Dragons were once Pokemon's rarest type. In the original games, only three out of 151 Pokemon fit the bill. Over time, that scarcity has diminished, though it remains relatively uncommon next to, say, Water or Grass.
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The development of Dragon-type moves has always followed suit. In Generation I, only one Dragon-type move was introduced — Dragon Rage. It did a fixed 40 HP of damage, meaning your trusty Dragonite pal could never earn a Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB). Now, there are dozens of Dragon-type moves. And, with so many excellent Dragons to choose from, finding the right moveset can be an exercise in frustration.
Let's pare things down with a closer look at the 15 finest Dragon-type moves available.
Updated January 26th, 2022 by Quinton O'Connor: It's been a lively time for Pokemon fans, with the launch of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl just two months prior to the highly-anticipated arrival of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Folks are flocking to these newest chapters, and that franchise fever often carries forward to Sword & Shield's ongoing competitive scene. Dragons are an integral part of so many online teams that it's only fitting we return to this list to reassess the strongest Dragon-type moves in the series.
15 Dragon Darts
Dragon Darts is the signature move of Dragapult, one of two Dragon and Ghost-type Pokemon (the other being Giratina). Dragon Darts is a physical move that has a base power of 50 and a fantastic accuracy of 100.
While this may seem unappealing at first, Dragon Darts hits twice, giving it a 100 base power in total instead. If used in a Double Battle, Dragon Darts hits both targets as well, enabling you to do deal spread damage to the opposing team while keeping your partner Pokemon safe from danger.
14 Dragon Breath
In fantasy literature, dragons typically live in caves and eat whole animal carcasses raw. The thought that their breath isn't the nicest naturally coincides with that picture. Perhaps that's the inspiration for Dragon Breath, or perhaps this is some sort of magic-imbued exhale. Introduced in Generation II, this is a solid, reliable Dragon-type move. It has a power of 60. That's not exactly earth-shattering on its own, but there's a bit more than meets the eye.
The bonus effect here is that it has a 30 percent chance to paralyze the Pokemon it hits. Paralysis is no fun. If your opponent is rendered potentially unable to retaliate, another Dragon Breath or two will do them in marvelously.
13 Dragon Rush
Oh, so many Dragon-type moves begin with the titular type in their name. Let's be thankful the same does not apply to Normal, at least. Dragon Rush is a powerful physical move with some delicious side effects. It has a power of 100, which is, as always, great. But 75 percent accuracy is decidedly less so. On the flip side, if it hits, there's a one-in-five chance of flinching the target.
What makes this move worth mentioning is the added aspects from Generation V onward. If the target Pokemon has used the evasion-increasing move Minimize, Dragon Rush will deal double damage and bypass any accuracy checks. Minimize is terribly common among defensive walls in competitive play, and Dragon Rush is thus terribly frightening if your rival's whole shtick is to stall you.
12 Dragon Tail
Despite its shockingly-low priority of -6, Dragon Tail is a pretty great move. It isn't even all that mighty, with a 60/90 split between base power and accuracy, so what's the big idea?
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Dragon Tail comes loaded with the effect of Roar, forcing the opposing player or CPU opponent to switch to another Pokemon afterward. This can be used to get rid of a threat while also adding a bit of damage to their health bar. While this will only pop up in major encounters during the campaign, it can have a profound impact on a human foe's tactical approach.
11 Outrage
Introduced in Generation II, Outrage has a power of 120 and 100 percent accuracy. It's strongly associated with Gyarados, despite once being the signature moves of the Dratini family. This makes sense, considering Gold & Silver's famous red-shaded Gyarados causes quite an uproar at the Lake of Rage.
Outrage continues for two to three turns. During this time, you won't be able to do a thing but watch the carnage unfold. What's more, once your Pokemon settles down it's afflicted with Confuse status. But a physical-based Dragon-type move with this much raw power is tough to come by. Toss in STAB for good measure, and it won't matter if you've got yourself a Gyarados, a Dragonite, even a Druddigon — odds are, you win.
10 Draco Meteor
This move was slightly better in Generations IV and V, as its power was reduced by ten in Generation VI. Nonetheless, it's still among the best around. Draco Meteor has a power of 130 and an accuracy rating of 90 percent. It also hits adjacent foes, so Double Battles can quickly turn to cake.
You'll have to hope the special-based terror does the trick in one turn, however, as the user's Special Attack is decreased by a not-inconsiderable two stages afterward.
As a fun bit of trivia, this move's name was actually chosen by the fandom back in 2005. Nice going, everybody.
