The Rock type in Pokémon games is a bit of a double-edged sword. While they have some useful resistances, they also have quite a few weaknesses.
But even though this may be the case, a lot of Rock types in the franchise are really dependable Pokémon, and also some of the coolest ‘mons Pokémon has ever introduced.
Today, we are going to be looking at the best new and returning Rock-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, based on their design, lore, and competitive viability.
Related: All Rock-type Pokémon weaknesses, explained
The best Rock-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
12) Sudowoodo
Sudowoodo is iconic, appearing back in Gen II, making every trainer baffled when their Fire and Ice moves weren’t dealing super-effective damage against this ‘mon that seemed like a Grass type.
This Rock-type Pokémon is basically a rock that disguises itself as a tree, its main purpose being to serve as an obstacle in the overworld in the older generation Pokémon games. It’s a Pokémon meant to be annoying. It’s basically the most iconic annoying Pokémon to exist.
11) Drednaw
At first glance, Drednaw just looks like another turtle Pokémon like Torkoal and Shuckle. Don’t assume it’s slow like its fellow turtle friends, though: Drednaw’s base Speed isn’t anything special at 74, but it has access to the ability Swift Swim. Under rainy conditions, Swift Swim doubles Drednaw’s Speed stat, making it one of the fastest Pokémon on the field.
Paired with its Speed in the rain, Drenaw can take full advantage of the weather by launching rain-boost Water attacks like Liquidation, Waterfall, or Razor Shell. And thanks to its Rock typing, it still has solid Defense and same-type attack bonus (STAB) Rock-type moves like Rock Slide or Stone Edge to fall back on even if the rain isn’t set up. Don’t ever underestimate this angry turtle.
10) Iron Thorns
Honestly, the future Paradox form of Tyranitar is pretty dope. A lot of the Paradox forms from Pokémon Violet feel like a miss because their designs fall flat, but Iron Thorns pulls off the futuristic robot look very well.
That being said, it is still inferior to Tyranitar because without the ability Sand Stream, it can’t be as bulky as it wants to be due to the absence of the Special Defense boost, and the four-times weakness to Ground is pretty unfortunate when you have strong Ground-type attackers like Garchomp running around everywhere.
Related: The best Ice-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
With the ability Protosynthesis, however, you could still make use of Iron Thorns as a very powerful attacker.
9) Rockruff
This little guy is literally the embodiment of a puppy in Pokémon form. Calling all dog people, you might wanna get a Rockruff for yourself on your playthrough in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet because it is freakin’ adorable.
In addition to being cute, Rockruff’s Own Tempo Ability prevents it from getting confused or Intimidated, which makes this little pup a solid option if you’re playing in a format that only involves baby Pokémon.
It also has three different branched evolutions—Midday Form, Midnight Form, and Dawn Form Lycanroc. Each of these forms comes with its own strengths.
8) Lycanroc: Midday Form
Lycanroc’s Midday Form is not only cute like its pre-evolution, Rockruff, but also one of the best Rock types to have out when the sandstorm is set up. Midday Lycanroc is the only Rock-type in the game with Sand Rush, hugely beneficial when utilized during a sandstorm.
Commonly paired with Sand Stream Tyranitar, Midday Lycanroc’s Sand Rush ability makes the Pokémon super fast while the sand is up. It typically holds a Focus Sash with the move Endeavor, which brings the target’s HP down to the same HP as the user. The idea is for Lycanroc to survive on 1 HP with the Focus Sash, use a speedy Endeavor to cut the target’s HP down to 1, and let the sandstorm’s residual damage knock out the target at the end of the turn.
7) Klawf
It’s Klawf, come on. It’s a giant goofy crab, what’s there not to like?
Goofiness is not its only standout characteristic though. Klawf are incredibly stealthy, hanging upside-down from cliffs to ambush their prey. They can’t stay upside-down for too long though, as all the blood rushing to their head makes them dizzy. Yeah okay, they’re pretty goofy.
It is also said that Klawf’s claws are delicious and are used for cooking in the Paldea region. Don’t worry, only the claws that Klawf drops themselves while they quickly regenerate new ones.
6) Coalossal
This gigantic hunk of coal truly got its time to shine back in Gen VIII when it was introduced. The combination of Gigantamax and the strategies possible with its ability, along with its signature G-Max move, made it a real threat to contend with. Is Coalossal just as much of a beast in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet? Unfortunately not, but it is still strong.
You can Terrastalize Coalossal into a pure Fire type and use a weak Aqua Jet from your partner Pokémon on it while it holds a Weakness Policy to give it a massive boost in damage while maxing out its Speed. Go on to fire off incredibly strong Tera Fire Heat Waves to obliterate your opponent.
You just have to make sure Coalossal doesn’t take too much damage from its Weakness Policy activation. Certainly not as potent as it was one generation ago, but not a ‘mon that you can simply brush off.
5) Stonjourner
Every time you think Game Freak can’t think of concepts that haven’t been thought of already, they surprise you with something like a Stonehenge Pokémon.
Stonjourner are said to gather in the same spot once every year on a certain day from all over to form an evenly spaced ring or circle, exactly imitating the Stonehenge found in England in real life. Brilliant stuff.
Related: The best Steel-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Another reason why Stonjourner is such an interesting Pokémon is its access to its signature ability Power Spot. This ability gives its partner present on the field a 30 percent damage boost to every damaging attack it uses. It basically gives its partner a Life Orb boost by simply staying on the field, while Stonjourner itself is free to go for any move that it wants.
4) Lycanroc: Midnight
Among Lycanroc’s three forms, its Midnight Form might be the coolest. It’s the only form where Lycanroc stands up on its hind legs with its front legs dangling in front of it. To top it off, its eyes glow a deep red, almost as if it were possessed. This eerie design has the closest resemblance to a werewolf of the three forms.
This doggo also possesses the ability No Guard, which makes it so that all of its attacks will hit the opponent guaranteed, regardless of its accuracy. Spamming Stone Edges on your opponent and critting them to victory has never been easier.
3) Glimmora
No, this isn’t a Grass-type Pokémon. Yes, it is a flower. Yeah, we’re a little confused about that primary Rock-typing as well.
Apart from that, Glimmora is a pretty unique Pokémon that stands out like a sore thumb, in a good way. One of the coolest things about Glimmora is its ability Toxic Debris, which sets up a layer of Toxic Spikes every time it gets hit by a physical move.
In competitive Pokémon, using an entire turn to set up hazards like Toxic Spikes is usually a waste of a turn, when you can be doing more useful things. Getting to set up Toxic Spikes as a passive effect, however, is pretty neat, letting Glimmora do Glimmora things.
One of the things that Glimmora does well is possess a very wide coverage, letting it hit a variety of types for super-effective damage, and with its high Special Attack stat, you can be sure to pick up one-hit KO’s on a bunch of Pokémon.
2) Garganacl
We don’t really know of anyone who has been asking for a rock salt Pokémon. Like, that idea was not on anyone’s radar, but Game Freak makes a rock salt Pokémon and we’re not complaining. Garganacl is pretty neat.
NaCl actually happens to be the chemical formula for salt. Game Freak is taking their pun game to new levels, making sure you have a fair bit of knowledge to get their little joke. Garganacl = gargantuan salt. It’s literally a big salt Pokémon. That’s pretty funny.
Garganacl is also pretty useful in the competitive scene, having a very solid stat spread all around along with a super cool ability in Purifying Salt. This ability makes it immune to all status conditions while also halving the damage it takes from Ghost moves, effectively giving it another resistance.
Due to its terrific Defense stat, Garganacl’s best set includes the moves Iron Defense and Body Press, letting it get bulkier while also increasing Body Press’ damage output since it calculates damage based on the user’s Defense.
1) Tyranitar
The biggest and the baddest of them all, the OG pseudo-Legendary from Generation II that ushered in the Dark type to the Pokémon franchise, and a ‘mon that has beaten all the odds to continue being relevant in the competitive metagame today in Scarlet and Violet, Tyranitar is one of the most iconic Rock types of all time—if not the most iconic.
Tyranitar has an amazing design, and even someone who hasn’t seen this beast before will know that they need to think twice before messing with it. It exudes fierce and badass vibes, but it’s got a face that you can easily see being your friend as well; the best of both worlds.
This Rock and Dark dual-type Pokémon has a pretty unfortunate typing, and even though it gives Tyranitar useful immunity and some neat resistances, it also gives it some horrible weaknesses. But other than its debilitating four-times weakness to Fighting, Tyranitar takes super-effective moves like an absolute champ due to its phenomenal bulk which is only further boosted by the Sandstorm weather condition that it sets up through its ability Sand Stream.
Furthermore, with the advent of Terrastalization in Gen IX, Tyranitar has even less to worry about in terms of its staying power since it can Terrastalize into a different type that covers for all of its regular weaknesses and continue wreaking havoc on the field.
Tyranitar seems to be primed to shine in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and you can most definitely expect this monster to be making huge waves in the new games. For all of these reasons, Tyranitar snags the No. 1 spot on our list.
