Best Defenders
Tier List
Explore our complete Pokémon GO Defender Tier List, optimized to highlight the game's best and most effective Gym defense Pokémon.
Click to jump to a particular tier:
Note:Pokémon are sorted by their overall bulk and stalling potential in the current Gym environment.
S Tier
S Tier Pokémon are the absolute best Gym defenders in Pokémon GO. They have massive HP and Defense stats, making them incredibly time-consuming to defeat. These Pokémon are essential for any trainer looking to hold Gyms for long periods.
A+ Tier
A+ Tier Pokémon are excellent defenders that provide high resistance and stalling potential. They are slightly easier to defeat than S-tier defenders but still require significant effort and resources from attackers.
A Tier
A Tier Pokémon are solid defenders with good typing or movesets that can catch attackers off guard. They are reliable choices for filling Gym slots and providing secondary defense.
B Tier
B Tier Pokémon are decent defenders that can be annoying to fight but don't possess the same raw bulk as higher tiers. They are good budget options or useful for adding variety to a Gym.
C Tier
C Tier Pokémon are acceptable defenders but are easily countered by common attackers. They are best used in low-traffic areas or when you want to show off a rare shiny.
D Tier
D Tier Pokémon are poor defenders that offer little resistance. They are almost strictly for aesthetics or for dumping excess Pokémon into Gyms.
F Tier
F Tier Pokémon are not recommended for Gym defense. They are defeated quickly and provide almost no stalling benefit.
No Pokémon in this tier yet.