Pokémon GO Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta 2025 Guide

A new era of legendary power has arrived: discover how to unlock the formidable Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go, two mythic forms that require more than just a lucky raid encounter-master special moves, rare Energies, and time-limited transformations to claim these crown jewels for your team.

Unlike previous special Legendary Pokémon that use energy, these are not fusions. You don’t need two Pokémon to get a Crowned version or anything like that. You just need a Zacian or Zamazenta, as well as their respective energy.

You can also turn any previously caught Zacian or Zamazenta into their new shiny forms, as long as they know the right move.

Below we explain how to get Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go, as well as how their Adventure Effects work, along with other information we have on these two powerful Legendaries.

How to get Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go

To get Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go, you first need to catch their Hero of Many Battles forms by winning 5-star raids during events like Pokémon GO Fest 2025. Then, teach them the Charged Attack Iron Head using a Charged TM. After that, collect 1,000 units of Crowned Sword Energy for Zacian or Crowned Shield Energy for Zamazenta, which can be earned by completing special research, winning raids with the crowned forms, or attending in-person GO Fest events. Feeding the respective energy to the Pokémon transforms them into their powerful Crowned forms, changing their signature moves to Behemoth Blade for Zacian and Behemoth Bash for Zamazenta. Once transformed, you can switch between the base and Crowned forms freely without needing more energy.

To turn your Hero of Many Battles Zacian and Zamazenta into their Crowned versions, you will need to do the following:

To get Crowned Sword Zacian, you’ll need to have a Zacian that knows the move Iron Head, 1,000 Crowned Sword Energy, and 30 Zacian Candy.
To get Crowned Shield Zamazenta, you’ll need to have a Zamazenta that knows the move Iron Head, 1,000 Crowned Shield Energy, and 30 Zamazenta Candy.

Once you have these items, you can just select the “change form” button on the Pokémon’s respective information screen to turn them. The move Iron Head will turn into their respective specialty moves, Behemoth Blade or Behemoth Bash.

To get the Crowned Energy, you’ll need to take on raids for the respective energy and Pokémon (and you can grab a handful by redeeming some codes). As you’d expect, you get Crowned Sword Energy from Zacian and Crowned Shield Energy from Zamazenta. Zamazenta will be in raids on Saturday, June 28 and Zacian will be in raids on Sunday, June 29. The ticketed event Special Research for Go Fest Global 2025 also gives you enough energy to upgrade either Zacian or Zamazenta, depending on which branching choice you make.

Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta Adventure Effects, explained

Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta introduce powerful new Adventure Effects in Pokémon GO that enhance your gameplay during raids and Max Battles. When Zacian is in its Crowned Sword form, its Charged Attack Iron Head transforms into Behemoth Blade, which can be activated using 5,000 Stardust and 5 Zacian Candy to boost your Pokémon’s attack stats by 10% in regular raids (5% in Max Raids) for six minutes. Similarly, Crowned Shield Zamazenta’s Iron Head changes to Behemoth Bash, which, when activated with the same cost in Stardust and Zamazenta Candy, increases your Pokémon’s defense stats for the same duration. These effects provide strategic advantages by strengthening offensive or defensive capabilities, making battles more dynamic and rewarding during the Pokémon GO Fest 2025 and beyond.

Yes, these Pokémon are super strong and they also have Adventure Effects. Unlike previous Adventure Effects (like Origin Forme Dialga and Palkia’s) that only affect things outside of battle, Zacian and Zamazenta effects power you up in battle.

Crowned Sword Zacian knows Behemoth Blade, which strengthens your Pokémon’s attacks in raids and Max Battles for six minutes.
Crowned Shield Zamazenta knows Behemoth Bash, which strengthens your Pokémon’s defense in raids and Max Battles for six minutes.

These are pretty straight-forward effects, thankfully. According to datamines, Behemoth Blade boosts attack by 10% in raids and 5% in Max Battles. Similarly, Behemoth Bash boosts defense by 10% in raids and 5% in Max Battles.

Both effects cost 5,000 Stardust and five Zacian or Zamazenta Candy to activate. You can extend the duration of the timers on these effects by spending the aforementioned amount of resources to make it last up to 24 hours total.

Can you revert Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta to their original forms?

You can revert Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta back to their original Hero of Many Battles forms at any time in Pokémon Go. Simply visit the Pokémon’s storage page and select the “Change Form” button again; no additional Crowned Sword or Crowned Shield Energy is required after the initial transformation. This allows you to freely switch between forms, as long as you have already completed the first form change on that specific Zacian or Zamazenta.

Unlike previous energy-using Legendary Pokémon (like Kyurem or Necrozma), you can revert your Crowned doggies back into their Hero of Many Battles form freely without worrying about energy cost. Once you initially turn them into their Crowned Forms, you can swap back and forth with no extra cost.

That being said, there isn’t too much of a reason to do this, as the Crowned Form versions are much stronger than the meager Hero of Many Battles forms, but. it’s nice to have the option!

What else do we know about Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta?

Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta are among the most powerful Legendary Pokémon currently available in Pokémon Go. Both feature dual Fairy/Steel (Zacian) and Fighting/Steel (Zamazenta) typings, granting significant resistances and unique vulnerabilities-most notably, both are weak to Fire and Ground-type moves. Crowned Sword Zacian stands out as a top-tier Steel attacker, capable of reaching a maximum CP of 5629 with attack stats placing it among the very best for raids and Master League battles. Its signature move, Behemoth Blade, and Zamazenta’s Behemoth Bash both provide impressive DPS and feature unique raid adventure effects. These forms require a special transformation from their base “Hero of Many Battles” mode using 1,000 Crowned Energy and the Iron Head move as a prerequisite; once changed, their signature attacks become available. Both also have shiny forms, making them especially desirable additions for collectors and competitive players.

