Incineroar

Last updated: 2026-06-03

Incineroar Overview

Incineroar is a Fire/Dark-type Pokemon introduced in Generation 7 in the Alola region. It evolves from Torracat starting at level 34, which evolves from Litten, the Fire-type starter of Alola. Incineroar is known as the Heel Pokemon, and its design is based on a professional wrestler — specifically a heel (villain) wrestler. Its personality matches the theme: it is brutal in battle, showing no mercy to opponents, but is gentle and protective of its Trainer and friends.

Incineroar's competitive viability skyrocketed when it received the Hidden Ability Intimidate via Pokemon Bank transfer in Generation 7. Intimidate lowers the Attack of all adjacent opponents by one stage upon switching in, making Incineroar one of the best defensive pivots in the game. With base 95/90/90 bulk, a fantastic defensive typing (Fire resists Fairy, Grass, Ice, Steel, Bug; Dark gives a Ghost immunity), and access to Fake Out, Incineroar became an instant VGC staple.

Battle Strategy

Incineroar's primary role in competitive Pokemon is as an Intimidate pivot. The standard set runs Parting Shot as its signature move — it lowers the opponent's Attack and Special Attack by one stage each and switches Incineroar out. This provides incredible momentum and lets Incineroar cycle Intimidate multiple times per game. Fake Out provides free flinch support and breaks Focus Sashes. Flare Blitz is Incineroar's primary Fire STAB, hitting hard despite the recoil. Knock Off removes opposing items, which is always valuable.

Incineroar typically holds a Sitrus Berry for recovery or a Shuca Berry to survive Ground-type attacks. Its EV spread maximizes HP and bulk, often with enough Attack investment to secure specific KOs. Incineroar functions as a glue Pokemon that fits on almost any team — it provides Fake Out support, Intimidate cycling, Knock Off utility, and Parting Shot momentum all in one slot. Its defensive utility is hard to overstate: it checks Ghost-types, resists priority Sucker Punch, and can switch into many special attackers comfortably.

The main counterplay against Incineroar is to prevent it from cycling Intimidate. Rapid Spin and Defog remove hazards that Incineroar relies on to check certain threats. Rocky Helmet users wear Incineroar down over time. Strong Fighting and Ground-type moves can OHKO Incineroar despite its bulk. Water-types like Dondozo, Palafin, and Urshifu-Rapid Strike threaten Incineroar heavily with their STAB moves.

Evolution Chain

Competitive Usage

Incineroar is widely considered the best non-restricted Pokemon in VGC history. From 2017 through 2024, it has been among the top 3 most used Pokemon in every official VGC format it was legal in. Its combination of Intimidate, Fake Out, Parting Shot, and Knock Off provides unparalleled utility. Incineroar fits on hard Trick Room, sun, rain, balance, and even hyper offense teams. In the 2023 World Championships, over 70% of teams in day 2 featured Incineroar.

Incineroar pairs well with virtually any restricted Pokemon. It provides crucial support for setup sweepers by softening opponents with Intimidate and Parting Shot. Common partners include Groudon, Kyogre, Zacian, and Calyrex-Shadow. Tera Ghost is a common tera type to avoid being trapped by Mean Look or stopped by Fighting moves. Tera Grass flips its Water weakness. The key to beating Incineroar is applying constant pressure — it needs to switch frequently to cycle Intimidate, so entry hazards and strong spread moves wear it down over time.

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