Top 10 Sweepers in Pokemon Gen 9 OU
The Most Dangerous Cleaners in the Game Right Now
Welcome to Pokemon Competitive Battling, where setup is everything and one bad switch means getting 6-0’d before your coffee cools off.
These are the top sweepers in the tier right now — the Pokémon that setup, click one move and erase teams.
10
Primarina
Offensive Calm Mind Build
Item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots / Custap Berry
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Modest
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
Teratype: Steel / Ghost
Moves: Calm Mind, Surf/Hydro Pump, Moonblast, Substitute/Psychic Noise
Primarina is a graceful special attacker that excels at boosting its Special Attack and Special Defense with Calm Mind. It uses powerful Water and Fairy moves like Surf or Hydro Pump and Moonblast to pressure opponents, while Substitute or Psychic Noise helps it stay safe and control the battlefield. Its ability Torrent enhances its Water attacks when low on HP, and the diverse item options increase its survivability or allow faster setup.
9
Darkrai
Nasty Plot Sweeper
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers / Expert Belt
Ability: Bad Dreams
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Teratype: Poison / Ghost
Moves: Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse, Focus Blast/Ice Beam/Sludge Bomb, Hypnosis
Darkrai is a terror on the battlefield, combining high Speed and powerful special attacks with disruptive status moves. Its signature ability Bad Dreams chips away at sleeping opponents, adding pressure while it sets up with Nasty Plot. Though frail, Darkrai can quickly dismantle teams once it gets a boost, forcing opponents to play cautiously or risk being overwhelmed.
8
Kyurem
Dragon Dance Sweeper
Item: Loaded Dice
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Jolly / Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Teratype: Fire / Ground
Moves: Dragon Dance, Scale Shot, Icicle Spear, Tera Blast
Kyurem is a formidable and bulky Dragon/Ice type that threatens both physically and specially. It excels as a Dragon Dance sweeper, using boosts to outspeed and punish opponents with high-damage moves. Its solid bulk allows it to tank hits while setting up, and its versatile movepool lets it adapt to many threats, making it a constant menace.
7
Dragonite
Dragon Dance Sweeper
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Adamant / Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Teratype: Normal / Ground
Moves: Dragon Dance, Extreme Speed, Earthquake/Ice Spinner, Roost/Encore
Dragonite remains a powerhouse, boasting the sturdy Multiscale ability that halves damage when at full HP. This lets it set up Dragon Dance safely, stacking boosts before sweeping through opponents. With priority Extreme Speed and a strong physical movepool, Dragonite can clean up teams and punish weakened foes efficiently.
6
Roaring Moon
Dragon Dancer
Item: Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Teratype: Flying
Moves: Dragon Dance, Acrobatics, Crunch/Jaw Lock, Roost/Earthquake/Taunt
Roaring Moon is a fast, hard-hitting physical sweeper that thrives on boosting its stats with Dragon Dance. Paired with the offensive Booster Energy and Protosynthesis ability, it can break through defensive cores with ease. Its strong movepool provides good coverage, making it a versatile and frightening threat.
5
Iron Valiant
Calm Mind Special Sweeper
Item: Booster Energy
Ability: Quark Drive
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Teratype: Ghost / Steel / Electric
Moves: Calm Mind, Moonblast, Shadow Ball/Psyshock, Encore/Thunderbolt
Iron Valiant is a versatile special sweeper that leverages Calm Mind to boost its Special Attack and Special Defense, making it hard to take down. Its unique typing grants valuable resistances, while moves like Moonblast and Shadow Ball provide strong STAB options to threaten a wide range of foes. Shadow Ball or Psyshock offers coverage versatility, and Encore or Thunderbolt can disrupt or finish off opponents. Booster Energy combined with Quark Drive amps its power and speed, enabling it to sweep efficiently.
4
Raging Bolt
Calm Mind Tank Sweeper
Item: Booster Energy / Leftovers
Ability: Protosynthesis
Nature: Modest
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 20 Atk
Teratype: Fairy / Flying / Bug
Moves: Calm Mind, Thunderclap, Dragon Pulse/Draco Meteor, Thunderbolt
Raging Bolt excels as a bulky special tank that boosts its Special Attack and Special Defense with Calm Mind, letting it outlast many foes. Its signature move Thunderclap, boosted by Iron Fist, delivers consistent and powerful Electric-type damage. Dragon Pulse or Draco Meteor provides strong Dragon STAB coverage, and Thunderbolt offers additional offensive versatility. The combination of solid bulk, boosting potential, and diverse move options makes Raging Bolt a formidable special sweeper.
