Battles in the Pokémon series may seem a bit simplistic, especially with titles like Pokemon Go, but they’re quite accessible and a whole lot of fun. At the same time, there’s some subtle depth to Pokémon battling that the casual observer may not know about. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the expansive slew of unique Pokemon moves, which each have their own perks, strengths, and (often) weaknesses.

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There are a lot of unfortunate RNG-based things that can happen during combat, but there are also different strategies to employ. It’s not always as simple as firing off the strongest move one can muster at an opponent. Beyond just dealing with the proper matchups and counters, some of these moves directly come with a price attached to their use in one form or another.

These are all of the notable Pokemon moves in the franchise which impose stat penalties on the user.

Updated June 23, 2024 by Stephen LaGioia:Pokemon is filled with an array of moves that players can teach to their Pokemon, with more complex moves being added. But even as the franchise expands and grows more complex, most moves share a basic through line — maximize the advantage for its user while hindering the opponent. Yet, a growing lineup of moves are introducing detriments to the users themselves, adding some strategic layers to combat.

To better answer that question, the following list has been updated to include all of the moves that always (or potentially) debuff or lower a Pokemon's stats — with specific details.

Why Do Stat Reductions Matter In Pokemon?

Stat reductions are a big part of Pokemon, even if some players may not build their team around the mechanic. As players begin to learn more about battling Pokemon, the more they will realize that lowering an opponent's stats can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

There are a wide variety of moves found throughout the Pokemon universe that are capable of tweaking an opponent's stats but there are also a handful that act as a direct detriment to their user. Some moves are so powerful that they have self-inflicted stat reductions just to keep things "fair" as a trade-off of sorts.

It's important that players always understand what their moves do and if those moves include a stat reduction for the user or their target. Those who are unaware that a move may lower defense or attack for their own Pokemon could end up struggling in battle. The high stats of certain Pokemon could be the direct reason they survive certain hits in battle and lowering those stats can make them vulnerable to a savvy player.

23 Tera Blast

Type: Normal

This potent move is unique; not just from its debuff potential, but because of the special conditions that shift this from a special to a physical move (when Terastallized). Specifically, it makes this switch if the user's Attack stat is higher than its Special Attack. Another condition comes into play in order for this to damage to the user, which is why this will be placed at the lower tier of this list.

The user's Attack and Special Attack stats are dragged down by one stage — but only if the user has Terastallized into the Stellar type (a perk introduced in Scarlet and Violet that alters the Pokemon's type). However, under these parameters, the move also deals super-effective damage against other Terastallized targets.

At the same time in this state, Tera Blast does neutral damage against all other targets. It's a rather messy and complex move, but one that more seasoned players should no-doubt be able to exploit.

22 Armor Cannon

Type: Fire

This deadly blast of fire power is certainly one for veteran players to take advantage of, as long as they're prepared for the "blowback" as it were. While this is one of the stronger Fire-type moves in the game, and boasts perfect Accuracy, Armor Cannon's strength comes at a cost beyond the 5 PP needed to use it.

Following these blazing projectiles, the move drops the user'sDefense and Special Defense stats by one stage for both. Thus, players will want to ensure Armor Cannon will deliver a knockout punch, or at least close to it, as they'll be left fairly vulnerable after using it.

21 Scale Shot

Type: Dragon

Some of the more satisfying moves in Pokemon are those that strike the target multiple times — especially when they have a randomized chance to bump that up to several hits. In the case of the deadly Dragon-type attack, an opponent can be hit up to five times (15% chance), and can be hit twice at the low end (35% chance) with this move.

This certainly makes its tepid power level seem a lot more impressive. If the Pokemon holds the Ability Skill Link, the move will always strike its target five times. While there is some randomness assigned to this move, the "debuff" risk is minimal and easier to manage compared to most user-damaging moves.

Assuming there are no misses during this attack, the user's Defense will be lowered by a stage. But on the bright side, their Speed will be bumped up a stage. There are many factors to consider with this one, though players looking to overwhelm and disrupt their opponents should give this persistent Dragon attack a try.

20 Headlong Rush

Type: Ground

Introduced in Generation VII by way of Legends: Arceus, Headlong Rush is an impactful Ground-type move that relies on raw power first and foremost. It's a good option when looking to finish off a foe quickly in a pinch, though it is something of a gamble.

This is because the move softens the user's Defensive stats, and it extends this debuff for a whole three turns. This is shifted a bit for Generation IX, as it lowers both the player's Defense and Special Defense stat by one stage each. While this is a potent move to be sure, players may be plowing headlong into danger if it's abused.

19 Make It Rain

Type: Steel

This recent addition to the expanding lineup of Pokemon moves is unique in that it's an effective Special move that paradoxically lowers the user's own Special Attack. It does this only by a single stat stage, thankfully, but it can still cause some problems for opponents liberally using their own Special moves.

Compared to many of its ilk, this stat-lowering move is a fairly safe bet, and a good investment overall. Not only is it strong, but it has the added benefit of giving the player extra coins. Landing the hit yields coins scattered about for every strike, which resourceful players can then collect at the battle's end. Furthermore, this amount doubles if wearing an Amulet Coin.

18 Spin Out

Type: Steel

Spin Out is a new addition to the appealing list of Steel-type moves. By way of a flashy airborne spin move that resembles a large Sonic the Hedgehog, the Pokemon — mainly Varoom/Revavroom — inflicts loads of damage on its target.

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However, this comes at the cost of lowering the user's speed by two stat stages. Players will want to make sure their lineup isn't already sluggish, and will probably want to save this for finishing off targets.

17 Mind Blown

Type: Fire

This fittingly-named Fire move from Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (and beyond) is both enjoyable to watch and fun to use in battle. Though it can also be rather intense. The conditions and statistics of this one are more involved than most, as the user absorbs damage equal to half of its max HP (rounded up).

This doesn't apply if the player has Magic Guard, and the move can't be used when a Pokemon is laced with Ability Damp. Players will want to utilize some strategy before launching this one, as their Pokemon can quickly find much of their HP wiped out. Opponents can then take advantage of this, especially if the user's monster doesn't have much HP or is defensively weak.

This backlash is still felt even if their target is protected, so situational awareness is key.

16 Overheat

Type: Fire

This pyromancer's fantasy is a move that first appeared in Generation III. It has a monstrous power of 130, making it one of the deadliest Fire-type attacks in the series. The downside is that it drops the user's Special Attack by two entire stages, making further special attacks much less effective.

However, since this is meant more to be a final attack, the stat drops can be negligible if Overheat is timed properly. It is worth mentioning that this is one of two moves introduced in the third generation that would start a trend for some of the deadlier attacks in the franchise.

15 Hyperspace Fury

Type: Dark

Players won't have to worry too much about the stat-reducing effects of Hyperspace Fury as only one Pokemon is capable of using the move. This particular attack is a signature move from Hoopa Unbound, and no other Pokemon are allowed to use the move. If they try, it will simply fail and express that they're not capable of using it (even if they know it). This is also true for the regular forms of Hoopa. Only the Unbound form can unleash this attack.

Hyperspace Fury has 100 power and the added benefit that it will go through substitutes and all forms of guards (except semi-invulnerable turn states like Dig or Fly). In exchange for this guaranteed damage, it will lower Hoopa Unbound's Defense stat by one stage.

14 Psycho Boost

Type: Psychic

This is another move introduced in Generation III that helped start the deadly attack trend. Psycho Boost was identical to Overheat until Generation VI when Overheat and other variants of this move had their power dropped from 140 to 130 as a slight nerf.

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This was likely done to change how easily the other moves could be learned due to their wide distribution among various egg groups and Pokémon species. As Psycho Boost can't be learned as easily, it evaded this nerf, which allows it to stand above the rest in terms of potential damage output.

13 Draco Meteor

Type: Dragon

In Generation IV, a couple more variants of these Special Attack-dropping assaults were introduced. The flashier of the two, Draco Meteor, is a Dragon-type special move meant to call down utter annihilation onto the opponent.

Although not as powerful as Psycho Boost, this orbital strike has a base power of 130, which is more than enough to end many foes. Dragon-type attacks hit a great number of other types for neutral damage, which makes it pretty versatile against anything except Fairy-type Pokémon. While it lowers the user's Special Attack by a couple stages, it's typically worth this dropoff.

12 Leaf Storm

Type: Grass

Alongside Draco Meteor, Leaf Storm entered the Pokémon world during Generation IV as a method for Grass-types to shred their adversaries to ribbons. Encompassing the same traits as its brethren, this attack stands out as it can be learned by more Pokémon species than any other variant of this move in the main series games.

Before this, the only Grass-type move that did even remotely similar damage was Solar Beam at 120 power. Though with a whole turn dedicated to an obvious build-up, it quickly became obsolete, making Leaf Storm the better choice for most trainers. This move was nerfed in Gen VI, unfortunate as it already held the detriment of lowering the user's Special Attack by two stages.

11 Fleur Cannon

Type: Fairy

This is a recent iteration of the Special Attack-decreasing powerhouse move. Joining the fray in Generation VII, it's the signature attack of the legendary Pokémon Magearna. It launches a cannonball of Fairy-type obliteration at any unlucky enough to be in its way.

