Stats & Training
Attack and Defense carry most of Tapu Bulu's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Near-impossible to catch and yields 3 Attack EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Tapu Bulu Weakness
Tapu Bulu's Grass/Fairy typing leaves it vulnerable to Poison, Fire, Ice, Flying, and Steel. Poison hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Dragon-type attacks completely. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Tapu Bulu's overall bulk (70/115/95) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Poison |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Flying, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Dragon |
 Salamence Dragon | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tapu Bulu View Salamence builds →Earthquake18-21% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tapu Bulu View Zeraora builds →Drain Punch12-14% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tapu Bulu View Garchomp builds →Earthquake26-31% | ||
 Incineroar FireDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemSitrus Berry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Tapu Bulu View Incineroar builds →Knock Off17-20% Flare Blitz 2x125-147%KO | ||
 Skuntank PoisonDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityAftermath ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves View Skuntank builds →
| ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
You can't breed Tapu Bulu or evolve it into anything else. This Grass/Fairy legendary packs 570 stats and doesn't need a chain to be relevant. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Sword & Shield Tapu Bulu Best Moveset
Horn Leech is the main STAB option after a Swords Dance boost. Life Orb gives Tapu Bulu extra damage on every hit for a health trade to survive the setup turn, and max Attack and Speed EVs make the boosted hits count. The remaining moves catches resists.
Best Build
Tapu Bulu best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Horn Leech
- Zen Headbutt
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Natures Madness
- Leech Seed
- Facade
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Physical Tank Moveset
- Horn Leech
- Bulk Up
- Substitute
- Darkest Lariat
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Tapu Bulu. TMs unlock coverage across 8 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Wood Hammer and Solar Beam into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Tapu Bulu in Sword & Shield
Tapu Bulu Guide
For the Sword & Shield meta, At 570 BST, Tapu Bulu is built different. We rank it B-Tier. As a Legendary Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a wallbreaker. Horn Leech with Life Orb is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, watch for Nidoking (Poison), Blaziken (Fire), and Weavile (Ice) when using Tapu Bulu. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Nidoking is the most dangerous since Poison moves deal 4x damage. Flying and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Grassy Surge when this Pokémon enters battle, it changes the terrain to Grassy Terrain. That's the one you want on Tapu Bulu. Telepathy is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Base 75 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Tapu Bulu is leaning toward the physical side (base 130 Attack). Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a wallbreaker.
For Sword & Shield, Tapu Bulu has answers, but so do you. Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.
Game Availability
First obtainable in Sun & Moon, Tapu Bulu has been featured in 3 titles across 4 generations. Legendary status means a single encounter per playthrough in most games.
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 4DP
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 7SMDebut
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