Keldeo, the Colt Pokémon. Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion taught this Pokémon how to fight. It dashes across the world, seeking more opportunities to further its training. They say that Keldeo must survive harsh battles and fully develop the horn on its forehead before this Pokémon's true power will awaken. Keldeo has strengthened its resolve for battle, filling its body with power and changing its form. The power that lay hidden in its body now covers its horn, turning it into a sword that can slice through anything.

Overview

Keldeo remains constant as one of the more terrifying Special Wallbreakers in the game. A blistering Special Attack, a boosting option in Calm Mind and a STAB Secret Sword that targets Defense to bypass traditional Special walls and Ferrothorn alongside conventional special STABs makes Keldeo difficult to stop with sheer bulk alone. Above Average Speed means that Keldeo isn’t dead weight against more offensive teams, often having a few targets it can still reliably outspeed. Air Slash was a boon in the generational shift, giving Keldeo a stronger option against opposing Grass types and a decent option for Dynamaxing.

Keldeo didn’t have all good news from the generational shift. The loss of Hidden Power hurts a lot, greatly increasing the pool of Pokémon that are guaranteed to wall it by resisting its STABs and Keldeo’s lack of other coverage options. The loss of Pursuit hurts as well -Keldeo was reliant on Pursuit trapping to take care of some of its checks like Slowking and Latias. Keldeo’s average at best bulk means that it is reliant on picking up KOs to stay healthy, which can be difficult when so many popular Pokémon excel against it. Other popular Water types further drive Keldeo down, giving it competition for a team slot and incentivizing teams to have Water type counters. Keldeo is still a force to be reckoned with and can wash away teams ill-prepared for this pony.
Positives
Base 129 Special Attack ensures almost anything that Keldeo hits will be reeling.
Secret Sword is an Incredible STAB move, enabling Keldeo to bypass traditional checks like Ferrothorn and Blissey
Base 108 speed is great, getting the jump on many popular threats
Negatives
Poor coverage options outside its STABs greatly hinders Keldeo, giving it several Pokémon that outright wall it.
Average Bulk means that Keldeo is reliant on picking up KOs to stay healthy and can be KO’d quickly if it can’t.
Ability is useless for Keldeo

Movesets

Cascading Kelpie

-Scald
-Secret Sword
-Icy Wind
-Flip Turn
Item Attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Choice Specs Keldeo makes for an immensely threatening wall breaker, able to punch holes in anything that doesn't resist its STABs. Scald and Secret Sword are STABs of Choice. Scald is incredibly reliable, with the high burn chance having a good chance of punishing non-Water Immune switch ins, while Secret Sword targets Defense, giving Keldeo an out against dedicated sponges like Blissey as well as a STAB option for Ferrothorn. Icy Wind is a niche option, but provides valuable coverage against the many Dragon-Flying types that resist both Keldeo's STABs as well as providing a speed control option if you can catch a faster check on the switch. Flip Turn rounds out the set, enabling Keldeo to act as a lure for its normal checks and counter by getting out to their counters on the switch.

DYNAMAX:
Keldeo makes for a decent Dynamax option. If running Air Slash, Keldeo has a reliable way to boost its speed past normal checks, while being able to setup its own rain turns Keldeo's own Water STABs utterly ruinous. However, if not running Air Slash, less recommended as Keldeo can't escalate beyond setting up Rain and breaking the Choice Lock.

EVs and Items:
Max Special Attack and Speed to maximize Keldeo's damage output. Choice Specs is to give Keldeo as much damage potential as possible, though Choice Scarf is a worthwhile option if you wish for Keldeo to act as a revenge killer and gets the jump on some of its normal checks.

Partners:
Pelipper with its ability to setup Rain for extra Power and Tailwind to invalidate some of Keldeo's faster checks as well as pressure opposing Grass types with STAB Hurricane makes it a worthwhile partner.
Krookodile checks many of the Electric, Psychic and Ghost types that trouble Keldeo in addition to setting up Stealth Rock that makes it easier for Keldeo to reach for KOs. Other Ground types like Landorus Therian also provides similar coverage and support.
Hydreigon checks Psychic, Ghost, Electric and Grass types in addition to being able to pivot Keldeo in safely with U-Turn, but the shared Fair weakness does hurt.
Heatran fares well against the many Fairy, Poison and Grass types that trouble Keldeo while also being able to pivot into Psychic attacks and in turn enjoys Keldeo's ability to eviscerate Chansey and Blissey.

