Usage · September 2026
5.4%
Zapdos is ranked #34 in Gen 9 OU, carried by 77,522 teams
TierC · top 60 of the format
Ladder rank#34 of 243
Raw count77,522
Viability ceiling91
Month on month-0.29pp
13 month peak9.5%
FormatGen 9 OU
Base statsspecies values, before EVs and natureBST 580
HP
90
Atk
90
Def
85
SpA
125
SpD
90
Spe
100
Usage over time5.4%▼ 0.29pppeak 9.5% · Oct '25
hover a month for the exact figure · 13 months of ladder history
Most used set
20.9% of Zapdos teamsHP
248
Atk
0
Def
252
SpA
0
SpD
8
Spe
0
NatureBold
AbilityStatic · 99.0%
ItemHeavy-Duty Boots · 78.1%
Tera typeSteel · 17.1%
Moves
99.2%
82.9%
79.0%
48.3%
Alternative spreads
over 5% usageTimid4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe13.0%
Bold248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA12.4%
Moves
8 tracked99.2%
82.9%
79.0%
48.3%
24.9%
19.4%
16.7%
16.1%
Items
78.1%
19.6%
Tera types
17.1%
17.1%
15.7%
15.4%
11.0%
7.4%
6.2%
5.7%
Abilities
99.0%
1.0%
EV spreads
top 6Bold248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD20.9%
Timid4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe13.0%
Bold248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA12.4%
Timid252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe10.8%
Bold252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD8.7%
Bold248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe6.9%
Top teammates
share of teams
Best Zapdos build for Gen 9 OU
The set above is the one Gen 9 OU players run most often, taken from 574,541 battles in September 2026. Zapdos sits at rank #34 with 5.4% usage, which puts it in C tier, down 0.29 points on the month before.
These are usage numbers, not a recommendation from a council. A move at 90% is close to mandatory; anything under 30% is a tech pick that answers a specific matchup. Read the spreads the same way: the top spread is the safe default, and the alternatives usually trade bulk for speed or the other way round.
The checks and counters table is generated from real games rather than a type chart, so it accounts for items, Tera choices, and how often the matchup ends in a switch instead of a knockout.