Mixed
Sweeper
ATier
115Speed · Fast

Stats & Training

Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Azelf's Attack does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 3 Attack and Sp. Atk EVs per KO. Near-impossible to catch, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats
Pseudo
HP75
C
Attack125
A
Defense70
C
Sp. Atk125
A
Sp. Def70
C
Speed115
B
Total580
Details
Catch Rate
Legendary3 / 255
Growth Rate
Slow1.25M XP
Height0.3 m
1'00"Tiny
Weight0.3 kg
0.7 lbsFeather
Base XP290
Elite Yield
Abilities
LevitateTop Pick
Evades ground moves.
Levitate grants Ground immunity
EV Yield
HPAtk+2DefSpA+1SpDSpe
Strong Attack training target
Pokedex Entries
No Sword Shield entries available

The dreaded Being of Willpower. Legends tell of this Pokémon manipulating the will of its adversaries and turning them into puppets of its own.

Legends: Arceus

Azelf Weakness

Type-wise, Azelf takes extra damage from Bug, Ghost, and Dark. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Azelf leans offensive (base 125 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.

Azelf Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Bug, Ghost, Dark
0.5x (Resist)Fighting, Psychic
Type ChartVulnerable
3Weak
2Resist
1Immune
Score-4
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
BugGhostDark
½xResist
FightingPsychic
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
Ground
STAB (2)
FightingPoison
How to Beat Azelf in Sword & Shield (Best Counters)

In Sword & Shield, Runerigus can KO Azelf with Poltergeist (105-124%). Dragapult threatens a KO with Shadow Ball (152-178%). Incineroar's Knock Off also KOs at 99-116%.

Runerigus
Runerigus
GroundGhost
S
Recommended Build
AbilityWanderingspirit
ItemLeftovers
NatureCareful
Moves
  • Stealth Rock
  • PoltergeistSTAB
  • HazeUtility
  • Will O Wisp
Damage vs Azelf
Poltergeist 2x
105-124%KO
View Runerigus builds →

Sword & Shield Evolution

No breeding, no evolution. Azelf is a Psychic legendary with 580 base stat total that you obtain once and build around. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

No Evolution
Azelf
#482AzelfDoes not evolve

Breeding

Unavailable
Undiscovered egg group

Sword & Shield Azelf Best Moveset

Click U-turn, bring in a teammate, repeat. Azelf's pivot game is backed by Expert Belt for a super-effective damage boost without item lock and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs. Levitate works in the background while Fire coverage covers bad matchups.

Best Build

Experimental
Ability
Levitate
Item
Expert Belt
Best Nature for Azelf
Timid+SPE

Azelf best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed

EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • FlamethrowerCoverage
  • U Turn
  • Energy Ball

Recommended Teammates

Salamence
SalamenceDecent
Hippowdon
HippowdonDecent
Vikavolt
VikavoltDecent

Moves

Hard to wall, honestly. Azelf threatens 12 types beyond its own STAB, with Normal and Flying standing out. Pair that with Future Sight and Psychic and switchins need to think twice.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Confusion
—5010025Psychic
Lv 1
Rest
C——10Psychic
Lv 7
Swift
C60—20Normal
Lv 14
Detect+4
C——5Fighting
Lv 21
Psybeam
B6510020Psychic
Lv 28
Imprison
D——10Psychic
Lv 35
Extrasensory
B8010020Psychic
Lv 42
Nasty Plot
A——20Dark
Lv 49
Psychic
A9010010Psychic
Lv 56
Uproar
C9010010Normal
Lv 63
Future Sight
B12010010Psychic
Lv 70
Last Resort
B1401005Normal
Lv 77
Explosion
S2501005Normal

