Kingambit weaknesses and best counters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Kingambit is one of the new Pokémon introduced in Generation Nine. Known as the Big Glade Pokémon, this Dark- and Steel-type creature gets stronger every time one of its allies faints. Bisharp was always a decent Pokémon, but its new evolution has elevated its line to the very top. Here’s our guide on weaknesses and best counters for Kingambit in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Note: For more information about the game, check out our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet guides and features hub.

Kingambit weaknesses and best counters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Kingambit is a tricky matchup for even the most experienced of trainers. Its incredible defensive typing gives it nine resistances and two immunities. It resists Dark, Dragon, Flying, Ghost, Grass, Ice, Normal, Rock, and Steel while being immune to both Poison- and Psychic-type moves. Kingambit is one of the few Pokémon that resists and is immune to more types than it is damaged normally by and weak against.

Its strong defensive typing combos well with Kingambit’s impressive bulk. It has a base 120 Defense, base 85 Special Defense, and base 100 HP. Even its two worse stats don’t affect Kingambit too much as base 60 Special Attack is meaningless since it’s a physical attacker and 50 base Speed is slow enough to be effective in Trick Room. What really makes Kingambit special though is its signature ability, Supreme Overlord. For every fallen ally, Kingambit gains an additional 10% boost to its Attack.

A typical Kingambit moveset. Screenshot by PC Invasion

These traits combined mean that Kingambit doesn’t have too many weaknesses in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It is only weak to three types, which are Fighting, Fire, and Ground. However, Kingambit’s is 4x weak to Fighting, which makes Fighting-type moves the best way to deal with it.

Additionally, while its Speed can be used in Trick Room teams, Kingambit is otherwise handicapped. Even with Supreme Overlord’s boost, it can struggle as a late-game sweeper as it has less Speed than most other Pokémon. It is overly reliant on one-shotting its opposition before they can get off multiple attacks against it.