Pokemon Friends Tier List - Best Characters & Builds

Tier List Overview

In the vibrant and strategic world of Pokemon Friends, building the perfect team goes far beyond simply catching creatures with the highest Combat Power. The game’s unique "Friendship Synergy" system means that a Pokemon’s true potential is only unlocked when they are paired with the right allies, equipped with the correct Buddy Items, and placed in the optimal support role. This tier list ranks the best Support Builds and Buddy Pairings in the current meta, evaluating how effectively specific Pokemon can amplify your team's overall damage, survivability, and momentum.

Ranking individual attackers in a vacuum is ineffective here because a low-tier attacker can become a raid-dominating monster with the right support friend backing them up. Therefore, this list focuses on the Pokemon that excel at buffing, healing, shielding, and debuffing. We are evaluating these characters based on their move synergy, the accessibility of their optimal Buddy Items, and their overall impact on win rates in both PvE (Co-op Raids) and PvP (Friendship Battles).

The meta is currently defined by speed and burst damage, meaning builds that can instantly generate Friendship Meter points or provide massive immediate buffs heavily outweigh slow, gradual sustain builds. Keep in mind that every Pokemon on this list is viable in some capacity— Pokemon Friends is remarkably well-balanced—but the S and A tiers represent the most efficient paths to victory.

S Tier

These are the absolute pinnacle of support builds in Pokemon Friends. If you have these Pokemon, investing your premium resources into their Buddy Items is highly recommended. An S-tier support will single-handedly elevate an average team into an unstoppable force, fundamentally changing how your core attackers perform.

• Eevee (Vee-Vee Shield Build)

Eevee is the undisputed king of early-to-mid game support, remaining entirely relevant even into the endgame. The optimal build revolves around the "Snuggle Vest" Buddy Item, which amplifies Eevee's passive ability, Adaptability, into a team-wide damage reduction aura. Because Eevee can be any typing, it automatically synergizes with whatever attacker you place it next to. Its active move, "Cheer Up," instantly generates 30% of the Friendship Meter for its paired partner, allowing your main damage dealer to unleash their Ultimate Friendship Attack two turns earlier than normal. Eevee sits at S-tier because it requires zero specific investment in move-TMs to be effective; its base kit is perfectly tailored for pure support.

• Gardevoir (Telekinetic Link Build)

Gardevoir operates as the ultimate force multiplier for Special Attackers. Equipped with the "Linking Ribbon" Buddy Item, Gardevoir’s "Telepathy" passive allows it to share a portion of its own Special Attack and Speed stats with its linked partner at the start of the battle. When built with maximum Special Attack EVs and the moves Calm Mind and Psychic Terrain, Gardevoir turns Pokemon like Alakazam or Gengar into absolute glass cannons that move first and obliterate enemies. The reasoning for its S-tier placement is the sheer math behind the buff: a well-built Gardevoir provides roughly a 40% raw damage increase to its partner, an advantage that no other single support Pokemon can match in terms of raw numbers.

• Blissey (Hearty Pulse Build)

In prolonged PvE engagements like Boss Raids, Blissey is mandatory. The Hearty Pulse Build utilizes the "Nurture Bell" item, transforming Blissey from a passive healer into an active cleanser. Bosses in Pokemon Friends frequently apply "Friendship Decay" debuffs, which stall your Ultimate attacks. Blissey’s "Heal Pulse" not only restores a massive 40% of a partner's HP but instantly purges all status conditions and stat drops. Furthermore, Blissey’s natural immense bulk means it will never be one-shot by stray AoE attacks. It is S-tier because it guarantees longevity in fights where other supports would eventually succumb to chip damage and debuff stacking.

A Tier

A-tier supports are incredibly strong and will comfortably carry you through all standard content and most ranked PvP matches. They usually fall just short of S-tier because their buffs are slightly more conditional, their optimal Buddy Items are harder to acquire, or they require specific team compositions to truly shine. However, a well-optimized A-tier build is just as lethal as an S-tier one in the right hands.

• Togekiss (Air Slash Speed Buffer)

Togekiss excels at speed control. By equipping the "Zephyr Feather" Buddy Item, Togekiss’s "Hustle" ability is altered to provide a flat +2 Speed stage buff to its partner whenever it uses a Flying-type move. Using a moveset of Air Slash and Tailwind, Togekiss can make slow, hard-hitting physical attackers like Tyranitar or Metagross outspeed almost the entire meta. Togekiss is in A-tier instead of S-tier purely because of its defensive typing. While its speed buffs are phenomenal, Togekiss is incredibly frail against Electric, Ice, and Rock types, meaning a misstep in positioning can result in it being knocked out before it can set up its partner.

