Top 10 Gigantamax forms in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Here's an early list of Gigantamax forms in order of their competitive potential.
Screengrab via [Nintendo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65iJUsuVPc8)

Only a small percentage of Pokémon in Sword and Shield can achieve a Gigantimax form rather than simply Dynamaxing into an enlarged version of themselves. 

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This special form of Dynamaxing gives 26 different Pokémon a unique new look and a completely original G-Max move that only they can use. But they’re also much harder to obtain than normal versions of those Pokémon because you need to find one with the Gigantimax strain, which is visible when viewing the summary for each species. 

With a unique look and moves that only that species can use, Gigantimax Pokémon are the cream of the crop when it comes to which Pokémon you want on your squad. 

And just like with Mega Evolutions, not all Gigantimax Pokémon were created equal. So in terms of exclusive moves, overall usefulness, and the stat totals for each Pokémon, here’s a list of the top 10 Gigantimaxed Pokémon.

As always, this list is just based on a few aspects of each Pokémon and doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give the others a try.

10) Gigantimax Centiskorch

Two weaknesses, the best overall stats, and insane coverage for said weak points make Centiskorch one of the strongest Pokémon from the trio of Gigantimax Pokémon that uses a move that deals turn-based damage. 

Max attack, max speed with Power Whip, Flare Blitz, Thunder Fang, and your choice of a third attack combined with a Choice Band turn your Centiskorch into a one-Pokémon wrecking crew. You might not want to lock yourself into one move depending on your team composition, but coverage plus G-Max Centiferno is a winning strategy. 

Just watch out for Stealth Rocks, because if they’re out on the field, your Centiskorch will lose 50 percent of its health directly upon switching in, which is its biggest weakness. 

9) Gigantimax Machamp

Machamp got a solid buff to its coverage pool in gen eight, letting it handle several poor matchups a little better even without Gigantimaxing.

G-Max Chi Strike will punch your opponent in the face and then up the chances for Machamp to land a critical hit in subsequent turns, which means the next hit could be even deadlier than a base 100, same-type attack bonus (STAB) Fighting-type move from a Pokémon with a minimum attack stat of 130. That’s going to make the focus of the battle shift massively in key moments if you play your cards right. 

The big issue here is Machamp’s speed. It won’t outpace many targets at base 55, which limits any sweeping potential because you’ll likely be taking a hit before you throw one out. 

8) Gigantimax Butterfree

The frail little butterfly can actually take a hit now and hit back with some incredible firepower. Gigantimax Butterfree looks like Mothra ready to take on some other Kaiju. 

Since it has a unique typing in terms of Pokémon on this list, Butterfree brings some cool options to the table while also having a bit of RNG involved. G-Max Befuddle essentially rolls a dice after dealing damage and inflicts poison, paralysis, or sleep to the targets it manages to hit. 

That can lead to some bad situations for your opponent depending on the timing in the match or which Pokémon are present on the field. But again, watch out for Stealth Rocks. 

7) Gigantimax Charizard

Charizard fatigue? If this wasn’t such a solid Pokémon, it wouldn’t be this high based on how many different versions of the Kanto starter we’ve seen in recent years. But it’s the best Fire-type capable of Gigantimaxing. 

You can run it as a physical or special set with various coverage on each spectrum that can counter some of the biggest walls this Godzilla ripoff form might encounter. It can take a few hits as long as they aren’t based on a rock and will outspeed most things that scare it. 

And if it wasn’t clear, this is another Stealth Rock target, which means you’ll likely want a Rapid Spin user on your team for Charizard, Butterfree, or Centiskorch. Thank goodness that move actually got a buff, too. 

6) Gigantimax Orbeetle

Orbeetle is a weird Pokémon. It has outstanding defenses and solid special attack and speed stats, but the only real downside seems to be its lackluster HP that hinders its usefulness as a real tank. 

The stats alone make it good in raids and competitive, but you’ll want to plan how you use G-Max Gravitas because once it hits, it’ll change how gravity works on the field. Gravity, in this case, means any Pokémon normally considered off the ground will be grounded, making Flying-types and Pokémon with abilities like Levitate vulnerable to Ground-type attacks. 

Changing gravity has been successfully implemented into competitive teams in the past, but you’ll need to build your team around the possibility of gravity being intense. Otherwise, you could be caught in a bad situation. 

5) Gigantimax Alcremie

Healing your teammates is a useful ability when VGC is a doubles format. And a Gigantimax form will also double as a bigger target than most other Pokémon that share the field with it. 

So if Gigantimaxing is allowed in competitive play, G-Max Finale is going to become a heavily-used strategy. It won’t be broken because it only heals a percentage of your ally’s health and Alcremie doesn’t have the best stats, but it’s still a decent Pokémon. 

Several prominent Steel and Poison-types will also keep the whipped cream in check if things do get out of hand, though. But Alcremie is a great Pokémon to bring to raid battles with friends. 

4) Gigantimax Grimmsnarl

One of the most dangerous things you can do in any competitive format is to force your opponent to reach for something. And that’s exactly what Grimmsnarl can do with G-Max Snooze. 

That move will deal damage and then work like Yawn, making your opponent choose between switching out or having whichever Pokémon was hit fall asleep on the next turn. Along with having an instant card to pull to force a reaction, Grimmsnarl also doesn’t have any super weaknesses, good coverage, and solid stats. 

This is close to the safest pick you can make on the list. 

3) Gigantimax Dreadnaw

Third might be too high for Dreadnaw, but it provides one of the best utility moves in the entire game built right into its G-Max move. 

G-Max Stonesurge is a Water-type move that sets up Stealth Rock, which deals damage to a Pokémon every time it swaps into battle. And for Pokémon that are weak to rock, it takes 25 percent of their max health upon each swap—half for Pokémon like Charizard that are four times weak to it.

That tech alone puts this move in the top-five for normal competitive play, even if the meta has somewhat shifted away from it in recent years. It also doesn’t hurt to have good coverage and stats, too. 

2) Gigantimax Snorlax

Available starting Dec. 4, Gigantimaxing one of the bulkiest Pokémon in the game is going to turn an absolute unit into something even further beyond that. 

With good stats, including a massive 160 base HP, Snorlax is going to be sticking around on the field for a solid amount of time. Using the time spent Gigantimaxed to set up might not be a bad idea, but even if you just want a solid tank with lots of options, this is the safest pick in the game. 

G-Max Replenish also automatically recycles berries, meaning Snorlax can just keep munching on whatever effect berry you want to give it. 

1) Gigantimax Lapras

Lapras has impressive stats across the board and will be able to take hits and deal them too, especially with the use of its G-Max move. 

G-Max Resonance is an Ice-type move that, while killing dragons, can also reduce the damage your Pokémon receive for five turns. So free screens while also dealing damage is something that could absolutely set a player up for a sweep if the right Pokémon is on the field.  

Some decent coverage will lead to most players Gigantimaxing and using the G-Max move as soon as Lapras hits the field, which can then be followed by something like a Max Geyser, Max Mindstorm, or Max Lightning depending on the matchup. Have fun taking at least an extra two hits in most situations if you manage to set up that Resonance. 

And keep in mind, most of these rankings are based on double battle scenarios or raids rather than singles because that seems to be where Dynamaxing will be allowed, if at all. So with that knowledge in mind, prepare to build a team that can best take advantage of each Pokémon’s unique skill.


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Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.