Pokémon Go Legacy Moves explained, with all current, former, event and legacy Event Moves listed
Every Legacy Move and Community Day Move you can find in Pokémon Go for collectors.
Legacy Moves is the generic term given to the hidden Fast and Charged moves that Pokémon can learn in Pokémon Go, but aren't part of the normal move pool.
There are several reasons why something could be a Legacy move, and there are more Legacy Moves in Pokémon Go than are worth counting. Mewtwo with Psystrike, Gengar with Shadow Punch, Dragonite with Draco Meteor are all Legacy Moves.
These days, Legacy Moves are perhaps better known as Community Day moves – the moves Pokémon can learn by evolving on Community Day. However, technically, Legacy Moves also include Event Moves (think Community Day, but for other events), and actual legacy Legacy Moves.
Legacy Move Pokémon are incredibly valuable within the Pokémon Go community and, thanks to their rarity, are highly sought after by collectors. While some are natually are better than others — and some, believe it or not, are downright awful – they’re always worth getting hold of if you can. You never know when a move rebalance will turn your Pokémon from utterly useless to a force to be reckoned with!
On this page:
What are Legacy Moves in Pokémon Go?
Legacy Moves fit into three broad categories: legacy Legacy Moves, Community Day Moves and Event Moves. While there is some overlap, they aren’t quite the same thing.
First, we have the reason why they’re called Legacy Moves. Each move has two attack values, which you’ll see when you inspect a Pokémon in your Storage. Sometimes these are the same — Psystrike has a base attack of 90 in both the 'Gyms & Raids' and 'Trainer Battles' tab. However, Confusion only deals 16 damage in PVP, while it does a more impressive 20 in Raids.
Back in 2016, before PVP battling and Go Battle League were added to the game, this split didn’t matter. However, in trying to balance the game, certain attacks that were deemed too powerful had to be either watered down or effectively removed from the game. Instead of simply removing the move and replacing it with something else, Niantic decided to remove these moves from the 'move pool' – the list of moves that a Wild Pokémon can learn, and learn using a TM.
And thus 'Legacy Moves' were born.
Community Day Moves, form the other side of the coin, in that they provide an opportunity to aqcuire a move that isn’t normally part of the move pool. You can’t get them with a Charged TM or Fast TM, so they function in the same way as a legacy Legacy Move. The key difference is that Niantic can effectively make new Legacy Moves this way, and we get a new one (almost every month) — so while they're not legacy with a lower-case 'l', they’re basically the same thing.
Event Moves, are similar to Community Day Moves, but apply to events outside of Community Day. This is an important distinction only in that Community Day Moves are added when you evolve a Pokémon to its final stage — Event Moves can be learned simply by catching the Pokémon in the wild or after a raid!
The Max Out Season is here and includes a new global event, Wild Area! You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.
How to find Legacy Move Pokémon in your Pokémon Storage in Pokémon Go
Have you ever spent a dozen TMs, trying desperately to find a move that simply doesn’t want to be found? If so, there’s a good chance it’s a Legacy Move you were looking for.
There’s no way to filter your entire storage by Legacy Moves; however, there is a way to find which Pokémon know a certain Legacy Move, which is incredibly useful when trying to build a Pokémon for PVP.
First need to know which move you’re looking for. Taking Psystrike Mewtwo as an example again, Psystrike isn’t part of the normal move pool, which means you can’t learn it with the average Charged TM. So, rather than searching Mewtwo and then manually checking each Pokémon, you can simply search for the move.
To search for a move in Pokémon Go, simply type @[move name] into the search bar, replacing the [box brackets] and everything within them with the move you’re looking for. @[psystrike] will show you all of the Pokémon that know that move!
You can combine search terms using an ampersand, so if you’re looking for a Seaking that knows Poison Jab, Drill Run and Icy Wind – all three of which are Legacy Moves – you would search for: seaking&poison jab&drill runи wind. You can add spacs around the ampersands if you want, but make sure there’s no space after the @ symbol or this won’t work!
How to learn Legacy Moves in Pokémon Go
So, what if you only just started playing Pokémon Go, and don’t have a time machine to go back and catch an ultra-rare Mewtwo with both Psystrike and Shadow Ball for Master League? Elite TMs are the way forward.
