Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV) Tier List - Best Characters & Builds

Tier List Overview

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fundamentally changed the franchise's competitive landscape with the introduction of Terastallization. Unlike Mega Evolution or Z-Moves, the Tera mechanic adds a layer of pre-game planning and mid-game mind games that can completely flip a matchup on its head. Because traditional "weapons" do not exist in the Pokemon franchise, the most accurate and relevant way to rank the game's meta is by looking at Competitive Singles Builds. Rather than just ranking species, evaluating specific sets, EV spreads, and Tera types provides a much deeper look at what actually makes the 9th Generation metagame tick.

This tier list ranks the most dominant, consistent, and effective builds currently defining the Scarlet and Violet Smogon Singles metagame (specifically focusing on the post-Home, post-DLC era). These rankings take into account sheer viability, matchup spread, consistency, and the impact of the Terastallization mechanic. A high-tier build isn't just about having high base stats; it is about how efficiently a specific set can punish common metagame trends, secure key KOs, and pivot out of bad situations.

S Tier

Regidrago — V-create / Dragon Energy Set (Tera Flying)

Regidrago has solidified itself as one of the most terrifying setup sweepers in the entire game. Thanks to the DLC introducing V-create via TMs, Regidrago can now boost its Attack and Speed to astronomical levels while firing off ridiculously powerful Dragon Energy attacks. Because Dragon Energy's BP scales inversely with your remaining HP, running a bulky EV spread with maximum HP ensures the move is always firing at a devastating 150 Base Power before STAB.

• Tera Flying: This is the crux of the build. It removes Regidrago's crippling weaknesses to Fairy, Ice, and Dragon, while also turning V-create's defense drops into a minor inconvenience rather than a death sentence against revenge killers like Koraidon or Miraidon. It also provides crucial immunity to Spikes.
• Reasoning: Once Regidrago gets a single V-create under its belt, it outspeeds almost the entire unboosted metagame. The combination of incredible bulk, unmatched STAB damage, and a defensive Tera type that patches up all its flaws makes this build an S-tier threat that requires extremely specific counterplay to stop.

Ursaluna — Blood Moon Set (Tera Fairy)

The Blood Moon Ursaluna introduced in the Teal Mask DLC is not your standard Ursaluna. It comes with the signature move Blood Moon, which boasts 140 Base Power, 100% accuracy, and cannot be used twice in a row. Crucially, it ignores changes to the user's Attack stat, meaning you don't need to invest any EVs into Attack at all.

• Tera Fairy: Ursaluna's biggest flaw is its mediocre Speed and vulnerability to Fighting-types like Palafin and Great Tusk. Tera Fairy provides an invaluable immunity to Dragon-type attacks from the box legendaries and flips the script on Fighting-types, allowing Ursaluna to tank hits it has no business surviving.
• Reasoning: By running a fully Special Defense-invested EV spread with an Adamant nature, Blood Moon Ursaluna becomes a catastrophic mixed tank. It absorbs special hits from Pokemon like Walking Wake and Volcarona, uses Curse to boost its Defense and Speed, and proceeds to sweep with a move that inherently sits at maximum power. It is the ultimate mid-game pivot and late-game cleaner.

Great Tusk — Headlong Rush / Knock Off Set (Tera Flying)

Great Tusk is the undisputed king of utility and physical tanking in Scarlet and Violet. While it has many viable sets, the fast, offensive Headlong Rush build stands out as the most consistently excellent build in the tier.

• Tera Flying: Great Tusk is supposed to be a Ground-type that checks other Ground-types, but it naturally loses to other Great Tusks and gets chewed up by Gliscor. Tera Flying grants an immunity to Ground, an emergency resistance to Fighting, and removes its weakness to Ice and Grass.
• Reasoning: This build functions as the ultimate glue for nearly any team. Headlong Rush provides unresisted STAB damage alongside Knock Off, which strips away crucial items like Heavy-Duty Boots or Choice Bands. It reliably spins away hazards, checks hazards setters like Glimmora and Hisuian Samurott, and can punch massive holes in offensive teams. Its sheer versatility and lack of true defensive counterplay secure its S-tier status.

A Tier

Walking Wake — Hydro Steam / Draco Meteor Set (Tera Dragon)

Walking Wake is a phenomenal offensive pivot, bringing a rare and highly prized Fire/Water typing to the battlefield. Its signature move, Hydro Steam, becomes 120 Base Power in the Sun, making it an incredibly potent wallbreaker.

• Tera Dragon: While Tera Fire boosts Hydro Steam to nuclear levels, Tera Dragon provides Walking Wake with a much safer sweeping window. It removes its weakness to Dragon and gives it an immunity to Spikes, allowing it to pivot more aggressively with Flip Turn.
• Reasoning: Walking Wake sits in A tier because, unlike the S-tier builds, it is heavily reliant on team support. It absolutely requires sun from Protosynthesis users like Koraidon to reach its full potential. Without sun, it is a strong but manageable wallbreaker. With sun, its Hydro Steam melts Steel-types that would otherwise wall it, making it a terrifying force.

