Pokémon Go Zacian counters, weaknesses and moveset explained

How to catch the legendary warrior Pokémon in Pokémon Go.

Guide by Lottie Lynn, Guides Writer

Updated on 26 August 2021

Zacian, one of the legendary Pokémon from Gen 8, will now make appearances in raids in Pokémon Go.

Like it's duo partner Zamazenta, Zacian has two forms - Hero of Many Battles and Crowned Sword. Currently you can only capture Zacian in its Hero of Many Battles form, so make sure you know Zacian's counters and weaknesses.

Zacian, like most legendary Pokémon, appears in five-star raids, so you will need to team up with other trainers to ensure its defeat. Thankfully, a Remote Raid pass will allow you to join this battle from afar.

On this page:

Battling and catching Gen 8 Legendary Zacian, released August 2021 in Pokémon Go.

Zacian counters and weaknesses in Pokémon Go

Below you can find the counters and weaknesses for Zacian in its Hero of Many Battle Forms in Pokémon Go:

Zacian type - Fairy-type
Zacian is weak against - Poison and steel-types
Zacian counters - Gengar, Victreebel, Scizor, Metagross, Toxicroak, Roserade, Dialga, Excadrill and Genesect
Other Zacian notes - Start your battle with Zacian using your poison-type Pokémon and, if they all faint, fall back on your steel-type Pokémon.

Pokemon_Go_Zacian_Zamazenta_big — Zacian and Zamazenta in their Hero of Many Battles forms.

Zacian CP in Pokémon Go

Here are the CP ranges for battling and catching Zacian in five-star raids:

Raid Boss CP - 52,195 CP
CP range when being caught - 2100 to 2188 CP
Weather boosted CP range (Cloudy) when being caught - 2625 to 2735 CP

Thank you to Amiibofan101 from reddit for the help with this information!

Zacian moveset in Pokémon Go

Zacian can use and learn a variety of Fast and Charged moves in Pokémon Go, including:

Fast Moves:

Fire Fang (Fire)
Metal Claw (Steel)
Quick Attack (Normal)
Snarl (Dark)

Charged Moves:

Close Combat (Fighting)
Iron Head (Steel)
Play Rough (Fairy)
Wild Charge (Electric)

The Season of Mischief is here! Current events include the Season 9 of Go Battle League, the addition of Raid Achievements, the Misunderstood Mischief research quest and the new Finding Your Voice Meloetta research. Shiny Ditto can also now be found in the wild and this tricky Pokémon is now appearing as new creatures! The Halloween event is now live! You can complete the What Lies Behind the Mask research, evolve Galarian Slowking and compete in the Halloween Cup! Meanwhile, the last major update saw a level cap increase - including the addition of XL Candy, boosts to some XP sources and the addition of Platinum Medals. Phantump and Pumpkaboo can now be caught in Pokémon Go!

Everything we know about Zacian

Together, Zacian and Zamazenta make up the Hero duo from the Galar region, with each one being a mascot for either Pokémon Sword and Shield.

The story of the Hero duo - the pair resting in the Slumbering Weald until Galar's time of need - takes clear inspiration from the tale of how King Arthur may one day return to save the British Isles.

Zacian and Zamazenta in their Crowned forms.

This Arthurian connection is deepened when you consider the possibility that Zacian could be inspired by Excalibur, Arthur's legendary sword.

Battling and catching Zamazenta in Pokémon Go

In the Pokémon Shield entry for the Crowned Sword version of Zacian, the sword is described as having the ability to cut through anything and referred to as the 'Fairy King's Sword,' which seem to be direct references to the mythical king and his blade.

Good luck catching Zacian in Pokémon Go!