TM Moves

TM
TM78
Acrobatics
C5510015Flying
TR83
Ally Switch+2
B——15Psychic
TM58
Assurance
—6010010Dark
TR29
Baton Pass
C——40Normal
TR49
Calm Mind
C——20Psychic
TR92
Dazzling Gleam
B8010010Fairy
TM63
Drain Punch
C7510010Fighting
TM87
Draining Kiss
C5010010Fairy
TR30
Encore
C—1005Normal
TR26
Endure+4
C——10Normal
TR65
Energy Ball
A9010010Grass
TM39
Facade
C7010020Normal
TR15
Fire Blast
B110855Fire
TM03
Fire Punch
C7510015Fire
TR02
Flamethrower
A9010015Fire
TM59
Fling
——10010Dark
TR34
Future Sight
B12010010Psychic
TM09
Giga Impact
B150905Normal
TR77
Grass Knot
D—10020Grass
TM41
Helping Hand+5
C——20Normal
TM08
Hyper Beam
B150905Normal
TM04
Ice Punch
C7510015Ice
TM44
Imprison
D——10Psychic
TR31
Iron Tail
C1007515Steel
TM17
Light Screen
C——30Psychic
TM72
Magic Room
D——10Psychic
TR14
Metronome
D——10Normal
TR68
Nasty Plot
A——20Dark
TM57
Payback
C5010010Dark
TR90
Play Rough
C909010Fairy
TM25
Protect+4
C——10Normal
TR11
Psychic
A9010010Psychic
TM69
Psycho Cut
B7010020Psychic
TR25
Psyshock
A8010010Psychic
TM33
Rain Dance
C——5Water
TM18
Reflect
C——20Psychic
TM21
Rest
C——10Psychic
TM76
Round
C6010015Normal
TM19
Safeguard
C——25Normal
TM32
Sandstorm
D——10Rock
TM20
Self-Destruct
B2001005Normal
TR33
Shadow Ball
C8010015Ghost
TR40
Skill Swap
C——10Psychic
TR27
Sleep Talk
C——10Normal
TM24
Snore
—5010015Normal
TR76
Stealth Rock
S——20Rock
TR82
Stored Power
D2010010Psychic
TR20
Substitute
C——10Normal
TM34
Sunny Day
C——5Fire
TM40
Swift
C60—20Normal
TR37
Taunt
S—10020Dark
TR09
Thunder
C1107010Electric
TM05
Thunder Punch
C7510015Electric
TM14
Thunder Wave
A—9020Electric
TR08
Thunderbolt
C9010015Electric
TR19
Tri Attack
C8010010Normal
TR38
Trick
C—10010Psychic
TM70
Trick Room-7
B——5Psychic
TM56
U-turn
A7010020Bug
TR35
Uproar
C9010010Normal
TM71
Wonder Room
———10Psychic
TR69
Zen Headbutt
B809015Psychic

Egg Moves

Azelf doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Tut
Tutor
Expanding Force
B8010010Psychic

How to Get Azelf in Sword & Shield

Azelf doesn't appear in Sword & Shield. Transfer it from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.

Azelf is not available as a wild encounter in this game.

Special encounter in:

Legends: ArceusSpecial encounter · Lake Valor · Mission: The Plate of the Lakes

Then trade to Sword & Shield.

Also found in:

DiamondPlatinumBlack 2Ultra Sun

Azelf Guide

  • In Sword & Shield, Azelf is a Legendary Pokemon rated A-Tier. At 580 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a sweeper. Psychic with Expert Belt is the standard set.

  • In Sword & Shield, Azelf's biggest threats include Heracross (Bug), Gengar (Ghost), and Tyranitar (Dark), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Azelf's base 115 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.

  • Azelf gets Levitate. But Levitate is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that. With base 115 Speed, Levitate gives Azelf an edge before opponents can react.

  • Azelf is a mixed attacker with base 125 Attack and 125 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 115 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the sweeper role.

  • In Sword & Shield, the best way to handle Azelf: Priority moves (Mach Punch, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard) bypass its speed. Bulky walls that resist its STAB also shut it down.

Game Availability

Since Diamond & Pearl, Azelf has appeared in 13 games. Legendary Pokemon like Azelf are usually found through story events or special post-game areas rather than random encounters.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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