Dynamax Zapdos Ranks No. 2 as an Electric Max Attacker in Pokémon GO

Gigantamax Toxtricity deals 14.6% more Max Attack damage, while Zapdos falls outside the top 10 as a tank.

Bojan Kicevski29 minutes ago

0 5 2 minutes read

Dynamax Zapdos shown in Pokémon GO with red Dynamax clouds around it.

Dynamax Zapdos remains one of Pokémon GO’s strongest Electric Max attackers, but it is much better at dealing damage than taking hits. A Pokémon GO Hub ranking analysis published October 1, 2026 places Zapdos second for Electric Max Attack damage, behind Gigantamax Toxtricity.

The comparison uses Max Attack damage, not overall battle DPS. Zapdos is the baseline, and the other figures show how each Pokémon’s Max Attack damage compares with it.

Rank	Pokémon	Max Attack damage vs. Zapdos
1	Gigantamax Toxtricity	+14.6%
2	Dynamax Zapdos	Baseline
3	Dynamax Electivire	-1.5%
4	Dynamax Raikou	-4.5%
5	Dynamax Jolteon	-7.8%

The percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Toxtricity has a clear lead in this measure, but Zapdos edges out the other Dynamax Electric options in the comparison. For Trainers who missed Toxtricity’s appearances at GO Wild Area in November 2024 and GO Fest 2025: Max Finale on August 23 and 24, Zapdos still offers a strong Electric damage option.

Zapdos is built to attack, not tank

Zapdos has 253 Attack, 185 Defense, and 207 base Stamina, with a maximum CP of 3,987 at level 50. Its Electric and Flying typing makes it weak to Ice and Rock attacks, while it resists Bug, Fighting, Flying, Grass, Ground, and Steel.

Its 0.5-second Thunder Shock helps build the Max Meter quickly, but the move is legacy. Trainers whose Zapdos does not already know it need an Elite Fast TM to teach it. Charge Beam is the other listed Fast Attack, with a 1.0-second duration, and Max Lightning is Zapdos’s Max Attack.

That quick Fast Attack does not make Zapdos a dependable tank. In the current Max roster, its best tanking placements are No. 12 against Fighting and Ground attacks, outside the top 10 in every matchup listed. A hypothetical full-roster projection puts it at No. 100 against Fighting and No. 83 against Ground. Crowned Shield Zamazenta and Dynamax Latias are stronger general-purpose tank choices.

Its projected Electric ranking stays strong

The full-roster projection places Zapdos at No. 8 among 71 possible Electric damage dealers. Xurkitree and both forms of Thundurus rank ahead of it in that comparison, but the projected top-10 position points to potential staying power for Zapdos as an attacker.

That ranking is hypothetical, not a release schedule. Future Pokémon, moves, or balance changes could alter the results. For now, Zapdos is worth considering when an Electric Max attacker is the goal, but its damage role is a better fit than a tank slot.

Which Electric option do you rely on when Zapdos is not in your Max Battle lineup? Follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS to let players locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon in real-world locations. Players explore their physical surroundings to find PokéStops for items, battle at Gyms for team control, participate in Raid Battles cooperatively, and compete in the Go Battle League's player-versus-player format. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and features Pokémon from across multiple generations of the franchise.