25 Best Pokémon Abilities, Ranked (2024)

Introduced in Gen III, Pokémon Abilities are passive effects that can provide a boost during battle. Certain Abilities can turn a less-assuming Pokémon into a much more viable option. Slow Pokémon can be made fast, and weak ones can be made strong, all thanks to their Abilities.

Pokémon can have one of two potential Abilities, though there is a third Hidden Ability that not all species have. There's a huge range of Abilities, with some exclusive to certain Pokémon. While there are Abilities that don't help the Pokémon at all, some are so good that they can be game-breaking for any other Pokémon.

Updated on July 26, 2024, by Antonio Samson: A Pokémon's Ability can completely change its role in a battle or even give players a competitive edge over their opponent. This article was updated to include more Pokémon Abilities and to meet CBR's editorial and formatting standards.

25 Unaware Ignores Opponent's Stat Changes

Counter Stat Boosts and Decreases for Fairer Battles

Unaware is a game-changing Ability that plays a pivotal role in competitive Pokémon battles, especially in dealing with opponents that rely heavily on boosting their stats. A Pokémon with Unaware, such as Quagsire or Clefable, can effectively neutralize opponents that use moves like Swords Dance, Dragon Dance, or Calm Mind, which are designed to enhance their offensive or defensive capabilities. This Ability allows the Unaware Pokémon to disregard these stat boosts, making it seem like the opponent has not altered their stats.

This is particularly useful in scenarios where setup sweepers attempt to dominate the battlefield by boosting their stats to astronomical levels, rendering most other Pokémon ineffective against them. With Unaware, Pokémon like Quagsire can serve as steadfast walls, taking hits without being overwhelmed by the opponent's enhanced power.

24 Technician Boosts Low-Power Moves

Transforms Weak Moves into Strong Offensive Options

Technician is an Ability that transforms low-power moves into formidable attacks, significantly enhancing a Pokémon's versatility and offensive potential. This Ability boosts the power of moves with a base power of 60 or less by 50%, turning them into unexpectedly powerful options in a trainer's arsenal. This makes Technician users highly unpredictable and versatile in battle, capable of dealing significant damage with various moves that opponents might otherwise overlook.

Technician also enhances the power of more utility-oriented moves, making them viable offensive options. For instance, Hitmontop can use Technician-boosted Pursuit to deal extra damage to fleeing opponents. At the same time, Meowth and Persian can leverage Technician-boosted moves to surprise opponents with unexpectedly high damage outputs.

23 Adaptability Increases Same-Type Attack Bonus

Doubles STAB Bonus for Devastating Attacks

Adaptability is an Ability that significantly enhances the power of a Pokémon's same-type moves, providing a substantial boost to their offensive capabilities. Normally, the Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB) increases the power of moves that match the Pokémon's type by 50%. However, with Adaptability, this bonus is doubled, increasing the power of these moves by 100%. This dramatic increase makes Pokémon with Adaptability incredibly potent attackers, capable of dealing massive damage with their STAB moves.

Adaptability significantly boosts the offensive potential of Pokémon, making their same-type moves exceptionally powerful. This Ability encourages strategic play, allowing trainers to capitalize on their Pokémon's type advantages and deliver devastating blows to their opponents.

22 Sand Rush Doubles Speed In Sandstorm

Enhances Speed for Swift Attacks in Sandstorm Conditions

Sand Rush is an Ability that doubles the Speed stat of the Pokémon during a sandstorm, making it a critical component of sandstorm-based teams. This Ability transforms Pokémon into lightning-fast attackers under the right conditions, allowing them to outspeed and outmaneuver their opponents easily. Sand Rush is particularly useful for Pokémon with already high Attack stats, as the increased Speed enables them to capitalize on their offensive potential without worrying about being outsped.

Sand Rush provides a significant Speed advantage in sandstorm conditions, transforming Pokémon into swift and powerful attackers. This Ability encourages strategic team building around weather conditions, allowing trainers to create dynamic and effective sandstorm teams that can dominate the battlefield.

21 Regenerator Restores HP When Switching Out

Recovers Health Upon Switching for Extended Battle Longevity

Regenerator is an exceptionally valuable Ability that restores up to one-third of the Pokémon's maximum HP when it switches out of battle. This Ability is highly advantageous for pivot Pokémon, which frequently switch in and out to maintain momentum, control the battlefield, and support their team. Regenerator enhances the longevity and effectiveness of these Pokémon, allowing them to sustain themselves throughout prolonged battles and continue contributing to their team's success.

Toxapex is one of the most prominent users of Regenerator, often seen as a staple in defensive cores due to its remarkable bulk and Ability to heal upon switching out. This makes Toxapex an incredibly resilient wall, capable of absorbing hits and then retreating to regain health, only to return to the battle ready to continue its role. Paired with its access to moves like Recover and Toxic, Toxapex can outlast many opponents and provide critical support to its team.

20 Gimmick Abilities Offer Unique Advantages

Special Abilities Introduced in Gen IX with Unique Effects

Gimmicked Abilities will always be a topic for debate, but sometimes there are gimmicked Abilities that can be fun to use and actively among the best Pokémon Abilities out there. The Gen IX games Scarlet and Violet have introduced several signature Abilities, but Tatsugiri's Commander and Palafin's Zero to Hero stand out.

