The release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet brought a new group of powerful Flying-type Pokémon to the series, and some of them manage to stand out from the pack as uniquely strong options. Scarlet and Violet are rife with great Flying Pokémon, with both franchise veteran inclusions and newcomers showcasing just how excellent of a choice a Flying-type can be. These range from superior defensive Pokémon to Flying-types that can deliver serious damage, making it possible to fit a great option into virtually any team.
While Flying Pokémon may not have received as much love as types like Dark or Ice, there are still some new creatures that any bird lover will enjoy. Flying was well-treated in the game’s boss battles as well, which included a Flying-type Titan Pokémon and a Flying-focused Elite Four member. The story doesn’t end there, as fans looking to expand their options even beyond this selection can also transfer Pokémon to Scarlet and Violet from HOME for the ultimate roster.
Contents
10 Staraptor
Staraptor is one of the most beloved “first route birds” in the history of the franchise. It’s no surprise that it returns in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, with players looking to beat Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader Larry needing to counter his Terastallized Staraptor. Staraptor has many options offensively, and its Intimidate ability makes up for its rather poor defensive stats. For the most part, Staraptor is a very offense-oriented monster with the ability to do serious damage to opposing teams. Putting an item like the Choice Band on Staraptor will bring out its powerful 120 base Attack and let it shine.
9 Bombirdier
Bombirdier is the Flying-type Titan Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet and is easily one of the most offensively versatile Flying-type Pokémon in the game. Bombirdier’s ability essentially gives it a third Same Type Attack Bonus, boosting its Rock-type moves. It was also blessed with a wide variety of utility moves including U-Turn, Knock Off, Tailwind, and Parting Shot. It’s one of the ultimate utility Pokémon, and it hits decently hard.
8 Gyarados
Gyarados is one of the all-time classics, with many fans remembering the painstaking effort to evolve their Magikarps for the first time. Thankfully, it still holds a spot among the stronger Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet. The Water/Flying-type monster has access to Intimidate, one of the best abilities in Pokémon. Its 125 base Attack still holds up, and access to Dragon Dance helps mitigate a mediocre Speed stat. Players can get mileage out of Gyarados in any battle, as its diverse move pool can deal with nearly any threat.
7 Kilowattrel
Some of the best Pokémon in the game are those that thrive in a specific niche rather than overall usage, and the Electric/Flying Kilowattrel fits that idea perfectly. Scarlet and Violet are so full of powerhouses that Kilowattrel may not be among the best Pokémon overall, but it’s a massive threat that serves as the star of almost any rain team, replacing the role held by Zapdos. Thanks to Hurricane, Thunder, and Weather Ball, Kilowattrel is the special attacking king while in rain.
6 Flamigo
Flamigo has one of the funniest names in Scarlet and Violet, but the Pokémon itself is more than a fun meme. The Fighting/Flying physical attacker can do way more damage than one would initially expect. Access to Swords Dance in Scarlet and Violet and fantastic coverage options give Flamigo the ability to sweep teams, and it has an interesting niche in Doubles to top it off. In double battles, Flamigo can make use of its Hidden Ability, Costar, which allows Flamigo to copy the stat changes of its ally, allowing for a double threat.
5 Pelipper
Pelipper lost a bit of its strength from previous generations in Scarlet and Violet, losing access to Defog and Scald. However, it still has one of the best abilities in the game: Drizzle. While the harsh sunlight weather condition has overtaken rain a bit due to the prevalence of Scarlet‘s new Paradox Pokémon, rain still has a place in the game. Barraskewda, Palafin, Iron Bundle, and more can benefit from the rain that Pelipper brings, and Kilowattrel’s Volt Absorb makes it the perfect partner for Pelipper.
4 Corviknight
Corviknight isn’t one of the most powerful Pokémon from an offensive standpoint. However, it makes up for it by being one of the best defensive Pokémon available, with plenty of utility. Corviknight’s ability, Pressure, recently received an indirect buff in Scarlet and Violet. The Power Points of multiple recovery moves were lowered, meaning that Corviknight can drain opposing Pokémon of their PP very quickly. It also has another powerful ability in Mirror Armor that can lower opposing Pokémon’s stats, showing the versatility of Corviknight.
3 Iron Jugulis
Iron Jugulis is one of the new, futuristic Paradox Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Violet. Players can catch Iron Jugulis in the caves of Area Zero, the game’s final location. Iron Jugulis has the power to be one of Scarlet and Violet‘s strongest Special Attackers and top dual-type Pokémon. However, as a Dark/Flying special attacker, Iron Jugulis has to rely on the 70% accurate Hurricane to do much of its damage. If players are up for gambling a bit with a lower accuracy move, managing to find and catch Iron Jugulis can carry them far, with the potential to deal devastating blows from just a few Hurricane hits.
2 Salamence
The Dragon/Flying-type Salamence received a blessing in the newest generational mechanic: Terastal. By Terastallizing, Salamence can negate its biggest flaws at once in Fairy and Ice Pokémon. The Steel Tera type Salamence is one of the best Terastal forms in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. With Dragon Dance, Tera Blast, Dragon Claw, and any other powerful coverage move, Salamence can absolutely tear through teams. It can even run a special attacking set and has a choice between two great abilities, a testament to its versatility.
1 Dragonite
One of the best Pokémon to come from the first generation is just as powerful multiple decades later. With Terastallizing by its side and a remarkable learn set, Dragonite is one of the powerhouses of Scarlet and Violet. Dragonite does almost everything that the major Dragon and Flying Pokémon of Scarlet and Violet do, but better.
Its Dragon Dance is easier to set up due to its ability Multiscale, it has a wider variety of coverage moves to choose from, and it even has access to one of the most overpowered moves in the game: Extremespeed. Players can optimize a Dragonite build for Tera Raids to make the most of their Pokémon Scarlet and Violetpotential.