Pokemon Sword & Shield: Every Pokemon That Can Gigantamax (And How To Make It Happen)

We’ve compiled a list of every Pokemon that can Gigantamax as well as a short guide on how G-Maxing works in general!

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Every new Pokemon generation comes with its fair share of cool new mechanics and methods for making battles way cooler than your typical one-on-one fight. In Generation VIII, the new cool mechanic is Dynamax — a strange phenomenon whereby Pokemon can grow to massive sizes and unleash epic attacks on their opponent.

Some Pokemon are special, though. There exists some species that are capable of taking Dynamax even further, into Gigantamax. These Pokemon take on a new appearance and are able to learn unique moves with powerful effects. Only certain Pokemon are capable of this though. Here’s how you can find them, and every Pokemon that is capable of such a powerful transformation.

How to Gigantamax

Just because a species is capable of Gigantamax doesn’t mean every member of that species can. Those that can have the Gigantamax Factor, which works like a special gene. Typically, you can find these Pokemon in Max Raid Battles, but there are a few other ways to get your hands on a G-Max Pokemon.

If you have the Isle of Armor DLC expansion, you can use the kitchen in the Master Dojo to feed your Pokemon Max Soup. If the species is capable of Gigantamaxing, this will give them the Gigantamax Factor, with the exception of Melmetal. Urshifu can also gain the Factor here, but Max Honey will be required as well.

Galar Starters

The first Pokemon that you’ll obtain that is capable of Gigantamax will be your starter Pokemon, whether it’s Sobble, Grookey, or Scorbunny. But, they won’t be able to G-Max quite yet. They’ll need to evolve to their final forms and then be fed some Max Soup at the Dojo.

Inteleon, Rillaboom, and Cinderace all have G-Max forms. Inteleon will replace any of its damaging Water-type moves with G-Max Hydrosnipe, Rillaboom will replace any damaging Grass-type moves with G-Max Drum Solo, and Cinderace will replace damaging Fire-type moves with G-Max Fireball. All three of these moves have a base power of 160 and ignore the effects of the target’s abilities.

Kanto Starters

The Galar starters aren’t the only starter Pokemon that can Gigantamax, though. Never the ones to be left out, the Kanto starters are also capable of G-Maxing. Charizard was in the base game, and Venusaur and Blastoise were added in the Isle of Armor DLC.

Charizard’s special move is G-Max Wildfire, which replaces its damaging Fire-type moves. It inflicts some damage, then traps the target in a fiery blast that deals one-sixth of their maximum HP at the end of each turn for four turns. Venusaur and Blastoise both learn a similar type of move, G-Max Vine Lash and G-Max Cannonade, respectively. These moves also inflict damage and then keep inflicting one-sixth of the target’s maximum HP worth of damage each turn.

Butterfree

After being left out of receiving a Mega Evolution alongside its counterpart, Beedrill, in Generation VI, Butterfree has finally been given the love it deserved with a Gigantamax form.

If Butterfree knows a damaging Bug-type move, it’ll replace it with G-Max Befuddle after Gigantamaxing. This move inflicts some damage and then causes poison, sleep, or paralysis to every opponent.

Pikachu, Eevee, and Meowth

There are three special cases of Gigantamax capability that prevent a Pokemon from evolving. Pikachu, Eevee, and Meowth were all given G-Max forms, but these Pokemon cannot evolve if they have the Factor. Typically, these three Pokemon can only be obtained through special methods.

If you have a Let’s Go Pikachu save file, you can receive a G-Max-capable Pikachu as a gift, and the same goes for Eevee if you have a file for Let’s Go Eevee. Meowth, on the other hand, was distributed to early orders of the games via Mystery Gift. All have been made available since in limited-time events, and may come back in the future.

Pikachu learns G-Max Volt Crash in place of any damaging Electric-type moves. This inflicts damage and paralyzes all opponents. Eevee learns G-Max Cuddle over any damaging Normal-type moves, which inflicts damage and infatuates all opponents of the opposite gender.