When on the field next to a Dondozo, Tatsugiri can jump inside the Big Catfish Pokémon and issue commands from within in a bizarre yet creative twist to using Abilities. Palafin somehow goes even further with its own, becoming incredibly powerful if it switches out of battle and then returns. Both are fun examples of non-legendary Abilities that offer creative twists.

19 Magic Guard Can Neutralize Status Afflictions And Stage Hazards

Protects from Indirect Damage and Status Conditions

A Pokémon with the Magic Guard Ability can only be damaged by direct attacks. There are a lot of HP-draining status conditions and indirect attacks, such as entry hazards and recoil damage, that Magic Guard protects the Pokémon from.

Magic Guard also allows the user to hold a Life Orb without taking damage. If the opponent has moves that are ineffective against a Pokémon with Magic Guard, they're going to find it tough to inflict a decent amount of damage. Alakazam and Clefable are notable users of Magic Guard.

18 Multiscale Is An Excellent One-Time Defensive Strategy

Reduces Damage When at Full HP for Enhanced Defense

Dragonite has burst forth and risen in competitive viability in the past few months. More players have discovered how much of a threat Dragonite poses, especially armed with its Multiscale Ability.

When the user is at full HP, Multiscale makes it so that they take half the damage from physical moves. This makes Dragonite a strong candidate to start in competitive doubles, especially if its partner can also divert attention away to keep it unharmed for as long as possible. Lugia is the only other Pokémon to have the Multiscale Ability, but these are two extremely powerful examples to prove its worth.

17 Poison Heal Turns Status Afflictions Into Immunities

Restores Health When Poisoned, Making the Pokémon Immune to Status

Poison Heal makes it so that a Pokémon's HP is restored by 1/8th of its maximum if poisoned. This effectively makes the Pokémon immune from all status conditions. For example, once poisoned, its status can't be changed to Burn or Freeze. This makes it even more effective than the held item Leftovers, which many competitive players swear by.

Breloom, for example, doesn't have to worry about being incapacitated by paralysis or sleep and can use Leech Seed to regain even more health. Besides Breloom and Shroomish, only Gliscor has access to this ability.

16 Good As Gold & Purifying Salt

Protects Pokémon from Status Moves and Conditions with Unique Effects

There are even more ways to combat status moves and conditions, and the Gen IX games have introduced some new Abilities to help in that regard. Good as Gold is Gholdengo's signature Ability, which serves to protect it from status moves. This doesn't stop moves like Stealth Rock and Mist from working, since the target is more broad in focus than just Gholdengo.

A similar Ability comes in the form of Garganacl's Purifying Salt, albeit with a twist. Besides reducing the damage taken from Ghost-type attacks, Purifying Salt protects Garganacl from status moves. Status moves can quickly turn the tide when used in competitive battles, so having a counter in the form of an Ability rather than a move is priceless.

15 Weather Abilities Can Set The Pace Of Battle In The User's Favor

Manipulates Weather Conditions to Gain Tactical Advantages

Weather Abilities such as Drought, Drizzle, and Snow Warning can affect the field, which can turn a match in the user's favor. As soon as a Pokémon with Drought is switched into battle, for example, Sunny Day is triggered, which has several benefits.

Sunny Day increases the effectiveness of Fire-type moves by 50%, decreases the damage of Water-type moves by the same amount, and allows moves that normally need charging up like Solar Beam to be used instantly. Drizzle does much the same as Drought, but for Water-type moves instead, and Snow Warning summons snow instead of hail, as of Gen IX.

14 Protosynthesis Is A Powerful New Weather Ability

Boosts Stats in Harsh Sunlight or with Booster Energy

Weather moves like Sunny Day can set up various fun strategies, but there are more extreme variations out there that have some added value. Scarlet's ancient past Paradox Pokémon have Protosynthesis, which boosts their best stat in harsh sunlight, or if they are holding Booster Energy. Violet's distant future Paradox Pokémon have an Electric Terrain variation of this called Quark Drive.

Leading the way for these Paradox Pokémon and their powerful Abilities are the cover mascot legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon. However, both have unique variations on their respective themes. Koraidon's Orichalcum Pulse brings the harsh sunlight and boosts its Attack stat, while Koraidon's Hadron Engine, does the same with Electric Terrain and Special Attack.

13 Levitate Gives The User A Valuable Immunity

Grants Immunity to Ground-type Moves for Strategic Advantage

For obvious reasons, The Levitate Ability applies to Pokémon that don't have legs or float above the ground. Levitate makes the Pokémon invulnerable to Ground-type moves. It effectively applies the Flying-type to the Pokémon, given that Ground moves don't affect them.

Big Ground-type moves like Earthquake and Earth Power will not affect a Pokémon with Levitate, meaning Pokémon weak to Ground-type will greatly benefit from this Ability. Notable Pokémon with Levitate include Weezing, the Lake Guardians, and Rotom. Since introducing Terastallizing in Gen IX, making a Levitate Pokémon an Electric Tera type takes all of its weaknesses away.

