How to get all Ultra Beasts in Pokemon GO? Buzzwole, Poipole, Celesteela, Guzzlord, Kartana and more

Ultra Beasts in Pokemon GO are rare encounters. There are eight of them currently available in the mobile game, with a few sporting shiny variants. Monsters like Buzzwole, Xukritree, and Pheromosa were available in 5-star Raids earlier this year, and they will likely be rotated back in during World of Wonders.

In the mainline series, there are 11 Ultra Beasts. The three still absent from Pokemon GO are Naganadel, Stakataka, and Blacephalon. The Pokemon GO wiki provides the following stats regarding in-game Ultra Beasts:

Low catch rate (~2%)
As Buddy Pokemon gives 1 candy for 20 km together
Unlocking second Charged Attack requires 100,000 Stardust and 100 candies
Gives guaranteed 3 Candy XL per catch
Cannot be mass transferred and players will receive a warning when they try to transfer them
It requires a Special Trade
Cannot be left at Gyms or used in Premier Cup in GO Battle League

So, this article is a detailed guide to obtaining all Ultra Beasts and their raid counters.

Note: Attacks marked with (*) are Legacy Moves, which can be unlocked using Elite Fast TMs and Elite Charged TMs.

How to get in Buzzwole Pokemon GO

You can get this Ultra Beast in Pokemon GO by winning the Buzzwole Raid. The monster is a dual Bug- and Electric-type Pocket Monster. It is weak to Flying (2x), Fairy, Psychic, and Fire-type moves. Thus, build raid counters based on these weaknesses.

Additionally, Buzzwole is resistant to Bug-, Dark-, Fighting-, Grass-, and Ground-type attacks. So, avoid counters with these attributes to deal more damage to the Raid Boss.

Best counters for Buzzwole:

Mega or regular Rayquaza: Air Slash and Dragon Ascent
Shadow or regular Moltres: Wing Attack and Sky Attack*
Shadow Staraptor: Gust* and Fly
Yveltal: Gust and Oblivion Wing*
Shadow Honchkrow: Peck and Sky Attack
Mega Pidgeot: Gust* and Brave Bird

How to get Xurkitree in Pokemon GO

You can get Xurkitree, the Unova’s Ultra Beast, by taking it down in Pokemon GO 5-star Raids. It is only weak to Ground and resists Electric, Fire, and Steel-type moves.

So, use counters that are all Ground-type Pokemon with the same move's type to utilize the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) feature. This strategy does more damage, so don’t forget to use it.

Best counters for Xurkitree:

Primal and regular Groudon: Mud Shot and Percipies Blade*
Mega, Shadow, and regular Garchomp: Mud Shot and Earthpower*
Shadow and regular Excadrill: Mud-shot and Scorching Sands
Landorus (Therian): Mud Shot and Earthquake
Mega Swampert: Mud Shot and Earthquake
Shadow Flygon: Mud-shot and Scorching Sands

How to get Pheromosa in Pokemon GO

To get Pheromosa in Pokemon GO raids, one of the Ultra Beasts, your raid team should prioritize Flying-type counters. The creature is a dual Bug- and Fighting-type. It is weak to Fire, Fairy, Flying, and Psychic types but is doubly weak to Flying types.

Additionally, Pheromosa resists Dark, Fighting, Bug, Grass, and Ground-type moves, so don't use them as counters.

Best counters for Pheromosa:

Mega or regular Rayquaza: Air Slash and Dragon Ascent
Shadow or regular Moltres: Wing Attack and Sky Attack*
Shadow Staraptor: Gust* and Fly
Yveltal: Gust and Oblivion Wing*
Shadow Ho-oh: Extrasensory with Brave Bird
Shadow Lugia: Extrasensory with Aeroblast*

How to get Celesteela in Pokemon GO

Being a Steel and Flying-type, Celesteela can be defeated in raids using Electric- and Fire-type counters. Although it has a ton of resistance against multiple Pokemon GO types, using a powerful battle team reloving around its weaknesses can get the job done.

Best counters for Celesteela:

Mega Y Charizard: Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Mega X Charizard: Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Mega Manectric: Thunder Fang and Wild Charge
Reshiram: Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
Heatran: Fire Spin and Magma Storm
Zapdos: Thunder and Thunderbolt

How to get Guzzlord in Pokemon GO

To win the Guzzlord Raid, you can exploit its 2x Fairy-type vulnerability and build the raid counter around it. Its other weaknesses are Bug-, Dragon-, Fighting-, and Ice-type attacks in Pokemon GO. Finally, don't use any counters that it has resistance against.

Best counters for Guzzlord:

Xerneas: Geomancy* and Moonblast
Shadow Granbull: Charm and Play Rough
Togekiss: Charm and Dazzling Gleam
Mega Alakazam: Counter and Dazzling Gleam*
Mega Rayquaza: Dragon Tail and Outrage
Xurkitree: Thunder Shock and Dazzling Gleam
Sylveon: Charm and Dazzling Gleam

How to get Kartana in Pokemon GO

Kartana can be beaten in Raids by utilizing Fire and Fighting-type counters. In Pokemon GO, it is 2x weak to Fire. So, include as many Fire-type Pocket Monsters with the same move type to activate STAB.

Best counters for Kartana:

Mega Y Charizard: Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Mega X Charizard: Fire Spin and Blast Burn
Mega Houndoom: Fire Fang and Flame Thrower
Primal Groudon: Mud Shot and Fire Punch
Reshiram: Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
Heatran: Fire Spin and Magma Storm
Damatarian: Fire Fang and Overheat

How to get Nihilego in Pokemon GO

You can get the Rock and Poison-type Ultra Beast Nihilego by defeating it in 5-star raids using Ground, Steel, Psychic, and Water-type counters.

Focusing on the Ground is more beneficial because Nihilego takes double damage from it. In addition, it resists Poison-, Bug-, Fairy-, Fire-, Flying-, and Normal-type attacks.

Best counters for Nihilego:

Primal and regular Groudon: Mud Shot and Percipies Blade*
Mega, Shadow, and regular Garchomp: Mud Shot and Earthpower*
Shadow and regular Excadrill: Mud-shot and Scorching Sands
Landorus (Therian): Mud Shot and Earthquake
Mega Swampert: Mud Shot and Earthquake
Shadow Flygon: Mud-shot and Scorching Sands

How to get Poipole in Pokemon GO

Poipole in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Poipole is the latest Ultra Beast in Pokemon GO, debuting in March 2024. It is currently available through the World of Wonders Special Research instead of 5-star Raids. Trainers currently can't evolve it to Naganadel at the time of writing.

Best counters for Poipole:

Mewtwo: Confusion and Psystrike
Unbound Hoopa: Confusion and Psychic
Alakazam: Confusion and Psychic
Espeon: Confusion and Psychic
Azelf: Confusion and Future Sight

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

Ditto disguises || Armarouge vs Ceruledge in Pokemon GO: Who should you evolve Charcadet into? || Is the Wonder Ticket worth it in Pokemon GO World of Wonders? || GO Battle League World of Wonders || Buddy evolution Adventure Together guide || Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO || Sierra counters || Cliff counters || Arlo counters || Giovanni counters