If you played the original Sun and Moon back in 2016, you probably thought you knew what to expect from the Alola region. You had your Z-Crystals, your Alolan Exeggutor, and a fairly standard difficulty curve. Then Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Necrozma showed up and basically slapped the entire player base across the face.
It wasn't just a "new form." It was a total mechanical overhaul of how a legendary Pokemon functions in the game's lore and combat.
Honestly, the jump in difficulty caught people off guard. You're cruising through Ultra Space, you land on top of Megalo Tower, and suddenly you’re staring down Ultra Necrozma. It’s glowing. It has a custom theme that sounds like the end of the world. And then it one-shots your entire team before you can even click "Bag" to use a Revive.
The prism that ate the sun
Necrozma isn't your typical "I want to rule the world" villain. In the context of Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Necrozma is a tragic, broken entity. It’s literally a light-starved husk. The lore tells us it used to share light with the Alola region and the Ultra Recon Squad's home world, but something went sideways. It lost pieces of its body. It’s in constant pain.
That pain is what makes it so dangerous.
When it grabs Solgaleo or Lunala—depending on which version you’re playing—it isn't just "fusing" with them in a Dragon Ball Z sense. It’s more like a parasite. It’s forcibly consuming their light to regain its true form. This leads to Dusk Mane Necrozma or Dawn Wings Necrozma, which are formidable on their own. But the real nightmare is the "Ultra Burst."
Why Ultra Necrozma broke the rules
Most boss fights in Pokemon follow a predictable rhythm. You have a type advantage, you use a move, they lose some HP, you win. Ultra Necrozma ignored that rhythm.
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First off, it gets a massive stat boost right out of the gate. We're talking about a +1 boost to every single stat. In a competitive setting, that's essentially a free "Ancient Power" boost on steroids. Its base stats in Ultra form are astronomical—a 754 total. To put that in perspective, that is higher than Arceus, the literal god of the Pokemon universe.
It’s fast. It’s mean. It has Photon Geyser, a move that calculates damage based on whichever offensive stat is higher, meaning you can't even wall it effectively. If you brought a physical tank, it hits you specially. If you brought a special tank, it hits you physically.
Strategies that actually worked (and ones that didn't)
Most players hit a brick wall here. If you were under-leveled, you were dead. Even if you were on-level, you were probably still dead.
I remember the forums back when the game launched. People were desperate. Some players tried to use the "Toxic stalling" method. Basically, you send out a Pokemon with the Sturdy ability, use Toxic, and then spend the next five turns frantically using Max Potions and Revives while the poison ticks away at Necrozma’s health. It’s a cheap win, sure, but when a psychic dragon is nuking your childhood favorites, you do what you have to do.
Others leaned into Zoroark. This was a galaxy-brain play. Because Zoroark’s Illusion ability makes it look like the last Pokemon in your party, you could trick Necrozma into using Psychic-type moves (like Photon Geyser) against a Dark-type that is totally immune to them.
- Focus Sash: This became a mandatory item for this fight.
- Mimikyu: Disguise was the only thing standing between a win and a "Game Over" screen for many.
- The Quick Claw: Praying for a priority move was a legitimate strategy for the truly desperate.
It’s rare for a mainline Pokemon game to require this level of tactical thinking. Usually, you can just over-level your starter and "A-button" your way to the credits. Not here. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Necrozma demanded respect.
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The transition from husk to god
What’s wild is how the game handles the transformation. You don't just find Ultra Necrozma in the wild. You have to endure the Dusk Mane or Dawn Wings fights first. By the time you reach the top of that tower, your resources are usually depleted.
The game wants you to feel small.
When Necrozma uses Ultra Burst, it’s using the light it stole from the entire Alola region. It’s a mechanical representation of greed and desperation. The "Z-Move" Light That Burns the Sky is probably the most visually impressive move in the 3DS era, but seeing it usually meant you were about to see your screen fade to black.
Comparing the versions: Sun vs. Moon
There are subtle differences in how you approach the Necrozma encounter based on your version.
In Ultra Sun, you deal with Dusk Mane Necrozma. It’s a Steel/Psychic powerhouse. It’s bulky. It hits like a freight train. In Ultra Moon, you get Dawn Wings, which is Ghost/Psychic. While Ghost has more common weaknesses (looking at you, Sucker Punch), it’s arguably harder to hit because of its special defense.
Regardless of the version, both lead to the same Ultra Necrozma fight. The type changes to Psychic/Dragon. This is a crucial shift. Suddenly, your Fairy-types are relevant, but Necrozma also picks up a weakness to Dragon, Ice, and Bug. The problem? It’s faster than almost every Dragon or Ice type you could possibly have at that point in the game.
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The lasting legacy of the Necrozma era
We haven't really seen a boss like this since. Sword and Shield had Eternamax Eternatus, but that was a scripted raid battle where you had legendary dogs helping you. It felt cinematic, but it wasn't hard. Scarlet and Violet had the Terapagos and the Paradox bosses, which were cool, but they didn't have that "oh no, I'm actually going to lose" aura that Necrozma radiated.
Necrozma represented a peak in Game Freak’s willingness to challenge the player.
It also gave us one of the best pieces of music in the franchise. The theme starts with these sharp, discordant notes that sound like light fracturing. It’s stressful. It’s frantic. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of fighting a creature that is literally falling apart and becoming a god at the same time.
Mastering the Ultra Beast context
Necrozma isn't technically an Ultra Beast, though it shares a lot of their characteristics. It comes from Ultra Space. It has high stats. It looks like it’s made of alien geometry. But it doesn't have the Beast Boost ability. Instead, it has Prism Armor, which reduces the damage it takes from super-effective hits.
Think about how cruel that is.
You finally manage to land a Moonblast or a Crunch on this monster, and the game says, "Actually, that does less damage because of its skin." It forces you to rely on raw power rather than just type advantages. It’s a masterclass in boss design for a turn-based RPG.
Actionable steps for your next Alola run
If you’re dusting off your 3DS to tackle Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Necrozma again, or if you’re playing it for the first time, don't go in blind.
- Grab a Zorua early. You can find them in the tall grass at Trainers' School on Melemele Island. Level it up. Its Illusion ability is the most consistent "cheese" strategy for the Ultra Necrozma fight. Put a Fighting or Poison type in your last slot, and Necrozma will spam Psychic moves against your Dark-type Zoroark till the cows come home.
- Farm for a Focus Sash. You can get one from the Poni Wilds after defeating the dancers. Give it to your strongest hitter. This guarantees you get at least one move off before Necrozma obliterates you.
- Save your Z-Move. Don't waste your Z-Power on the earlier phases of the fight. You need that burst damage the second Ultra Necrozma hits the field. If you can't KO it in two turns, you probably won't KO it at all.
- Utilize "Roto-Boosts." If you’ve been interacting with your Rotom Dex, you should have some Roto-Boost items. Use them. They provide the same +1 stat boosts that Necrozma gets, leveling the playing field.
The Necrozma encounter remains a high-water mark for the series. It proved that Pokemon could be genuinely difficult without being unfair—provided you were willing to think outside the box. It transformed a mid-tier legendary into a cosmic horror icon that still haunts the "nuzlocke" runs of players today. Go in prepared, or don't go in at all.