over the years, and Generation IX introduced a whole variety of new Fighting Pokémon along with bringing back some beloved and familiar faces.

In this list, we will be listing the 10 best Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, based on their design, lore, and competitive viability.

The 10 best Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

10) Quaquaval

While Quaxly admittedly wasn’t the most popular baby form of the starters, it certainly won our hearts, and we set some high expectations for its final form, only to be met with, well, this.

Quaquaval had a lot more potential, strictly from a design perspective. The blue is unpleasant to look at and covers a large majority of its design. Its idle animation in battle is fitting since it’s a dancer and all, but after a while, it just feels a little jarring to look at.

It does, however, get access to the ability Moxie, which when combined with its signature move Aqua Step boosts its Speed each time you use it, and can turn Quaquaval into an unexpected sweeper.

9) Lucario

Older Pokémon fans that have played the original Generation IV games—Pokémon Diamond and Pearl—probably know the amazing feeling of getting their own Lucario after seeing it with Riley all the time. From receiving an egg from him to hatching it into a Riolu and then finally evolving it into our own Lucario, we got our hands on one of the coolest canine Pokémon in the franchise.

Lucario was quite the threat back in its time and has made its return in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It can run a fast, mixed offensive set or simply a supportive set with great options like Quick Guard, Life Dew, Helping Hand, Heal Pulse, and Howl. 

That being said, Lucario has been an unfortunate victim of power creep from the latest generations, and you have better alternatives that do what Lucario does better, and even more.

8) Paldean Tauros

Remember Tauros? It was a pretty cool Gen I Pokémon, all things considered, and Generation IX decided to finally give it some love by introducing its awesome Paldean variant.

Paldean Tauros is now a Fighting-type Pokémon that has two variants: the Aqua Breed and the Blaze Breed, which are Fighting/Water and Fighting/Fire types, respectively.  

Paldean Tauros now possesses the signature move Raging Bull, a 90 base power Normal-type move that breaks screens and Aurora Veil, while changing into Water or Fire type based on the breed of Tauros used. Sadly, regular Paldean Tauros has Raging Bull remain a Normal-type move and does not get STAB (Same-Type-Attack-Bonus) from it, which means you are better off using either of the two elemental variants.

7) Slither Wing

Slither Wing is a pretty cool concept for Volcarona’s past Paradox form. Volcarona definitely did not seem like a Pokémon that wants to get down and dirty to smack you in the face with its dainty legs.

Slither Wing, on the other hand, is a crawling brawling machine, using its six sturdy legs to Close Combat you into the ground. We love the shift in direction they went with this Paradox form, lending another dimension to the Volcarona family.

It also has an amazing Attack stat that can get further boosted in harsh sunlight or with the Booster Energy item, thanks to its Protosynthesis ability. With access to moves like First Impression, Close Combat, and U-Turn, Slither Wing shows a lot of utility and power in the competitive scene.

6) Gallade

Everyone welcomed Kirlia’s branched evolution—Gallade—back in Generation IV. Gallade was fast, strong, and whole lots of cool, and has only managed to get cooler in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Gallade hit decently hard before Gen IX, but the newer games buffed the dude with a new ability called Sharpness. Sharpness raises the power of all slashing moves by 50 percent, and boy, does Gallade get access to a lot of them.

Psycho Cut, Sacred Sword, Air Slash, and X-Scissor and just a few of the moves that Gallade can take advantage of with its Sharpness ability. If there was ever a time for Gallade to shine, it’s now.

5) Hawlucha

Being based on luchadors—wrestlers that take part in the free-fighting Mexican wrestling form—Hawlucha is a pretty unique concept that has been a favorite among fans ever since it was released back in Generation VI.

Hawlucha has a signature move in Flying Press, a 100 base power Fighting move that also acts as a Flying move. Yeah, it’s both a Flying and a Fighting move and therefore has completely unique types that the move hits for super-effective damage.

Hawlucha also possesses the ability Unburden, doubling its Speed stat after consuming or losing its held item. This Speed boost in conjunction with a setup move like Swords Dance can turn Hawlucha into a daunting sweeper before your very eyes.

4) Iron Valiant

Looks like we’ve got Gallade and Gallade’s future Paradox form making it to the list. Well, not exactly, since Iron Valiant is apparently a fusion of both Gardevoir and Gallade.

According to the paranormal magazine Occulture in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Iron Valiant is said to be a creation of a mad scientist. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Iron Valiant turned out to be incredibly violent and cruel, not hesitating to mercilessly cut down anything it laid its eyes on.

In the competitive scene, Iron Valiant can be run as an incredibly fast mixed attacker if you don’t want to pick only one of its offenses. It has access to a wide coverage of offensive as well as supportive options, which means there is a lot of room for experimentation with this slicing and dicing machine.

3) Iron Hands

Out of all the Paradox forms that are on this list, Iron Hands’ design is easily the most questionable, especially because of its lore. It is believed that Iron Hands was a mortally wounded athlete who was brought back to life as a cyborg. 

Then why does it resemble Hariyama so much? Unless Hariyama itself was the athlete? The plot thickens.

But that’s not why Iron Hands takes a top-three spot on our list, of course. Iron hands boasts amazing stats overall, and can be a threatening sweeper under Trick Room. It can function amazingly even without Trick Room, supporting its team with Fake Out and being able to tank hits with its amazing bulk.

It can easily make up for its lackluster base Special Defense by investing EVs into it since you probably aren’t running it to be speedy. Otherwise, you always have the option to slap an Assault Vest onto it, which happens to be an amazing item for Iron Hands.

2) Great Tusk

Being the past Paradox form of Donphan, just from first glance, Great Tusk proves to be an absolute menace of a Pokémon.

Great Tusk has simply amazing stats on the Physical side, both in Attack and Defense, while also boasting an amazing HP stat. Its Special Defense is pretty bad, which can be remedied with an Assault Vest set, and its middling Speed can easily be supported with either Tailwind or Trick Room options on its team.

With access to devastating moves such as Close Combat and Headlong Rush, you can be sure that Great Tusk is picking up KO after KO. If you run this ‘mon under Sun or give it the Booster Energy item, you can skyrocket its offense to incredible heights.

1) Annihilape

Just like with Pokémon such as Farigiraf and Dudunsparce, Annihilape is another ‘mon that has been added to the franchise after hearing the fans’ cries for a Primeape evolution over the years—and man has Gamefreak delivered.

Annihilape has a pretty unique typing, design, and amazing lore to go along with it. It is said that Annihilape evolves from Primeape when the rage in its soul becomes too much for its physical form to handle, gaining increased power as a result of its spirit no longer being limited by the flesh. This evolution concept is a clear reference to Primeape’s PokéDex entry from Pokémon Sun, which says that Primeape can become so angry that it dies as a result.

Primeape already had an amazing ability in Defiant, giving it frequent Attack boosts when it found itself on the field due to how popular Intimidate is in competitive Pokémon. As Annihilape, it now has better typing and increased stats. Apart from a good Attack stat, it possesses phenomenal HP, letting it run a Choice Scarfed Final Gambit set that can take out a large majority of the metagame in a single move.

Lastly, its signature move Rage Fist lets it make a good duo with ‘mons that can fire off multi-hit moves on their partner—such as Maushold with Population Bomb—to turn Rage Fist into a 350 base power Ghost move that will instantly delete anything that isn’t immune to it from the field. For these reasons, Annihilape takes the No. 1 spot on our list.