The 7 Star Charizard Raid in Scarlet and Violet finally fixes a strange situation that Pokémon players have long felt weird about. Charizard is finally a Dragon thanks to its Dragon Tera Typing. However, in order to capture this fiery creature, you're going to need to prepare yourself. It's extremely powerful and will be difficult for many players to defeat. Plus, Charizard is only available in Scarlet and Violet for a very short amount of time, so if you want it you have to get it now.
Don't worry. We'll go over how to unlock the Charizard Tera Raid, the best Pokémon to use against it, and the best moves and held item to give to your team member.
When is the Charizard Tera Raid available?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Charizard Raid Event 1 | Dec 1 19:00 ET - Dec 4 18:59 ET |
| Charizard Raid Event 2 | Dec 15 19:00 ET - Dec 18 18:59 ET |
Fortunately for everyone, the Charizard Tera Raid Battle event in Scarlet and Violet is running for two separate stretches in December. If you miss the first one or aren't strong enough to take on the first one from Dec 1 through Dec 4 then you can have another chance to face one between Dec 15 and Dec 18.
You definitely want to get this Dragon Tera Type Charizard in your Pokémon game if you can since it's the only way to bring this Gen 1 starter into Scarlet and Violet.
How to unlock 7 Star Charizard Raids
You can only find and join 7 Star Charizard Raids if you have done the following:
- Defeat all Gym Leaders, Elite Four, Champion, Team Star Bases, and Titans.
- Beat the game and watch the credits roll.
- Rematch and beat all Gym Leaders again.
- Go to the Academy at Mesagoza and defeat the four opponents in the Academy Ace Tournament. (Talk to the boy at the front counter).
- Defeat 15 of the 5 Star Raids that now appear.
Now you will have unlocked 7 Star Charizard Raids. These are incredibly difficult battles so make sure you come prepared with a high-level Pokémon that is strong against Charizard. We have tips further on this page.
How to find a Charizard Tera Raid
Charizard Tera Raids appear as Dragon den symbols on the map that is darker than usual Dragon dens. When you go up to one you'll see that the crystals are black with a glowing funnel of sparkles and swirls around them.
You can also join other players who are hosting a 7 Star Charizard Raid (as long as you have unlocked access to them). If you need help with joining a Tera Raid, check out our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet multiplayer guide.
Dragon Tera Type Charizard weaknesses
| Pokémon | Type | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Charizard (Lv 100) | Fire/Flying w/ Dragon Tera Type | Ice, Dragon, Fairy |
Being a Fire/Flying-type usually, Charizard will have some strong Fire and Flying moves. Plus, with the Dragon Tera Type, it will be strong against Dragon attacks. So you don't want to bring Bug, Steel, Grass, Ice, or Fighting-type Pokémon to this battle as they will quickly get KO'd. Dragon-type Pokémon are also a no-go since they are equally weak against Charizard as Charizard is to them and using their alternate Tera Type will take a few moves to unlock.
Your best bet is to bring a Fairy-type Pokémon with powerful Fairy attacks as Fairy is immune to Dragon attacks while Dragon is very weak to Fairy. Additionally, Fairy-types only take a normal amount of damage from Charizard's Fire and Flying attacks. We highly recommend using Azumarill since its dual typing of Water/Fairy makes it last longer against Charizard's Fire attacks. Now sure where to get one? Continue reading and we'll help with that.
Additional good Pokémon to use against Charizard are Flutter Mane (Scarlet exclusive), Sylveon, Dachsbun, or Grommsnarl. However, Azumarill's dual typing makes it by far the best choice overall.
Where to get Azumarill
Azumarill with a Fairy Tera Type is the strongest Pokémon to use against Dragon Tera Type Charizard. Fortunately, Fairy Tera Type Azumarill is one of the wild Tera Pokémon that spawn on the map. You can grab one at Casseroya Lake and it will be Level 55.
Bring it up to Level 100 by battling with it or giving it Rare Candies and Exp. Candies. These easy leveling-up items are won in raids. So engage in raids, get the Exp-increasing items, and apply them to Azumarill until the creature is ready. If you want to be extra ready, keep catching the wild Tera Azumarill at Casseroya Lake until you get one with Amazing or Perfect Stats. However, only one will appear each day, so you'll either need to come back multiple days in a row or change the time and date on your Switch and catch again.
Once you've got a prepared Azumarill, you will be a serious force against Charizard.
Charizard weaknesses and best way do defeat
| Best Moves | Category | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Play Rough (Fairy) | Physical | PP: 10 | Power: 90 | Accuracy 90% |
| Belly Drum (Normal) | Status | PP: 10 | Power: — | Accuracy: — |
| Best Held Item | Where to buy | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Shell Bell | Delibird Presents at Levincia | An item to be held by a Pokémon. The holder restores a little HP to itself every time it inflicts damage with an attack. |
Make sure your Azumarill is at Level 100, is holding a Shell Bell, and also knows Belly Drum and Play Rough before going against Charizard. That's because Belly Drum halves Azumarill's max HP in order to raise its attack by 6, making its Fairy attacks very powerful. Meanwhile, Play Rough is a powerful Fairy attack that has a 10% chance of lowering Charizard's Attack stat. So you have a good chance of weakening Charizard and making it easier to defeat. Then each time Azumarill successfully lands an attack, the Shell Bell restores some of its health.
Now catch it!
When you've knocked its crown off and it's dazed, send out one of your best Poké Balls to catch it. You'll also get a long list of reward for defeating it.
Solo Raid vs Group Raid: Can I take Charizard on alone?
While it is possible to take 7 Star Charizard on solo, you'll have a much easier time if you face it with other players who know what they are doing rather than the practically useless AI that assist you when you go alone.
Of course, if you have a Perfect Stat, Level 100 Azumarill who uses all of the moves and the held item we laid out previously, you can take Charizard out really fast on your own.
Can Tera Raid Charizard be Shiny?
It's unclear if Tera Raid Charizard is Shiny locked or not. However, we do know that there are no increased odds of finding a Shiny Pokémon in a Tera Raid Battle. Of course, if you do catch the Tera Raid Charizard, you can always breed it and hope that one of its Eggs turns out to be Shiny. If you need help with that, check out our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet breeding guide.
Charizard is finally a Dragon
The fact that Charizard isn't a Dragon-type has long been something that hasn't sat well with Pokémon fans. Thankfully, nabbing yourself a Dragon Tera Type Charizard in these special Scarlet and Violet Tera Raids kind of helps fix that. Since this is the only way to get this Pokémon, you'll need to act fast and jump into these raids as soon as you can.
Charizard is a very powerful opponent so you'll need to come prepared with a high-level team member that is strong against our orange friend. Things will go easier if you use a Shell Bell as your Pokémon's held item and make sure your team member knows Fairy, Dragon, or Ice-type moves without being weak to Charizard's attacks. You've got this!
