Stats & Training
Nothing fancy in Zarude's spread. It leans physical with Attack out front. And you'll get 3 Attack EVs per KO for it. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
This Zarude left its pack to raise a human child. The cloth Zarude would wrap the child with has a comforting scent that calmed the child’s crying.
This Zarude’s special strength stems from its love and care for an orphaned human child that the Pokémon has raised since the child’s infancy.
Zarude Weakness
Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying, and Fairy moves hit Zarude for super-effective damage. Bug hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. The upside? Psychic-type moves can't touch it at all. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Zarude's overall bulk (105/105/95) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Bug |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
 Incineroar FireDark | S | |
Fire is super effective against ZarudeView Incineroar → | ||
 Flutter Mane GhostFairy | S | |
Fairy is super effective against ZarudeView Flutter Mane → | ||
 Mienfoo Fighting | A | |
Fighting is super effective against ZarudeView Mienfoo → | ||
 Vullaby Dark | A | |
Flying is super effective against ZarudeView Vullaby → | ||
 Foongus GrassPoison | A | |
Poison is super effective against ZarudeView Foongus → | ||
 SlowkingRecovers HP on switch via Regenerator, burns with Scald, threatens with Chilly Reception WaterPsychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Zarude View Slowking builds →Scald13-15% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Zarude View Swampert builds →Earthquake22-26% Flip Turn13-15% Knock Off9-11% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureSassy Moves View Cresselia builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Zarude View Quagsire builds →Earthquake13-15% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
Mythical Pokemon don't breed, and Zarude is no exception. This Dark/Grass type sits at 600 stats with no chain to speak of. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Scarlet & Violet Zarude Best Moveset
Jolly nature gives Zarude the fast physical lean it needs to trade hits effectively. Leftovers adds passive recovery each turn, max Attack and Speed EVs split the difference, and the remaining moves punishes anything trying to wall it.
Best Build
Zarude best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Knock Off
- Jungle Healing
- Trailblaze
- Power Whip
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Jungle Healing
- Knock Off
- Protect
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Knock Off
- Power Whip
- Close Combat
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Power Whip
- Drain Punch
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Power Whip
- Knock Off
- U Turn
- Close Combat
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Zarude's Normal and Bug coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Leaf Storm and Solar Blade for same-type damage. Energy Ball and Hammer Arm are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Zarude in Scarlet & Violet
Zarude is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
This is an event-exclusive or special distribution.
Zarude Guide
For the Scarlet & Violet meta, At 600 BST, Zarude is built different. We rank it A-Tier. As a Mythical Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper. Knock Off with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Scarlet & Violet, watch for Genesect (Bug), Cinderace (Fire), and Kyurem (Ice) when using Zarude. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Genesect is the most dangerous since Bug moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Poison, Flying, and Fairy-type attackers are also a problem. With 7 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Zarude has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
Leaf Guard protects against major status ailments during strong sunlight. That's the one you want on Zarude. It's the only ability Zarude has.
Zarude is a physical attacker with base 120 Attack. Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 105 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the sweeper role.
For Scarlet & Violet, Zarude has answers, but so do you. Priority moves (Mach Punch, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard) bypass its speed. Bulky walls that resist its STAB also shut it down.
Game Availability
Introduced in Sword & Shield, Zarude shows up in 2 games across 3 generations. Mythical status keeps it locked behind events or specific story content in most appearances.
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 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShDebut
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