9 Dragon Dance
Here's something many people might not realize: somehow, the Dragon type only has a single non-damaging move. This status move was introduced way back in Generation III and remains the only Dragon-type move that does not inflict damage.
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Alongside its interesting unique status, it's also just a great move to have around. Dragon Dance will increase the user's Speed and Attack stats by one stage each. This can be all kinds of useful, as ultimately, nothing matters more for a Pokemon's power than being able to get in there, get the job done, and get out before you're brought to heel.
8 Dragon Claw
One of a few Dragon-type moves introduced in Generation III, Dragon Claw remains one of the best Dragon-type attacks all these years later. It has a base power of 80 and an accuracy rating of ever-lovely 100 percent. Unlike most Dragon-type moves, it has no secondary effect.
Sometimes, simplicity is a virtue. 80/100 is excellent, and Dragon Claw is learnable by a veritable ton of Pokemon. It's the vanilla latte of the Dragon-type world — no frills necessary, just plain old reliable flavor.
7 Dragon Hammer
Dragon Hammer is another rather exclusive move, with only Tropius and Alolan Exeggutor capable of learning it. Dragon Hammer is a rather simple power move in the Dragon move lineup. It's a physical move with a respectable 90 base power and 100 percent accuracy.
There's one significant downside to consider: not only can just two Pokemon add it to their arsenal, but only Alolan Exeggutor is Dragon-type. In other words, there's exactly one Pokemon in the entire series who can benefit from Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB). Kind of rough.
6 Clanging Scales
Clanging Scales is a move that only the Dragon/Fighting-type Pokemon Kommo-o can learn. It's a special-based move that Kommo-o can take advantage of courtesy of its high Special Attack stat. It has a fantastic 110 base power boosted up by a 100 percent accuracy rate.
Using Clanging Scales does come at a cost, as it will lower its user's Defense by one stage. Luckily, Kommo-o has a phenomenal Defense stat, so this will rarely have a huge effect, allowing it to stay on the field for two or three rounds' worth of scale-striking mischief.
5 Dynamax Cannon
Dynamax Cannon is one of the best counters to an opponent's Dynamaxed Pokemon. It's a special move with 100 base power along with full accuracy. That alone is worth celebrating, but if the move targets a Dynamaxed Pokemon, its damage output is doubled. This ups it from strong to catastrophic.
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Even without Dynamax, having a move with 100 base power, no strings attached, is fantastic. Dynamax is a major part of Sword & Shield, and a powerful one at that. Surely, there must be some catch; indeed, Dynamax Cannon's even more exclusive than the moves we've cited thus far, being the signature move of Eternatus and only Eternatus.
4 Dragon Pulse
Just like Dragon Claw, this move was introduced early on — in Generation IV. Also like Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse is a straightforward and reliable move. It has a power rating of 85 (90 in Generations IV and V) and 100 percent accuracy.
Dragon Pulse is essentially Dragon Claw's slightly younger sibling. Whereas Dragon Claw's physical-based, Dragon Pulse veers toward the special side. And this is highly situational, but Poiple can evolve into Neganadel if it levels up while knowing this move. That's probably going to matter to you somewhere between zero and one time in your life, but it's something.
3 Roar Of Time and Spacial Rend
The Legendary Pokemon of Sinnoh come with their own signature moves. Dialga's is Roar of Time and Palkia's is Spacial Rend. Both are Dragon-type and also fantastic.
Roar of Time has a power of 150, which is firmly in "scary good" territory, and a 90 percent accuracy rating that hardly offsets its glory. The user will have to recharge on the following turn, but like Eternabeam, that's no real asterisk when the target is already mincemeat.
Spacial Rend has less power but greater accuracy — 100 and 95, respectively. Its high critical hit ratio makes it arguably just as much of a threat as Roar of Time. Dialga and Palkia, you're officially tied.
2 Core Enforcer
One of Zygarde's signature techniques — all of which have similarly edgy names, for the record — Core Enforcer is a heavy-hitting Dragon-type move. 100 base power with 100 percent accuracy is arguably already borderline-overpowered, but a Pokemon like Zygarde heeds not such knavish complaints.
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But, if the user moves second and the target has already either moved or had an item used on it, Core Enforcer will also suppress its Ability for the duration of its time in battle. Abilities are one of the online scene's most important aspects, with some players building their entire teams around them. Shutting them out can be the key to victory.
1 Eternabeam
Eternabeam just so happens to be the outstanding Eternatus' other signature move. 160 base power and 90 percent accuracy is enough to make even the most stalwart defenders wince. After using it, Eternatus is unable to battle only the following turn; but that won't matter as much if and when your foe's down for the count from such a menacing move.
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