Meowth replaced damaging Normal-type moves with G-Max Gold Rush. This strange move inflicts damage, confuses the target, and scatters coins that can be picked up after the battle. There’s a complicated set of rules that determine how much money you’ll earn, but it’s typically a fair bit.

Machamp, Gengar, Lapras, Snorlax, and Kingler

A handful of other Kanto Pokemon received G-Max forms: Gengar, Machamp, Lapras, Snorlax, and Kingler.

Gengar learns G-Max Terror in place of damaging Ghost-type moves. This inflicts damage and prevents targets from leaving the battle by switch-out or fleeing.

Machamp replaces damaging Fighting-type moves with G-Max Chi Strike, which damages the target and increases the user and their allies’ critical hit rate by a stage.

Lapras replaces damaging Ice-type moves with G-Max Resonance, which inflicts damage and creates an Aurora Veil (even without hail), which reduces damage that Lapras receives for five turns.

Snorlax will learn G-Max Replenish in place of any Normal-type damaging moves. This move, as always, inflicts damage, as well as having a 50% chance of restoring any Berries that the user or its allies have consumed or thrown with the use of the move Fling.

Finally, Kingler will replace its damaging Water-type moves with G-Max Foam Burst. It inflicts damage and lowers the speed of all opponents by two stages.

It’s worth noting that Machamp with the G-Max Factor is exclusive to Sword, while Gengar and Lapras with the Factor can only be obtained in Shield. However, they can be obtained by the opposite version with Max Soup or by joining a Max Raid Battle online.

Garbodor

Poor Garbodor. This Poison-type is the sole Pokemon from Generation V to receive a Gigantamax form.

Those that are capable of G-Maxing can learn G-Max Malodor in place of damaging Poison-type moves. This move inflicts damage and poisons all opponents.

Melmetal

Like Garbodor in Gen V, Melmetal is the only Pokemon from Generation VII that received a G-Max form, though there still exists some debate over Melmetal’s original generation, with many considering it to be Gen VIII.

Regardless, Melmetal is the only Pokemon that can’t be given the G-Max Factor at the Dojo. It must be obtained through Pokemon HOME currently.

Melmetal in its G-Max form will replace any damaging Steel-type moves that it knows with G-Max Meltdown. This powerful move inflicts damage and subjects all of the opponents to torment. This prevents them from using the same move twice in succession.

Corviknight

Moving on to Generation VIII Pokemon, several of them received G-Max forms. After your starter, one of the earliest Pokemon you can obtain is Rookidee. Its final evolved form, Corviknight, has a very nice Gigantamax Form.

This Gigantamaxed form of Corviknight can learn the move G-Max Wind Rage in place of any damaging Flying-type move. G-Max Wind Rage inflicts damage and removes all entry hazards, light screen-type effects, or any reflect-like effects. It also removes all terrains.

Orbeetle

Another early game Pokemon that can evolve into a G-Max capable species is Blipbug, which will one day become an Orbeetle. When an Orbeetle G-Maxes, it replaces damaging Psychic-type moves with G-Max Gravitas, which inflicts damage and increases gravity on the battlefield for five turns.

Drednaw

Find yourself a Drednaw that’s capable of Gigantamaxing and you’ll be able to use the powerful Water-type move G-Max Stonesurge, which replaces any damaging Water-type moves that Drednaw knows. G-Max Stonesurge causes Stealth Rock to appear on the target’s side of the battlefield after inflicting damage.

Coalossal

Earlier, it was mentioned that Gigantamax-capable Machamp was exclusive to Sword while Lapras and Gengar were exclusive to Shield. You may have thought it was unfair that Shield had two exclusives while Sword only got one. Well, the other exclusive to Sword is Coalossal, which can also have the G-Max Factor.

After Gigantamaxing, Coalossal will replace any of its Rock-type moves with G-Max Volcalith, a move that inflicts damage and continues to do one-sixth of the target’s maximum HP worth of damage to them for four turns. However, Rock-type targets are immune to this.