These special TMs were added to Pokémon Go as a way to gain access to the full move pool, with all of the Legacy Moves that a Pokémon could learn. The bonus is that while regular TMs work on RNG, Elite TMs actually let you pick which move you want to learn, meaning that each Elite TM is a guaranteed Legacy Move, if you use them properly.
The issue, of course, is that these items are relatively rare, and aren’t always available.
Elite TMs can either be bought as part of a box of goodies in the store, or earned as part of Special Research — usually during Community Day. It’s important to note, however, that this tends to be paywalled behind the event ticket and aren’t always included as one of the rewards. If you have an Elite TM, make sure you use it wisely!
All Legacy Moves in Pokémon Go
Here is a list of all of the Legacy Moves in Pokémon Go, as of February 2023:
Pokémon | Image | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
---|---|---|---|
Venusaur | Frenzy Plant | ||
Charmeleon | Scratch | ||
Charizard | Dragon Breath Ember Wing Attack | Blast Burn Flamethrower | |
Blastoise | Hydro Cannon | ||
Butterfree | Bug Bite | ||
Beedrill | Bug Bite | Drill Run | |
Pidgeot | Gust Wing Attack | Air Cutter | |
Spearow | Twister | ||
Fearow | Twister | ||
Ekans | Gunk Shot | ||
Pikachu | Present | Surf Thunder | |
Raichu | Thunder | ||
Sandshrew | Rock Tomb | ||
Sandslash | Night Slash | ||
Alolan Sandslash | Shadow Claw | ||
Nidoking | Fury Cutter | ||
Clefable | Pound | ||
Ninetales | Ember | Fire Blast Flamethrower | |
Jigglypuff | Body Slam Play Rough | ||
Zubat | Sludge Bomb | ||
Golbat | Ominous Wind | ||
Parasect | Bug Bite | ||
Venomoth | Bug Bite | ||
Diglett | Mud Shot | ||
Dugtrio | Mud Shot | ||
Meowth | Body Slam | ||
Persian | Night Slash | ||
Primeape | Karate Chop | Cross Chop | |
Arcanine | Bite | Bulldoze | |
Poliwhirl | Scald | ||
Poliwrath | Submission | ||
Alakazam | Counter | Dazzling Gleam Psychic | |
Machop | Low Kick | ||
Machoke | Cross Chop | ||
Machamp | Karate Chop | Payback Stone Edge Submission | |
Weepinbell | Razor Leaf | ||
Graveler | Mud Shot | Rock Slide | |
Golem | Mud Shot | ||
Alolan Golem | Rollout | ||
Ponyta | Fire Blast | ||
Rapidash | Ember | ||
Farfetch'd | Cut | ||
Doduo | Swift | ||
Dodrio | Air Cutter | ||
Seel | Water Gun | Aqua Jet | |
Dewgong | Ice Shard | Aqua Jet Icy Wind | |
Grimer | Acid | ||
Muk | Acid Lick | ||
Cloyster | Blizzard | ||
Gastly | Sucker Punch | Ominous Wind | |
Haunter | Lick | ||
Gengar | Lick | Dark Pulse Psychic Shadow Punch Sludge Wave | |
Onix | Iron Head Rock Slide | ||
Hypno | Psyshock | ||
Kingler | Mud Shot | ||
Voltorb | Signal Beam | ||
Electrode | Tackle | ||
Exeggutor | Zen Headbutt | ||
Alolan Marowak | Shadow Bone | ||
Hitmonlee | Brick Break Stomp | ||
Hitmonchan | Rock Smash | Brick Break | |
Lickitung | Body Slam | ||
Koffing | Acid | ||
Weezing | Acid | ||
Rhydon | Megahorn | ||
Chansey | Psybeam | ||
Tangela | Power Whip | ||
Kangaskhan | Brick Break Stomp | ||
Seadra | Blizzard | ||
Seaking | Poison Jab | Drill Run Icy Wind | |
Staryu | Quick Attack | ||
Starmie | Quick Attack Tackle | Psybeam | |
Scyther | Steel Wing | Bug Buzz | |
Jynx | Pound | Ice Punch | |
Pinsir | Submission | ||