• Umbreon (Lunar Veil Debuffer)

Umbreon is the premier debuff support in the game. The Lunar Veil build relies on the "Dark Cloak" item, which causes Umbreon’s "Foul Play" to apply a "Terrified" debuff to the enemy, reducing their Defense and Attack by one stage each. Unlike Gardevoir who buffs your own team, Umbreon focuses on crippling the opponent's anchor Pokemon. It shines brightest in PvP, where landing a Foul Play on an enemy Snorlax or Blissey can completely dismantle their defensive strategy. It sits at A-tier because debuffs in Pokemon Friends can be cleansed by opponent supports, meaning Umbreon can sometimes have its impact entirely negated by a well-timed enemy Blissey.

• Lucario (Aura Sphere Combo Assist)

Lucario is a unique "aggressive support." Using the "Focus Sash" Buddy Item, Lucario is built with maximum HP and Defense. Its role is to link with a high-damage Physical Attacker and use "Extreme Speed" to land the finishing blow on weakened enemies. When Lucario secures a kill, its "Steadfast" ability triggers, passing an Attack boost and an immediate extra turn to its linked partner. This build is spectacular for snowballing momentum. It ranks in the A-tier because it requires precise execution; if Lucario fails to get the killing blow, it provides virtually no utility to the team, making it a high-risk, high-reward pairing.

• Sylveon (Pixie Veil Sustain)

Sylveon acts as a secondary healer to Blissey but trades raw healing numbers for offensive utility. The Pixie Veil build uses the "Pixie Ribbon" to turn Sylveon’s "Mystical Fire" into a move that simultaneously lowers the enemy's Special Attack while healing its partner for 15% of their max HP. It is a phenomenal counter to Special Attacker-heavy compositions. It misses S-tier because its healing output is simply too low to handle the massive burst damage dealt by endgame Boss Raids, restricting it to a more niche, albeit highly effective, PvP role.

B Tier

B-tier builds are the workhorses of Pokemon Friends. They are decent, reliable options that perform exactly as expected without offering any overwhelming mechanical advantages. These are the builds you use when you are missing the specific Buddy Items required for S and A-tier builds, or when you are running a specific type-thematic team for fun. They have clear, exploitable weaknesses that prevent them from dominating the higher echelons of competitive play.

• Meowth (Pay Day Economy Build)

Meowth is exclusively a PvE build designed to farm in-game currency. Equipped with the "Amulet Coin" Buddy Item, Meowth’s "Pay Day" scatters extra coins on the battlefield while providing a minor, flat +5% damage buff to its partner. While incredibly useful for resource grinding outside of combat, Meowth’s actual combat utility is abysmal. It takes up a valuable team slot that could be used for a real support, making it strictly B-tier for any actual fighting content.

• Slowbro (Armor Swap Tank Build)

Slowbro attempts to be a front-line bulwark by using the "Shell Bell" Buddy Item to draw enemy aggro and tank hits for a fragile partner. While Slowbro’s physical bulk is undeniably high, the current meta heavily favors Special Attackers. Slowbro takes immense damage from special moves, and its "Yawn" support move is too slow to be effective in fast-paced PvP matches. It is a decent option for early-game players who need a Pokemon to absorb hits while their attackers level up, but it falls off sharply in difficulty.

• Clefable (Metronome Gambler Build)

This build is entirely based on RNG. By giving Clefable the "Lucky Egg" Buddy Item, its signature move "Metronome" has a slightly higher chance of rolling high-tier attacks like Hyper Beam or Blizzard. When it works, it looks like an S-tier build. When it rolls moves like Splash or Mud Sport, it is essentially useless. Because competitive play and high-level raids require consistency, Clefable’s reliance on the random number generator firmly plants it in the B-tier.

• Golem (Rocky Shield Physical Buffer)

Golem provides a flat +1 Defense buff to its partner using "Rock Polish," which also slightly boosts speed. However, Golem’s numerous 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass make it incredibly difficult to keep alive on the field. Furthermore, the buffs it provides are inferior to what Togekiss or Gardevoir offer. Golem is strictly for players who are running a mono-Rock or mono-Ground team and need an on-type buffer to fulfill friendship synergy requirements.

C Tier

C-tier picks are highly situational, fundamentally outclassed, or hampered by severe mechanical flaws in Pokemon Friends. While you can make them work if you are incredibly dedicated and over-level them, you are actively putting yourself at a disadvantage by bringing them into serious content. These builds usually suffer from poor move pools, terrible synergy with the Friendship Meter system, or Buddy Items that simply do not function well in practice.

