Shadow Darkrai in Pokémon GO: Complete Raid Guide, Best Counters, CP Chart, and Meta Analysis

Iqbal Sandira
Oct 27, 2025
4 min read

The arrival of Shadow Darkrai in Pokémon GO has sparked major excitement among trainers. As a Shadow Mythical Pokémon, Shadow Darkrai is one of the most intimidating and powerful Dark-type attackers currently available in the game’s raid and PvE meta. With boosted attack power due to its Shadow status and access to strong Dark- and Ghost-type moves, this Pokémon is both a challenge to defeat and an extremely valuable asset once obtained.

However, because Shadow Darkrai appears exclusively in Shadow Raids, defeating it is not as simple as powering through a normal Tier 5 raid. Trainers need to understand how to counter its moveset, how Shadow Raids work, and how to use Purified Gems to overcome its “enraged” state.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know — from weaknesses and team-building to damage calculation, raid strategy, CP values, and how strong Shadow Darkrai is in the greater Pokémon GO meta.

What Makes Shadow Darkrai Special?

Shadow Darkrai is a pure Dark-type Pokémon, known for its high offensive capability. Even before becoming a Shadow Pokémon, Darkrai was already a top-tier raid attacker thanks to its excellent attack stat. The Shadow form amplifies its offensive potential further, making it one of the strongest Dark attackers in the game — especially when paired with moves like Snarl and Shadow Ball.

Shadow Darkrai Base Stats:

Stat	Value
Max CP	4227
Attack	285
Defense	198
Stamina	172

The Shadow boost increases Darkrai’s Attack by 20%, pushing its offensive pressure to new heights. However, this comes with a drop to its Defense, meaning Shadow Darkrai takes more damage in battle — and so do the Shadow Pokémon you may use against it.

Shadow Darkrai Raid Basics

Shadow Darkrai appears in Tier 5 Shadow Raids, meaning:

It has significantly more Attack and Defense than normal raid bosses.
During battle, Shadow Darkrai will eventually enter an enraged state, raising its stats even further.
You must use Purified Gems to weaken or remove the enraged state.

Recommended Number of Trainers

Trainer Strength	Recommended Group Size
Level 45+ with optimal counters and Purified Gems	3–5 players
Mid-level players with some strong counters	6–8 players
Casual / low-level groups	8–12 players

Shadow Raids are designed to be challenging — even experienced trainers will struggle without coordination.

Shadow Darkrai Weaknesses

Since Shadow Darkrai is a Dark-type Pokémon, it is weak to:

Fighting
Fairy
Bug

And it resists:

Psychic
Dark
Ghost

This means that Fighting-, Fairy-, and Bug-type attackers are your best options.

Best Counters for Shadow Darkrai

Below are the strongest Pokémon you can use against Shadow Darkrai. Prioritize Pokémon with high damage output and fast, spammable moves.

Top Fighting-Type Counters

Pokémon	Fast Move	Charge Move
Mega Lucario	Counter / Force Palm	Aura Sphere
Terrakion	Double Kick	Sacred Sword
Keldeo (Ordinary/Resolute)	Low Kick	Sacred Sword
Shadow Machamp	Counter	Dynamic Punch
Shadow Conkeldurr	Counter	Dynamic Punch
Mega Blaziken	Counter	Focus Blast

Fighting-types tend to be the most reliable counters due to their high neutral damage and wide availability.

Top Fairy-Type Counters

Pokémon	Fast Move	Charge Move
Mega Gardevoir	Charm	Dazzling Gleam
Enamorus (Incarnate)	Fairy Wind	Dazzling Gleam
Xerneas	Geomancy	Moonblast
Zacian (Crowned Sword form)	Snarl	Play Rough
Togekiss	Charm	Aura Sphere / Dazzling Gleam

Fairy-types are especially powerful if Shadow Darkrai is using Dark Pulse, since they resist it.

Top Bug-Type Counters

Pokémon	Fast Move	Charge Move
Mega Heracross	Counter / Struggle Bug	Megahorn
Mega Pinsir	Fury Cutter	X-Scissor
Mega Scizor	Fury Cutter	X-Scissor
Shadow Vikavolt	Bug Bite	X-Scissor
Mega Beedrill	Bug Bite	X-Scissor

Bug-type Pokémon are strong offensively, but generally more fragile. Use them carefully.

Shadow Darkrai Moveset Breakdown

Fast Moves:

Snarl (Dark)
Feint Attack (Dark)

Charge Moves:

Dark Pulse (Dark)
Shadow Ball (Ghost)
Focus Blast (Fighting)
Sludge Bomb (Legacy via Elite TM)

Move Danger Levels

Shadow Ball is extremely threatening to Ghost and Psychic counters.
Focus Blast is deadly to most Fighting-type attackers.
Dark Pulse is the most manageable overall.

This is why using a diverse raid team is important.

How to Use Purified Gems Against Shadow Darkrai

Shadow Darkrai will become enraged during the battle, increasing its Attack and Defense drastically.

To counter this, players must:

Collect Shadow Shards from Team GO Rocket battles.
Refine them into Purified Gems.
Use Purified Gems during the raid to weaken Shadow Darkrai.

Coordination Tip

Use gems together, not one-by-one.
Agree on activation timing in advance.
If enough gems are used at once, Shadow Darkrai will return to normal strength temporarily.

Shadow Darkrai CP and Shiny Information

Condition	100% (Hundo) CP	Capture Level
No Weather Boost	2136 CP	Level 20
Fog Weather	2671 CP	Level 25

Any CP lower than the max values is still strong — especially for Shadow Pokémon.

Shiny Shadow Darkrai is available, but still rare.

Is Shadow Darkrai Good in the Meta?

Yes — extremely.

Shadow Darkrai is currently one of the strongest Dark-type raid attackers in Pokémon GO.

It outperforms:

Regular Darkrai
Shadow Tyranitar (in DPS, not in bulk)
Shadow Weavile
Most Ghost-types outside Mega Evolutions

Best Moveset for Raids

Snarl + Shadow Ball

Shadow Ball provides superior damage and coverage than Dark Pulse in most raid scenarios.

Final Thoughts: Should You Power Up Shadow Darkrai?

If you have a high IV (especially Hundo or Shundo) Shadow Darkrai, it is absolutely worth investment — especially if you enjoy raiding. However, powering up Shadow Pokémon is expensive, so be sure you can commit the Stardust and XL Candy before fully investing.

Power up Shadow Darkrai if:

You raid frequently against Psychic- and Ghost-type bosses.
You lack strong Shadow Hydreigon, Shadow Tyranitar, or Mega Tyranitar.
You simply love Darkrai — which many trainers do!

Shadow Darkrai is powerful, stylish, intimidating, and meta-relevant — a combination that makes it one of the most desirable Shadow Pokémon ever introduced in Pokémon GO.