Pokémon TCG: Top 10 Best Raikou of All Time

Hey, guys!

Today, we'll continue reviewing Pokémon from Johto as we explore this region. Our next stops are Ho-Oh's creations, the legendary beasts Entei, Raikou, and Suicune*.

More specifically, we'll cover Raikou today.

Without further ado, let's go!

10 - Raikou (Diamond/Pearl: Secret Wonders)

We'll start with the Diamond/Pearl block. This Raikou has a powerful ability, Thunder Rumble, which lets us put one damage counter (10 damage) on a benched enemy Pokémon when we attach a Basic Lightning Energy sv1 257 in our hand to Raikou.

Its attack, Thunder Climb, is also interesting: besides dealing 50 base damage, it discards the top three cards in your deck. For each Electric energy you discard this way, it deals an extra 10 damage. You can then attach these energies to your other Pokémon however you like, so it's a way to recharge them.

Unfortunately, you can't use this card in the official Expanded format, but it is valid in a few specific formats like Palace or U150.

9 - Raikou (Sun/Moon: Lost Thunder)

When this Raikou was legal in Standard, back in the Sun/Moon era, it was a key piece in decks that focused on Ampharos LOT 78. This Pokémon, in turn, Paralyzes enemy Pokémon if you put 2 Electric energies in the Lost Zone.

Here's the combo: To use Raikou's main attack, you'll need to put at least one Basic Lightning Energy sv1 257 in the Lost Zone. That's how you'll deal 30 + 90 damage.

After the Sword/Shield: Lost Origin set was released and the Lost Zone mechanic returned, a few other new cards, like Comfey LOR 79 and Mirage Gate LOR 163 brought more possibilities for Expanded. They also made Raikou even more versatile.

8 - Raikou (Sun/Moon: Shining Legends)

Raikou SLG 32 is particularly useful in Expanded and the GLC format. Its attack, Booming Thunder, lets you get one Basic Lightning Energy sv1 257 from the discard pile and attach it to any Pokémon on your bench.

You don't need many energies to use it, and it has a reasonable amount of HP, so this version is practical and efficient, particularly for strategies that rely on support Pokémon to get energies.

7 - "Amazing Rare" Raikou (Sword/Shield: Vivid Voltage)

In 2022's Standard format, this "Amazing Rare" Raikou stood out as an attacker in decks with Lugia VSTAR SIT 139. You could easily get the energies you needed to attack with it with Archeops PR-SW SWSH272 and Aurora Energy SSH 186. This also applies to today's Expanded format.

Its attack, which deals 120 "sniper" damage, is particularly useful against decks that rely on "baby" Pokémon to set up their game plan in the first few turns.

6 - Entei & Raikou "LEGEND" (Heart Gold/Soul Silver: Unleashed)

As we mentioned before in Entei's article, this LEGEND combination is quite powerful.

Remember, you can only play LEGEND cards after you combine their two halves. For this version, you won't even need many energies to use its attack, particularly if you use Emboar PR-BLW BW21 with it.

Detonation Spin deals 90 damage, but forces you to discard one Basic Fire Energy sv3 230 from it.

Thunder Fall deals 80 damage to all Pokémon with Poké-Power in play, including yours.

This card is available in the Legacy format.

5 - Raikou & Suicune "LEGEND" (Heart Gold/Soul Silver: Unleashed)

We have another LEGEND combination. This one focuses on dealing a lot of damage early on with Thunderbolt Spear, which deals 150 damage to the enemy Pokémon and 50 damage to Raikou&Suicune. Then, you can use Aurora Gain to stabilize the game state, as it deals another 50 damage to enemy Pokémon and heals Raikou&Suicune.

This card is also available in the Legacy format.

4 - Rocket's Raikou ex (Ruby/Sapphire: Deoxys)

In our fourth spot, we have Rocket's Raikou ex, a corrupted Raikou controlled by Team Rocket.

Its ability (or Poké-Power), Lightning Burst, is similar to Raikou N3 13 (from the Wizards of the Coast era). When you attach one Darkness energy to Rocket's Raikou ex, you'll be able to force your opponent to move one of their benched Pokémon into the active slot, which is like Boss's Orders RCL 154.

Its attack, Thunderous Bolt, stands out because it deals more damage according to how many Electric energies you attached to it, so it's very efficient in decks that focus on energy acceleration.

3 - Raikou-EX (Black/White: Dark Explorers)

In our third place, we have Raikou-EX, which stood out a lot in Expanded thanks to its synergy with Magnezone FLI 36.

Its main attack, Volt Bolt, deals "sniper" damage, but forces you to discard all Electric energies attached to Raikou. You'll need cards like Superior Energy Retrieval PLF 103 to recycle these energies and keep being aggressive.

2 - Raikou-GX (Sun/Moon: Promo Cards)

In our second place, we have Raikou-GX, which stood out to us thanks to its GX attack, Thunderous Rain. It deals 100 damage to all enemy Pokémon that have energies attached, so it's a devastating answer to fast opponents early on.

To get the energies you need to use this attack as fast as possible, you'll need Magnezone FLI 36. This Pokémon makes this strategy fast and consistent.

1 - Raikou V (Sword/Shield: Brilliant Stars)

In our first spot, we have Raikou V BRS 48, which is similar to the other legendary beasts, Suicune V EVS 31 and Entei V BRS 22. It is slightly different, though, as it has less HP (200) and costs less to retreat (one colorless energy).

Its ability draws you extra cards if it is your active Pokémon. Its attack, on the other side, deals more damage according to how many benched Pokémon are in play, so it's incredibly efficient.

In Standard, this Raikou V is popular in Miradon Box decks, both with Regieleki VMAX SIT 58 and more recent additions, like Iron Hands ex sv4 70 and Pikachu ex SSP 57, from Surging Sparks.

Furthermore, you can use a few tools with it, such as Forest Seal Stone SIT 156, to get more cards from your deck, or Sky Seal Stone CRZ 143, which is perfect against aggressive strategies. It draws you one extra Prize card when you knock out VStar or VMAX Pokémon.

Raikou (Wizards of the Coast Era: Neo Revelation)

What did you think of our list? What would your "Top 10 Best Raikou" list look like? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!