• Wobbuffet (Mirror Coat Counter Build)

In theory, using Wobbuffet to bounce massive damage back at enemies sounds great. In practice, the "Counter Lens" Buddy Item only works if Wobbuffet survives the hit. Because Wobbuffet has absolutely no defensive buffs to offer its partner and cannot generate Friendship Meter points through offensive plays, it acts as a dead weight on your team until an enemy specifically targets it. In a game where you control aggro through support links, smart opponents will simply ignore Wobbuffet, rendering it entirely useless.

• Farfetch'd (Critical Strike Assist)

Farfetch'd is designed to boost the critical hit ratio of its partner using "Focus Energy." However, critical hits in Pokemon Friends only deal 1.5x damage and do not ignore defensive buffs or shields, making the stat investment required to maximize critical hit rate incredibly inefficient. You are much better off using a Pokemon that provides a flat Attack buff, which scales consistently with every hit rather than relying on a low-probability critical strike multiplier.

• Magikarp (Splash Revival Build)

This build is a meme, albeit a slightly functional one. By equipping the "Revival Herb" Buddy Item, if Magikarp is knocked out, it automatically revives its linked partner with 10% HP. While this can theoretically prevent a total party wipe, Magikarp dies so incredibly easily that the revival effect often triggers prematurely, wasting the buff. Furthermore, Magikarp provides zero offensive or defensive utility while it is alive. It is a novelty build only useful for extremely niche, self-imposed challenge runs.

• Smeargle (Sketch Mimic Build)

Smeargle’s "Sketch" allows it to copy another Pokemon's support move. While this sounds incredibly versatile, the "Blank Canvas" Buddy Item forces Smeargle to copy the move at random from the opposing team, meaning you have zero control over what support ability you actually get. You might copy a useful heal, but you are just as likely to copy a self-destruct move or a worthless stat swap. The sheer unpredictability makes Smeargle a liability in any coordinated team composition.

How to Use This Tier List

Understanding the context behind this tier list is just as important as knowing the rankings themselves. Pokemon Friends is a dynamic game, and the effectiveness of these builds can shift based on several external factors.

Patch Notes and Balance Changes: The developers of Pokemon Friends are highly active, releasing balance updates approximately every six weeks. When reading this list, always check the date of the latest patch. Frequently, a Pokemon's placement is dictated by the tuning of their specific Buddy Item. For example, if the "Snuggle Vest" used by Eevee is ever nerfed to reduce the damage reduction aura from 20% to 10%, Eevee would immediately drop to A-tier. Always prioritize the official patch notes over static tier lists when investing your hard-earned gold.

Synergy Over Individual Rank: The golden rule of Pokemon Friends is that synergy trumps raw tier placement. An S-tier Gardevoir is useless if you pair it with a Physical Attacker like Garchomp, as its buffs will be entirely wasted. Conversely, a B-tier Golem can outperform an A-tier Togekiss if your team composition relies entirely on Ground-type attacks to trigger specific Friendship Combo multipliers. Build your team’s core strategy first, and then consult this tier list to fill the support roles that best complement your chosen attackers.

Resource Management: Upgrading Buddy Items to their maximum potential requires rare materials like "Friendship Shards" and "Golden Berries." Do not spread these resources thinly across multiple A and B-tier builds. If you pull an S-tier support like Blissey or Gardevoir, sink your resources into them immediately. A maxed-out S-tier Buddy Item will carry you through months of content, whereas dividing your resources among three B-tier builds will leave you struggling in late-game Boss Raids.

PvE vs. PvP Context: Pay attention to where these builds excel. Blissey is an S-tier god in PvE Boss Raids because bosses don't use strategic targeting. However, in high-level PvP, smart players will run "Taunt" builds to lock Blissey out of its heals, dropping its effective tier down to a B. Conversely, Umbreon’s debuffs are highly unreliable in PvE against massive boss health pools, but in PvP, removing one stage of Defense from an enemy Snorlax can instantly win you the match. Adapt your loadouts depending on the content you are facing.

Ultimately, Pokemon Friends rewards players who understand the flow of battle and the mechanics of the Friendship Meter. Use this tier list as a foundational guide to point you toward the most efficient strategies, but never be afraid to experiment with your favorite Pokemon. The Friendship Synergy system is deep enough that a creative, unexpected build can often surprise the meta and catch opponents completely off guard.