The top 10 Psychic Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

Long ago, on a handheld console far, far away, the Psychic type in the Pokémon series was the undisputed strongest. As early as Gold & Silver, Game Freak took steps to address the imbalance, but to the relief of Mewtwo fans, the Psychic type was never truly weakened - it's just that other types have a better chance against it.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet follows this philosophy. There are enough options to defeat Psychic types, but even more to shoot strange telekinetic beams from a safe distance. Who shoots the strangest beams of all? Find out now.

Updated on September 18, 2023, by Quinton O'Connor: Has Teal Mask, the first part of the planned DLCs for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, significantly changed our opinion? Yes, albeit only slightly! We have added Munkidori to our list of top contenders for the best Psychic types. We have also added Hatterene - a regrettable omission in our initial assessment!

10 Espathra

A significant part of Espathra's appeal lies not in its competitiveness, but in its combination of etymology and design. It is striking, colorful, but not excessively vibrant; as its Pokédex photo shows, it fits perfectly with certain weather conditions in Paldea.

But what we love even more about Espathra is its name, combining "ESP" and "Cleopatra," its fitting Egyptian style, and - in the manner of the beautiful cross-cultural blend that Pokémon can achieve - a Spanish mantilla draped over its back. We're not yet sure if Espathra will carve out a place in the online meta-game, but we are certain that this sassy bird deserves a spot on the single-player team of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

9 Gallade

Among the returning stars of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is also Gallade, the alternative evolution of Kirlia alongside Gardevoir, which has been around for almost as long as the ever-popular Gardevoir... and yet it feels strangely fresh. Gallade's Psychic/Fighting combination has always given it a niche as a "Wallbreaker," a Pokemon whose attacks can break through defensive opponents.

Gallade's attack and special defense stats are by far its highest, which is noteworthy in itself; it's relatively rare for a Pokémon to combine physical attacking prowess with special defense (and vice versa). This gives Gallade a unique advantage against Pokémon with high special attacks, but it challenges players to remember that Gallade ultimately cannot withstand many hits from other fighters.

8 Slowking

Even older than Gallade or Gardevoir is Slowking, another alternative evolution branching off from Slowpoke when players trade it with a King's Rock instead of naturally evolving it into Slowbro. In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, you'll need to repeat the familiar trick and ask a friend to help you by accepting your King's Rock-carrying Slowpoke and then returning the newly acquired king. The King's Rock can be purchased at least from Delibird's gifts, so it's not too difficult.

Slowking is one of the bulkier Psychic types in Paldea, with sturdy special defense and resistance to Fighting, Steel, Fire, Water, Psychic, and Ice. While all of these are good attributes, it is particularly Fighting and Steel that make this pink monarch shine - Paldea has an almost predominantly physically oriented Pokédex, so anyone who can withstand frequent physical attacks is well-positioned here.

7 Munkidori

Munkidori is somewhat disappointed by its somewhat confusing movepool, but its stats, including an impressive Special Attack of 130 and a Speed of 106, give this new Teal Mask DLC Psycho Pseudo-Legendary serious firepower. Combine that with the move Parting Shot and access to the Special Attack booster Nasty Plot, and you have a pretty good recipe for a... well, quite decent Psychic-type.

6 Rabsca

Rabsca joins Pawmot, the Electric/Fighting type, as one of only two Pokémon that have access to arguably the most outstanding new move in the ninth-generation games: Revival Blessing. Until 2022, the idea of a pure revival spell in the series was nothing but a dream; in fact, Rabsca and Pawmot can utilize this top-notch technique to revive a fallen team member to half of its health.

Due to the epic utility it brings in online gameplay, Rabsca cannot be ignored. Will this ultimately be enough to offset its base stats, which are not particularly outstanding apart from its Special Attack? We don't know, but we suspect that Rabsca, if nothing else, will be remembered as the kind of bug that surprises your enemies by pulling the mighty Garchomp back from the brink of oblivion just in time.

5 Farigiraf

Johto enthusiasts were treated to a delightful surprise with the unveiling of Farigiraf, an evolution of Pokémon's best palindrome pet, Girafarig. Farigiraf has an interesting ability called Chew and Munch, which allows it to not only reap the benefits of a Berry in the turn it is triggered but also in the following turn. Early competitive observers have already begun to envision scenarios where this can disrupt multiple long-standing tactics.

Also, do not underestimate the impressive variety of moves that Farigiraf masters. Although its Special Attack is higher than its Attack, the latter is by no means bad, and you will certainly pack a punch when occasionally using a well-timed Earthquake. (Just don't forget to include at least one actual Psychic-type attack.)

4 Armarouge

We have also ranked the dual-typed Armarouge on our list of top Fire Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, but we believe that its flame shines even brighter on the psychic side of the equation. As an extremely capable special sweeper, which means a Pokémon that can "sweep" through enemy ranks with special-based attacks, Armarouge can devastatingly defeat rivals with moves like Flame Cannon, Energy Ball, and Shadow Ball.

Armarouge is also the counterpart to Galagladi, with its highest stat being Special Attack, followed not by Special Defense but by Defense. This is even better as it can take hits from many Pokémon that prefer to use their fists, burning them with Will-O-Wisp, and then delivering the final blow with Flame Cannon.

3 Gardevoir

As mentioned before, Paldea has a real fixation on physical strength, so it's no surprise to find the famous Psychic/Fairy Pokémon Guardevoir right at the top in the initial analysis of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Guardevoir always has a reliable moveset selection that includes everything it needs to execute powerful special-based attacks. Its defense is nothing special, so don't get too careless when striking glittering holes in teams.

Gardevoir was already popular long before the introduction of the Fairy type in Pokémon X & Y, but since then, it has gained a complete immunity to Dragon types, further enhancing its status. You can't go wrong with it.

2 Hatterene

Hatterene is fantastic. This Psychic/Fairy beauty builds upon the type of Guardevoir but executes slightly stronger special attacks at the cost of having really poor Speed. However, pay attention to its best ability: Magic Bounce. Most status changes are blocked and instead bounce back to the source. This renders many top-tier strategies in the metagame useless or even harmful. If Hatterene can't strike first, some of these status changes can even prevent the attacker from doing anything else.

Prepare Hatterene by using one or two Calm Minds while warding off things like paralysis. Use Psychic or Psyshock, depending on the target's stat distribution, and Healing Wish to keep yourself going. Both attacks receive STAB, so hats off to Hatterene, you're a force to be reckoned with.

1 Scream Tail

Schreischwanz, Paldea's prehistoric variant of something most Pokémon fans remember, which doesn't mean any harm except for writing on sleeping people's faces with a marker (though admittedly quite rude), transforms into a demonic Psychic type in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.

Like Gardevoir, Schreischwanz is also a Psychic/Fairy type. In comparison, it is a more defensive Pokémon and honestly not very strong. Nevertheless, it is our favorite Psychic Pokémon in the latest games. Who would have thought, right? Especially Schreischwanz's durability works so well online at the moment; if it holds the Power Boost item, its highest stat (HP and Special Defense, tied) increases by 50 percent.

Furthermore, the speed of Schreischwanz is frightening for such a wall. Anything susceptible to Trick Room and slower than a base stat of 111 will suffer significant damage, despite Schreischwanz's lower offensive statistics.