Corviknight — Bulk Up / Brave Bird Set (Tera Ghost)

In a metagame swarming with Great Tusks, Gliscors, and hazard setters, Corviknight remains a highly relevant defensive pivot. The Bulk Up set turns Corviknight from a passive wall into a win condition.

• Tera Ghost: This is a brilliant tech for the current meta. Corviknight's biggest issue is being completely shut down by Magnezone's Magnet Pull or being Taunted by faster users like Hisuian Samurott. Tera Ghost grants an immunity to both Trap and Fighting-type moves, while also giving it a potent offensive typing to hit Ghost-weak targets.
• Reasoning: Corviknight's natural typing gives it key resistances to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic. By using Bulk Up alongside Brave Bird and Roost, it can comfortably set up on passive Pokemon and slowly choke out defensive opponents. It drops to A tier because it requires significant chip damage to be dealt to the opponent's team before it can successfully sweep, as its damage output is relatively low even at +6 Attack against resistant targets.

Roaring Moon — Acrobatics / Knock Off Set (Tera Flying)

Roaring Moon is a highly aggressive setup sweeper that thrives on forcing switches. Utilizing its Protosynthesis ability in the sun, it can boost its already massive Attack stat to terrifying heights.

• Tera Flying: Acrobatics is a fantastic move that doubles in power to 110 Base Power when the user has no item. By holding a Flying Tera Orb, using Acrobatics immediately triggers the power boost. Tera Flying also removes its 4x weakness to Fairy, which is essential for surviving accidental Moonblasts from Clefable or Iron Valiant.
• Reasoning: This build is a nightmare for offensive and balance teams. After a Dragon Dance, Roaring Moon outspeeds the entire non-scarfed metagame. Knock Off handles Ghost and Psychic types, while Acrobatics cleans up everything else. It is A tier because it is heavily prediction-reliant; if the opponent keeps their Fairy-type healthy or carries priority moves like Extreme Speed, Roaring Moon can fizzle out very quickly.

B Tier

Ogerpon (Wellspring Mask) — Ivy Cudgel / Horn Leech Set (Tera Water)

Ogerpon is a unique Pokemon whose stats drastically change when it holds its specific mask. The Wellspring Mask provides excellent defensive typing and a fantastic signature move in Ivy Cudgel, which has a high critical-hit ratio and always hits for super-effective damage against Water, Ground, and Rock types.

• Tera Water: Ogerpon naturally has the Embody Aspect ability, which boosts its Speed when Terastallized. Tera Water maximizes Ivy Cudgel's damage output while providing excellent defensive synergy, removing its weakness to Fire and Poison.
• Reasoning: Ogerpon is incredibly strong, but it struggles to find free turns to set up Swords Dance in a metagame filled with fast, hard-hitting legendaries. It is easy to revenge kill if it fails to secure a KO, and its signature move, while cool, is sometimes inconsistent due to relying on critical hits for its highest damage bracket. It is a solid B-tier pick that requires good positioning to succeed.

Gholdengo — Make It Rain / Nasty Plot Set (Tera Steel)

Gholdengo has been a staple of the Scarlet and Violet metagame since day one, primarily because its Good-as-Gold ability completely blocks entry hazards and status moves. The Nasty Plot set aims to turn it into a late-game sweeper.

• Tera Steel: Gholdengo's defensive typing is already great, but Tera Steel removes its weakness to Ground and Fire, making it incredibly difficult to force out without a dedicated Fighting-type.
• Reasoning: Gholdengo sits in B tier because the metagame has adapted to it. Special walls like Blissey and Ting-Lu are ubiquitous, and physical attackers like Great Tusk can easily muscle through it. Make It Rain's special defense drop also makes Gholdengo vulnerable if it fails to secure a KO. It is still a fantasticPokemon, but as a pure sweeper, it faces too much roadblocks to be considered A or S tier.

Hisuian Samurott — Ceaseless Edge / Dire Claw Set (Tera Dark)

Hisuian Samurott carved out a niche for itself as one of the few viable offensive hazard setters. Ceaseless Edge sets up Spikes just by dealing damage, allowing it to apply immediate pressure.

• Tera Dark: This boosts the power of Ceaseless Edge and Knock Off while removing its weakness to Fighting, allowing it to check Pokemon like Gholdengo much more effectively.
• Reasoning: This build is excellent at wearing down opposing teams, but Samurott's base 65 Speed holds it back immensely. It is outsped by almost every relevant offensive threat, meaning it often has to rely on its Sash to survive a hit. It is a highly effective lead, but its utility drops off drastically in the mid-to-late game, placing it firmly in B tier.

