Game Freak launched the 5th Gen of Pokemon in 2011, with 2 games that would become known by many as the best in the entire series. Pokemon Black & White were true gems. They are widely praised by fans for the interesting region, fun storyline, and great personality, but especially so for the outstanding roster of new Pokemon.
Ask a Pokemon fan to name their Top 10 favorites and the list will usually include multiple entries from Gen 5. However, when building your team, it's important to know the strongest entries available in the Pokédex. So, let's take a look at the 10 strongest Pokemon in Black & White, based on stats.
Updated on February 28, 2020, by Kirkland Fortner: Not that we need any more proof that Pokemon Black & White both continue to hold the attention of fans. But, Pokemon Masters, DeNA's Mobile Game, is now planning to add fan-favorite character "N" from Black and White. So, we felt an update to this list as appropriate.
Now you not only see which Pokemon are the strongest in the game but also where they can be found. Additionally, if there are special circumstances related to their spawning or capture, you will find them below. Good hunting!
10 Klinklang and Chandelure
Klingklang is a pure Steel-type Pokémon and Chandelure is a Ghost/Fire-type Pokémon, both with a base stat total of 520. Pure Steel is an incredible type that comes with 9 resistances and 1 immunity, in addition to Klingklang being surprisingly fast and having good Attack and Defense to boot. The movepool is lacking, however, as Klinklang hardly gets any physical moves. With a massive 145 points in its base Special Attack, it can tear through just about anything. This combined with typing and its decent defenses and speed makes Chandelure absolutely worth using.
You can find wild Klink in the Chargestone Cave, and it evolves into Klingklang at level 49.
Hey Wild Litwick can be found at the Celestial Tower. It then needs to evolve into Lampent at level 41, and that needs to have a Dusk Stone used on it (found on Route 10) to evolve into Chandelure.
9 The Starters
Serperior, Emboar and Samurott are the final evolutions of the Unova starters, all sharing 528 as their base stat total. Serperior has it rough, trying to be a defensive Pokémon but being hurt by its typing. Being a pure Grass-type comes with having 5 weaknesses, so it kind of cancels the defenses out. Emboar is a great mixed attacker with strong offensive typing and a surprisingly deep movepool, although this comes at the cost of its Defenses and Speed. Samurott is probably the best of the 3. Pure Water is a great type, it's a solid mixed attacker in addition to having actual HP and defenses, and it has a pretty good movepool.
All 3 starters are given to you as options at the beginning of the game. If you want more or any of the starters you didn't pick, you need to trade them in from other games.
8 Vanilluxe
Vanilluxe is a pure Ice-type Pokémon with a base stat total of 535. Pure Ice is horrible defensively, but very good offensively, with Vanlluxe's high Special Attack stat complimenting that. Ice Body isn't that great of an Ability, however, as it requires Hail to work, and it's stuck on a Pokémon with good at best defenses. The movepool isn't anything incredible either. Although, it does get Flash Cannon, allowing it to hit other Ice-types for super effective damage.
Wild Vanillite can be found at the Cold Storage in Driftveil City, and it evolves into Vanilluxe at level 47.
7 Haxorus
Haxorus is a pure Dragon-type Pokémon with a base stat total of 540. Like with Chandelure earlier, Haxorus boasts an outstanding 147 points in its base Attack stat. Pure Dragon is a great type to have as well, coming with 4 resistances and only 2 weaknesses, Dragon is also a great attacking type, as basically nothing resists it. Haxorus has a good movepool on top of all of this, making a good Pokémon no matter how you look at it.
Wild Axew is located in Mistralton Cave. It doesn't evolve into Haxorus until level 48.
6 Volcarona
Volcarona is a Bug/Fire-type Pokémon with a base stat total of 550. Gen 5 did a lot of good for the Bug-type in general, with Volcarona being its strongest example. Its Special Attack, Special Defense and Speed are all very high, even coming with some decent HP, too. These stats are further bolstered with the move Quiver Dance, raising all 3 of its highest stats at the same time. Flame Body is a solid ability, having the chance to punish physical attackers never hurts. The movepool mediocre, but when you are this good at everything else, you really don't need that many moves to perform well.
