Stats & Training
Cresselia's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with HP doing the heavy lifting. And the slow 1.25M XP grind means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 3 Sp. Def EVs.
Cresselia is reminiscent of the crescent moon. It leaves a brilliant line of light in its wake as it flies across the night sky. I daresay it resembles the heavenly maiden who created the Milky Way.
Cresselia Weakness
Cresselia is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Cresselia's overall bulk (120/120/120) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Bug, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fighting, Psychic |
 Scizor BugSteel | S | |
Bug is super effective against CresseliaView Scizor → | ||
 Incineroar FireDark | A | |
Dark is super effective against CresseliaView Incineroar → | ||
 Chandelure GhostFire | A | |
Ghost is super effective against CresseliaView Chandelure → | ||
 Genesect BugSteel | B | |
Bug is super effective against CresseliaView Genesect → | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Garchomp builds →Earthquake24-28% Stone Edge16-19% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemDamprock NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Pelipper builds →Hurricane31-36% Scald22-26% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPoisonheal ItemToxic Orb NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Gliscor builds →Earthquake15-18% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Magnezone builds →Flash Cannon38-45% Thunderbolt42-50% Volt Switch33-39% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBulletproof ItemKommoniumz NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cresselia View Kommo-o builds →Close Combat13-15% Drain Punch8-9% | ||
Sun & Moon Evolution
Cresselia is strong overall with 590 total stats as a Psychic legendary. Can't breed it, so you're locked to whatever you catch or receive. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Sun & Moon Cresselia Best Moveset
Levitate gives Cresselia passive value while it walls. Relaxed nature boosts Defense, max HP and Defense EVs maximize the slow wall profile, and Leftovers keeps it in the game.
Best Build
Cresselia best EVs are HP and Defense
Wall Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Moonlight
- Lunar Dance
- Trick Room
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Wall Moveset
- Trick Room
- Moonlight
- Helping Hand
- Icy Wind
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The level-up pool tells the story here. Cresselia learns Future Sight and Psychic naturally, plus enough variety that TMs feel like bonuses. Coverage across 8 types extends the reach beyond that.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Cresselia in Sun & Moon
Cresselia doesn't appear in Sun & Moon. Transfer it from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Cresselia is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Special encounter in:
Then trade to Sun & Moon.
Also found in:
Cresselia Guide
In Sun & Moon, Cresselia is a Legendary Pokemon rated B-Tier. At 590 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a wall. Ice Beam with Leftovers is the standard set.
Cresselia gets Levitate. But Levitate is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that. On wall sets, Levitate pairs with Cresselia's base 120 Defense to absorb physical hits on the switch.
Cresselia is leaning toward the special side (base 75 Sp. Atk). Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the wall role.
For Sun & Moon, the core moveset is Ice Beam, Moonlight, Lunardance, and Trickroom. Ice Beam leads at 19% usage. This set covers the wall role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Since Diamond & Pearl, Cresselia has appeared in 13 games. Legendary Pokemon like Cresselia are usually found through story events or special post-game areas rather than random encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves