In a universe overflowing with more than 1000 Pokemon, each creature fights tooth and claw to stand out. Whether it's a fire-breathing dragon, a sea slug with cosmic powers, or a duck wielding psychic forces, every Pokemon tries to make its mark.
But it’s not always just the stats, typing, or design that makes them legends in battle. Sometimes, it’s the sneaky stuff lurking under the surface that really counts. Enter abilities, the passive powers that often define a Pokemon’s battle potential.
From doubling stats to outright ignoring attacks, some of these abilities have tilted the battlefield more than any Mega Evolution or Z-Move ever could. These are the ten most broken abilities in Pokemon video games.
1. Pure Power: Breaking Bones with Bare Hands
Pure Power sounds like something you’d hear shouted in a Gatorade commercial, but in the Pokemon world, it’s anything but motivational fluff.
This ability doubles the Attack stat of the Pokemon it’s attached to. Yes, doubles, as in multiplying its physical force by two with no effort on the trainer’s part.
It’s exclusive to the Meditite line, which may look small and peaceful, but becomes an utter monster in battle thanks to this hidden strength. Now throw in Mega Evolution. Mega Medicham becomes a lean, mean, sweeping machine capable of OHKOing nearly everything not resistant. Pair that with High Jump Kick or Zen Headbutt, and you'll start questioning the game’s balance.
2. Protean: Become Whatever You Hit With
Being highly adaptable is a powerful trait, but Protean turns it into a battlefield superpower. This ability changes the Pokemon’s type to match the first move it uses in battle.
Yes, it got nerfed to once-per-switch-in in later gens, but it remains disgustingly good. Offensively, it gives your moves STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) no matter what. Defensively, it lets you dodge incoming super-effective hits by transforming into something else entirely.
Greninja is the king of Protean usage. With a vast movepool and high Speed, it becomes an amphibian assassin, throwing Ice Beams, Dark Pulses, and Gunk Shots all with STAB and surprise on its side. Good luck predicting that.
3. Moody: The Roulette of Madness
If chaos had a name in Pokemon abilities, it would be Moody.
Every turn, it randomly boosts one stat by two stages and lowers another by one. It’s like rolling dice while holding dynamite. But if you’re patient and maybe a bit lucky, the result is a horrifyingly powerful setup monster.
Smeargle is the poster child for this broken ability, mainly because it can learn literally any move via Sketch. You can run Protect, Baton Pass, or even Spore to give Moody the time it needs to start stacking insane boosts. It's unpredictable, annoying, and when it works, borderline unbeatable.
4. Flame Body: Touch Me, Get Burned
Flame Body is the passive-aggressive blazing warrior’s dream. If a Pokemon with this ability is hit by a contact move, there’s a 30% chance the attacker will get burned.
Burn halves physical Attack and causes chip damage every turn. That’s right, physical attackers risk sabotaging themselves just by touching you.
Coalossal is the best candidate for this ability. Its high bulk means it can take hits, and when paired with Flame Body, physical attackers think twice before getting too close. It’s also great for hatching eggs faster, but let’s be honest, we’re here for the pain it inflicts in battle.
5. Prankster: Priority Shenanigans
Speed is everything in Pokemon, but Prankster ability says “nah” and lets non-damaging moves go first. Reflect, Light Screen, Toxic, and Thunder Wave will all zoom ahead of the priority line when used by a Pokemon with Prankster.
This makes it a support god of broken abilities.
Klefki, the little keyring of doom, is one of the best users. It might not look scary, but when it locks you down with Thunder Wave, sets up Screens, and throws out Spikes, all before you even move, it becomes the trolliest tank you’ve ever fought. It’s like battling a locksmith who rigged your cartridge.
6. Technician: Small Moves, Big Punches
Technician takes baby moves and gives them a megaphone. Any move with 60 base power or less gets a 50% boost, turning weak jabs into powerhouse punches. Bullet Punch, Mach Punch, and even lowly Fury Cutter become viable and deadly with this broken ability.
Scizor is the best-known Technician abuser, with Bullet Punch letting it sweep weakened teams like a red-armored ninja.
Even Wugtrio, with its strange speed and access to Triple Dive, makes great use of it. This ability gives the underdogs their moment in the spotlight and then lets them punch through it.
7. Levitate: Now You See It, Now You Hippow-Don't
Ground-type moves are among the best in the game, boasting high power, wide coverage, and only a few counters. But Levitate makes your Pokemon float right over all that nonsense.
Immunity to Earthquake, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and more? Yes please. It’s like having an automatic airlift whenever danger strikes. Eelektross is the most famous Pokemon known to effectively utilize this.
Now slap that on every Electric-type Pokemon whose only real weakness was Ground, and now it has zero weaknesses. Literally. Electric-types with the Levitate ability are basically cheat codes with wings.
8. Guts: Pain Is Power
Guts turns suffering into strength. If a Pokemon with Guts is inflicted with a status condition like Burn or Poison, its Attack stat skyrockets.
Most Pokemon dread status effects, but Machamp embraces them. Slap a Flame Orb on it, and watch it become a walking punch volcano.
With boosted power and access to moves like Facade (which doubles in power when the user is statused), Guts Machamp isn’t playing games. It’s like inviting a bruiser to the ring, handing him a torch, and saying, “Go nuts.”
9. Multiscale: Bulky Gets Bulkier
Picture a mythical, bulky dragon. Now imagine it takes half damage just because it’s at full health. That’s Multiscale.
This ability halves damage when the user is at full HP, giving it incredible staying power, especially when paired with healing or priority moves.
Dragonite is the definitive user of Multiscale. It comes in full health, shrugs off whatever you throw, and retaliates with a STAB Dragon Claw or Dragon Dance setup.
And then there’s Extreme Speed. Hitting first and hard while keeping its scales shiny and intact. It’s almost unfair. Almost.
10. Magic Bounce: Reverse Uno Card Activated
Magic Bounce is the ultimate “no u” ability. Any status-inflicting moves like Toxic, Spore, or Thunder Wave that targets your Pokemon gets bounced right back at the user.
No damage, no side effects, just poetic justice.
Xatu is a brilliant user of this, acting as both a wall and a strategic pivot. It can switch in on hazards, bounce them back, then use U-turn to safely bring in an offensive partner.
Sprinkle in a status move of its own, and you’ve got a psychic bird that wins mind games before you even make a move.
Final Thoughts: The True Game Changers
In the world of Pokemon, moves may get all the flashy animations and stat spreads all the attention, but abilities are the real puppeteers pulling the strings.
They transform average Pokemon into nightmares and turn the tide of battle with no input from the player. These ten abilities aren’t just powerful, they broke battling.
Whether it's sneaky status immunity, overwhelming offense, or strategic setup, they’re a reminder that in Pokemon, the hidden mechanics are often the most dangerous. Choose wisely or prepare to get swept.