Giratina is a Ghost- and Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region. This Pokémon is said to live in a world on the reverse side of ours, where common knowledge is distorted and strange. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Giratina, how to catch Giratina after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Renegade Pokémon after you’ve caught it. 

Giratina’s Forms

Giratina has two distinct forms: Altered Forme and Origin Forme. Altered Forme Giratina has a higher base Defense stat while Origin Forme Giratina boasts more powerful offense.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Giratina Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Ghost- and Dragon-type Pokémon, Giratina is vulnerable to Ice-, Ghost-, Dragon-, Dark-, and Fairy-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Giratina Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Ice-, Ghost-, Dragon-, Dark-, or Fairy-type Pokémon, but a Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Ice-, Ghost-, Dragon-, Dark-, or Fairy-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Giratina as quickly as you can.

• Weavile / Shadow Weavile (Dark/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Ice Shard (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Mamoswine / Shadow Mamoswine (Ice/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Powder Snow (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Lick (Ghost)*, Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Shadow Punch (Ghost)*

• Banette / Mega Banette (Ghost)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Dazzling Gleam (Fairy), Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Dragonite / Shadow Dragonite (Dragon/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Breath (Dragon), Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Draco Meteor (Dragon)*, Dragon Claw (Dragon), Dragon Pulse (Dragon)*, Outrage (Dragon)

• Salamence / Shadow Salamence (Dragon/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Draco Meteor (Dragon), Outrage (Dragon)*

• Latios / Mega Latios / Shadow Latios (Dragon/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Breath (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Dragon Claw (Dragon)

• Rayquaza (Dragon/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Outrage (Dragon)

• Palkia (Water/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Breath (Dragon), Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Draco Meteor (Dragon)

• Hydreigon (Dark/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark), Dragon Breath (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Brutal Swing (Dark)*, Dark Pulse (Dark), Dragon Pulse (Dragon)

• Houndoom / Mega Houndoom (Dark/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark), Foul Play (Dark)

• Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark)

• Absol / Mega Absol / Shadow Absol (Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark), Payback (Dark)

• Darkrai (Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Feint Attack (Dark), Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark), Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Gardevoir / Shadow Gardevoir (Fairy/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Charm (Fairy)

  • Charged Attack: Dazzling Gleam (Fairy)

• Mewtwo / Shadow Mewtwo (Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Confusion (Psychic), Psycho Cut (Psychic)

  • Charged Attack: Ice Beam (Ice), Shadow Ball (Ghost)*

*An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a successful Giratina raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Giratina, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Giratina more quickly.

In an encounter with Giratina, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Giratina isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Giratina to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Giratina. A Razz Berry will make Giratina easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Giratina, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Giratina Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Giratina easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—even a Legendary Pokémon—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Legendary Pokémon, Giratina is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What to Do with Giratina Once You’ve Caught It

Altered Forme Giratina

Origin Forme Giratina

As a Ghost- and Dragon-type Pokémon, Giratina is resistant to Normal-, Fire-, Water-, Grass-, Electric-, Fighting-, Poison-, and Bug-type attacks. With its interesting typing and lengthy list of resistances, Giratina is a powerhouse with many possible uses in both its Origin Forme and Altered Forme. Don’t make the mistake of assuming the two are interchangeable. While both are powerful, it’s important to utilize each within its respective niche.

Origin Forme Giratina isn’t necessarily the best choice for raids, but fortunately, Altered Forme Giratina is. Its impressive defensive stats allow it to hold out longer than Origin Forme Giratina, dealing immense damage every second it remains in battle. Teach Altered Forme Giratina a Ghost-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack and let it loose in your next Raid Battle against Mewtwo, Lugia, Mega Alakazam, Mega Banette, Mega Latias, or Mega Latios. The more you power it up, the more effective it will be.

Though Origin Forme Giratina and Altered Forme Giratina are both solid choices for the GO Battle League, each excels in a different sub-league. Altered Forme Giratina is a top pick within the Ultra League as a powerful counter against strong meta Pokémon including Nidoqueen, Escavalier, Galarian Stunfisk, Cobalion, and Talonflame. Its substantial bulk comes in handy. Origin Forme Giratina doesn’t perform quite as well in the Ultra League because it has a weaker Dragon-type Charged Attack and isn’t as strong defensively. While Giratina provides great coverage against a wide variety of Pokémon types, it does have some threats within the Ultra League including Alolan Ninetales, Umbreon, and Mandibuzz.

Altered Forme Giratina continues to dominate in the Master League by posing a threat to popular Psychic-type Pokémon like Mewtwo and Metagross, as well as Pokémon like Gyarados, Dragonite, and Garchomp. It’s a popular safe switch Pokémon with access to Dragon-type attacks that can help mitigate its vulnerability to other Dragon-type Pokémon. Origin Forme Giratina can also shine in the Master League, as it’s effective against powerful Steel-type Pokémon and performs well against many popular meta Pokémon. While it can be vulnerable to Dragon-type Pokémon, Origin Forme Giratina is an excellent Pokémon to build your Master League team around—especially when it knows the right attacks.

For both Altered Forme Giratina and Origin Forme Giratina, the Ghost-type Fast Attack Shadow Claw is a go-to because it generates a decent amount of energy. Given that Giratina’s primary role in Master League is to counter Psychic-type Pokémon, a Ghost-type Fast Attack is a logical choice. Complement this with your preferred Ghost-type Charged Attack and then teach it an additional Charged Attack of a different type to broaden your coverage.

Raising Giratina’s CP to its maximum and teaching it a second Charged Attack requires a lot of Giratina Candy and Stardust, so try to catch as many Giratina as possible to help you get there faster—and don’t forget the Pinap Berries! Remember that both Altered Forme Giratina and Origin Forme Giratina utilize the same Candy, so even if you’ve got your heart set on using one form over the other, it makes sense to catch both if you’re hoping to earn as much Giratina Candy as possible.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.