3
Zamazenta
Bulk Up Sweeper
Item: Leftovers / Chesto Berry
Ability: Dauntless Shield
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Spe or 252 Atk / 88 Def / 168 Spe
Teratype: Fire / Dark / Steel
Moves: Iron Defense, Body Press, Crunch, Roar/Rest/Stone Edge
Zamazenta is a physically bulky sweeper that uses its excellent defensive stats and typing to safely boost with Bulk Up or Iron Defense. Its Steel/Fighting typing grants key resistances, allowing it to shrug off many hits while setting up. With Body Press and Crunch as powerful STAB moves, Zamazenta can break through many common threats. Additionally, Roar or Rest provide utility options for disrupting opponents or restoring health, making it a resilient and versatile sweeper that wears down foes before finishing them off.
2
Gholdengo
Offensive Nasty Plot Build
Item: Air Balloon / Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Good as Gold
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Tera Type: Fairy / Steel
Moves: Nasty Plot, Shadow Ball, Make It Rain, Dazzling Gleam/Recover/Psyshock/Focus Blast
Gholdengo is a bulky special attacker with an amazing ability in Good as Gold, which grants immunity to status and powder moves, making it hard to cripple. Its Steel/Ghost typing gives it useful resistances and immunities, while its access to powerful moves like Make It Rain and Shadow Ball lets it break through many foes. Nasty Plot allows Gholdengo to boost its already high Special Attack, turning it into a dangerous sweeper capable of cleaning up weakened teams. The Air Balloon or Heavy-Duty Boots improve survivability, letting it stay on the field longer. Tera typing adds flexibility for surprise coverage or survivability. This build balances offense and bulk, making Gholdengo a reliable force in Gen 9 OU.
1
Kingambit
Late-game Sweeper / Revenge Killer
Item: Focus Sash / Leftovers / Lum Berry / Black Glasses / Air Balloon
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe or 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Teratype: Ghost / Fairy / Dark
Moves: Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, Kowtow Cleave, Iron Head, Tera Blast
Kingambit excels as a late-game sweeper, lurking patiently to punish weakened opponents. Its Supreme Overlord ability boosts its Attack stat after fainting an ally or when its HP is low, enabling it to snowball and break through teams. With Swords Dance, it sharply raises its Attack, preparing to sweep. Priority Sucker Punch lets Kingambit finish off faster threats or pick off weakened foes, while Kowtow Cleave and Iron Head provide strong STAB moves to deal massive damage. Tera Blast adds flexible coverage depending on its Tera Type, making Kingambit a versatile and deadly revenge killer that can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Honorable Mentions
While these Pokémon didn’t make the top 10 cut, they remain strong choices that can surprise opponents and carry games under the right conditions.
-
Volcarona – Volcarona can quickly sweep teams once it gets going. Its high special attack and access to strong Fire- and Bug-type moves make it a threat.
Cons: Fragile defenses and common weaknesses to Stealth Rock and strong physical attackers make it tricky to set up safely. -
Garchomp – A classic Dragon Dance sweeper that still holds relevance with its powerful physical moves and solid typing. Garchomp can break through many bulky threats with its high Attack stat and priority moves like Sucker Punch.
Cons: Vulnerable to Ice-type attacks users; also faces competition from newer, faster sweepers in Gen 9. -
Ogerpon-Wellspring – A fast and mean offensive pivot with good typing and priority options. Its versatility lets it run mixed sets and disrupt opponents with entry hazards or pivoting moves.
Cons: Relatively lower bulk and situational movepool require careful team support; less common usage means less synergy data for team building.
💡 Final Thoughts
Sweepers are the closers of Gen 9. Build around them. Support them. Don’t let them die turn one. If you’re new to building teams around these monsters, check out:
You can also test and tweak these sweepers using Pokestrat — your all-in-one tool for checking coverage, team roles, and OU usage stats.
Now go sweep responsibly.
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