This week's Max Battle Weekend event in Pokémon GO features Dynamax Suicune, an iconic Johto region Legendary that you can challenge and catch. This Water-type appears as a new 5-star Max Battle Boss, giving Trainers a suitable challenge for a limited time. Other rewards are also available during the Max Battle Weekend, alongside special bonuses that will make Suicune easier to add to your roster.

Dynamax Suicune comes after Dynamax Raikou and Dynamax Entei in Pokémon GO, who were also 5-star Max Battle Bosses during Weekend events. Like all Legendary Pokémon, Suicune is a powerful foe with much higher stats. Since the Max Battle Weekend only takes place from May 10, 2025, at 6:00 AM until May 11, 2025, at 9:00 PM local time, you won't have many chances to challenge this boss.

Dynamax Suicune Weaknesses & Resistance in Pokémon GO

Learn The Type Advantages You Have Against This Legendary

As a pure Water-type Pokémon, Dynamax Suicune takes super-effective damage from Electric and Grass-type attacks​​​​​​. Unlike previous Max Battle Bosses, this gives Suicune very few vulnerabilities, making it difficult to find the right counters to use against it. If you do manage to find the right types, your attacks will deal an extra 60% damage when used on Dynamax Suicune.

Like all Max Battle bosses in Pokémon GO, you can only face Dynamax Suicune with a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon of your own. This applies to the other three Trainers you face Suicune with, as the boss cannot be challenged without allies.

In contrast, Dynamax Suicune resists Fire, Ice, Steel, and Water-type moves, reducing their damage by 37.5%. This greatly narrows the number of counters you can pick, as the majority of available Dynamax Pokémon in the game you can bring to this battle use moves from those types.

Even though it takes 800 Max Particles to challenge Dynamax Suicune, you have a much higher limit on the number of Particles you can have during the Weekend event. You gain more Max Particles from Power Spots, which are the locations where Dynamax Suicune will appear anyway. When you do confront Dynamax Suicune, follow the table below to see what moves the Pokémon might have at their disposal:

Despite its status as a pure Water-type, Dynamax Suicune has a lot of moves meant to target a variety of weaknesses. This gives Suicune wider coverage, similar to how Team Rocket bosses in Pokémon GO have Pokémon with dual typings for extra versatility. This makes it even more important to choose the right counters who only take neutral damage or resist Dynamax Suicune's attacks.

Dynamax Suicune Best Counters In Pokémon GO

Complete Timed Research To Gain The Perfect Pokémon

One of the best Pokémon to use as a counter to Dynamax Suicune is Dynamax Rillaboom, which evolves from the Grass-type Grookey. Starting on May 5, 2025, you can complete free Timed Research to encounter Dynamax Grookey and catch it for the perfect counter to the Max Battle boss. Doing this will also help you earn Grookey Candy for it to evolve into Rillaboom, as well as some extra Max Particles.

Even with a Dynamax Rillaboom on your team, it's good to have the three other allies with you fulfill certain roles for the battle. For example, a team that has 2 Attackers, 1 Tank, and 1 Healer will be flexible enough to deal damage, resist attacks, and restore health throughout the fight. Unlike normal Raid Bosses in Pokémon GO, the addition of teammates makes Max Battles a collaboration more than a raw test of DPS.

Like all Max Battles, Dynamax Suicune will use large AoE attacks to hit multiple Pokémon at the same time. This makes the "role" of Healer or Tank even more valuable on your team with the right counter Pokémon.

To give yourself a good idea of what counters work best against Dynamax Suicune, use the table below to put together a sample team that has Pokémon counters in every role:

Rillaboom has some of the strongest attacks that deal super-effective damage to Suicune, with enough bulk to take hits as well. Due to Dynamax Suicune's Ice-type moves, using Grass types as counters can be risky, as they take more damage from Ice moves. You may want to use Dynamax Zapdos or Raikou instead of Rillaboom as your primary attacker, but keep in mind that Suicune does not get a Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) from Ice-type attacks.

Dynamax Toxtricity fulfills the Electric-type role you need, dealing good damage with Electric-type attacks. Meanwhile, Dynamax Metagross' Steel-type in Pokémon GO means it can resist Suicune's Water and Ice moves, taking far less damage to win the war of attrition. While Dynamax Metagross won't deal good damage with Steel-type moves, its secondary Psychic typing can deal good neutral damage against the boss.

During a Max Battle, you and your allies build up a special resource called the Max Meter. When this meter is full, you can unleash a Max Attack for a high damage move, Max Guard to increase your Pokémon's defense, or Max Spirit to restore the health of you and your allies.

Finally, Dynamax Blissey has some of the highest health among any Pokémon in the game, making it a perfect counter to Suicune. Compared to Raikou and Entei, Suicune has versatility, but not as much DPS as their fellow Johto Legendaries. Through Blissey, you can restore the health of your allies and make sure they endure whatever attacks Suicune throws their way.

Once you defeat the Max Battle boss, you are taken to a special encounter where you can capture it. Thankfully, there is no evolution for Suicune, so you don't need to worry about catching it many times over the limited time of the event for Candies. Once you beat Dynamax Suicune in Pokémon GO during the Max Battle Weekend, you'll have a powerful Pokémon to use in future Max Battles.