Palafin is a new creature introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that is making waves within the games' competitive scene as one of the most powerful sweepers in the meta. While on the surface it may seem like a mediocre Water type with a gimmicky Ability, when used correctly, Palafin can gain a ridiculous base stat total that rivals some Legendaries. Thanks to a variety of competitive builds and teammate options, Palafin is quickly becoming a terrifying threat in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC Series 2 meta.
Acquiring Palafin in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can be tricky, since it requires players to have another player present via the Union Circle before leveling up Finizen, but it's worthwhile for many, as Palafin can be the cornerstone for strong competitive teams. Palafin's current usage isn't as high as other Water-type mons like Iron Bundle, Dondozo, or Tatsugiri, but it is rising through the ranks as more players are finding out just how useful it can be. As Pokemon Scarlet and Violet transition into Series 3 of VGC, it's likely Palafin will continue to grow in popularity as it can take on upcoming threats.
Hero Form Palafin Rivals Many of VGC's Top Mons
The crux of what makes Palafin so powerful is its unique Ability, Zero to Hero, that allows it to change forms when it is switched out from battle. In its Zero Form, Palafin is rather unimpressive with a base stat total of only 457 and no particularly high individual stat to help it stand out. However, when it switches out and transforms into its Hero Form, Palafin's base stat total becomes a whopping 650, higher than any of the Paradox Pokemon and falling just short of Koraidon and Miraidon's 670 base stat total. For a non-Legendary monster, this stat total is nearly unheard of.
Slaking, another non-Legendary has a base stat total of 670, but is severely hindered by its Ability, Truant, which prevents it from attacking every other turn. In comparison, Palafin simply needing to switch out to gain its monstrous stat increase is a small price to pay, especially since it has access the move Flip Turn, which allows it to switch out after attacking the target. This gives Palafin great pivoting capabilities and makes it the perfect teammate for other mons that benefit from switching out, like Amoonguss with the Ability Regenerator.
Hero Form Palafin sees the biggest increase to its Attack when switching from Zero Form, meaning it can threaten physically frail mons like Flutter Mane, even out speeding them with the priority move Jet Punch. Wave Crash is the most powerful move in Palafin's arsenal with a base damage of 120 that can be boosted further in the rain, making a partner like Pelipper with Drizzle a huge boon for the sweeper. It also has access to some strong Fighting-type moves like Close Combat, giving it the capabilities to deal with other common threats like Iron Hands, Roaring Moon, and Kingambit that resist its Water-type attacks.
Palafin is set to become even more useful in the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC Series 3 as a potential counter to the Legendary Quartet who will be available for trainers to use on their competitive teams for the first time. Chi-Yu and Ting-Lu are both weak to its Water moves, and Chien-Pao is doubly weak to Fighting moves, making Close Combat a must-use move on Palafin. Wo-Chien is the only one who isn't directly threatened by Palafin since its Ability lowers all other mons' Attack stat, but Palafin can still deal a hefty amount of damage to it with Close Combat. With all of this potential, it's clear Palafin's days as a top-tier competitive monster are on the horizon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