Paired with Magearna's unique ability, Soul-Heart, it can be one of the most overpowered attacks in the game. Soul-Heart raises Magearna's Special Attack stat by one stage each time it knocks out an adversary, which can result in Fleur Cannon only dropping the Pokémon's Special Attack stat by one stage as opposed to two. This can allow a trainer to spam Flear Cannon at foes for consecutive turns (upon a knockout) with only a slight decrease in power.

10 Close Combat

Type: Fighting

Needless to say, Fighting-type Pokémon tend to specialize in heavy physical attacks. Machamp boasts a six-pack on its back (though that may be partly due to its questionable 3D model), just to give a benchmark for what players will be dealing with here.

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As such, there are some very powerful Fighting-type STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves with which to take advantage of that high Attack. Close Combat is perhaps the most feared; a 120 base power move that sees the user leap into the fray and unleash close-range blows without guarding itself. This aggressive move comes with a cost, though: after attacking, the user’s Defense and Special Defense both fall by one stage.

9 Clanging Scales

Type: Dragon

Like Deoxys’ Psycho Boost and Magearna’s Fleur Cannon, this next move is another special attack exclusive to just one Pokémon: Kommo-o. It’s a little weaker at base 110, but this Dragon-type move has perfect accuracy and its penalty for use isn’t (arguably) as heavy.

After rubbing its scales to produce a horrifying noise that strikes opposing Pokémon with soundwaves — yes, that is in fact what’s happening here — Kommo-o’s Defense drops by one stage. Apparently, the Pokemon sees a nasty self-inflicted friction burn when launching with this move.

8 Superpower

Type: Fighting

If there’s one thing Fighting-types love, it’s barreling into battle at full speed and trying to deal as much damage as possible with no regard for their own safety or the consequences. One might say they're the Arnold-Schwarzenegger of the Pokémon world, and it's hard not to respect that.

This physical move is just as powerful, accurate, and PP-limited as Close Combat, but it comes with a different drawback. While it also drops two stats by one stage each on use, this time it’s Attack and Defense that’s lost. Depending on the situation, this can be better or worse than Close Combat’s drawback.

7 Hammer Arm

Type: Fighting

Unleashed in Generation IV to the delight of Attack-oriented pokemon, Hammer Arm can smash foes into submission better than most other Fighting-type attacks with a staggering 100 base power. The downside is that it drops the user's Speed by one full stage.

However, if one places this attack into one of the four move slots of a Pokémon who does not care about moving first, it results in an attack with no real downside. There are actually other attacks that increase in damage when their user's speed drops, like Gyro Ball, which can make Hammer Arm not only a great finishing move but one that can be utilized in more complex strategies.

6 Ice Hammer

Type: Ice

Ice Hammer is an obscure move that isn't often explored. One many fans may never have seen in action or even heard of before, in fact. It’s only learned (naturally) by Generation VII’s Crabominable (the evolution of Crabrawler).

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It has the same base power as Hammer Arm (though it’s Ice-type instead of Fighting) and also suffers from the same drawback: it causes the attacker’s Speed to fall. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, as this oversized furry crustacean isn’t outperforming when it comes to speed in the first place. It can even be useful in a Trick Room capacity.

5 Shell Smash

Type: Normal

There’s an important caveat that should be mentioned: Shell Smash is a Normal-type status move, not a direct attack itself. One could make a case for including it here anyway, though, since it certainly raises the Pokémon’s attacking potential.

All competitive players have felt the raw, seething power of a Shell Smash-boosted sweep at one point or another. Infamous as one of the best-boosting moves ever, Shell Smash gives the user a plus-two in Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, making it a super versatile and very, very scary move. The cost for doing so is that, like Close Combat, it drops the Pokémon’s Defense and Special Defense. Still, this isn’t too much of an issue, and it’s easily circumvented by using a White Herb item.

4 V-Create

Type: Fire

In terms of pure base power alone, V-Create is among the strongest moves in Pokémon history. This event-exclusive attack is usually available only to Victini and Rayquaza, boasting an absurd 180 base power. For reference, Self-Destruct has only 20 more base power and the user instantly faints on using it (though Explosion has 250).

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In Victini’s hands, STAB makes this physical Fire-type attack 270 power. Give the happy little critter a Choice Band, and it can tear through the toughest Poké-hides like a hot knife through butter and claims souls, hopes, and dreams left and right. That’s why they call it the Victory Pokémon: because it can absolutely ruin its foes with V-Create if given half a chance. On the flip side, though, it’s not a move that can be easily spammed: it drops the user’s defenses and Speed by one stage.