Gigantamaxing. It's weird. It’s basically the culmination of Game Freak’s obsession with making things bigger, but honestly, it’s way deeper than just a "large Charizard." If you played Pokémon Sword and Shield, you probably remember that initial shock of seeing a Pikachu that looked like it swallowed a vintage TV. But here's the thing: most players still get confused about the difference between Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, and they definitely don't know the niche competitive utility of all G Max Pokemon in the current meta.
It isn't just a visual upgrade. It’s a complete mechanical shift.
Every Pokemon can Dynamax, but only a select few "special" individuals can Gigantamax. They get a unique look—like Alcremie turning into a literal skyscraper of cake—and a specific G-Max Move that replaces the standard Max Move of their primary type. These moves carry secondary effects that can literally flip a match on its head. We’re talking about trapping opponents, setting status conditions, or even depleting PP.
The Logic Behind All G Max Pokemon
Why did Game Freak do this? Well, from a design perspective, it allowed them to revisit Kanto favorites and Galar newcomers without the permanence of a Mega Evolution.
You’ve got the classics. Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur all got the treatment. But then you have the weird ones. Like Garbodor. Someone at The Pokémon Company decided that a giant pile of sentient trash deserved a pink cruise ship sticking out of its side. And you know what? It works.
The lore is tied to Galar’s Power Spots and Eternatus. Basically, Galar is leaking "Galar Particles," and when a Pokemon with the G-Max factor hits that energy, they don't just grow; they mutate. It’s biological chaos. If you're trying to collect them all, you either need to be lucky in Max Raid Dens or have the Isle of Armor DLC to cook up some Max Soup.
Honestly, the Max Soup was a lifesaver. Before that, you had to reset your Switch clock a thousand times just to find a G-Max Machamp. Now, you just feed them some mushrooms and they're ready to grow three stories tall.
The Heavy Hitters and Their G-Max Moves
When we look at all G Max Pokemon, some are clearly better than others. It's not a fair playing field. Some G-Max moves are actually worse than the standard Max Moves they replace.
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Take G-Max Charizard. Its move, G-Max Wildfire, deals damage for four turns to any non-Fire type. That’s massive chip damage. Compare that to standard Max Flare, which sets up Sun. If you’re running a Sun team, you might actually prefer the standard version. But for raw pressure? Wildfire is king.
Then there’s Lapras. G-Max Resonance is arguably one of the most broken things to ever hit the VGC (Video Game Championships). It attacks and sets up Aurora Veil simultaneously. For the uninitiated, that’s a 50% damage reduction for your whole team without needing hail. It changed the entire 2020 and 2021 competitive seasons. People were forced to carry Brick Break just to deal with a giant icy Loch Ness monster.
The Weird Mid-Tier: Why Does Sandaconda Exist?
Not every G-Max is a world-beater. Sandaconda turns into a literal tornado, which looks cool, I guess. Its move, G-Max Sandblast, traps opponents in a sandstorm for 4 to 5 turns. It’s niche. Very niche.
But that’s the charm.
The diversity across the 33 different Gigantamax forms is wild. You have:
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- Butterfree (G-Max Befuddle): Inflicts Poison, Paralysis, or Sleep. Total RNG nightmare.
- Pikachu (G-Max Volt Crash): Paralyzes all opponents. Chonky Pikachu is a fan favorite for a reason.
- Meowth (G-Max Gold Rush): Basically a giant "Pay Day." It confuses enemies and gives you literal money. It’s the ultimate farming tool.
- Gengar (G-Max Terror): Prevents escaping. If you’re trapped with a giant purple mouth, you’re probably having a bad day.
The Competitive Fallout
Let's talk about the Smogon vs. VGC split.
In the Smogon university tiering (the fan-made competitive rules), Dynamaxing—and by extension, all G Max Pokemon—was banned almost immediately. It was too centralizing. You couldn't predict it. One turn you're winning, the next turn your opponent’s Corviknight becomes a bird-god and sweeps your entire team because it boosted its Speed with Max Airstream.