Gyarados | Dragon Tail | Aqua Tail Dragon Pulse | |
Lapras | Ice Shard | Dragon Pulse Ice Beam | |
Eevee | Body Slam Last Resort | ||
Vaporeon | Last Resort Scald | ||
Jolteon | Last Resort Zap Cannon | ||
Flareon | Last Resort Heat Wave Superpower | ||
Porygon | Quick Attack Tackle Zen Headbutt | Discharge Psybeam Signal Beam | |
Omanyte | Brine Rock Tomb | ||
Omastar | Rock Throw | Rock Slide | |
Kabutops | Fury Cutter | ||
Snorlax | Yawn | ||
Articuno | Hurricane | ||
Zapdos | Thunder Shock | ||
Moltres | Sky Attack | ||
Dragonite | Draco Meteor Dragon Pulse | ||
Mewtwo | Hyper Beam Psystrike Shadow Ball | ||
Armored Mewtwo | Psystrike | ||
Meganium | Frenzy Plant | ||
Typhlosion | Blast Burn | ||
Feraligatr | Water Gun | Hydro Cannon | |
Pichu | Quick Attack | ||
Cleffa | Body Slam Psychic | ||
Igglybuff | Body Slam | ||
Togepi | Zen Headbutt | ||
Togetic | Steel Wing Zen Headbutt | ||
Ampharos | Dragon Pulse | ||
Politoed | Earthquake | ||
Jumpluff | Acrobatics | ||
Espeon | Last Resort Shadow Ball | ||
Umbreon | Last Resort Psychic | ||
Kingdra | Water Gun | ||
Smoochum | Frost Breath | ||
Elekid | Thunderbolt | ||
Magby | Flamethrower | ||
Suicune | Hidden Power | ||
Tyranitar | Smack Down | ||
Lugia | Aeroblast | ||
Ho-Oh | Earthquake Sacred Fire | ||
Sceptile | Frenzy Plant | ||
Blaziken | Blast Burn Stone Edge | ||
Swampert | Hydro Cannon | ||
Shiftry | Bullet Seed | ||
Kirlia | Draining Kiss | ||
Gardevoir | Synchronoise | ||
Breloom | Grass Knot | ||
Slaking | Body Slam | ||
Shedinja | Struggle Bug Bite | ||
Flygon | Earth Power | ||
Altaria | Moonblast | ||
Lileep | Bullet Seed | ||
Walrein | Powder Snow | Icicle Spear | |
Salamence | Outrage | ||
Metagross | Meteor Mash | ||
Regirock | Earthquake | ||
Regice | Thunder | ||
Registeel | Zap Cannon | ||
Latias | Mist Ball | ||
Latios | Luster Purge | ||
Groudon | Fire Punch | ||
Rayquaza | Hurricane | ||
Torterra | Frenzy Plant | ||
Infernape | Blast Burn | ||
Empoleon | Hydro Cannon | ||
Staraptor | Gust | ||
Bidoof | Ice Beam Shadow Ball Superpower Thunderbolt | ||
Luxray | Psychic Fangs | ||
Roserade | Bullet Seed | Fire Weather Ball | |
Gastrodon | Earthquake | ||
Garchomp | Earth Power | ||
Lickilicky | Body Slam | ||
Rhyperior | Rock Wrecker | ||
Electivire | Flamethrower | ||
Magmortar | Thunderbolt | ||
Leafeon | Bullet Seed | Last Resort | |
Glaceon | Last Resort Water Pulse | ||
Mamoswine | Ancient Power | ||
Porygon-Z | Tri Attack | ||
Gallade | Synchronoise | ||
Dusknoir | Shadow Ball | ||
Giratina (Altered) | Shadow Force | ||
Giratina (Origin) | Shadow Force | ||
Cresselia | Grass Knot | ||
Darkrai | Sludge Bomb | ||
Serperior | Frenzy Plant | ||
Emboar | Blast Burn | ||
Samurott | Hydro Cannon | ||
Gigalith | Meteor Beam | ||
Chandelure | Poltergeist | ||
Hydreigon | Brutal Swing | ||
Cobalion | Sacred Sword | ||
Terrakion | Sacred Sword | ||
Virizion | Sacred Sword | ||
Reshiram | Fusion Flare | ||
Zekrom | Fusion Bolt | ||
Kyurem | Glaciate | ||
Genesect | Techno Blast | ||
Chesnaught | Frenzy Plant | ||
Talonflame | Incinerate | ||
Sylveon | Last Resort Psyshock | ||
Noivern | Boomburst | ||
Bewear | Drain Punch | ||
Obstagoon | Obstruct | ||
Ursaluna | High Horsepower |
Good luck collecting the Legacy moves!