Species guide · Ages 10+ · July 2026
Shadow Charizard
Say it: SHADOW CHAR-ih-zard
Kids summary (simpler)Tap to expand
Shadow Charizard is a Team GO Rocket Shadow. It hits harder and takes more damage than normal Charizard. Same Fire / Flying typing — the same counters still work. You cannot Mega Evolve a Shadow; purify if you want Mega Charizard X or Y. Remove Frustration before you power it up.
Say it: SHADOW CHAR-ih-zard
Shadow Charizard is the Shadow form of Charizard (Fire / Flying) in Pokémon GO. Expect ~20% more damage dealt and taken versus the normal form. Elite Fire DPS with Blast Burn. Cannot Mega Evolve while Shadow — purify a high-IV copy if Mega is the goal.
Type-colored placeholder — not official Pokémon artwork (see IP notice below).
Pokédex notes
Shadow Charizard is a Shadow Fire / Flying Pokémon in GO. Shadow variants deal extra damage in raids and PvP but take more hits — compare purified vs Shadow before investing.
Where in GO: Team GO Rocket Grunts, Leaders, and Giovanni
Invest tip: Power up high-Attack Shadows for Fire raid DPS after Frustration removal (Fire Spin + Blast Burn / Overheat). Purify only if you specifically want Mega Charizard X or Y. Same Community Day / Elite TM rules as the normal line.
Type matchups
- Fire moves hit Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel hard.
- Flying moves hit Grass, Fighting, and Bug hard.
When Shadow Charizard is your opponent, Water, Electric, Rock hits hard.
Full type matchup guide →Mega Evolution
Shadow Charizard can Mega Evolve into Mega Charizard X or Mega Charizard Y. Mega Evolution uses Candy plus Mega Energy for that form, boosts same-type allies in raids, and only one Mega/Primal can be active per lobby.
Full Mega Evolution guide →GO base stats
Shadow-adjusted from base Game Master row (+20% Attack, −20% Defense).
Inherits stats from Charizard— this costume or form may not have its own Game Master row.
- Attack
- 268
- Defense
- 138
- Stamina
- 186
Weak to
Resists
Best Pokémon to use against it
When this species is your opponent (Rocket battle, gym, raid, or PvP), these picks exploit its typings. Each list is a pool of options — not a required 12-Pokémon lobby.
Recommended
Strongest practical attackers for this matchup.
- 1. Primal Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse — Primal lobby boost
- 2. Shadow Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- 3. Mega Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 4. Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- 5. Shadow Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 6. Shadow Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 7. Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 8. Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 9. Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 10. Samurott · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 11. Gyarados · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Tail
- 12. Empoleon · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
Budget
Solid alternatives when you cannot build the Recommended picks.
- 1. Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 2. Gyarados · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Tail
- 3. Vaporeon · beats Water
Water Gun + Aqua Tail
- 4. Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 5. Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 6. Clawitzer · beats Water
Water Gun + Crabhammer
- 7. Floatzel · beats Water
Water Gun + Aqua Jet
- 8. Seismitoad · beats Water
Mud Shot + Hydro Pump
- 9. Carracosta · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Pump
- 10. Blastoise · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 11. Wailord · beats Water
Water Gun + Surf
- 12. Golisopod · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Jet
Moves in GO
Always-available Game Master learnset (regular TMs). Community Day / Elite TM moves appear above when we have curated notes for this species.
Fast
- fire spin
- air slash
Charged
- fire blast
- dragon claw
- overheat
- air cutter
Team GO Rocket
Shadow versions hit ~20% harder and take ~20% more damage. Use Fire/Flying typing weaknesses quickly — they punch above their weight but faint faster than normal.
Defeat the Shadow in battle, then use a Rescue Rocket Radar or standard Rocket battle rewards to catch it. Purify or keep Shadow based on whether you want bulk (purified/normal) or raid DPS (Shadow).
- Team GO Rocket Grunts (Shadow pool rotates)
- Team GO Rocket Leaders — Arlo, Cliff, Sierra (rotation)
- Giovanni (featured Shadow — rotation)
PvP league ranks (family snapshot)
- Great League · rank #491 of 954 · CP 1486
Fire Spin + Overheat
- Ultra League · rank #338 of 747 · CP 2497
Fire Spin + Overheat
- Master League · rank #261 of 1023 · CP 3266
Fire Spin + Overheat
In your Collect
Name match only (text). Cards you have saved in Card Nexus Collect — not official art.
Sign in to see holdings, or open Collect.
Open Collect →Raid and PvP advice uses our Game Master snapshot (updated July 2026).
Raid attacker roles
Fire-type shortlist
- Mega Charizard Y — Fire Spin + Blast Burn
- Shadow Charizard — Fire Spin + Blast Burn
- Charizard — Fire Spin + Blast Burn
Recommended vs these bosses
In the Competitive Guide
- Ch. 4: Best Raid Attackers by Type
…hammer / Aqua Tail Fire Reshiram / Mega Charizard Y Fire Fang + Fusion Flare / Blast Burn Shadow Charizard Darmanitan Fire Fang + Overheat Electric Zekrom / Shadow Zekrom Charge Beam + Fusion Bolt…
- Ch. 5: Shadow Pokémon — Complete Guide
Purify vs keep Shadow — decision tree for family raids and PvP.
- Ch. 7: Recommended Movesets
# Recommended Movesets > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Section 7: Recom…
- Ch. 10: Stardust, Investment & Seasonal Strategy
# Stardust, Investment & Seasonal Strategy > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler.…
- Ch. 16: Team GO Rocket — Grunt Identification & Counters
Rocket grunt Slot 1–3 pools and type counters before you battle Shadows.
- Ch. 17: Rocket Leaders & Giovanni
# Rocket Leaders & Giovanni > Live lineup UI: **[/card-nexus/go/rocket](/card-nexus/go/rocket)** (source of truth). Shadow bonuses: +20% ATK, −20% DEF. Lineups verified **2026-08-0…
- Ch. 20: Lucky Pokémon & Family Trades
When lucky status matters for trades and Stardust savings.
- Ch. 21: Best Friends & Lucky Friends
Friendship steps for raid bonuses and lucky trades.
- Ch. 24: Type Matchups — Full Guide
# Type Matchups — Full Guide > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## Why types …
- Ch. 25: Mega Evolution — Full Guide
# Mega Evolution — Full Guide > Free forever in 3CL TCG. The full guide is never paywalled. Meta snapshots are dated — always verify live data on PvPoke / Pokebattler. ## What Mega…
Related species
Also named in the same guide chapters (text only).