Top 10 Gigantamax Transformations in Pokémon Sword and Shield

It’s great being a Pokémon master in Pokémon Sword and Shield! Not only do you get to catch new 8th generation Pokémon, but you also get to battle with new exclusive versions of the older generation of Pokémon through battles called Dynamax. In these battles, for a limited time, certain Pokémon will take enormous new forms unlike we’ve ever seen, and these special transformations are called Gigantamax. Whether you’re looking for how to battle against your opponent’s Gigantamax Pokémon or you’re waiting to see which Gigantamax Pokémon is good for your team, this list is for you.


10. Gigantamax Toxtricity

We’ll admit that Toxtricity’s Gigantamax form is here mainly because of its aesthetics, as this form is yet to be obtainable in the game so far. This Pokémon’s Gigantamax form already promises something big, as its known G-Max Stun Shock ability can either poison or paralyze the opponent, however, we can’t confirm yet that these two effects can stack on one opponent. We can only wait in hopes that during the next event we can get our hands on this neon-colored masterpiece.


9. Gigantamax Gengar

Gigantamax Gengar’s Pokedex entry is one of the scariest ones out there. It says that it attempts to steal the lives of the living by luring them into its mouth, which is rumored to automatically take you to the afterlife (aka kill you); the worst part is that if you stand near its mouth, you’ll hear your loved ones calling out for you. Yikes. This eery entry matches his Gigantamax special skill, G-Max Terror, a ghost type move that inflicts damage and prevents you from escaping or switching out a Pokémon. As cool or terrifying as it sounds, Gigantamax Gengar is not part of the strongest Gigantamax forms out there, however, keep in mind that in the hands of a good player, it can easily wipe out entire teams on its own because of its high special attack and speed points. Keep in mind before adding this Pokémon to your team, that Gigantamax Gengar is exclusive to Pokémon Shield.


8. Gigantamax Pikachu

One of the Gigantamax Pokémon everyone would love to try at least once will be, of course, the face of the franchise: Pikachu. As you could expect, this special Pikachu is just a gigantic version of the little electric mouse we all love; aside from its tail, it does not go through any radical physical changes like other Gigantamax forms. However, this Pikachu does bring back the older appearance of the Pokémon from back in the 90s, where Pikachu had more of an over all-round shape and a longer tail. As each Gigantamax Pokémon, Pikachu has it’s exclusive G-Max move called Volt Crash, an electric move that will paralyze all opponents. Unfortunately, for the time being, the only way to obtain Gigantamax Pikachu is if you have a save file on your Nintendo Switch of the game Let’s Go, Pikachu!.


7. Gigantamax Alcremie

If you’re joining a Max Raid Battle around Bridge Field and you happen to stumble upon a gigantic multi-layered cake, you might not even notice this Gigantamax Pokémon is the special version of Alcremie. We can’t explain how a soft-serve ice cream looking Pokémon can turn into a kawaii cake, but we can explain why you’d want to catch it as soon as you can. Gigantamax Alcremie has a unique Fairy-type move called G-Max Finale, a move you’ll want to match up with the held item Pixie Plate. This ability not only inflicts damage to your opponent but it also heals Alcremie and all of your allies by ⅙ of their max HP. As with every G-Max move, the type and power of the attack will depend on the attack it’s based on, so to get the maximum power Alcremie and the held item can achieve, be sure that the base attack for G-Max Finale is Fleur Cannon or Light of Ruin, special moves with 140 attack power.


6. Gigantamax Flapple / Gigantamax Appletun

The 6th in our list is occupied by two Pokémon, who are essentially the same, as they both are the second step evolution of the Pokémon Applin. Even though these Pokémon look different in their normal forms, their Gigantamax form is the same: a gigantic snake-looking Pokémon that’s coming out of a delicious honey oozing apple. Even though they share the same Gigantamax appearance, these Pokémon are not treated as equals in this special form, as they each have different exclusive G-Max moves. Flapple’s G-Max move is called Tartness, and on paper, it does not sound too good, as it only inflicts damage and reduces the target’s evasiveness. However, this Pokémon has a big selection of powerful physical attacks of 140 pts., making G-Max Tartness deadly by the 3rd hit. Appletun’s G-Max Sweetness move is more of a support type, as it deals damage and heals your Pokémon and your allies, however, if it’s base move is Frenzy Plant, it can also deal some serious damage.



5. Gigantamax Orbeetle

Gigantamax Orbeetle is one of the coolest looking Gigantamax forms, it takes the shape of a really crazy looking UFO. Its special move G-Max Gravitas sounds really cool as well, and it closes a lot of doors for many Pokémon and moves that depend on gravity to work. No more ground immunity from flying or levitating Pokémon, also forget about squashing this bug Pokémon with abilities like Flying Press or similar. However, we did not include Gigantamax Orbeetle in this list because of how useful or powerful it is in battle, but for the description, it’s given in the Pokedex. Yeah, you read that right, Orbeetle is here because, on its Gigantamax form, it’s said its brain grows tremendously, affecting its intellect and psychic abilities to the point that it can control the minds of every living thing in its vicinity. How creepy and overpowered is that? Imagine Gigantamax-ing Orbeetle near a powerful political group in the Pokémon universe? Is Nintendo trying to tell us something about UFOs? At least it’s only for 3 turns...


