Evergreen
Mewtwo in Pokémon GO: Raids, Forms and Battle Use
How to raid Mewtwo in Pokémon GO, which counters to bring, how the standard, Armored and Shadow forms differ, and when one is worth powering up.
Mewtwo has been one of Pokémon GO's headline Legendaries since the game's early years, when it was the boss of the invitation-only EX Raids, and it has returned to regular Legendary raids many times since. It is a pure Psychic-type with an unusually wide move pool, and that shapes both how you raid it and how it plays in the Master League.
Mewtwo at a glance
| Detail | Mewtwo |
|---|---|
| Type | Psychic |
| Category | Legendary (Kanto, #150) |
| Takes super-effective damage from | Bug, Ghost and Dark |
| Resists | Fighting and Psychic |
| Boosting weather | Windy |
| Usual source | Legendary raids |
These matchups use GO's standard multipliers: Bug, Ghost and Dark moves hit Mewtwo for 1.6×, while Fighting and Psychic moves are resisted at 0.625×.
The forms you'll hear about
These are the forms that have appeared in Pokémon GO at the time of writing; new forms can be added, so check the in-game Pokédex.
| Form | How it has appeared | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mewtwo | Legendary raids, many times over the years | The standard form. It can be traded and powered up at the normal cost, which makes it the easiest one to build. |
| Armored Mewtwo | Raids on a limited basis | Based on the armored look from Mewtwo's first animated film. It trades much of Mewtwo's attack for extra defense and is mainly a collector's piece. |
| Shadow Mewtwo | Team GO Rocket-related content at times | Like every Shadow Pokémon, it hits harder but takes more damage than the regular version. |
In the main series games Mewtwo also has two Mega Evolutions, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y; check the in-game news for whether either is available in Pokémon GO. Raid bosses change with the event calendar, so check the in-game raid listings for what is available today.
Raiding Mewtwo: a checklist
- Bring a group. Legendary raid bosses are tuned for several trainers working together.
- Lead with Dark and Ghost attackers. Both hit Mewtwo super effectively. Bug-type moves do too.
- Leave Fighting and Psychic attackers at home. Mewtwo resists both.
- Plan around its charged move. Dark attackers take only about 0.39× from Mewtwo's Psychic moves, but Focus Blast (Fighting) hits them for 1.6×, and a Dark/Rock attacker such as Tyranitar takes 2.56× from it. Shadow Ball hits Ghost attackers for 1.6×, and a Ghost/Poison attacker such as Gengar is also weak to Psychic moves through its Poison typing. Bring a mix so one charged move can't sweep your team.
- Watch the weather. Fog boosts both Ghost and Dark moves, so a foggy day powers up both of your main counter types. Windy weather boosts Mewtwo's own Psychic moves, but a Windy-boosted raid gives you a higher-level catch.
- Save your best catching items. Golden Razz Berries and good curveballs make a real difference when you only have a limited number of Premier Balls for the encounter. Our Legendary raids FAQ explains how Premier Balls work.
Moves and roles
Mewtwo's fast moves have included Confusion and Psycho Cut, and its charged move pool is unusually wide: over the years it has covered Psychic plus moves such as Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. One Mewtwo can play a different role depending on which charged move it knows. In raids it is mainly used as a Psychic attacker against Fighting- and Poison-type bosses, where Psychic moves hit for 1.6×; the Shadow form hits harder still, at the cost of bulk.
Its signature move, Psystrike, has generally been treated as a special move, available during specific events or through an Elite Charged TM rather than a regular TM. Our guide to Fast, Charged and Elite TMs explains how that works. Move stats are adjusted from time to time, so check the Pokémon's detail screen and the in-game news before spending a TM.
Mewtwo in the GO Battle League
Mewtwo is most associated with the Master League, where there is no CP cap and its high stats count for the most. Its coverage means an opponent can rarely be sure which charged move is coming, although it still has to respect the Ghost- and Dark-types that hit it hard. How well it performs at any moment depends on the current move balance and on what else is popular, so treat online rankings as a snapshot. Our league guide explains the three leagues and their CP caps.
Should you power one up?
Mewtwo is expensive to build. Legendary candy is scarce because each raid catch gives only a modest amount, so many trainers use Rare Candy, which works for Legendaries too. Taking it beyond level 40 also needs Candy XL. The Trainer Hub homepage links our core guides on how Candy and Stardust pay for power-ups. Before you invest:
- Decide on the role: a raid attacker, a Master League pick, or both.
- Consider a trade before investing. Shadow Pokémon can't be traded, but a regular Mewtwo can. A Legendary trade counts as a special trade, which is limited and costs more Stardust at lower friendship levels, and it re-rolls the IVs. If the result comes out Lucky, which is down to chance unless you are Lucky Friends, every power-up costs half the Stardust. Our trading guide covers the details.
- Check its appraisal once any trade is done; with a Pokémon this costly, a strong stat spread matters.
- Think about the move. A regular Charged TM can swap most charged moves, but Psystrike needs an event or an Elite Charged TM, so a Mewtwo that already knows it saves you a scarce item.
Quick answers
Can I get Mewtwo outside raids?
Raids are the usual route. Other forms such as Shadow Mewtwo have come through different content, so check each event's details.
Can a Shadow Mewtwo be purified?
Yes. Like other Shadow Pokémon it can be purified for Stardust and Candy, but that removes the Shadow damage bonus, which is the main reason to keep one for raids.
Is Mewtwo a Mythical Pokémon?
No, it is Legendary. Mew is the Mythical Pokémon it is often paired with.