Pokemon Go Darkrai Raid guide: Weaknesses & best counters
NianticPokemon Go’s Darkrai is an ultimate fan favorite and is coming back to 5-Star Raid battles. So, if you’re still trying to catch one, we’ve got the counters you need to take advantage of the Mythical Dark-types’s weaknesses to easily defeat it.
With a huge Attack stat, Darkrai is one of the strongest Dark types available in Pokemon Go. It first debuted in the Generation 4 games Diamond & Pearl and arrived in the mobile game during the 2019 Halloween event.
Now, the Sinnoh creature will appear once again in 5-star Raid battles from February 15, 2024, to February 20, 2024. Additionally, the Raid schedule will include it as a Boss during Raid Hour on February 19, 2024, from 6 pm to 7 pm local time.
To make sure you don’t miss on catching this magnificent Pokemon, here’s everything you need to know about defeating Darkrai in the game.
Contents
- Darkrai weaknesses in Pokemon Go
- Darkrai counters in Pokemon Go
- How to get Darkrai in Pokemon Go
- Can Darkrai be Shiny in Pokemon Go?
Darkrai weaknesses in Pokemon Go
As its name suggests, Darkrai is a pure Dark-type Pokemon, which means its three weaknesses are Fairy, Bug, and Fighting-types., so the best is to focus on your strongest Pokemon of these types with matching movesets.
It’s also important to know it’s resistant to Dark, Ghost, and Psychic-type attacks, so it’s best to avoid using Pokemon of these types when heading into battle.
Darkrai counters in Pokemon Go
| POKEMON | BEST MOVESET | |
| Mega Blaziken |  |
Counter & Focus Blast |
| Mega Gardevoir |  |
Charm & Dazzling Gleam |
| Mega Rayquaza |  |
Dragon Tail & Dragon Ascent |
| Mega Alakazam |  |
Counter & Dazzling Gleam |
| Terrakion |  |
Double Kick & Sacred Sword |
| Keldeo |  |
Low Kick & Sacred Sword |
| Mega Pinsir |  |
Bug Bite & X-Scissor |
| Lucario |  |
Counter & Aura Sphere |
| Shadow Machamp |  |
Counter & Dynamic Punch |
| Shadow Hariyama |  |
Counter & Dynamic Punch |
As not everyone will have access to Mega Evolutions to defeat Darkrai, we’ve added some other regular Pokemon and Shadow variations to the counters list.
Just make sure to take to battle properly leveled-up Fairy, Fighting, or Bug-type Pokemon with access to the powerful moves from above.
How to get Darkrai in Pokemon Go
The only way to catch Darkrai in Pokemon Go is to first defeat it in a 5-Star Raid Battle. You’ll then be given a limited amount of Premier Balls to attempt a catch, but it’s not guaranteed you’ll secure one.
You can increase your chance of catching it by throwing Curve Balls and landing Excellent Throws.
Darkrai will be appearing in 5-Star Raids from Thursday, February 15, 2024, until Tuesday, February 20, 2024, and during the Raid Hour on Monday, February 19, 2024, from 6 pm to 7pm local time.
Can Darkrai be Shiny in Pokemon Go?
The good news is that Shiny Darkrai is available in Pokemon Go. It has a cool purple color scheme, although your chances of encountering one are very slim, considering how rare they are.
There’s no real method to increasing your odds, so you’ll need to take part in as many 5-Star Raid Battles as you can until you find a Shiny variation of Darkrai.
That’s everything you need to know about defeating Darkrai in 5-Star Raids! For more tips to become the ultimate Trainer, check out the rest of our Pokemon Go guides below:
