Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon. It is said that somewhere in the ocean lies an island where these gather. Only they live there. It can fly in spite of its big and bulky physique. It circles the globe in just 16 hours.
Overview
Dragonite has been flying high in Generation 9 as one of the best Pokémon around. Terastalization has been a huge boon for Dragonite, one of the best users of it in this generation, enabling it to shed its Hindering Quadruple Ice Weakness and gain STAB on one of the best priority moves in the game, Extremespeed turning Dragonite into a deadly revenge killer and sweeper. Multiscale pairs wonderfully with Tera Normal, its lack of weaknesses making Dragonite deceptively bulky, especially when Dragonite can Roost off and reactivate Multiscale several times. Many frail fast sweepers like Sneasler, Cinderace and Chien-Pao lose some value thanks to Dragonite threatening to check them in turn.
Dragonite is far from perfect. Losing Dual Wingbeat in the generation shift once again leaves Dragonite without a viable physical Flying STAB aside from Aerial Ace which can leave Dragonite wanting for power when not terastalizing. Multiscale is a heavy tax too, often requiring the Heavy Duty Boots that you would have on your Hazard Remover, either exposing your Great Tusk or Corviknight to the hazards they are supposed to clear or playing a dance with the hazards and your remover to get Dragonite in safely. Dragonite also lost most of its support tools including Heal Bell, Defog and Toxic, greatly narrowing the roles Dragonite can fulfill. Even with these flaws, Dragonite is still a force that more than justifies its place on many teams.
Positives
Multiscale is an absurd ability, enabling Dragonite to setup on just about anything not carrying status when completely healthy and is recurable thanks to Roost.
Base 134 Attack is incredibly potent, even uninvested Dragonite will hit hard.
Dragonite has an incredibly wide moveset, with a veritable plethora of coverage, setup and disruptive options
Terastalization turns Dragonite’s Extremespeed into the strongest Priority move in the game.
Negatives
Lack of viable physical STABs hurts Dragonite a lot, leaving it lacking for damage despite its high Attack.
Base 80 Speed is unimpressive, leaving Dragonite reliant on setup or priority to outspeed most offensive targets.
Reliance on Heavy Duty Boots and Terastalization can constrain teambuilding even more than Dragonite’s quadruple Ice Weakness.
Movesets
Dragonite Dance
-Dragon Dance
-Extremespeed
-Earthquake
-Fire Punch
Ability: Multiscale
Item: Heavy Duty Boots
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
Dragonite’s flagship set for the past few generations, now further amplified by Terastalization. Multiscale Dragonite is an incredibly reliable pivot and setup sweeper on offensive teams, using Multiscale to get in and/or setup when no other member of your team can. Get in, threaten out a frail sweeper with Extremespeed. Take advantage of a free switch to pivot Dragonite in so it can setup unabated despite what offense your opponent may try to bear down on Dragonite. Extremespeed is vital for this set, ensuring Dragonite can’t be outsped even after a Dragon Dance despite its low speed and enables Dragonite to threaten and revenge KO opposing sweepers hanging on in the early game before the late game sweep. Earthquake compliments Extremespeed very nicely, covering Steel and Rock types that could otherwise rebuff an Extremespeed assault like Garganacl, Heatran and Kingambit as well as neutrally hitting Ghosts. Fire Punch rounds out the set hitting targets that don’t mind Extremespeed and Earthquake like Corviknight and Air Balloon Gholdengo.
Tera Types:
Tera Normal is the crown jewel on Dragonite and does so much for it. Giving STAB to Extremespeed is a significant power boost, enabling Dragonite to pick up KOs on frailer targets with relatively little chip. Normal type Terastalization also combos well with Dragonite’s Multiscale, its lack of weaknesses makes Dragonite near impossible to KO reliably when at full health. And the fact that Dragonite resists Fighting pre Terastalization enables mind games as well, enabling Dragonite to bluff Tera to maintain advantageous positioning.
EVs and Items:
Max Attack and Speed are recommended to get the most out of Dragon Dance, enabling Dragonite to do obscene damage and have it outspeed targets like Neutral Nature Scarf Gholdengo and Glimmora, and Max Speed Dragapult. Alternatively, if running Dragonite on more defensive teams, Dragonite can forego some Speed for more HP, making it easier to accrue multiple Dragon Dances. 20 Speed with Neutral Nature is sufficient to outspeed max Speed Great Tusk, while 96 Speed is necessary to outspeed Scarf Gholdengo after 2 Dragon Dances. Heavy Duty Boots is all but required to ensure Dragonite doesn’t have Multiscale broken when switching in. If extremely confident about your hazard control, Leftovers can be considered for the passive healing that can retrigger Multiscale, but more often than not, you want Heavy Duty Boots. Lum Berry is a niche option, but protects against Burns and Poisoning that can break Multiscale.
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Partners:
Frail Offensive Pokémon love Dragonite whose bulk offers safe pivoting and Dragonite’s powerful Priority often serves as a ward against other revenge killers. Iron Valiant is a key example, having fantastic wall-breaking prowess to clear the way for a Dragonite sweep, including STAB Fighting and Ghost coverage for the Rock, Steel and Ghost types that give Dragonite some trouble, while enjoying Dragonite pivoting in and stymying opposing Choice Scarf users that are normally used to check Iron Valiant. Enamorous is in a similar boat, offering complimentary Special coverage to get through troublesome walls and even has Healing Wish to get Dragonite back to full to re-eastablish Multiscale and a second attempt at the sweep.
Other Options:
Ice Spinner -covers many Dragon and Ground types that are otherwise troublesome like Dragapult, Landorus-Therian, Ursaluna, Great Tusk, and Defensive Garchomp.
Roost -Enables Dragonite to reactivate Multiscale and generally keeps it healthy while setting up.
Outrage -Dragon STAB that does answer the many powerful Dragons running around including coverage on Walking Wake, but is easily punishable if your opponent still has Fairies on their team and the confusion side effect can end the sweep.
Iron Head -destroys bulky Fairies like Hatterene and the Extremespeed Immune Flutter Mane.
A Dragon’s Warm Embrace
-Fire Spin
-Encore
-Roost
-Fly
Ability: Multiscale
Item: Binding Band
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Impish Nature
A defensive trapping set that takes advantage of the responses Dragonite typically provokes, such as setting up, or switching and punishing the opponent for it. Fire Spin traps the opponent in, preventing double switches and putting them on a clock. Encore further worsens an opponent’s situation, forcing them into the last move that they used, now without the recourse of switching out. At this point, you know exactly what your opponent will be doing for the next turn and can counter accordingly, whether it be pivot into a counter or wallbreaker to setup or have Dragonite continue whittling down the opponent. Roost is pivotal for this set to function, re-establishing Multiscale and enabling Dragonite to pull of this strategy multiple times. Fly rounds out the set, stalling out turns for chip damage while protecting Dragonite and winding down the time the opponent can act being a strong STAB move.
Tera Types:
This set is not ideal for Terastalization, but if you have to, Steel is the best option, turning all of Dragonite’s weaknesses into resistances alongside having a fantastic defensive profile in general.
EVs and Items:
Invest everything in Defense and HP to Maximize Dragonite’s physical bulk thanks to the great Physical resistances its typing provides and the physical walls that Dragontie tends to lure, though shifting investment over to Special Defense can be considered if you already have a dedicated Physical Wall. Binding Band is recommended increasing the chip damage on Fire Spin, though Leftovers and Heavy Duty Boots are great for keeping Dragonite healthy over time and ensuring Multiscale is intact when switching in respectively.
Partners:
As this set is largely passive, ensuring opponents are chipped coming in can greatly reduce the time Dragonite needs to wall. Toxic Spikes support is especially potent, placing afflicted Pokémon on a 3-4 turn clock with Fire Spin. As such, Toxapex stands out, answering Ice and Fairy types while Dragonite can freely switch into the Ground attacks Toxapex draws. Clodsire also works well, able to pivot in if Dragonite traps an opponent into a boosting move though the shared Ice Weakness is painful.
Answers to Ghost types are important for this set, who can’t trap them with Fire Spin (Encore is a different matter). Ting-Lu works well, chunking Gholdengo with STAB Earthquake, setting hazards and a good PHazer with Whirlwind when Dragonite encores a boosting move. Kingambit also works having a favorable matchup and acts as a potent win condition that enjoys Dragonite luring and taking down walls that often stymie traditional Dragonite as Kingambit.
Other Options:
Wrap -hits Heatran who ignores Fire Spin, but misses Ghost types and does appreciably less initial damage considering Dragonite normally lures in physical walls.
Earthquake -checks Gholdengo and Heatran, two major problems to this set hard.
Draco Meteor -annihilates Physical Walls like Skeledirge, Dondozo and Gargancl who Dragonite often lures in.
Thunder Wave -excellent Speed control that can greatly simplify answering speedy sweepers.
Protect -good for stalling for damage and Leftovers recovery or scouting.
Doubles and VGC Options
Dragonite’s history in VGC has been tumultuous and fleeting, often having metagames that were extremely hostile to Dragonite when it was available. Generation 9 changed that. Being available right away is an incredible boon and Terastalization benefits Dragonite even more than Dynamaxing and Z-Crystals, enabling it to wield Extremespeed as a deadly clean up tool, able to stop Pokémon from setting up before they can start, while being incredibly hard to remove without doubling on it thanks to Multiscale or disrupt thanks to immunity to Fake Out and Intimidate due to Inner Focus. Dragonite’s middling speed without priority remains a persistent sticking point and cannot cover everything thanks to Multiscale and Inner Focus being mutually exclusive. Dragonite may not finish the fight, but the holes that Dragonite rips into the opponent may as well have.
Back to Old School Dragonite
-Extreme Speed
-Outrage
-Stomping Tantrum
-Iron Head
Ability: Inner Focus
Item: Choice Band
Tera Type: Normal
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
Dragonite plies its trade in doubles as a revenge killer and clean up artist, slamming the opposition with Tera Normal Banded Extremespeed, pulling off insane numbers like dealing 75% to Urshifu Rapid, 1 in 4 chance of OHKOing Chien-Pao, 7 in 8 chance of OHKOing Tornadus, guaranteed OHKO of Regieleki, the list goes on and on. With this, even Prankster Tailwind setters like Tornadus and Thundurus become less reliable enabling Dragonite to stop such setup. The dearth of fairies works to Dragonite's favor as well, enabling it to spam Outrage with Impunity once Flutter Mane is gone, often chunking Dragonite's target for absurd damage and reaching KOs even Extreme Speed misses. Stomping Tantrum covers the many Steels and Ghost types that otherwise Stop Dragonite like Gholdengo, Heatran and Kingambit. Iron Head rounds out the set, crushing Flutter Mane who otherwise deals with Dragonite's "STABs" quite nicely.
Inner Focus is preferred, enabling Dragonite to ignore Intimidate and higher priority Fake Out preventing Dragonite from reaching KOs that it needs to inflict..
Other Options & Partners:
Multiscale -the bulk boost this provides Dragonite cannot be understated, forcing opponents to double down on Dragonite to deal with it quickly and prevents pre-emptive elimination.
Aqua Jet -can clean up weakened Flutter Mane and Gholdengo as well as Heatran
Aerial Ace -maims Amoongus whose redirection can otherwise mess with Dragonite as well as being a good STAB option for both Urshifu’s, Rillaboom, etc.
Ice Spinner -offers coverage into Landorus Therian, rips a chunk out of Amoongus and offers valuable utility in wiping away Psychic Terrain that can stop Extremespeed and Aqua Jet.
Chien-Pao -Ruinous Sword turns Dragonite into a OHKO machine, getting KOs otherwise impossible and capable eviscerating redirectors like Amoongus and Indeedee with STABs.
Urshifu Rapid -can wreck Garganacl, Hisuian Goodra, Ursaluna, Great Tusk and other physically defensive walls that often can handle one physical attacker but not two as well as ignore Screens and Intimidate that may slow Dragonite down.
Countering Dragonite
Dragonite is incredibly difficult to deal with thanks to its wide movepool and balanced stats offering a large variety of sets. Tera Normal Extremespeed is incredibly powerful and precludes the normal answer of dealing with an offensive threat by outspeeding it because you can’t.
However, the vast majority of Dragonite sets will be physical which does open some counterplay. Dondozo does incredibly well versus physical sets, ignoring Dragon Dances Dragonite accrues while setting up its own Curses or whittling it down. If not running Fire Punch, Corviknight can reliably tank attacks and wear Dragonite down, even walling it if Dragonite does note possess any neutral coverage. If not running Ice Spinner, Landorus Therian and Great Tusk can tank Dragonite’s hits fairly well, but need Rock coverage to address Dragonite pre-Terastalization.
Stopping Multiscale goes a long way in dealing with Dragonite, as its seeming immortality is only in effect when it is at full health and can no longer setup as freely once broken. Dragapult stands out, being able to reliably outspeed Dragonite even at +1, immune to Extremespeed and able to Will-o-Wisp, both breaking Multiscale and Dragonite’s offense. Toxic from Toxapex and Quagsire also work well and they have the bulk to live most attacks to get it off. Garganacl needs to avoid Ground coverage but can similarly ruin Multiscale with Salt Cure. Entry Hazards also work wonders in breaking Multiscale but Dragonite is more often than not carrying Heavy Duty Boots to guard that weakness. Additionally, Dragonite only gets one shot with Multiscale unless running Roost, which forces it to sacrifice valuable coverage and make it easier to handle.
Trapping sets are difficult for another reason, turning your team into setup fodder, especially those normally meant to handle Dragonite, though once you know Dragonite is running the trapping set, it is far easier to handle thanks to lack of immediate power.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Evolve Dragonair
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Evolve Dragonair
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Dragonair
Colosseum/XD:
Snagged from Wanderer Miror B in Gateon Port (XD)
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Dragonair
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Dragonair
Black/White:
Dragonspiral Tower
Black 2/White 2:
Dragonspiral Tower
X/Y:
Not in game
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X & Y
Sun/Moon:
Poni Gauntlet
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Poni Gauntlet
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Route 1, Route 2, Route 3, Route 4, Route 6,, Route 7, Route 8, Route 10, Route 11, Route 12, Route 13, Route 14, Route 15, Route 16, Route 17, Route 18, Route 19, Route 21, Route 22, Route 23, Route 24, Route 25
Sword/Shield:
Ballimere Lake
Max Raid Battles: Giant's Bed, Path to the Peak, Frigid Sea, Three-Point Pass, Ballimere Lake
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Dragonair
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
North Province Area Two, Casseroya Lake
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles, 6 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