But in VGC, the official Nintendo format, it stayed. It created a "Protect" meta. You had to stall out those three turns of Gigantamax power. If you didn't have a plan for G-Max Coalossal (G-Max Volcalith), you lost in three turns. Period. Coalossal was a monster because it combined its Steam Engine ability with a move that dealt 1/6th of the opponent's HP every turn.
It was oppressive. It was glorious. It was a mess.
Gathering the G-Max Factor
If you’re still playing Sword and Shield in 2026, or if you're looking back at your HOME collection, checking for that red "X" logo next to the name is vital. You can’t just breed for it. If a G-Max Charizard has a baby, that Charmander is just a regular lizard. It doesn't inherit the "X."
You have to find them in the wild. The Max Raid Dens in the Wild Area are the primary source. Some are version-exclusive. You won't find G-Max Gengar in Pokémon Sword naturally; he's a Shield exclusive, while Sword gets the giant muscular Machamp.
The Visual Design Peak
We have to give credit to the art team. G-Max Orbeetle looks like a literal UFO. G-Max Duraludon is a skyscraper—literally a building. It's a nod to the urban landscape of the UK, which Galar is based on.
My personal favorite? Centiskorch. It becomes a massive, flat radiator of death. Its G-Max move, Centiferno, traps the opponent in a fire lash. It’s visually intimidating in a way that regular Dynamaxing just isn't. When a Pokemon Dynamaxes, they just get big and glow red. When they Gigantamax, they transform into a kaiju.
Full List of Gigantamax Pokemon
Getting a handle on the full roster is easier if you break it down by generation.
From Kanto, we have: Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Butterfree, Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Gengar, Kingler, Lapras, Eevee, and Snorlax. Snorlax is particularly funny because he has a whole park—complete with a tree—growing on his stomach.
The Galar natives make up the rest: Corviknight, Orbeetle, Drednaw, Coalossal, Flapple, Appletun, Sandaconda, Toxtricity (both forms), Centiskorch, Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Alcremie, Copperajah, Duraludon, and the starters—Rillaboom, Cinderace, and Inteleon.
Then you have the DLC additions: Urshifu (both Single and Rapid Strike styles). Urshifu is a nightmare. G-Max One Blow and G-Max Rapid Flow ignore "Protect." Think about that. In a game where "Protect" is the most important move, Urshifu just says "no" and hits you anyway.
Practical Advice for Using G-Max Pokemon Today
If you are diving back into the Galar region or using these in Pokémon HOME challenges, keep these things in mind:
- Don't ignore the base stats. A Gigantamax Pokemon has the same stats as its base form. Only the HP doubles (at Max Rev level). If your Butterfree is frail, it's still frail when it’s 50 feet tall.
- The Max Soup is your friend. Don't spend 40 hours hunting a 5-star raid. Go to the Isle of Armor, find three Max Mushrooms, and make the soup. It’s the "shortcut" that keeps the game playable for completionists.
- Check your move types. A G-Max move is only triggered if the Pokemon knows a move of that specific type. If your G-Max Grimmsnarl doesn't know a Fairy-type move, it can't use G-Max Snooze. It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people forget.
- Item Interactions. Choice items (Choice Band, Choice Specs) do not work while Gigantamaxed. You lose the boost but regain the ability to switch moves. It’s a tactical trade-off. However, Life Orb and Expert Belt still work perfectly fine.
The era of Gigantamaxing might be "over" in terms of the current generation's primary gimmick (we've moved on to Terastallization), but these forms remain some of the most creative designs in the history of the franchise. They represent a specific moment in Pokémon history where the scale was truly off the charts.
To maximize your collection, prioritize obtaining the G-Max starters and Urshifu first. These have the highest utility in solo raid clearing. Once you have those, focus on the "Status" giants like Butterfree or Lapras for specialized battle scenarios. If you're looking to complete your Pokedex, remember that certain events in the past made some G-Max forms easier to find, but now, the Max Soup is the only consistent way to transform your favorite battle partners into their ultimate forms.
Check your boxes for that red "X" icon. You might already have a giant-in-waiting sitting in your PC.