4. Gigantamax Drednaw

Drednaw is a powerful beast already, so we can imagine what a monster it can become with its special Gigantamax form. In this new form, Drednaw becomes a towering armored giant that looks insanely cool, and better than that, indestructible. Despite its appearance, Dreadnaw doesn’t rely on defense to thrive, it uses its mouth to crush anything standing on its way, being its base attack its most powerful stat. Knowing this, you’ll want to go for any of its 130 pts physical attack moves, which will all activate its special Gigantamax move, Stonesurge. This move not only hits for a lot, it’s one of the few G-Max moves to also inflict a lasting entry hazard, as G-Max Stonesurge will leave your opponent’s party surrounded by Stealth Rock, making your opponent’s Pokémon take damage after switching in. If you’re looking for a powerful entry to a Dynamax battle, be sure to catch Gigantamax Drednaw in Giant's Cap.


3. Gigantamax Duraludon

The sky's the limit when it comes to the eccentric designs of Gigantamax Pokémon, and Duraludon is the proof of this, transforming into a skyscraper in its Gigantamax form. Its Gigantamax version might be a bit of a joke, but Duraludon’s attack sure is not, as it has access to extremely powerful dragon-type attacks that were previously part of exclusive moves of certain legendaries, we’re talking about Roar of Time and Eternabeam, devastating moves against anything your rival can throw at you. These moves, and some others accessible to Duraludon, turn into the special move G-Max Depletion while on Gigantamax form, and it comes with a secondary effect, if your Pokémon has been hit before using this move (and whilst you’re in Gigantamax), your opponent’s PP for that move will be reduced by 2. It doesn’t sound too useful at first, but we’re sure your opponent will go for their strongest attack just to tickle Gigantamax Duraludon’s massive HP, and usually, these strong moves only come with around 5 PP each.


2. Gigantamax Snorlax

Long ago, a sleeping Snorlax blocked your path… 14 years later, Snorlax IS the path. This mountain-sized version of Snorlax is great, now it not only blocks your way, but it becomes the only way, as you’ll have to climb and walk through a mini forest that lies on its belly if you were to encounter this form in Galar. If you’ve seen the latest Pokémon Anime, you’ll already know the struggle it will be to even attempt to move this giant.

Naturally, Snorlax’s special ability in its Gigantamax form is related to what it eats, this ability is called G-Max Replenish and it has a 50% chance to restore the berry Snorlax or any of its allies, has used during battle. With this said, you’d want to Gigantamax Snorlax while it’s holding a berry that regains HP, as it would go well together with either an offensive or defensive moveset. Whether you’re looking to tire out your opponent’s Pokémon while they try to knock down Snorlax’s defenses and regens, or you’re leaning towards having a chunky damage dealer on your team, we’d recommend giving Gigantamax Snorlax a try, it’s the toughest Pokémon for a Dynamax match!


1. Gigantamax Charizard

Charizard will always get extra points in any list for being an all-time fan favorite, so it’s no surprise he made it to the top of this list. Gigantamax Snorlax could possibly be better than Gigantamax Charizard, however, if you team up Charizard with other fire allies, especially those whose hidden ability is Drought, you’ll end up with an incredibly strong Gigantamax form of this Pokémon. Unless you are planning to use a Gigantamax Charizard in tournaments, the absolute best ability you can have on your Charizard will be Solar Power, even though it slowly eats through your Charizard’s HP, we can assure you everything will be dead by the time it even matters. G-Max Wildfire is the name of Gigantamax Charizard’s special move, and it continuously damages the opponent and any Pokémon that’s not a fire-type (including allies) for four turns. Taking into account Charizard’s strong special attack, the fastest way to finish your opponent will be to Will-O-Wisp it while Drought is active, G-Max Wildfire with the Blast Burn base attack, then sit back and watch the world burn.


Final Thoughts

As you see, a lot of Gigantamax Pokémon are great for a variety of reasons, and we bet there are tons of creative ways to use each of them in a battle to benefit your team as a whole. In the future, we hope that the Galar Region introduces more areas to explore and encounter new Gigantamax Pokémon. What Gigantamax Pokémon did you pick for your adventures? What other Pokémon would you like to see in a Gigantamax form and how do you imagine this Pokémon will look like? We’re excited to read what you envision for the next Dynamax champions! Let us know in the comment section below.

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Author: Yanayme Roman

Yo! I'm yet another anime lover that lives in japan! I also love RPG games! My goal in life is to work in an animation studio! I love drawing anime! Love all related to anime!! Here is my work: https://honeysanime.com/honeys-anime-character-gallery/

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