Yes, both Zacian and Zamazenta can be shiny!

Both of these very strong dogs can be used in Max Battles, despite the fact that they are not Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon.
As per usual with Adventure Effects, you can only have one active at once – which means you cannot stack both Zacian and Zamazenta’s, nor can you throw White Kyurem’s or Origin Forme Dialga’s into the mix.
Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta cannot be transferred to Pokémon Home. You’ll need to revert them to their Hero of Many Battles forms to do so.

Did you finish that already? There’s still more to do for Pokémon Go Fest 2025. Check out our rotating habitat schedule guide to see when you can find certain critters.

What secret strategies will help me defeat Crowned Sword Zacian and Zamazenta

To defeat Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta in Pokémon Go raids, deploy Pokémon that exploit their specific weaknesses and use the most efficient counters for consistent wins.

For Crowned Sword Zacian (Fairy/Steel-type):

Weaknesses: Fire and Ground.
Top Counters: Use strong Fire- or Ground-type attackers such as Mega Blaziken, Reshiram (with Fire Fang/Overheat), Metagross (with Ground moves if available), Excadrill, Groudon, and Chandelure. Mega Gengar and Mega Beedrill also contribute with boosted Ghost/Poison-type damage in group settings. Prioritize Fire-type Megas and Pokémon for damage and potential XL Candy boosts.

For Crowned Shield Zamazenta (Fighting/Steel-type):

Weaknesses: Psychic, Flying, Fairy, Fire, and Ground (with Fire and Psychic being most effective).
Top Counters: Use powerful Psychic-types such as Mewtwo (with Psystrike), Mega Alakazam, Gardevoir, Hoopa Unbound, and Lunala. Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Reshiram are also extremely effective. Mega Steelix or Mega Aggron can boost Steel-type rewards if you are farming XL candy, but are less optimal for pure raiding speed.

Secret strategies and advanced tips:

Energy Management: Farm extra energy on your charge moves for “catch swaps” and unexpected switches during PvP or tougher raids.
Shield Usage: Both legendaries hit hard-coordinate with your team to use shields at critical times, especially to absorb charged moves like Behemoth Blade or Behemoth Bash.
Team Size: For raid-style battles, ensure you have at least six trainers with top-tier counters at level 30+ for a reliable victory over Zamazenta; fewer trainers may suffice for Zacian if well-prepared.
In PvP: Zacian excels as an aggressive attacker and can triple-resist Dragons. Zamazenta is bulkier and can outlast many threats, making the right alignment and timing key. Moves like Close Combat can be strategically used then followed by a quick switch to reset debuffs and maintain initiative.

Optimizing Rewards:

Use appropriate Mega Evolutions not only for higher damage but for increased XL Candy drops of the Pokémon type you’re targeting in raids (e.g., Mega Gengar for Psychic and Ghost boosts, Mega Charizard Y for Fire).

Avoid These Mistakes:

Don’t bring Dragon, Grass, Ice, Bug, Dark, Rock, Normal, or Steel attackers against either; both have resistances that render these types ineffective.

These strategies, when paired with well-coordinated teams and strong counters, maximize your odds of defeating both Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta in raids and PvP.

What Pokémon with specific moves best counters Zacian and Zamazenta

The best counters for Zacian and Zamazenta in Pokémon Go depend on their Crowned forms and typing, requiring specific Pokémon with effective movesets:

Crowned Sword Zacian (Fairy/Steel-type) Best Counters:

Primal Groudon with Mud Shot & Precipice Blades (Ground).
Mega Charizard Y with Fire Spin & Blast Burn/Overheat (Fire).
Shadow Heatran with Fire Spin & Magma Storm (Fire).
Mega Garchomp with Mud Shot & Earth Power (Ground).
Shadow Chandelure with Fire Spin & Overheat (Fire).
Reshiram with Fire Fang & Fusion Flare/Overheat (Fire).
Excadrill with Metal Claw & Iron Head (Steel).
Metagross with Bullet Punch & Meteor Mash (Steel).
Mega Gengar with Shadow Claw & Sludge Bomb (Poison/Ghost for group).

Crowned Shield Zamazenta (Fighting/Steel-type) Best Counters:

Mewtwo with Psycho Cut & Psystrike (Psychic).
Mega Alakazam with Confusion & Psychic (Psychic).
Gardevoir with Confusion & Psychic (Psychic).
Hoopa Unbound with Confusion & Psychic (Psychic).
Lunala with Confusion & Psychic (Psychic).
Shadow Moltres with Wing Attack & Sky Attack (Flying).
Mega Pidgeot with Gust & Brave Bird (Flying).

Optimal Move and Pokémon Combinations:

Focus on high-powered Fire- or Ground-type attackers for Zacian, and Psychic-, Flying-, or Fire-types for Zamazenta.
Mega evolutions like Mega Charizard Y and Mega Alakazam provide both damage and type boosts for raid rewards.

Avoid using Dragon, Bug, Dark, Rock, Grass, Normal, or Ice types, which are largely ineffective due to dual resistances.

These specific Pokémon/move combinations are currently the strongest options according to top raid and strategy guides as of summer 2025.