Electric-types have been around since Generation I, and you’ll likely want one on your team in a regular playthrough of Sword and Shield. They can also be great in competitive due to their relatively high Speed and Special Attack stats. In this list we’ll be cutting the options in half and discussing the best eight to choose from for when you battle Nessa, go into a Max Raid Den, or join the competitive scene. Pokémon from within the same evolution line will not take up multiple spots on this list, and playthrough vs competitive use is weighted equally. Also, Legendary Pokémon from Crown Tundra Dynamax Adventures will not be taken into consideration. With that being said, let’s get into the ranking!
8. Manectric
Maybe the first entry on this list is a little bit biased, because Electrike was the first shiny Pokémon I ever ran into. Seeing the beautiful electric-blue creature in Pokémon Emerald was so memorable that it has clouded my judgement of the Pokémon to this day. That being said, you can find Manectric pretty early on in Generation VIII. It roams multiple regions within the Wild Area, and is a relatively good option to use in a typical playthrough. With 100+ Speed and Special Attack, it will be able to move first and hit AI teams hard. To this day, I still don’t know how popular Manectric is to the general Pokémon audience – but I think it warrants a place on this list nonetheless.
7. Morpeko
Marnie, please don’t send Team Yell to come heckle me for this. Morpeko is the two-faced Pikachu clone of Generation VIII. It’s “Hangry Mode” definitely makes it stand out from the others, and it’s more useful than most, but that doesn’t make it competitive with the rest of the Pokémon on this list. At 436 base-stat total, this Pokémon will be suitable on a playthrough team if you really want to make a spot for it. Just remember, it’s always an Earthquake away from needing a trip to Nurse Joy.
6. Rotom
Have we as a community decided whether Rotom classifies as a legendary Pokémon or not yet? It has quickly become a staple of the Pokémon world with its ability to take over any appliance and give it life. Electric/Ghost is also an incredibly cool typing to play with, and they both fit Rotom’s stat distribution well. If you’re looking for each form of Rotom, look no farther than a far-out island in the Isle of Armor DLC where they run wild.
5. Vikavolt
Vikavolt is easily one of the most powerful Electric-types to roam the Galar Region. Not only does it have the Levitate ability to render Ground-type attacks useless, it comes in with a whopping 145 Special Attack – on par with the likes of Thundurus, Chandelure, and Mega Sceptile. The biggest downside to Vikavolt is that it moves at the speed of a semi-truck going up a hill on the highway, giving it a huge debuff in competitive play. Even with this, it’s still incredibly popular in both head-to-head battling and casual playthroughs.
4. Arctozolt
As one of the various (and very odd-looking) fossil Pokémon of the Galar Region, Arctozolt comes in as the fourth best option if you’re looking for an Electric-type. At 505 base-stat total (and a decently balanced stat spread) it’s a good option for a casual playthrough for Sword & Shield. The Electric/Ice-typing can be versatile offensively, and it’s bulky enough to withstand a hit or two. However, Arctozolt has the same problem as the previous entry on this list – it is slow. This makes its competitive use relatively non-existent.
3. Dracozolt
We’re going back to back with fossil Pokémon entries. Dracozolt, debatably, looks like it is in even more pain than its cousin Arctozolt. It also has the same base-stat total, so what makes it the better option? The answer lies in one move: Bolt Beak. Yes, Arctozolt has access to this move too, and it’s only 85 base-power. So what makes it so special? If the user moves before the target, the move’s power is doubled. Dracozolt has a Speed stat of 75 vs Arctozolt’s Speed stat of 55. This one factor catapults Dracozolt into one of the best wallbreakers in competitive play.
2. Toxtricity
First of all, the predecessor to Toxtricity (Toxel) is one of the cutest Pokémon to grace the lands of Galar. Toxtricity itself is no laughing matter, though. It’s commonly regarded as a “fan-favorite” of the region (similar to Lucario, Zoroark, etc.) and much of that can be credited to its uniqueness in nature. It’s meant to resemble a rockstar, specifically a guitarist. Its signature move, Overdrive, is also incredibly powerful after its boost from Toxtricity’s ability, Punk Rock. In general, Toxtricity will find itself on a majority of casual playthrough teams, and has its use in competitive play as well. For a while Toxtricity would have taken the top spot on this list – until the Crown Tundra was released…
1. Regieleki
Despite its name not really rolling off the tongue all that well, Regieleki is incredibly powerful. It is one of the two new members of the Legendary titans, and it’s likely the most viable of them all. It has the highest Speed stat of all Pokémon to date, coming it at 200-base. It also has the ability Transistor, which boosts the power of its Electric-type moves by 50%. With a base Attack and Special Attack of 100, that means Regieleki will be hitting hard, and there’s no escape. If you come up against one then you better hope you can survive at least one hit, as a mediocre counter-attack might be enough to OHKO this Pokémon. Best of luck with that, though.
