Pokémon Groudon vs. Kyogre: Which Pokémon is stronger?

I have always thought that Pokémon Ruby, Saphire, and Emerald had the most unique storyline in the game series. This is especially true for Pokémon Emerald where Groudon (Ruby’s mascot) and Kyogre (Sapphire’s mascot) were pitted against each other in the game. It would have been an epic battle, in my opinion, if Rayquaza didn’t end the battle and stopped the two legendries 🙄.

But both being legendries, Groudon and Kyogre are each strong in their own right. I have, however, always been curious to know what would have happened in Pokémon Emerald if Rayquaza never got involved. Who would win the battle? Ground🌋 or Water🌊?

Given my 15 years of experience playing Pokémon games and studying each of the strengths, weaknesses, and unique abilities, I decided to come up with an article that answers this question. In the article, I’ll use my knowledge to offer a detailed comparison of both legendries, in terms of their strength and abilities. So, if you were also curious to see which legendary is better, then keep reading to understand my final verdict on which of the two is more powerful💪.

Pokémon Groudon vs. Kyogre – How They Compare.

Before we go into the details of how the two legendries differentiate, below is a summarized table of how they compare:

Features	Groudon	Kyogre
Type	Ground type (Primal form Ground/Fire type) Strong against: Electric type Fire type Poison type Rock type Steel type Weak against: Water type Ice type Grass type	Water type Strong against: Ground type Fire type Rock type Weak against: Electric type Grass type
Stats	HP: 100 Speed: 90 Attack: 150 Special Attack: 100 Defense: 140 Special Defense: 90 Total base stat: 670	HP: 100 Speed: 90 Attack: 100 Special Attack: 150 Defense: 90 Special Defense: 140 Total base stat: 670
Moves	Fast moves: Dragon tail Mud Shot Charge Moves: Earthquake Fire Blast Fire Punch Solar Beam	Fast moves: Waterfall Charge Moves: Blizzard Hydropump Origin Pulse Surf Thunder
Abilities	Drought	Drizzle

What are the differences between Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre?

According to Pokémon lore, both Groudon and Kyogre are meant to be equally powerful, especially since in the Gen III games, their stats were matched. That is why Rayquaza had to get involved and end the fight otherwise, it would have supposedly gone on for eternity.

But let’s put Pokémon lore aside for a second and compare the two of them objectively. There are certain differences between Groudon and Kyogre that I thought could objectively tip the scales. They are discussed below as follows:

Pokémon Type

This is the biggest difference between the two legendries. Whereas Groudon is a ground type, Kyogre is a water type. Based on my understanding of the two types, it means that Groudon is strong against Electric, Fire, Steel, and Rock types, but significantly vulnerable to Water, Grass, and Ice types. On the other hand, Kyogre is strong against Ground, Fire, and Rock, but significantly vulnerable to Electric and Grass types.

Based on that Kyogre clearly has a type advantage over Groudon. Not only does it have less weakness compared to Groudon, but it is also strong against Ground, whereas Groudon is weak against water. Still, I will agree that Groudon has a better type of coverage when you look at its strengths. Now, I know some may argue that in primal form Groudon would be stronger🙄, but based on their type, even in primal form, Kyogre would still come out on top.

Yes, Primal Groudon becomes a Ground/Fire type🌋 whereas Kyogre remains a Water type 🌊, but let’s not forget that Water still beats Fire. Therefore, Groudon’s weakness to water only doubles in that case. Meaning Kyogre could probably put out Groudon like this burning marshmallow.

Via Tenor

So, if we focus on their type alone, Kyogre takes the crown. It has a significant type advantage over Groudon, which could prove useful in battle at the hands of a skilled player.

Stats

As I mentioned above, when it comes to stats, these two legendries are matched. That means they have the same base total of 670, including a similar base HP of 100 and base Speed of 90. So, you could say, that they are equally as powerful and would be equally as fast and resilient in battle 😌.