Other Options:
Hydro Pump -Fantastic Power at the cost of reliability and always worth consideration.
Air Slash -slightly worse coverage than Icy Wind, but extra power and the benefits of Max Airstream can't be understated

Cascading Kelpie

-Scald
-Secret Sword
-Icy Wind
-Flip Turn
Item Attached: Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Choice Specs Keldeo makes for an immensely threatening wall breaker, able to punch holes in anything that doesn't resist its STABs. Scald and Secret Sword are STABs of Choice. Scald is incredibly reliable, with the high burn chance having a good chance of punishing non-Water Immune switch ins, while Secret Sword targets Defense, giving Keldeo an out against dedicated sponges like Blissey as well as a STAB option for Ferrothorn. Icy Wind is a niche option, but provides valuable coverage against the many Dragon-Flying types that resist both Keldeo's STABs as well as providing a speed control option if you can catch a faster check on the switch. Flip Turn rounds out the set, enabling Keldeo to act as a lure for its normal checks and counter by getting out to their counters on the switch.

DYNAMAX:
Keldeo makes for a decent Dynamax option. If running Air Slash, Keldeo has a reliable way to boost its speed past normal checks, while being able to setup its own rain turns Keldeo's own Water STABs utterly ruinous. However, if not running Air Slash, less recommended as Keldeo can't escalate beyond setting up Rain and breaking the Choice Lock.

EVs and Items:
Max Special Attack and Speed to maximize Keldeo's damage output. Choice Specs is to give Keldeo as much damage potential as possible, though Choice Scarf is a worthwhile option if you wish for Keldeo to act as a revenge killer and gets the jump on some of its normal checks.

Partners:
Pelipper with its ability to setup Rain for extra Power and Tailwind to invalidate some of Keldeo's faster checks as well as pressure opposing Grass types with STAB Hurricane makes it a worthwhile partner.
Krookodile checks many of the Electric, Psychic and Ghost types that trouble Keldeo in addition to setting up Stealth Rock that makes it easier for Keldeo to reach for KOs. Other Ground types like Landorus Therian also provides similar coverage and support.
Hydreigon checks Psychic, Ghost, Electric and Grass types in addition to being able to pivot Keldeo in safely with U-Turn, but the shared Fair weakness does hurt.
Heatran fares well against the many Fairy, Poison and Grass types that trouble Keldeo while also being able to pivot into Psychic attacks and in turn enjoys Keldeo's ability to eviscerate Chansey and Blissey.

Other Options:
Hydro Pump -Fantastic Power at the cost of reliability and always worth consideration.
Air Slash -slightly worse coverage than Icy Wind, but extra power and the benefits of Max Airstream can't be understated

Swordsman of the Mists

-Calm Mind
-Substitute
-Scald
-Secret Sword
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Calm Mind Keldeo is a late game sweeper able to blast through teams once its traditional checks are gone. Substitute is crux to this set, giving Keldeo ample time to setup while protected from status and attacks. Scald and Secret Sword are again STABs of Choice -Scald pairs wonderfully with Calm Mind, as the burn combined with Calm Mind’s Special Defense boost makes Keldeo annoying bulky. Secret Sword is a great secondary STAB able to clear away most traditional Water answers.

DYNAMAX:
Calm Mind Keldeo makes for a decent Dynamax attacker. The additional bulk is nice once setup, giving Keldeo a bit of longevity and the added boost from Rain is always appreciated. However, the lack of space for coverage options, the loss of the beneficial effects of Scald and Secret Sword on top of the difficulty of preserving Dynamax long enough for Keldeo’s ideal game state make Dynamax niche at best.

EVs and Items:
Max Special Attack and Speed to be as efficient a sweeper as possible. Leftovers is mandatory -Keldeo is reliant on them to get multiple Substitutes and Clam Minds up to go for the sweep.

Partners:
Allies that can remove Keldeo’s checks are invaluable for setting up the late game win condition. Nidoking stands out, able to tear apart the likes of Zeraora, Regieleki, Toxapex, the Tapus, Rillaboom and Kartana thanks to its typing and wide movepool. Bisharp checks the Slow and Lati Twins as well as Clefable and Tapu Lele.

Other Options:
Protect/Toxic -alternative set that switches out being able to go for a sweep by adding Toxic to punish traditional defensive checks that may not mind a burn. However, you are walled hard by Toxapex.

Countering Keldeo

Toxapex is easily Keldeo’s biggest wall, able to take its attacks all day, heal up and hinder Keldeo with Toxic. Other Pokémon that also resist Keldeo’s STABs invariably prove to be a huge problem for it. Latias, Slowking, Primarina, Tapu Fini all can safely pivot into Keldeo, take a hit and hinder it with status or outright OHKO it with their STABs. Faster offensive Pokémon prove problematic as well thanks to Keldeo’s only average bulk and common weaknesses. Regieleki, Zeraora, Dragapult and Kartana all naturally outspeed and threaten to OHKO Keldeo though their lack of bulk makes switching in difficult and can be surprised by the Scarf set. Rillaboom is immensely threatening to Keldeo having a powerful Supper Effective priority move that easily OHKO’s Keldeo regardless of its speed.

Anime Appearences

Keldeo has made one anime appearance. In it, it fought Kyurem to prove itself and rescue the other Swords of Justice. # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics M15 Kyurem VS The Sword of Justice Kyurem VS The Sacred Swordsman Keldeo Pics