Zacian

Last updated: 2026-06-03

Zacian Overview

Zacian is a Fairy/Steel-type Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 8 in the Galar region. It is the mascot of Pokemon Sword and is known as the Warrior Pokemon. Zacian has two forms: the Hero of Many Battles form (pure Fairy-type) which is its base form, and the Crowned Sword form (Fairy/Steel) which it takes when holding the Rusted Sword item. The Crowned Sword form is the one used competitively, as it grants a massive stat boost.

Zacian-Crowned was widely considered the most dominant restricted Pokemon in VGC history. Its base 170 Attack, 148 Speed, and 115/115 bulk are extraordinary. Its ability Intrepid Sword raises its Attack by one stage every time it switches in, giving it effectively 255 Attack in the first turn. Combined with the Fairy/Steel typing — one of the best defensive typings in the game with 9 resistances, 2 immunities, and only 2 weaknesses — Zacian-Crowned was a nearly unstoppable force in Generation 8 formats.

Battle Strategy

Zacian-Crowned's competitive strategy is straightforward: click Behemoth Blade, its signature 100-base-power Steel-type move that deals double damage to Dynamaxed Pokemon. Even without Dynamax, Behemoth Blade hits incredibly hard thanks to Zacian's massive Attack stat and Intrepid Sword boost. Play Rough provides Fairy STAB coverage. Close Combat or Sacred Sword hits Steel-types that resist both STABs. Protect is essential for positioning in VGC.

Zacian-Crowned's Speed tier of 148 is elite — it outspeeds nearly every unboosted Pokemon, including Dragapult (142), Mega Rayquaza, and all other restricted Pokemon except Calyrex-Shadow (150) and Regieleki (200). Zacian typically runs a Jolly nature to maximize Speed, or Adamant for maximum power. Its item is always the Rusted Sword, which transforms it into Crowned Form. The standard EV spread maximizes HP, Attack, and Speed.

Despite its dominance, Zacian has counters. Primal Groudon resists Behemoth Blade and can OHKO Zacian with Precipice Blades. Incineroar's Intimidate and Parting Shot soften Zacian's impact. Defensive Landorus-T can take a hit and OHKO with Earthquake. Zacian's main drawback is that it cannot hold any other item — it is locked into the Rusted Sword, meaning it gets no recovery, no damage boost from items like Life Orb or Choice Band aside from its ability, and no protective items.

Evolution Chain

Competitive Usage

Zacian-Crowned was the defining Pokemon of the Generation 8 VGC format, with usage rates exceeding 80% in the 2022 World Championships. It was eventually banned from Smogon Ubers for being too powerful even for the highest power level. In Generation 9, Zacian was initially banned from VGC regulation sets but was reintroduced in Regulation F with nerfed base stats (150 Attack instead of 170, 128 Speed instead of 148). Even with these nerfs, Zacian remains a top-tier restricted Pokemon.

Zacian-Crowned pairs well with Groudon for sun support and to check other Zacian sets, and with Kyogre for rain coverage. Tera Fire or Tera Ground are common tera types to flip its Ground weakness. The most reliable counter to Zacian is Dondozo, whose Unaware ability ignores Zacian's Attack boosts and who can survive multiple Behemoth Blades while recovering with Order Up. Incineroar remains one of the best non-restricted checks, cycling Intimidate to keep Zacian's Attack manageable.

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