The Psychic Spectacular Taken Over (2025) event has brought a slew of new Shadows in Pokémon GO, and no points for guessing, Shadow Deino is the most hyped addition among players. By catching this little Dark/Dragon type, you’ll be able to evolve it into one of the most iconic Pseudo Legendaries in the franchise: Shadow Hydreigon.

But that’s not all, as Team GO Rocket Leader Cliff is wielding Shadow Larvitar in his arsenal, which means that players can also get themselves another popular Pseudo Legendary, Shadow Tyranitar, to amp up their Dark-type entourage.

With Brutal Swing, both monsters are already premier Dark-type attackers. Now, with Shadow Hydreigon unleashed in Pokémon GO, it is poised to be stronger than ever, but just how good is it? How do the two compare to each other?

Also, how do they compare with other Dark- and Ghost-type attackers in Raid Battles? Let’s find out!

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What makes Shadow Hydreigon & Shadow Tyranitar so good in Pokémon GO?

Here are a few pointers that make these two Shadow Pseudo Legendaries meta-relevant:

• With both having a good ATK stat, Tyranitar (251) and Hydreigon (256) ensure high DPS, especially with Brutal Swing in tow.
• Additionally, their bulk is neat. Even with the Shadow nerf, they aren’t glass cannons and boast respectable bulk, especially when compared to most Dark and Ghost Pokémon. 
• With Bite as their Fast Move, Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar are favored with the Party Play feature, charging up the boost fast and shelling out high damage figures. Bite offers an advantage over a Snarl user like Darkrai.
• Being Dark types, both Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar heavily resist Psychic-type damage, giving them an edge over Ghost types as Raid Counters against Psychic Bosses.

Shadow Hydreigon & Shadow Tyranitar as Dark-type attackers in PvE (Raids)

Here are the best Dark– and Ghost-type attackers in Pokémon GO, sorted as per our GO Hub DPS Comparer Tool:

DPS

• Shadow Hydreigon takes the sweet spot in DPS, overtaking the likes of Mega Tyranitar, Shadow Tyranitar, and Shadow Darkrai. While it doesn’t reach the bar set by Mega Gengar and Dawn Wings Necrozma, Shadow Hydreigon can absorb Psychic moves (unlike Mega Gengar) and Ghost moves (unlike either), giving it a niche.
• The additional Dragon typing gives Shadow Hydreigon some handy resistances, including Mewtwo’s Thunderbolt and Lugia’s Hydro Pump, making it perform pretty well in those scenarios.
• Shadow Tyranitar has lesser DPS but better bulk, resulting in better staying power. Unlike Shadow Hydreigon, Shadow Tyranitar doesn’t need an Elite Charged TM to learn Brutal Swing. 

Overall Performance

• Pitting them next to each other on an overall basis shows that Shadow Tyranitar and Shadow Hydreigon are quite similar to each other. Literally apples and oranges!
• Dawn Wings Necrozma is the undisputed rule in all cases, but the Shadows of Tyranitar and Hydreigon are the best, barring the Mega Evolutions of Tyranitar and Gengar.
• Shadow Hydreigon does need an Elite Charged TM investment. Is it worth it? Well, if you have one to spare, definitely go for it. Good Dark types are an asset in Pokémon GO, being efficient in countering Psychic and Ghost Raid Bosses, which are aplenty even in Gen 8 and Gen 9.
• However, if you have a moderately high-level Dawn Wings Necrozma, it’s technically better than a maxed Shadow Hydreigon. To put it in perspective, a level 37 Dawn Wings Necrozma dishes out higher DPS than a level 50 Shadow Hydreigon, with considerably higher TDO to boot.

• On that note, a level 36 Dawn Wings Necrozma deals more DPS than a level 50 Mega and Shadow Tyranitar.

• This comparison with Dawn Wings Necrozma, the very ceiling of the Dark and Ghost loggerheads, establishes Shadow Hydreigon being better than Shadow Tyranitar, and a worthy attacker to invest in, only if you want to. Needless to say, if you have a good Dawn Wings Necrozma, that’s all you need, along with some Megas at times.

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Shadow Tyranitar as a Rock-type attacker in PvE (Raids)

Shadow Hydreigon is underwhelming as a Dragon-type attacker, but Shadow Tyranitar, on the other hand, is quite the meta Pokémon in the Rock-type department.

Let’s rock the rankings again:

• Shadow Tyranitar’s Rock performance is good, but not as impressive as its Dark side.
• In fact, Mega Tyranitar is the better pick in this case, clearly outperforming the Shadow.
• Mega Diancie and Shadow Rhyperior are the rockstars, sporting the overall best performance.
• While unlocking Brutal Swing using an Elite TM (Charged) is worthwhile for Shadow Hydreigon, it isn’t as valuable for Shadow Tyranitar with Smack Down (Fast). That said, it’s good doing so for Mega Tyranitar, an absolute unit.

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Conclusion

Shadow Hydreigon and Shadow Tyranitar have done the Pseudo Legendary clan proud and will remain meta-relevant attackers in Pokémon GO.

All the best in hunting the Dragon Team GO Rocket Grunt and Cliff, trainers! May you find the Hundo Deino and Shundo Larvitar.

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