Volcarona can be found at the very deepest part of the Relic Castle. An egg containing its pre-evolution can be found from a Pokémon Ranger in a building on Route 18. It will not evolve until level 59, though.
5 Archeops
Archeops is a Rock/Flying-type Pokémon with a base stat total of 567. Archeops is kind of a beast all around. Strong offensive typing, incredible stats, and a good movepool. The catch? Defeatist, Archeops' (dis)ability. Defeatist cuts the user's Attack and Special Attack in half if their HP falls below 50%, so it's a big handicap you need to workaround. If you can learn to deal with this though, Archeops will serve you very well.
Archeops' pre-evolution, Archen, can be revived by using the Plume Fossil found from a backpacker at the Relic Castle and taking it to Nacarene Museum.
4 Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Keldeo, Tornadus, and Thundurus
This 6-way tie consists of the 4 Swords of Justice plus Tornadus and Thundurus, all with a shared base stat total of 580. The Swords of Justice are all part Fighting-type, with another type combined with it to match the member in question. They each have their stats distributed differently to fulfill a unique role. Cobalion is physically defensive, Terriakion is physically offensive, Virizion is Specially Defensive and Keldeo is Specially Offensive.
Tornadus and Thundurus both have the exact same stats, although their typings are noteworthy. Tornadus is the only pure Flying-type that has ever existed up to this point in the series, and Thundurus has the wonderful but rare Electric/Flying typing.
Cobalion can be found at the Mistralton Cave, Terrakion can be found at Victory Road, and Virizion can be found at the Pinwheel Forest.
Tornadus and Thundurus will roam the Unova region after you obtain the 8th Gym Badge, speak to the clerk in the Route 10 gate, and then go into the second house on Route 7. Tornadus is exclusive to Black, while Thundurus is exclusive to White.
Keldeo is an event Pokémon that cannot be acquired without hacking.
3 Victini, Hydreigon, Landorus, Meloetta, and Genesect
Yet another impressive tie, consisting of 1 Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon and 4 actual legendaries, all with 600 as their base stat total. Unfortunately, Hydreigon has the highest evolutionary level requirement of any Pokémon at 64, meaning by the time you can get one, you'll essentially be finished with the game.
Landorus is the best of the 3 Forces of Nature, with the other 2 members being discussed in the entry above. Meloetta is a diverse Pokémon, having 2 forms that change its stats and typing whenever it switches between them. The same can be said for Genesect, as it can hold several items that change its typing and the type of its signature Move respectively. Victini is a very strong Pokémon having 100 points in all of its stats and having an amazing ability in that of Victory Star, which raises the accuracy of Moves.
If you want to use Hydreigon, its base form Deino can be found at Victory Road.
Landorus can be found at the Abundant Shrine with both Tornadus and Thundurus in your party.
Victini, Meloetta, and Genesect are all event Pokémon that cannot be acquired without hacking.
2 Kyurem
Kyurem is a Dragon/Ice-type Legendary Pokémon with a base stat total of 660. Kyurem is a force to be reckoned with. Having good Speed with incredible attacking and HP stats. Dragon/Ice is a great typing both offensively and defensively.
Kyruem is also capable of learning a good variety of moves, making sure those great attacking stats don't go to waste. Its ability Pressure is the only low point about it, but everything else more than makes up for that.
Kyurem can be found at the Giant Chasm after beating the game.
1 Reshiram and Zekrom
Reshiram and Zekrom are the mascot Legendary Pokémon for Black and White, both with a base stat total of 680. Reshiram is a Dragon/Fire-type with its focus placed in its Special Attack, while Zekrom is Dragon/Electric with its focus being placed in its physical attack. They are the game mascots for good reason. Both are amazingly strong.
Reshiram and Zekrom are the mascot legendaries for their respective games, meaning you have forced encounters with them in White for Reshiram, and Black for Zekrom.