Rare Candy is one of the most valuable resources in Pokémon GO, allowing trainers to power up and evolve any Pokémon species. With limited opportunities to obtain these precious items, knowing exactly which Pokémon deserve your Rare Candy investment is crucial for maximizing your battle performance in both raids and PvP. This comprehensive Rare Candy tier list will help you make informed decisions about where to allocate your Rare Candy for the biggest impact on your gameplay.
| Tier | Pokémon | PvE Value | PvP Value | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S+ | Mewtwo | Excellent | Excellent | Best psychic attacker, multiple roles, future mega potential |
| S+ | Rayquaza | Excellent | Good | Best dragon/flying attacker, future mega evolution |
| S+ | Kyogre | Excellent | Excellent | Best water attacker, primal evolution coming |
| S+ | Groudon | Excellent | Excellent | Best ground attacker, primal evolution coming |
| S | Shadow Mewtwo | Excellent | Excellent | Best overall attacker in the game |
| S | Origin Giratina | Excellent | Excellent | Best ghost attacker, Master League staple |
| S | Dialga | Excellent | Excellent | Steel/dragon typing, Master League dominant |
| S | Reshiram | Excellent | Good | Best fire attacker, signature moves pending |
| S | Zekrom | Excellent | Excellent | Best electric attacker, Master League viable |
| A+ | Raikou | Excellent | Good | Top electric attacker, great coverage |
| A+ | Shadow Moltres | Excellent | Good | Best flying attacker, fire coverage |
| A+ | Zacian (Hero) | Good | Excellent | Master League versatile, fairy coverage |
| A | Darkrai | Excellent | Poor | Best dark attacker, fragile in PvP |
| A | Yveltal | Excellent | Good | Strong dark/flying attacker, PvP viable |
| A | Therian Landorus | Excellent | Good | Top ground attacker, flying coverage |
| A | Zarude | Excellent | Good | Best grass attacker, Master League viable |
| A | Therian Thundurus | Excellent | Poor | Highest electric DPS, limited PvP use |
Rare Candy serves as a universal candy substitute that can be converted into any Pokémon's candy. This makes it incredibly valuable for species that are difficult to obtain through normal gameplay methods. Unlike regular Pokémon that can be caught in the wild, hatched from eggs, or found in raids, legendary and mythical Pokémon have extremely limited acquisition methods.
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The primary reasons to save your Rare Candy for legendary Pokémon include:
Why S+ Tier: Mewtwo stands as the single best Rare Candy investment in Pokémon GO for multiple compelling reasons. As the best psychic-type attacker with access to Psystrike (legacy move), Mewtwo dominates in raid scenarios. Its versatility extends to PvP, where it performs exceptionally well in Master League and serves as a safe swap option.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Prioritize Mewtwo above all other Pokémon. If you have a Shadow Mewtwo, this becomes your absolute top priority. Even regular Mewtwo with good IVs deserves significant Rare Candy investment.
Why S+ Tier: Rayquaza currently reigns as the best non-mega, non-shadow dragon-type attacker in Pokémon GO. With Dragon Ascent as its signature flying-type move, Rayquaza provides unparalleled damage output against dragon-type raid bosses.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Rayquaza should be your second-highest priority after Mewtwo. The upcoming mega evolution makes this a future-proof investment that will only increase in value.
Why S+ Tier: As the best water-type attacker in Pokémon GO, Kyogre provides essential coverage against numerous raid bosses including rock, ground, and fire-type opponents. With primal evolution confirmed for future updates, Kyogre's value will only increase.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Kyogre deserves significant Rare Candy investment, especially if you participate in many raids. The primal evolution makes this a long-term investment with substantial future returns.
Why S+ Tier: Groudon stands as the premier ground-type attacker in Pokémon GO, providing essential coverage against electric, fire, poison, rock, and steel-type raid bosses. Like Kyogre, Groudon has primal evolution confirmed, making it an excellent long-term investment.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Groudon should be prioritized alongside Kyogre. The combination of current raid utility and future primal evolution makes this a must-have investment for serious players.
Why S Tier: Origin Giratina currently holds the title of best ghost-type attacker in Pokémon GO, making it essential for psychic-type raid bosses. In PvP, Origin Giratina is a Master League staple with incredible bulk and typing.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Origin Giratina is a top-tier investment for both raid and PvP players. The pending signature move makes this an excellent long-term investment.
Why S Tier: Dialga's unique steel/dragon typing makes it incredibly valuable, as it doesn't take super-effective damage from other dragon-type attacks. This makes Dialga essential for dragon-type raids and a Master League powerhouse.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Dialga is a must-have for Master League enthusiasts and provides excellent raid utility. The unique typing makes it irreplaceable in many scenarios.
Why S Tier: Reshiram currently stands as the best non-mega, non-shadow fire-type attacker in Pokémon GO. With signature moves Fusion Flare and Blue Flare pending, Reshiram's value will only increase in future updates.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Reshiram is an excellent investment for raid-focused players. The pending signature moves make this a future-proof investment with substantial upside.
Why S Tier: Zekrom serves as the best electric-type attacker in Pokémon GO, providing essential coverage against water and flying-type raid bosses. With signature moves Fusion Bolt and Bolt Strike pending, Zekrem's value will continue to increase.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Zekrom should be prioritized alongside Reshiram. The combination of current raid utility and pending signature moves makes this an excellent long-term investment.