But, when it comes to their stats distribution, this is where the two differentiate. On the one hand, Groudon has higher base stats in Attack and Defense. On the other hand, Kyogre has equally higher Special Attack and Special Defense stats.

What this means is that Groudon would be better at using physical moves to deal the most damage and would also be able to take significant hits from physical attacks from the opponent. On the other hand, Kyogre would be better at using its special moves and would be able to effectively defend against special attacks.

Overall, I would say it is a tie in terms of stats. Both Kyogre and Groudon are equally powerful, only the former would be great for Special Attacks while the latter would be perfect for Physical Attacks. It mainly depends on your preferred playstyle and strategy ☺️.

Moves and Abilities

Another significant difference between the two is their moves and abilities. Starting with their abilities, both of them can control weather conditions and turn them in their favor. Groudon’s special ability is Drought which summons harsh sunlight enough to dry up anything in battle. But Kyogre’s special ability is Drizzle which can summon rain enough to cause a flood during battle. So, in essence, the two abilities cancel each other out❌.

As for the moves, both legendries can learn several moves by the latest 9^th generation, so they both can have quite several moves in their arsenals. But for the sake of a simple comparison, we are going to focus on their best move sets.

In Groudon’s case, its best move set involves using Mud Shot as a fast move and Earthquake as a charge move. Both of them are Ground type moves meaning Groudon will get a STAB boost using them☺️. It’s also worth noting that Mud Shot generates 7 EPS (energy per second) while dealing 3 DPS (damage per second. Additionally, Earthquake deals significant damage of 140 but at a high energy cost of 100.

As for Kyogre, its best move set involves using Waterfall as a fast move and Origin Pulse as a charge move. Like in Groudon’s case, the two moves are water-type moves, therefore get STAB☺️. Additionally, Waterfall generates 2 EPS while offering 4DPS, whereas Origin Pulse is a strong move that causes 130 damage at a significantly lower energy cost of 60.

Comparing the two, I would have to say, that Kyogre has a more energy-efficient move set that would allow him to last longer in battle. Not to mention, the Origin Pulse is a powerful water-type move that could take out Groudon in a single strike if used strategically.

Final Verdict: So, Which is better? – Pokémon Groudon or Kyogre

Looking at their battle in Pokémon Emerald, I’ve always felt that Groudon was at a disadvantage given how it stood on a small piece of land surrounded by water. Granted it’s said that where Groudon stood was 100% ground and where Kyogre floated was 100% water, leaving the rest of the area 50% water and 50% ground. Still, the ground was under the water, and even though it wasn’t deep enough for Kyogre to move, it still gave it a significant advantage.

Via Reddit

With that said, to answer the question, ‘Which Legendary is better?’ Kyogre is the clear answer. Putting aside the lore, it has a huge type advantage over Groudon. What’s more, compared to its move set, Groudon’s charge move is cost more energy than its fast moves can probably generate. Even so, if you are planning a strategic physical attack, then Groudon would be your best bet, especially in Player vs Player battles.

FAQ Section

Which is more popular Pokémon Groudon or Kyogre?

It depends on who you ask but according to Quora, Kyogre is more popular than regular Groudon among players on a competitive scheme. However, they seem to prefer Primal Groudon instead over Primal Kyogre.

Which one is stronger Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre?

Given its type advantage, Kyogre is stronger than Groudon even in their primal forms. But based on stats the two match in terms of overall strength, although Groudon is a better physical attacker whereas Kyogre is a better special attacker.

Can Pokémon Kyogre defeat Groudon?

Ideally, yes, given its type advantage. But it mostly depends on the skill of the players and the strategy applied in the battle.

Is Rayquaza better than Kyogre and Groudon?

Given that it was the one tasked to end the fight between the two, it only makes sense that Rayquaza would be stronger than Kyogre and Groudon. Besides it has a higher base stat total and is immune to ground types while strongly resisting water types.