12 Well-Baked Body, Thermal Exchange & Earth Eater Turns Certain Incoming Attacks Into Buffs

Utilizes Opponent’s Moves to Enhance User’s Stats or Restore Health

While Levitate can grant specific Pokémon immunity to Ground-type moves, other Abilities can utilize opposing moves for the user's benefit. Earth Eater is a new Gen IX signature Ability for Orthworm, allowing it to regain HP instead of taking damage when hit by a Ground-type attack. It takes the Water Absorb gimmick and makes it appropriate for another typing.

There are even more Abilities that can nullify a potential weakness and turn it into a strength. Baxcalibur's Thermal Exchange doesn't provide the immunity of the others, but taking a Fire-type hit will increase its Attack. Well-Baked Body is another twist on the concept, allowing a Dachsbun to take a Fire-type hit without any damage while also enhancing its Defense stat.

11 Guts & Anger Shell Make Sacrifices To Boos Stats

Increases Stats When Under Certain Conditions

Turning negatives into positives is a vital part of thriving in competitive Pokémon, and Abilities that enhance strength in the face of danger are not to be ignored. Torrent and Blaze up the user's Water- and Fire-type moves, respectively, when their HP is low, but there are other twists on the concept of increasing power when their back is against the wall.

Guts is a fabled Ability in the Pokémon franchise, as it boosts a Pokémon's Attack stat when hit with a status condition. When used correctly, it can be devastating. The Gen IX games introduced another variation of powering up when taking a hit with Klawf's Anger Shell. Anger Shell acts like the move Shell Smash, as it lowers defensive stats but ups speed and offensive capabilities.

10 Serene Grace Doubles The Chance of Secondary Effects

Enhances the Probability of Moves' Additional Effects

Serene Grace doubles the chance of a move's secondary effect occurring. Moves that have a chance to make the opponent flinch, for example, will have a 60% chance of doing so instead of 30%. This can be a way to stun-lock the opponent.

A Pokémon with moves that cause flinching or lower their opponent's stats will benefit hugely from Serene Grace. Plenty of popular moves have secondary effects, which the likes of Blissey, Togekiss, and Jirachi all take advantage of, making Serene Grace one of the best Pokémon Abilities out there.

9 Defiant, Guard Dog & Opportunist Turn Debuffs Into Buffs

Transforms Opponent’s Stat Reductions Into Benefits

Many Abilities can boost a Pokémon's stats when they take heavy hits, but some turn stat-reducing moves into a positive. Defiant is an old example, introduced back in Gen V, which has its user's Attack stat boosted when an opponent tries to reduce its stats.

Gen IX has introduced two twists on this premise. Guard Dog is Mabosstiff's signature Ability, and among its several perks is the complete counter of the Ability Intimidate, it gives itself an Attack boost instead of reduction. Espathra's Opportunist benefits from an opponent trying to buff their stats, copying the stat changes for itself. These Abilities are terrific ways of boosting stats.

8 Prankster Lets the User Strike First With Status Afflictions

Grants Priority to Status Moves for Strategic Advantage

Prankster has risen in popularity in recent years, as those who have it gain extra priority when using status moves. Grimmsnarl and Murkrow are major examples of Pokémon that have risen in prominence on the competitive circuit, and Prankster allows them to act quicker than their opponents.

Prankster means that moves from Haze and Will-O-Wisp to Reflect and Light Screen can start a turn, with the new order potentially changing how much damage is dealt. Prankster would be unstoppable on stronger Pokémon, making it one of the best Abilities in Pokémon.

7 Moxie & Beast Boost Make Pokémon Stronger With Each Knockout

Boosts Stats After Each Opponent Defeat for Momentum

The Ultra Beasts were introduced back in Sun and Moon. Not only did they come with interesting concepts and designs but also the formidable Beast Boost Ability. With Beast Boost, the user's most prominent stat gets increased every time they knock out an opponent, especially useful in battles against Trainers with six Pokémon.

Moxie is a more accessible alternative, demonstrated by the likes of Krookodile, Salamance, Gyarados, and most recently, Quaquaval. These Abilities make powerful Pokémon even stronger through sheer momentum, which can be difficult to counter.

6 The Ruinous Abilities Are Tailored To Each Member Of The Treasures Of Ruin

Unique Abilities That Affect Opponents' Stats for Strategic Play

The Abilities of Legendary Pokémon are often dismissed due to being too overpowered, but some exceptions have their place. With the recent addition of the Four Treasures of Ruin to the Gen IX competitive meta, Ting-Lu, Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, and Chi-Yu have brought their Ruinous chaos to the big leagues. Each has an Ability that reduces a certain stat of those around them. With Chi-Yu, the focus is Special Defense.

Beads of Ruin reduces everyone's Special Defense by 25%, leaving them especially susceptible to Chi-Yu's explosive Fire-type moves. Chien-Pao's equivalent is Sword of Ruin, which lowers Defense, leaving foes vulnerable to its vicious physical offense. These Ruinous Abilities can flip a battle on its head in an instant.