Z-A New Mega Evolution Tier List

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is finally here, and it includes a total of 26 new Mega Evolutions for players to toy with as they progress through the game. Each Mega Evolution in Pokemon Legends: Z-A has its merits, and while players may choose which ones to use based on looks or personal preference, these critters were not all born equal.

Knowing which Megas are good or mediocre can also help with choosing a starter in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, as all three first partner Pokemon get a new Mega Evolution. Some of them are balanced and can be great assets, but others are mediocre at best.

S-Tier Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

• Mega Chandelure
• Mega Skarmory
• Mega Starmie
• Mega Zygarde

Much to the surprise of many fans, Mega Starmie may be Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s best Mega Evolution, as it’s available fairly early in the game, and it has great stats as well as move coverage. With 660 base stat total (BST), which is the third-highest among new Megas, Starmie is a powerful hybrid attacker with very high Speed to boot.

Chandelure is very similar, as it has an incredibly high Sp. Attack stat at 175, and a good BST of 620 that gives it good defenses and Speed. With powerful moves and decent coverage against other types, Mega Chandelure stands taller than most Mega Evolutions in the game.

Mega Skarmory only has a BST of 565, but it’s incredibly optimized, as it has 40 Sp. Attack, and then high stats in every other department, with a staggering 140 Attack stat and very high defenses and Speed. Steel/Flying is a powerful Pokemon type combination with amazing defenses, and with good moves like Brave Bird and Iron Head, it can deal serious damage.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Zygarde is great already, but its Mega Evolution takes it to the next level. This Pokemon has an otherworldly 216 Sp. Attack stat, and it comes with the only new move in the game, called Nihil Light. This move deals massive damage regardless of the opponent’s stat changes, and it also hits Fairy-types.

A-Tier Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

• Mega Barbaracle
• Mega Emboar
• Mega Excadrill
• Mega Falinks
• Mega Feraligatr
• Mega Floette
• Mega Hawlucha
• Mega Scrafty

Barbaracle is one of the few Mega Evolutions with a new type in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, as it loses its Water type in favor of Fighting. It has very high Attack and Defense, with an overall good bulk and decent Speed. With an ample selection of STAB moves and moves for coverage, Mega Barbaracle is an incredibly strong pick for any team.

Mega Emboar in Pokemon Legends: Z-A is not amazing, but it definitely packs a punch. It has very high Attack at 148, though its base Attack is 123, so it doesn’t improve a lot. Yet, it has good stats and good STAB moves, and it resists various pesky types.

Mega Excadrill’s Attack stat is one of the highest in the game, sitting at 165, and it has good HP, defenses, and Speed. Combined with very powerful Pokemon Ground moves and a good selection for Steel, too, it stands as a great addition – especially when considering its resistances.

Pokemon Sword and Shield‘s Falinks is the only Gen 8 critter in the game, and coincidentally, it also gets a new Mega Evolution. Much like Emboar, it has very high Attack and Defense, and it has a respectable 100 Speed. While it only deals STAB damage with Fighting moves, Falinks has access to a vast array of coverage moves that make it strong against the types it’s normally weak against.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Feraligatr doesn’t move the needle much in terms of defense or offense when it comes to its new Water/Dragon combo, but it has an eye-watering 160 Attack stat and some great moves. Though its design has proven polarizing, it’s arguably one of the best Megas in the game, and it’s mostly held back by low HP and Speed.

Eternal Flower Floette is an interesting case, as its BST is just one point lower than that of Florges, but its Mega Evolution gets those extra 100 points that make it very strong. It has very high Special Attack and Special Defense, but it’s lackluster when it comes to coverage moves. As a Fairy-type Pokemon, though, it’s incredibly strong.

Hawlucha was one of the few publicly announced Mega Evolutions for the game. While the base Pokemon is nothing too impressive, Mega Hawlucha has very good stats combined with respectable moves and coverage, taking this Fighting/Flying critter to new heights.

Mega Scrafty in Pokemon Legends: Z-A was basically confirmed with it being Naveen’s ace, and now that it’s out, it doesn’t disappoint. With a bulk of 135 Defense and Special Defense, alongside 130 Attack, Mega Scrafty can be the cherry on top for every team, which is further proven by its coverage moves and access to the stat-boosting move Bulk Up.

B-Tier Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

• Mega Clefable
• Mega Dragonite
• Mega Dragalge
• Mega Drampa
• Mega Eelektross
• Mega Froslass
• Mega Pyroar
• Mega Victreebel

Mega Clefable’s new Fairy/Flying type in PLZA is interesting, giving it new avenues for damage and defense, but it falls a bit flat due to having just a few very good moves, and only Air Slash as a strong Flying-type attack. Despite being immune to both Dragon and Ground, with great defenses, it has subpar options for its moves that make it a mediocre Mega.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Dragonite has fantastic stats with a BST of 700, and while it’s a good Pokemon overall, it’s arguably a bit of a downgrade from the original. Mega Dragonite has lower Attack than the regular critter does, all while gaining a lot of Special Attack. However, its movepool is quite hybrid, making it just decent when compared to other Megas.

One of the most bizarre designs goes to Mega Dragalge in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which looks the part of a Ghost-type, but retains its original Poison/Dragon combo. Mega Dragalge has one of the highest values for Special Defense in the game, and it also has high Defense and Special Attack, but its 44 Speed leaves it far behind. In a game where Speed helps with cooldowns on all moves, Mega Dragalge is dead on arrival.

Drampa is in a similar spot as Dragalge, as it has an amazing Special Attack of 160 with a good bulk, but it only packs 36 Speed. This means that battles in Pokemon Legends: Z-A will not be as smooth as with other critters, making Mega Drampa just an OK pick overall.

Eelektross is also getting a Mega Evolution, and while its statline is impressive for a hybrid attacker, it has its fair share of flaws. Perhaps most notably, Mega Eelektross loses Levitate and Ground immunity due to Pokemon Legends: Z-A cutting Abilities. It does have access to decent moves, but with a slightly better-than-average bulk, it’s not among the best Megas in the game.

Froslass is the only new Ice-type Mega Evolution in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Ice is not a great type to begin with. It does have great Special Attack and a Speed stat of 120, but it’s mediocre defensively due to resisting the three worst types in the series.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Pyroar is mediocre overall, even though it has one of the highest values for Speed at 126. The main problem in this case is that Mega Pyroar lacks good moves and coverage to use in battle, making it a sub-par choice.

Victreebel has one of the most fun designs among the new Megas. Although it has respectable stats, the main problem Mega Victreebel faces is that Grass and Poison are not amazing offensively, and with middling Speed, it fails to shine. It’s also a hybrid attacker, which is not always a good thing,

C-Tier Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

• Mega Malamar
• Mega Meganium
• Mega Scolipede

Though it had a funny marketing campaign as “My friend Malamar,” this Mega Evolution is far from great. Mega Malamar has just above-average stats in every slot, it’s designed as a hybrid attacker with low-ish Attack and Special Attack, and it’s mediocre offensively.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Meganium squanders its shot at making the Gen 2 starter a great critter. Despite having amazing stats and gaining Fairy as a secondary type, Mega Meganium leaves a lot to be desired with its movepool, which only has a few viable attacks for both Grass and Fairy. With very little coverage and a 4x weakness to Poison, Mega Meganium is not it.

Mega Scolipede is another strange case where its identity is being changed considerably, like in Mega Dragonite’s case. Mega Scolipede loses a lot of the original’s Speed stat in favor of high Attack and Defense, but with an average Special Defense, low HP, and now low Speed, it’s far from a good Pokemon.

Systems

Released

October 16, 2025

ESRB

Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases

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