There have been plenty of speedy Pokemon over the years, but which ones are the fastest in Nintendo and Game Freak’s franchise?
Rapidly approaching, a Pokemon meets a trainer’s gaze. The trainer tosses a Pokeball into battle, and the fastest Pokemon strikes first. Having a Pokemon with a high Speed stat could therefore make the difference between winning and losing a battle. After all, the fastest Pokemon attacks first, usually giving them the upper hand.
Of the 900+ Pokemon in existence, some are considerably faster than others. Even without taking Mega Evolutions and Gigantamax forms into account, these Pokemon are lightning-fast and will come out on top in most situations. Whether or not they have the offensive and defensive stats needed to back that Speed up, however, is an entirely different matter.
Updated on June 30, 2023, by Nick Susa: As one of the most beloved and expansive franchises of all time, Pokemon only takes passion to enjoy. However, for those who want to be the very best like no one ever was, paying attention to the power that’s inside their favorite Pokemon is essential. In battle, every move, nature, and stat makes a difference. Still, few things come with more immediate advantages than a high Speed stat. Over the years, there have been dozens of quick Pokemon for trainers to add to their team, and to better reflect the Pokemon with the highest Speed stats, the following article has been updated with new information. 32 Noivern – 123
There is a handful of unique and powerful Flying/Dragon Pokemon in the series, including the daunting and bat-like Noivern. Introduced in the sixth generation of Pokemon, Noivern not only uses its 123 Speed to outpace opponents, but it can also use its first move to take advantage of its 97 base stat in Special Attack.
Combined with its impressive Speed and Special Attack, Noivern can cause serious damage using moves like Air Slash, Hurricane, and Boom Burst. If that wasn’t enough, the Pokemon also comes with Dragon Pulse and can even learn powerful Egg Moves, such as Dragon Rush. 31 Ribombee – 124
Those looking for an adorable Fairy-type Pokemon with a solid Special Attack and the Speed to outshine slower opponents should definitely consider adding Ribombee to their team. The Cutiefly evolution has 464 total base stats and can easily dish out damage with a 95 Special Attack rating. At higher levels, Ribombee is even capable of learning the valuable Bug and Fairy-type moves Bug Buzz and Dazzling Gleam.
While Ribombee doesn’t have the best sustainability thanks to its middling HP and low Defense stats, its 124 Speed gives it the opportunity to use even more powerful moves, like the Egg Move Moonblast and TM Skill Draining Kiss, before its opponents can react, giving it some extra survivability. 30 Swellow – 125
Blazing speed isn’t just reserved for third-stage evolutions. There are a handful of inconspicuous Pokemon that are faster than some of the series’ strongest Pocket Monsters. For example, Swellow, the Hoenn region’s introductory Normal/Flying-type Pokemon, has a max Speed of 383 at level 100.
Compared to other regional bird Pokemon in the series, Swellow may not be the best competitive fighter. However, its blazing base Speed of 125 can help it land the first move against opponents in the early game, making its fledgling pre-evolution, Taillow, a decent first catch for trainers as they begin their Pokemon journeys. 29 Darkrai – 125
Known as the Pitch Black Pokemon, Darkrai is as intimidating as it is fast. The nightmare-inducing Dark-type Pokemon has over 600 in total base stats and a base Speed of 135, making it a powerhouse whose ability to outspeed the competition is just the beginning of its skill.
In addition to its impressive stats, Darkrai has access to some solid moves and a valuable abundance of TMs that help it stun the opposition using a series of moves like Sucker Punch, Hypnosis, and Confuse Ray. Those that fall asleep around the creature will also be susceptible to its hidden ability, Bad Dreams, which causes snoozing Pokemon to take 1/8th of their HP as damage each turn. 28 Marshadow – 125
Introduced in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, Marshadow is a Mythical Pokemon with no other evolutionary forms. However, while the Gloomdweller Pokemon boasts the unique type combination of Fighting/Ghost, Marshadow’s Speed stat is nothing to overlook.
Thanks to its base Speed of 125 base Speed stat, Marshadow can reach a final Speed of 383 at max level. The same is also true of its 125 base Physical Attack stat, meaning that the Pokemon can inflict some serious damage with moves like Close Combat and Spectral Thief at the start of most battles.
