Stats & Training
Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Tornadus's Sp. Atk does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 3 Attack EVs per KO. Near-impossible to catch, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
An example of what is known as a “form change,” though I suspect this strange avian guise to be Tornadus’s true form. Tornadus has been sighted crossing the ocean while in this form.
Tornadus Weakness
Electric, Ice, and Rock moves hit Tornadus for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. With 79 HP and balanced defenses, Tornadus can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
In Sword & Shield, Lunatone's Ice Beam hits Tornadus for 70-82%. Weavile deals 56-66% with Ice Shard.
 Lunatone RockPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemPower Herb NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Tornadus View Lunatone builds →Ice Beam 2x70-82% Moonblast37-43% Psychic52-62% | ||
 Stunfisk GroundElectric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Stunfisk builds →
| ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tornadus View Weavile builds →Knock Off45-54% Ice Shard 2x56-66% | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Tornadus View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x109-128%KO Scald32-38% Volt Switch 2x85-100%KO | ||
 Terrakion RockFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemLum Berry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tornadus View Terrakion builds →Rock Slide 2x110-129%KO | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
A Flying-type legendary, Tornadus doesn't evolve or breed. At 580 total stats, it's meant to stand on its own. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Sword & Shield Tornadus Best Moveset
Most things take neutral or super-effective damage from this set. Tornadus runs Flying and Normal coverage backed by Adrenalineorb for extra utility. Max Attack and Speed EVs and Prankster make the coverage actually threatening.
Best Build
Tornadus best EVs are Attack and Speed
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Tailwind
- Acrobatics
- Facade
- Hammer Arm
Recommended Teammates
Special Attacker Moveset
- Defog
- Tailwind
- U Turn
- Air Slash
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Tailwind
- Heat Wave
- Hurricane
- Air Slash
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Coverage runs deep. Tornadus can hit 11 types beyond STAB, including Ghost and Dark. The offense anchors on Hurricane and Fly while TMs handle everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Tornadus in Sword & Shield
No wild encounters for Tornadus in Sword & Shield. It's available in Black, Ultra Sun, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Tornadus is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Special encounter in:
Then trade to Sword & Shield.
Also found in:
Tornadus Guide
For the Sword & Shield meta, At 580 BST, Tornadus is built different. We rank it B-Tier. As a Legendary Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper. Tailwind with Adrenalineorb is the standard set.
Tornadus gets Prankster and Defiant. But Prankster is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that. With base 111 Speed, Prankster gives Tornadus an edge before opponents can react.
Tornadus is leaning toward the special side (base 125 Sp. Atk). Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 111 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the sweeper role.
In Sword & Shield, run Tailwind, Acrobatics, Facade, and Hammerarm on Tornadus. Tailwind is the most common pick at 14% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Since Black & White, Tornadus has appeared in 9 games. Legendary Pokemon like Tornadus 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 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BWDebut
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