C Tier

Miraidon — Electro Drift / Draco Meteor Set (Tera Electric)

While Miraidon is a box legendary with godly stats, its standalone offensive build in the current Singles metagame has fallen out of favor compared to its counterpart, Koraidon. Without the dedicated "Hyper Offensive" team structures built entirely around it, Miraidon often struggles to find consistent openings.

• Tera Electric: Tera Electric turns Electro Drift into an unresisted nuke that hits unimaginable damage numbers, especially against targets weak to Electric.
• Reasoning: Miraidon is in C tier because Ground-types are everywhere. Great Tusk, Gliscor, and Clodsire completely shut it down unless it is running a highly specific coverage move like Grass Knot, which forces it to drop valuable utility. Furthermore, its Hadron Engine ability only boosts Electric moves, making its Draco Meteor significantly weaker than older legendaries. It requires too much babying to be consistently effective in a general metagame.

Chien-Pao — Sword of Ruin / Ice Spinner Set (Tera Ghost)

Chien-Pao was once considered the absolute king of 9th generation, but the meta has harshly caught up to it. Its passive ability halves the defense of every Pokemon on the field, making its physical attacks hit twice as hard.

• Tera Ghost: Tera Ghost boosts its signature move, Poltergeist, allowing it to break through targets like Corviknight that would normally wall it.
• Reasoning: Chien-Pao's problem is that its defenses are made of paper. Its base 70 HP and mediocre defensive typing mean it takes massive damage from neutral hits, especially with its own defense halved. Furthermore, the popularity of Bulky Great Tusk and the sheer prevalence of priority moves like Sucker Punch mean Chien-Pao often gets revenge killed before it can accomplish anything. It is a purely situational punisher now, earning it a C tier ranking.

Clefable — Calm Mind / Moonblast Set (Tera Steel)

Clefable has historically been one of the best setup sweepers in Pokemon, thanks to its fantastic ability in Magic Guard, which prevents all indirect damage.

• Tera Steel: Tera Steel patches up Clefable's terrible defensive typing, giving it a laundry list of resistances and an immunity to Poison and Toxic.
• Reasoning: Unfortunately, the power creep in Scarlet and Violet is simply too much for Clefable. Box legendaries hit too hard, and physical attackers like Ursaluna can easily muscle through it even after several Calm Minds. The metagame is incredibly hostile to passive setup, and Clefable often finds itself overwhelmed before it can get going. It is a nostalgic pick that can catch people off guard, but it is fundamentally outclassed in the current environment.

How to Use This Tier List

Understanding this tier list requires a firm grasp of how dynamic the Scarlet and Violet metagame truly is. Unlike traditional RPGs where a "weapon" or "character" might have a static power level, Pokemon builds are heavily contextual. Here are the key factors to keep in mind when building your team based on these rankings.

Synergy Over Individual Power: It is incredibly tempting to just take the three S-tier builds listed above and slap them on a team. However, Pokemon is a team game. Regidrago and Great Tusk share a weakness to Fairy. Ursaluna and Regidrago both hate being poisoned by Toxic Spikes. When selecting builds, ensure you have defensive synergy. A perfect example of this is pairing the slow, wallbreaking power of Blood Moon Ursaluna with the fast, pivoting utility of Walking Wake. Wake lures in Water-types that Ursaluna can easily set up on.

The Tera Prediction Game: Every single build on this list relies heavily on its Tera type. In previous generations, you knew a Garchomp was weak to Ice the moment you saw it on team preview. In Scarlet and Violet, that Garchomp could be Tera Steel or Tera Fairy. When playing, you must actively manage your Tera orbs. Do not use your Great Tusk's Tera Flying early in the game just to avoid an Earthquake; save it for the late game when you need to surprise an opposing Gliscor and secure a spin. Conversely, if you are playing against these builds, assume every Pokemon has a Tera type that removes its primary weakness until proven otherwise.

EV Spread Specifics: The reasoning for these placements assumes you are using optimized EV spreads. A Blood Moon Ursaluna with 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD is a completely different, and vastly inferior, Pokemon compared to the specially defensive Calm Mind variant described in the S tier. If you are importing these sets from tools like PokePaste or Smogon, pay close attention to the exact EVs and natures, as shifting just 20 EV points can mean the difference between surviving a hit and getting one-shot by a Box Legendary.

Metagame Volatility and Patches: Game Freak has actively tweaked the mechanics and available moves of Scarlet and Violet through updates. The introduction of the DLCs fundamentally reshaped the tier list, bringing in paradox forms and entirely new mechanics like the Blood Moon orb. Furthermore, Smogon frequently holds community suspect tests to ban or unban certain elements. If a major threat like Urshifu or Flutter Mane gets unbanned in the future, the viability of these builds will shift immediately. Always keep an eye on community tier updates and be ready to adapt your team compositions to handle newly popularized threats.