How to get Charizard in Pokemon Go: Best moveset for PvP & PvE, can it be shiny, more

Niladri Sarkar
charizard on pokemon go screen

Charizard is one of the biggest icons in Pokemon Go, so here’s how to get it, with details on its shiny chances, the best moveset for PvP and PvE, and more.

Pokemon Go has several fan favorites up for grabs but hardly any Pokemon is as sought-after as the classic Fire/Flying-type starter from Kanto, Charizard.

With two powerful Mega Evolutions in tow, you must be eager to add this icon to your team or are looking to max it out. So, here’s how you can get Charizard in Pokemon Go, along with its shiny chances and recommended moveset for PvP and PvE.

Contents

How to get Charizard in Pokemon Go

Here’s how you can get Charizard in Pokemon Go:

  • By catching it in the wild
  • By catching Charmeleon and evolving it with 100 Candy
  • By catching Charmander and evolving it to Charmeleon with 25 Candy, and then evolving Charmeleon with 100 Candy

You can also catch Charmander by completing the ‘Feed your Buddy 5 times’ task in step (1/5) of the Rediscover Kanto Special Research. Be sure to use a Silver Pinap or Pinap Berry to earn bonus Candy each time you catch Charmander or Charmeleon, and evolve into Charizard ASAP.

All three Pokemon are more likely to be found in the wild during the Rediscover Kanto event, running until May 9, 2024, particularly during Sunny or Clear in-game weather with Charizard also spawning more during Windy conditions.

Can Charizard be shiny in Pokemon Go?

Yes, you can get shiny Charizard in Pokemon Go from the wild or by evolving a shiny Charmander. Remember that shiny Charmeleon is not available as a wild spawn.

The odds of finding a shiny Charizard are around 1 in 74 encounters or 1.35% chance. Also, the shiny odds of a Charmander are 1 in 131 encounters or 0.76% chance.

kanto starter charizard in pokemon go
Charizard’s stats in Pokemon Go are 223 Attack, 173 Defense, and 186 HP.

Best Charizard Pokemon Go PvP moveset

The best PvP moveset for Charizard in Pokemon Go is Wing Atack with Blast Burn and Dragon Claw.

Wing Attack gains STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and has an incredible energy generation of 4 EPT (Energy Per Turn), helping it use its Charged Moves quickly. Blast Burn is its go-to move that deals a whopping 110 damage at just 50 energy, eliminating the powerful Steel and Ice types in the process.

Dragon Claw costs only 35 energy and lets Charizard bait shields, thanks to Wing Attack’s quick energy gains. Also, I’ve used Charizard as a reliable counter to Dragon Pokemon without taking super-effective damage in return.

Best Charizard Pokemon Go PvE moveset

The best PvP moveset for Charizard in Pokemon Go is Fire Spin with Blast Burn.

Fire Spin and Blast Burn are a formidable duo, dealing high damage figures in Raid battles. In Sunny or Clear weather, Fire-type moves are boosted in power, making Charizard with this moveset a great choice in PvE.

Is Charizard good in Pokemon Go?

Yes, Charizard is good in Pokemon Go, especially in the Great and Ultra League, as well as in Raids with its Mega forms.

In the Go Battle League, Charizard excels in the lower PvP Leagues, countering teams with the popular Fairy, Steel, and Dragon types. With its Fast and Charged Moves being of different types, it gets wide coverage, which has always made it quite easy for me to fit into my strongest offensive teams.

In the PvE meta, Charizard itself is good, but the Fire/Flying Mega Charizard Y is a monster, being among the best counters for Bug, Grass, and Steel types in Pokemon Go. The other form, the Dragon/Fire-type Mega Charizard X is nice, but outclassed by the Megas of Rayquaza, Garchomp, and Salamence.

Complete Charizard Pokemon Go moveset

Here are all the moves that Charizard can learn in Pokemon Go:

Charizard Pokemon Go Fast Moves

  • Fire Spin (Fire)
  • Ember (Fire)
  • Wing Attack* (Flying)
  • Air Slash (Flying)
  • Dragon Breath* (Dragon)

Wing Attack and Dragon Breath can only be taught to Charizard by using Elite Fast TMs.

Charizard Pokemon Go Charged Moves

  • Blast Burn* (Fire)
  • Flamethrower* (Fire)
  • Overheat (Fire)
  • Fire Blast (Fire)
  • Dragon Claw (Dragon)

Blast Burn and Flamethrower can be taught to Charizard with Elite Charged TMs, but during the Rediscover Kanto event, any Charizard evolved or caught in the wild until May 9, 2024, will have Blast Burn.

For more content on the game, be sure to check out the following guides:

Pokemon Go biomes explained: All biomes | How to beat Pokemon Go Mega Aggron Raid | How to beat Pokemon Go Registeel Raid | How to beat Pokemon Go Shadow Entei Raid | Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule | How to get Poipole in Pokemon Go | Pokemon Go server status | What are Routes in Pokemon Go | How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Go | What are Adventure Effects in Pokemon Go? | How to beat Giovanni in Pokemon Go | How to get Kecleon in Pokemon Go

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About The Author

Niladri is a Writer who specializes in Pokemon Go, Scarlet and Violet, and competitive VGC battles. With more than seven years of experience in copywriting and SEO content writing, Niladri has previously written for Pokémon GO Hub and Smogon. He has been covering Pokemon for CharlieIntel since June 2023. Niladri can be contacted at [email protected].