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This image shows Tyranitar, a Dark and Rock type creature from Pokemon Go. It's a khaki-colored dinosaur with blue and black accents, as well as spikes coming from its body.
Image via the Pokémon Company, remix by Dot Esports.

The best moveset for Tyranitar in Pokémon Go

What moves should you teach to Tyranitar in Pokémon Go?

Tyranitar is among the more common Pokémon you can expect to see in Pokémon Go, and many consider it to be a solid addition to the roster. Despite its great stats, there’s still a best moveset you want to teach it to get the most out of it in every battle.

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You can expect to see Tyranitar in various situations throughout Pokémon Go, and by adding it to your team, you’ll have a vital team member who can tackle multiple situations. You still want to ensure you know how to use it best, though, and what attacks are the best options based on your activity. Here’s what you need to know about the best moveset to teach Tyranitar in Pokémon Go.

Tyranitar’s best moveset in Pokémon Go

This screenshot shows readers what Mega Tyranitar looks like in Pokémon Go. It's a khaki dinosaur with massive spikes coming out of its body.
You can unleash the power a Mega Tyranitar against five-star raids. Image via the Pokemon Company, remix by Dot Esports.
Move TypeNameTypingDamage per AttackEnergy
Fast moveSmack DownRock11Generates 2.6 energy per turn
Charged moveBrutal SwingDark55Costs 35 energy
Charged moveStone EdgeRock100Costs 55 energy

Tyranitar is a Rock and Dark-type Pokémon that you can use in Pokémon Go. As a Rock and Dark-type, Tyranitar is weak against Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-type moves, but it resists Dark, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, and Psychic-type attacks from other Pokémon. It has a similar problem to Rhyperior, with several notable weaknesses that can greatly hinder it. When you’re leveling one up and curating the many attacks, the best moves to teach Tyranitar are the fast move Smack Down, and the charged moves Brutal Swing and Stone Edge.

For Tyranitar’s fast move, Smack Down is the best choice it can use. It’s an attack that does 11 damage, and generates 2.6 energy per turn. While the energy is lower than you might want for a fast move, Tyranitar gets a damage bonus when using Smack Down as it is a Rock-type attack. The other choices, Bite and Iron Tail, fall short. Bite is a Dark-type move that does four damage but only generates two energy per turn, and Iron Tail is a Steel-type attack that does 10 damage and generates 2.3 energy. Smack Down is the move that does the most damage and gives Tyranitar the most energy for its charged moves.

There are several more charged move attacks to consider for Tyranitar that can make these the most challenging choices. These are all the charged moves Tyranitar can learn in Pokémon Go.

  • Brutal Swing (Dark type)
  • Crunch (Dark type)
  • Fire Blast (Fire type)
  • Return (Normal type)
  • Stone Edge (Rock type)

Among these choices, Brutal Swing and Stone Edge are easily the best charged attacks. Brutal Swing is a Dark-type attack that does 55 damage and only costs 35 energy. You can expect to use this move fairly often against opponents in five-star raids and against other players. Because it doesn’t cost too much energy, it’s a great attack to bait out a shield for an opponent. The second move, Stone Edge, is a Rock-type attack that does 100 damage and costs 55 energy. While it is more costly than Brutal Swing, it’s an excellent attack to hold in your back pocket in any Pokémon Go battle. Both moves are the same type as Tyranitar, which means they do more damage.

Unfortunately, the other choices fall short, and you’re better off avoiding them. Return is a Normal-type attack that Tyranitar can learn only if you’ve purified it from being a Shadow Pokémon. You want to remove that attack for nearly anything else. Crunch is another Dark-type attack that costs only 45 energy but does 70 damage. You might be able to use a Tyranitar with Crunch but don’t expect to use it as often as Brutal Swing. The upside to Crunch is a 30 percent chance to lower an opponent’s defense when you use it. Finally, Fire Blast is a powerful Fire-type attack that costs 80 energy, far too much energy to expect from Tyranitar. Even if it does do 140 damage. You’re better off not using it.

Is Tyranitar good in Pokémon Go?

Tyranitar is an excellent Pokémon that you can add to your roster in Pokémon Go. What makes Tyranitar great is it has a fantastic set of attack, defense, and health stats, meaning you can expect to use it in five-star raids and whenever battling against Team Rocket. Unfortunately, Tyranitar might fall short against other players because of its many weaknesses, which another player can easily use to their advantage.

If you use Tyranitar against other players in Pokémon Go, a good idea is to use it in the Master League where it can reach its highest CP. The downside to this is this league has many Legendary Pokémon, which are always superior. Still, Tyranitar is a great Pokémon to use in certain situations, and having one at full power in your collection is always a positive, especially if you regularly seek out five-star raids.


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Ryan Galloway
Ryan is a Senior Staff Writer for Dot Esports who has been working at GAMURS since 2020. He covers a wide variety of titles from across the gaming space, with a focus on Pokémon. He boasts a degree in Journalism from Murdoch University. Email: ryan@dotesports.com
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Zack Palm
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.