Solgaleo vs Lunala: Which Psychic is better in Pokémon GO?

When Pokémon Sun and Moon came out, I didn’t put much thought into which version to get, I simply went with the Sun copy. I did, however, feel like I was missing out on Moon’s main legendary, Lunala.

So, when Pokémon Go introduced both Solgaleo and Lunala to the game, I was excited but also confused. It took 100 candies to evolve Cosmog into either Solgaleo or Lunala.

Because I enjoyed playing with Solgaleo on my team, I still wanted to capture it on Pokémon Go, but I also didn’t want to miss out on Lunala again. Once again, I was in a dilemma and had to decide which of the two was worth getting.

This led me to researching which of the two was better and why. Judging from the forums, I’m not the only one who struggled with this question.

So, I thought of writing this article to share the insights I got. Ensure you read until the end to find out what my final verdict was on who was better.

Solgaleo vs Lunala – How They Compare

Below is a table that quickly summarizes the two Pokémon and how they compare:

Features	Solgaleo	Lunala
Typing	Psychic/Steel-type	Psychic/Ghost-type
Weaknesses	Fire Dark Ghost Ground	Dark Ghost
Resistance	Dragon Fairy Flying Grass Ice Normal Poison Psychic Rock Steel	Fighting Normal Psychic Poison
Quick Moves	Fire Spin Zen Headbutt	Air Slash Confusion
Main Moves	Solar Beam Flamethrower Iron Head Psychic Fangs	Moonblast Shadow Ball Future Sight Psychic
Abilities	Full Metal Body	Shadow Shield
Design/Appearance	White lion-like beast	Purplish-Blue bat-like bird

What are the differences between Solgaleo and Lunala?

While Lunala and Solgaleo are similar to each other in that they are both psychic and have the exact stats, there is still a reason why they were put as contending choices in Pokémon Go. The following are those key differences that explain why:

Typing

As we know, being an evolution of Cosmog, Lunala, and Solgaleo are both psychic types. But, being dual types, brings a disparity between the two. On one hand, Lunala is a Psychic/Ghost type, while Solgaleo is a psychic/steel type. Since the typing of a Pokémon affects what type, they are weak or strong, this is a key factor in deciding which of the two is a better choice.

Starting with weaknesses, Lunala has fewer weaknesses than Solgaleo who has a total of four including Ground, Ghost, Fire, and Dark. Still, that doesn’t make Lunala the better choice, since its few weakness can cause greater damage, compared to Solgaleo’s weaknesses.

On the other hand, when it comes to resistance, Solgaleo is more resistant to different types compared to Lunala, who is only resistant to Psychic, Poison, Normal, and Fighting. Given that Solgaleo is resistant to 10 types, it gives it a better type advantage in battle.

For this reason, Solgaleo is the better choice based on its Psychic steel type, especially if you were to use it in raids and gym battles.

Moves

Aside from the different typing, Lunala and Solgaleo also differ when it comes to their move pool. While each of them is equally powerful in terms of stats, some moves are often more effective in battle compared to others. That is why it is important to take note of this difference.

Let’s start by looking at the quick moves. Lunala’s quick moves are Air Slash and Confusion whereas Solgaleo has Zen Head Butt and Fire Spin. While Zen Head Butt is a more damaging move than confusion, it’s not as powerful when compared to Air Slash. Even then fire spin is a much more preferable move to Air Splash, in terms of its Damage and Damage per Second.

While the two may seem to tie when it comes to quick moves, Solgaleo still seems to have some better main moves compared to Lunala. For example, Solgaleo’s Solar Beam is much stronger in terms of Damage caused and DPS when compared to Lunala’s Moon blast. Additionally, Solgaleo has Psychic Fangs whereas Lunala has normal psychic moves.

So, overall, I would say, Solgaleo has better moves, making it once again the best choice when it comes to battle.

Abilities

Aside from differing move pools, Lunala and Solgaleo come with different abilities. These abilities respectively help boost some of their stats in different ways. Therefore, this is an important difference to consider when looking to tip the scales.

One of Lunala’s abilities is the Shadow shield where as Solgaleo’s similar ability is Full Body Metal. While Solgaleo’s ability prevents its opponents from lowering their stats, Lunala’s ability reduces the damage suffered by 50% when its HP is at 100%. So, in terms of defense, I would say, Lunala’s ability is more effective in battle.

Therefore, Lunala wins this category, although the final choice will depend on your playstyle. If you prefer being in the defensive then Lunala’s ability will be very useful to you.

Design

While this may not be an important disparity for some people, to others appearance is key when choosing a Pokémon. So, if you fall under the latter group then this is a difference worth considering. In my opinion, both Pokémon have really cool designs.

On the one hand, Solgaleo is a majestic white lion-like beast, with a sun symbol on its forehead, described to devour the sun, whereas Lunala is often described as a purplish-blue bat-like bird, with a crest moon symbol on its forehead and is known to call out to the moon. Both are aesthetically pleasing in their own right. So, it boils down to preference.

With that said, both Lunala and Solgaleo tie in this category. You can choose based on whether you prefer lighter themes or darker ones, or if you’d much rather a beast than a bird.

Final Verdict: So, Which is better? – Solgaleo or Lunala

Now that we’ve taken a look at the major differences, it’s time to answer the question, “Which of the two is better?”. Overall, I would say, Solgaleo is the better choice of the two. Although Lunala’s ability gives it a better defense, I believe Solgaleo has more type advantage which in my opinion will be better suited in battle.

Then again, if you prefer Lunala’s appearance or design, don’t feel like you are missing out. It still has some amazing moves you can use, especially, Air Slash. So, if battle isn’t a key factor for you, go with the Pokémon appearance you prefer. Alternatively, if you’ve played Pokémon Sun and Moon, then you can pick the legendary you liked or the one you didn’t pick, just to have a different experience.

FAQ Section

Who is more popular Solgaleo or Lunala?

Although both Pokémon are identical, and not that high up in the chart when considering the strongest, the majority of people seem to prefer Lunala over Solgaleo.

Who came first Solgaleo nor Lunala?

Neither one. Both Solgaleo and Lunala were introduced at the same time in 2016 as legendary mascots of the two versions Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, respectively.

Is Solgaleo stronger than Lunala in Pokémon GO?

No, Solgaleo and Lunala have the same Attack, Defense, and Stamina stats. That means that they are both equally as powerful, with varying moves and abilities.

Can you get both Solgaleo and Lunala in Pokémon GO?

Unfortunately, not. You can only evolve Cosmog into either Lunala or Solgaleo, therefore it is important to choose wisely.