How to beat Virizion raids in Pokemon GO? Best counters, shiny availability, 100% CP, and more

Virizion is returning to Pokemon GO as a five-star legendary raid boss. It has one of the best Fighting-type movesets in the game, and you should definitely consider adding this beast to your collection if you don't have one already.

You will be able to encounter Virizion in five-star Raids from Monday, July 28, 2025, at 10 am local time through Monday, August 4, 2025, at 10 am local time.

In this article, we will discuss the best counters you can use against Virizion. We will also go further into Virizion’s moveset and weaknesses to help you build a raid party to take it down.

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Best counters for Pokemon GO Virizion raids

Virizion as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The best counters to Virizion in GO raids are:

Mega or Shadow Rayquaza
Mega or Shadow Salamence
Mega or Shadow Gardevoir
Mega Charizard Y

Flying-type counters

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega or Shadow Rayquaza	Air Slash	Dragon Ascent
Mega or Shadow Salamence	Fire Fang	Fly
Shadow Moltres	Wing Attack	Sky Attack
Yveltal	Gust	Oblivion Wing
Shadow Staraptor	Gust	Fly

Fire-type counters

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega Y Charizard	Fire Spin	Blast Burn
Mega Blaziken	Fire Spin	Blast Burn
Shadow Heatran	Fire Spin	Magma Storm
Reshiram	Fire Fang	Fusion Flare
Shadow Entei	Fire Spin	Overheat

Poison-type counters

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega Gengar	Lick	Sludge Bomb
Mega Beedrill	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb
Nihilego	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb
Naganadel	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb
Roserade	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb

Psychic-type counters

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Shadow Mewtwo	Psycho Cut	Psystrike
Mega Alakazam	Confusion	Psychic
Mega Gardevoir	Confusion	Psychic
Mega Gallade	Confusion	Psychic
Mega Latios	Zen Headbutt	Psychic

Ice-type counters

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
White Kyurem	Ice Fang	Ice Burn
Black Kyurem	Dragon Tail	Freeze Shock
Shadow Mamoswine	Powder Snow	Avalanche
Shadow Weavile	Ice Shard	Triple Axel
Baxcalibur	Ice Fang	Avalanche

Fairy-type counters

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega or Shadow Gardevoir	Charm	Dazzling Gleam
Crowned Sword Zacian	Air Slash	Play Rough
Incarnate Forme Enamorus	Fairy Wind	Dazzling Gleam / Fly
Xerneas	Geomancy	Moonblast
Tapu Lele	Confusion	Nature's Madness

Also read: GO current Raid Bosses

What are Virizion's weaknesses in Pokemon GO?

Being a dual Fighting- and Grass-type beast, Virizion is vulnerable to a wide array of elemental typings in the game:

Flying (256%)
Fire (160%)
Fairy (160%)
Psychic (160%)
Poison (160%)
Ice (160%)

Keep in mind, Virizion is 4x weak to Flying-types. So make sure to build your team to capitalize on it.

Virizion is resistant (62.5%) to the following elemental typings:

Dark
Electric
Grass
Ground
Rock
Water

Also read: GO current PokeStop Showcase

Can Virizion be shiny in Pokemon GO?

Virizion and its shiny variant (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Yes. Virizion will have a shiny variant. If you are lucky, you will encounter a Shiny Virizion once in 20 encounters.

Also read: GO Spotlight Hour schedule

Can you solo defeat Virizion in Pokemon GO?

It is possible to defeat Virizion by yourself in GO. If you want to learn how, you can read this article.

Also read: How to beat Dynamax Latios Max Battles in GO: Best counters, Shiny odds, 100% CP, and more

100% CP from Virizion raids in Pokemon GO raids (hundo CP)

Virizion will have the following catch CPs:

Weather boosted: 2,061 to 2,159 at level 25 with cloudy or sunny weather boost
Non-weather boosted: 1,649 to 1,727 at level 20

Also read: How to beat Dynamax Latias Max Battles in GO: Best counters, shiny odds, 100% CP, and more

Pokemon GO Virizion stats and moves as a raid boss

Virizion's raid stats in the game:

Combat Power: 39,601
Attack: 192
Defense: 229
Stamina: 15,000 HP

Virizion comes with the following moves:

Fast moves:

Virizion can learn the following Fast moves in this game:

Quick Attack
Zen Headbutt
Double Kick

Charged moves:

Virizion can learn the following Charged moves in this game:

Leaf Blade
Close Combat
Stone Edge
Sacred Sword*

Also read: GO 9th Anniversary post teases major Gen IX debuts

Check out our other GO guides:

About the author

Raunak joined Sportskeeda as a gaming journalist just about a year ago, and he already has 1K+ stories and over 4 million reads to his name. The Pokémon franchise is his chosen specialization, but he also covers Call of Duty, mobile games, MMOs, and esports tournaments.

Raunak completed his Bachelor's in Microbiology and Master's in Biotechnology but could not ultimately resist the beckoning of the video game industry. Having always had a knack for gaming, he had faith that he could write about them too. To ensure accuracy and relevancy, Raunak relies on his first-hand gameplay experiences and researches via reading articles and watching YouTube videos.

Project IGI was Raunak's gateway into video games, and he has been hooked ever since. He loves to play multiplayer titles with his friends but has been enjoying single-player indie horror games a lot lately. He would recommend horror and open-world adventure titles to gaming skeptics, as both these genres tap into the human desire to feel something in the presence of art.

In his spare time, Raunak engages in music production; he plays both guitar and piano.

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Edited by Anirudh Padmanabhan