Flapple and Appletun

Interestingly, despite the fact that Applin has a branched evolutionary family, both branches have the same Gigantamax form. Flapple and Appletun share a G-Max form, but not G-Max moves.

Flapple will replace damaging Grass-type moves that it knows with G-Max Tartness. This move inflicts damage and lowers the target’s evasiveness. Appletun replaces Grass-type damaging moves with G-Max Sweetness, which inflicts damage and heals the user and their allies of all status conditions.

Toxtricity

While Appletun and Flapple are different Pokemon with the same G-Max form, Toxtricity is only one Pokemon with two different forms that share a G-Max form.

The G-Max form for both Amped and Low Key Toxtricity is the same, and they learn the same move. Toxtricity will replace the damaging Electric-type moves that it knows with G-Max Stun Shock, which inflicts damage and poisons or paralyzes all targets (a 50% chance of each for each target).

Sandaconda

The only Ground-type Pokemon to receive a G-Max form is Sandaconda. Its Gigantamaxed form looks like a large sand tornado. As a result, it’s very fitting that it replaces any damaging Ground-type moves it knows with G-Max Sandblast. This inflicts damage and adds a bind effect similar to Sand Tomb for four to five turns.

Centiskorch

There is a surprising number of Bug-types that received G-Max forms, and Centiskorch is one of them. This Fire/Bug-type will replace any damaging Fire-type moves it knows with G-Max Centiferno. This move is similar to Sandaconda’s: it inflicts damage and puts the target in a bind effect for four to five turns, similar to Fire Spin.

Hatterene

Hatterene has a G-Max form that causes it to tower even higher over its enemies. If it knows any damaging Fairy-type moves, it’ll replace them with G-Max Smite. This move will inflict damage and confuse all opponents.

Grimmsnarl

Since Hatterene and Grimmsnarl are somewhat placed as counterparts to one another, it makes sense that Grimmsnarl would also have a G-Max form.

When it Gigantamaxes, Grimmsnarl will replace any Dark-type damaging moves it knows with G-Max Snooze. This inflicts damage and has a 50% chance to make its target drowsy, which means it’ll fall asleep on the next turn.

Alcremie

Three Fairy-types in a row! Another to receive a Gigantamax form is Alcremie, which will look the same when G-Maxed no matter which base form it has. This G-Max form is kind of fun, making Alcremie look like a giant tiered cake.

Alcremie will replace any of its damaging Fairy-type moves with G-Max Finale when it Gigantamaxes. This move inflicts damage and heals all of the user’s allies by one-sixth of their current maximum HP.

Copperajah

The already heavy and tanky Copperajah can become even more so by Gigantamaxing, if it has the G-Max Factor. Once in its Gigantamax form, Copperajah replaces damaging Steel-type moves that it knows with G-Max Steelsurge. This move inflicts damage and sets up an entry hazard around the target.

There are battle rules to how this effect plays out, but it typically causes damage to any Pokemon that switches in, based on how resistant or weak that Pokemon is to the Steel-type.

Duraludon

Another Steel-type to receive a Gigantamax form is the Steel/Dragon-type Duraludon. This Pokemon will replace any of its damaging Dragon-type moves with G-Max Depletion. This move inflicts damage and reduces the PP of the last move the target used by two if it used a move before being hit.

Urshifu

The Kanto Starters (minus Charizard) and the Galar Starters weren’t the only Pokemon to receive G-Max forms in the Isle of Armor DLC. The expansion pass mascot Legendary itself also received a Gigantamax form — two of them, actually. Single Strike Style Urshifu and Rapid Strike Style Urshifu both have their own unique G-Max forms.

Single Strike Urshifu will replace the damaging Dark-type moves that it knows with G-Max One Blow, which ignores protection moves and inflicts damage. Rapid Strike Urshifu replaces the damaging Water-type moves it knows with G-Max Rapid Flow, which does the same thing — hitting the target for full inflicted damage regardless of protection moves.

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