A guide to Pokémon GO Raid bosses that are currently available in 1-Star, 3-Star, and 5-Star Raids. Includes normal and Shadow Raid bosses.
Raids

The following Pokémon are currently available in Pokémon GO Raids as Raid Bosses.

5-Star Raids

Groudon

Related guides: 

• Groudon Raid Guide

Mega Raids

Houndoom (Mega)

Related guides: 

• Mega Houndoom Raid Counters Guide

3-Star Raids

• Medicham

• Mr. Mime (Galarian)

• Wyrdeer

• Kleavor

Related raid guides:

• Medicham Raid Guide

• Galarian Mr. Mime Raid Guide

• Wyrdeer Raid Counters Guide

• Kleavor Raid Guide

1-Star Raids

• Wobbuffet

• Girafarig

• Qwilfish (Hisuian)

• Roselia

• Bronzor

We do not list Raid Guides for Tier 1 Pokémon, since they are mostly trivial fights.

Shadow Raids

Learn more about Shadow Raids. These Pokémon are currently available in Pokémon GO Shadow Raids :

5-Star Shadow Raids

Raikou (Shadow)

Raid guides:

• Shadow Raikou Raid Guide

3-Star Shadow Raids

• Lapras (Shadow)

• Scyther (Shadow)

• Marowak (Alola Shadow)

Related raid guides:

• Shadow Lapras

• Shadow Scyther

• Shadow Alolan Marowak

1-Star Shadow Raids

• Zubat (Shadow)

• Pineco (Shadow)

• Mareep (Shadow)

• Bagon (Shadow)

One-Star and Three-Star Shadow Raids are available daily.

Pokémon GO Raids September 2024 Schedule

Five Star Raids

During September 2024, Kyogre, Groudon and Zacian (Hero of Many Battles form) will be returning to five star raids during different time periods.

• August 21 – September 3

• Xerneas

• Xerneas Raid Guide

• September 3 – September 14

• Kyogre

• Kyogre Raid Guide

• September 14 – September 26

• Groudon

• Groudon Raid Guide

• September 26 – October 4

• Zacian (Hero)

• Zacian Raid Guide

Mega Raids

During September Mega Salamence, Mega Absol, Mega Houndoom and Mega Gardevoir raid bosses will be available in Pokémon GO’s Mega Raids at different times. All of them can be Shiny.

• August 21 – September 3

• Salamence (Mega)

• Mega Salamence Raid Guide

• September 3 – September 14

• Absol (Mega)

• Mega Absol Raid Guide

• September 14 – September 26

• Houndoom (Mega)

• Mega Houndoom Raid Guide

• September 26 – October 4

• Gardevoir (Mega)

• Mega Gardevoir Raid Guide

Shadow Raids

Raikou (Shadow)

Shadow Raikou will appear in Shadow Raids during weekends in September!

FAQ

What are Raid Battles?

Raid Battles are special events that occur at Pokémon Gyms, marked as towering structures on the in-game map. These events involve battling against a powerful Pokémon called a Raid Boss.

Raid Bosses are high-level, powerful Pokémon that appear at Gyms during raids. They have significantly higher CP (Combat Power) than regular wild Pokémon. Raid Bosses can range from basic Pokémon to legendary and even mythical Pokémon, depending on the raid tier and the ongoing raid event.

Raids are divided into different tiers:

Tier 1

Tier 3

Tier 5

Mega

Tier 1 raids feature relatively weaker Pokémon, while Tier 5 raids include the most powerful and rare Pokémon. The tier of the raid determines the difficulty level and the number of players required to defeat the Raid Boss. There is one additional Tier called Mega Raids that only includes Mega Pokémon, which is somewhere around a Tier 4 difficulty.

Raid Battles operate similarly to gym battles, with some minor differences. Players form a team of up to six Pokémon and battle the Raid Boss using their attacks and charged moves. Raid Bosses have higher HP than normal Pokémon and usually require multiple players to defeat.

After successfully defeating a Raid Boss, players receive rewards such as Rare Candies, Golden Razz Berries, TMs (Technical Machines), and a number of Premier Balls. These Premier Balls are used exclusively to catch the Raid Boss, and the number of balls received depends on various factors, including individual and team performance during the raid.

What are Shadow Raids?

Shadow Raids are organized by the villainous Team GO Rocket and take place at occupied Gyms. They offer different challenges and rewards compared to regular Raids.

Shadow Raids come in three difficulty levels: 1-Star, 3-Star, and 5-Star. The 5-Star difficulty is reserved for legendary Pokémon. In these raids, players battle against a Shadow Pokémon boss left by Team GO Rocket to defend the Gym. The boss becomes enraged during the battle, boosting its attack and defense and making it more challenging to defeat.

To help players in defeating enraged Shadow Raid bosses, they can obtain Shadow Shards by defeating Shadow Raids or Team GO Rocket members. Shadow Shards can be combined to create Purified Gems, which weaken the Shadow Raid Boss when used. It takes four Shadow Shards to create one Purified Gem.

While Team GO Rocket takes over some Gyms for Shadow Raids, other raids can still occur at untouched Gyms. Remote Raid Passes cannot be used for Shadow Raids, and they do not provide team bonuses for Premier Balls. The IV floor for Shadow Raids is 6/6/6, unlike regular Raids with a 10/10/10 IV floor.

Raid Passes

To participate in a raid, players need a Raid Pass. Free Raid Passes can be obtained by spinning Gym Photo Discs, while players can also purchase Premium Raid Passes from the in-game shop. Each player can hold only one free pass at a time, and additional passes must be purchased.

In addition to these two, there are also Remote Raid Passes. You can buy Remote Raid Passes from the in-game shop. You can do 5 Remote Raids per day.

Raid Timer

Each raid has a timer that indicates the duration for which the raid will be available. Typically, raids last for an hour, allowing players to gather and battle the Raid Boss within that time frame.

Weather influences

The weather in Pokémon GO can influence Raids. Certain weather conditions can boost the  effectiveness of certain Pokémon types during raid battles. It is beneficial to take advantage of these weather boosts to increase the chances of defeating the Raid Boss. In addition, the Raid Boss you will be catching will be at a higher level compared to a non-boosted encounter.

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