Why A+ Tier: Raikou remains one of the best electric-type attackers in Pokémon GO, with Shadow Raikou being the absolute best in this category. Its good coverage moves and solid stats make it valuable for both raids and PvP.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Raikou is an excellent investment if you lack Zekrom or need additional electric coverage. Shadow Raikou should be prioritized if available.
Why A+ Tier: Shadow Moltres stands as one of the best flying-type attackers in Pokémon GO, with solid fire-type coverage as well. The combination of Sky Attack (legacy) and Overheat makes it a versatile raid attacker.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Shadow Moltres is worth investing in if you need flying-type coverage or lack Reshiram for fire-type scenarios.
Why A+ Tier: Hero Zacian brings fairy-type coverage to Master League while serving as a versatile attacker. Its ability to function as a lead, safe swap, and closer makes it incredibly valuable in PvP scenarios.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Zacian is a must-have for Master League enthusiasts. The fairy typing and versatility make it irreplaceable in many PvP scenarios.
Why A Tier: Darkrai currently serves as the best dark-type attacker in Pokémon GO, making it essential for psychic-type raid bosses. However, its fragility limits its PvP utility.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Darkrai is worth investing in if you frequently encounter psychic-type raid bosses. Avoid heavy investment if you primarily focus on PvP.
Why A Tier: Yveltal provides strong dark/flying coverage with better PvP viability than Darkrai. Its bulk and typing make it more versatile in various battle scenarios.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Yveltal is a good investment if you want dark-type coverage with PvP utility. It's more versatile than Darkrai for players who enjoy both raid and PvP content.
Why A Tier: Therian Landorus stands as one of the best ground-type attackers in Pokémon GO, with flying-type coverage providing additional utility. It performs well in both raids and Master League.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Therian Landorus is worth investing in if you need additional ground-type coverage or enjoy Master League play.
Why B Tier: Zapdos provides solid electric-type coverage but is generally outclassed by Raikou and Zekrom. Its PvP viability is limited by fragility and high CP requirements for lower leagues.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Only invest in Zapdos if you lack better electric options and need immediate coverage.
Why B Tier: Entei serves as a solid fire-type attacker but is generally outclassed by Reshiram and Shadow Moltres. Shadow Entei performs better but still falls short of top-tier options.
Key Advantages:
Investment Strategy: Only invest in Entei if you lack better fire options and need immediate coverage.
Why C Tier: Suicune lacks the offensive stats to be effective in raids and has limited PvP utility compared to other water-type options.
Investment Strategy: Avoid investing Rare Candy in Suicune unless you have a specific PvP strategy that requires it.
Why C Tier: Latias is outclassed by other dragon-type attackers in raids and has limited PvP utility compared to Origin Giratina.
Investment Strategy: Avoid investing Rare Candy in Latias unless you have a specific Ultra League strategy that requires it.
The most common mistake is using Rare Candy on regular Pokémon that can be caught in the wild or hatched from eggs. With few exceptions, non-legendary Pokémon should never receive Rare Candy investment because:
Not all legendaries are worth equal investment. Avoid spending Rare Candy on:
Rather than investing small amounts in many different Pokémon, focus your Rare Candy on:
For Master League enthusiasts, prioritize these Pokémon:
For Ultra League, focus on:
For Great League, consider:
Several Pokémon have confirmed future improvements that make them excellent long-term investments:
When investing Rare Candy, consider:
Answer: Generally, no. Non-legendary Pokémon can be caught in the wild, hatched from eggs, or walked as buddies for reasonable candy rates. Rare Candy should be reserved for legendary and mythical Pokémon that have extremely limited candy acquisition methods.
Answer: Even with perfect IVs, most non-legendary Pokémon are outperformed by legendary alternatives. The only exceptions are specific PvP scenarios where a particular non-legendary Pokémon fills a unique role that legendaries cannot match.
Answer: Aim for at least 80-100 Rare Candy before making significant investments. This allows you to power up a legendary Pokémon to level 30-35, which is typically the sweet spot for performance versus cost.
Answer: This depends on your playstyle. If you primarily raid, focus on S+ and S tier attackers like Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon. If you primarily play PvP, prioritize Pokémon like Origin Giratina, Dialga, and Zacian that excel in Master League.
Answer: Shadow Pokémon with Frustration removed are absolutely worth Rare Candy investment. Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Raikou, and Shadow Moltres are among the best attackers in the game and should be prioritized over their regular counterparts.
Answer: Consider these factors:
Answer: While high IVs are preferable, don't wait indefinitely for perfect IVs. A level 30 legendary with 80% IVs will typically outperform most non-legendary alternatives. Invest in legendaries with decent IVs (80%+) and replace them later if you catch better specimens.
Answer: The most consistent methods are:
Rare Candy represents one of the most valuable resources in Pokémon GO, and strategic investment is crucial for maximizing your battle performance. By focusing on S+ and S tier legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo, Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon, you'll build a roster that dominates in both raids and PvP while being future-proofed against upcoming content updates.
Remember that Rare Candy strategy should align with your personal playstyle and goals. Whether you're a raid enthusiast, PvP competitor, or balanced player, this tier list provides the framework for making informed decisions about your Rare Candy investments.
Stay updated with the latest Pokémon GO news and meta shifts, as new Pokémon releases and balance changes can impact Rare Candy priorities. With careful planning and strategic investment, your Rare Candy will provide maximum value and elevate your Pokémon GO experience to new heights.