How to defeat Zapdos in Pokemon Go Kanto Tour: Best counters & weaknesses

Alex Garton
Zapdos Pokemon GO

The Legendary Zapdos will be arriving in Pokemon Go’s raids for the upcoming Kanto tour event. Although it’s guaranteed to be a tough fight, there are a few counters you can use to make the battle a lot easier.

Pokemon Go’s celebratory Kanto Tour event arrives on February 20, and players can expect to see all the region’s iconic creatures spawning out in the wild. What’s more, a range of Kanto ‘mon will be entering raids, so trainers will have the chance to take on some tough battles if they’re prepared.

One Pokemon entering raids during the event will be the legendary ‘mon Zapdos. Although the Gen I creature will definitely be a difficult opponent to take down, with the right strategy and counters, trainers should be able to defeat the Electric Flying-type with ease.

Without further ado, let’s check out the best strategy and Pokemon to use while taking on Zapdos.

Pokemon Go Kanto
The Kanto Tour event begins on February 20.

Zapdos weaknesses in Pokemon Go

Veteran fans will be familiar with Zapdos and the set of moves the creature brings to the table. However, it can still be intimidating to take on the Legendary Pokemon in the raid environment.

Well, in order to defeat Zapdos, players will want to focus on choosing a team that targets its weaknesses. For Zapdos, that’s Rock and Ice-type Pokemon.

Zapdos Pokemon
Zapdos is an electric-type Pokemon.

Best counters for Zapdos in Pokemon Go

The ultimate counter against Zapdos in Pokemon Go’s raids would be Shadow Weavile with Ice Shard and Avalanche. However, despite that being the most powerful choice, anything in the list below will be incredibly effective against Zapdos:

  • Shadow Weavile: Ice Shard and Avalanche
  • Rampardos: Smack Down and Rock Slide
  • Shadow Tyranitar: Smack Down and Stone Edge
  • Mamoswine: Powder Snow and Avalanche
  • Ryhperior: Smack Down and RockWrecker
Kanto tour Pokemon Go
The Kanto Tour event will last until March 1.

We’re aware not everyone will have access to the Pokemon listed above. So, we’ve created a list of counters that may be more readily available to the everyday Pokemon Go player. Although these aren’t the optimal choice, they’re still great picks to take down Zapdos:

  • Glaceon: Frost Breath and Avalanche
  • Weavile: Ice Shard and Avalanche
  • Terrakion: Smack Down and Rock Slide
  • Tyranitar: Smack Down and Stone Edge
  • Gigalith: Smack Down and Rock Slide

Although Zapdos will be a tough battle for any trainer, if you use these counters, you should be able to come out on top.

Keep in mind, the Pokemon Go Kanto tour event begins on February 20, so you have plenty of time to collect any Pokemon you need ready for the battle. Mewtwo, Articuno, and Moltres will be arriving in raids as well – so start the countdown, it’s going to be an amazing event.

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About The Author

Alex Garton is a former writer for Dexerto. He has a BA in English Literature and has been a Games Writer for over four years. He has previously written for Gfinity and TOP10Esports. Specializing in Call of Duty and Apex Legends, he also enjoys diving into new releases to create informative guides.