Pokémon TCG: Top 10 Best Tyranitar of All Time

Today, we'll discuss the best Tyranitar in Pokémon TCG, since the Wizards of the Coast era until today.

10- Dark Tyranitar (Ruby/Sapphire: Team Rocket's Returns)

Both these Tyranitars are relevant because they were part of a specific archetype in the Team Rocket Returns era. Each played a particular role:

Dark Tyranitar TRR 20's ability (or Poké-Body, as it was called at the time), Sand Damage, lets you put a damage counter on each basic enemy Pokémon in between turns, and chip away at them bit by bit.

This effect matches its main attack, Second Strike, which deals an extra 20 damage besides 50 base damage if the Defending Pokémon has at least 2 damage counters. So, you could deal up to 70 damage with it!

As for Dark Tyranitar TRR 19, it was versatile, as it had an attack for every situation:

1) Grind deals damage according to how many energies are attached to Dark Tyranitar.

2) Spinning Tail deals 20 damage to all enemy Pokémon. Keep in mind that you need a Darkness Energy EM 86 to use this attack, which was considered a special energy at the time. It also dealt 10 damage to the active enemy Pokémon.

If you use only one energy, you'll deal 30 damage to the active enemy Pokémon, and 20 damage to all Pokémon on your opponent's bench. However, if you use three Darkness Energy EM 86, you'll deal 50 damage to the active enemy Pokémon and 20 damage to all Pokémon on your opponent's bench.

3) Bite Off, an attack that targeted "Pokémon ex" at the time, deals 70 + 50 damage if your opponent's active Pokémon is a Pokémon ex, so, in all, it deals 120 damage. With two Darkness Energy EM 86 that give you (D)(D)(C)(C)(C), you will deal at least 140 damage!

9- Tyranitar (e-Cards Series: Expedition)

This card stands out because of its ability, Dark Aura, which turns every basic energy attached to Tyranitar into Darkness energies.

Keep in mind that, at the time, Darkness Energy EM 86 was considered a special energy. Its attack, Stamp, uses these energies and thus gets their bonus automatically, but it also deals 50 base damage plus 40 extra damage, which is 90 damage in total. If you hit "heads" when you toss your coin, you'll also deal 10 damage to each Pokémon on your opponent's bench!

8- Tyranitar (Sword/Shield: Pokémon GO)

This Tyranitar from the recent Sword & Shield block showed up in the Pokémon GO set. It deals more damage according to how many damage counters your benched Pokémon have, so it plays better in combo strategies.

In Expanded, the strategy starts with its attack, Earthquake, which deals 180 damage to the opponent's active Pokémon and 20 damage to each of your own benched Pokémon. To use this attack, I strongly recommend you play Hydreigon DAA 110 and its ability, Dark Squall, which is a "Rain Dance" for the Darkness archetype.

Next, use Tyranitar's first attack, Raging Crash, and use the damage counters on your benched Pokémon to deal a lot of damage to the enemy Pokémon.

If you have a Pokémon on your bench with a lot of HP, like Mega Sableye & Tyranitar-GX UNM 126 (280 HP), you can deal up to 270 damage with just a single Pokémon on your bench!

7- Tyranitar (Sun/Moon: Team Up)

This Tyranitar has two incredibly interesting attacks:

- Spinning Tail, which deals 30 damage to each enemy Pokémon.

- Bite Off, which deals 130 + 100 damage to your opponent's Pokémon GX, EX, or ex.

6- Tyranitar ex -Delta Species- (Ruby/Sapphire: Dragon Frontiers)

This Delta Species Tyranitar, an ultra rare Pokémon, stands out because of its attacks, Electromark and Shock-Wave, which are a type of combo. The first attack "marks" any enemy Pokémon, and Shock-Wave knocks out any marked Pokémon automatically!

5- Tyranitar-EX & Mega Tyranitar-EX (X/Y: Ancient Origins)

These two Tyranitar also work together to "deal damage to the board".

Rough and tough at the time, M Tyranitar-EX AOR 43 deals damage according to how many damage counters your opponent's Pokémon have. To deal a lot of damage with it, you'll use Tyranitar-EX AOR 42's second attack, Break Ground, which, besides dealing 130 damage to the opponent's active Pokémon, lets you put 10 damage counters on all Pokémon on their bench.

This is when you'll use M Tyranitar-EX AOR 43's attack, Destroyer King, which deals 110 damage plus 60 damage for each damage counter on enemy Pokémon.

If your opponent's Pokémon have at least 4 damage counters, M Tyranitar-EX AOR 43 will deal 240 extra damage, which adds up to 350 total damage!

To Mega Evolve it without automatically passing your turn, just use Tyranitar Spirit Link AOR 81, which was essential at the time.

4- Tyranitar ex (Ruby/Sapphire: Unseen Forces)

This is one of the most versatile Tyranitars around, as it has four attacks that are great in many situations.

- Shatter: lets you discard any stadium in play.

- Derail: lets you discard any enemy special energy.

- Mix-Up: deals 70 damage and lets you discard the top card in your opponent's deck. With two Darkness Energy EM 86, you can deal 90 damage with it.

- Losing Control: this is a "berserker" attack that deals 120 damage and forces you to discard the top three cards in your deck. You also have to use Darkness Energy EM 86 to deal 140 damage with this attack.

3- Tyranitar ex (Scarlet/Violet: Obsidian Flames)

This Tyranitar ex from the Scarlet/Violet block was turned into an Electric type and stands out because of its attack, Lightning Rampage. It deals 150 damage, but can deal more 100 damage if one of your benched Pokémon has any damage counters, so it can deal up to 250 damage!

Lucario BRS 79, from Brilliant Stars, and its ability, Roaring Resolve are great with it. Roaring Resolve forces you two put 2 damage counters on Lucario, but gives you a Basic Fighting Energy sv1 258 in return.

2- Tyranitar ex (Scarlet/Violet: Start Deck Generations Special Battle Set)

This Tyranitar will be released in November 2024 in Japan, and in 2025 in the west. It is part of the new "Starter Decks".

Its attacks are:

► Evil Crunch (C): deal 50 damage for each energy attached to Tyranitar ex.

► Tyrant Crush (D)(C)(C): deals 150 damage and lets you discard a random card in your opponent's hand.

In Standard, using Evil Crush will be easy because it doesn't require specific energies. On the contrary, it matches Baxcalibur sv2 60's ability, Super Cold, really well. If you attach at least eight Water energies to Tyranitar, you'll deal 400 damage to the opponent's active Pokémon!

In Expanded, Hydreigon DAA 110 is an option for the Darkness archetype.

1- Mega Sableye & Tyranitar-GX (Sun/Moon: Unified Minds)

To finish our list, we have Mega Sableye & Tyranitar-GX UNM 126 and Hydreigon DAA 110, which are a powerful duo in Expanded.

With Greedy Crush, Tyranitar-GX deals 210 damage and gives you an extra Prize card if you knock out a Pokémon GX, EX, or ex. As for its GX attack, Gigafall, it deals 250 damage for (D)(D)(D)(D)(C), and if you hit "heads" when you toss your coin, you'll discard the top 15 cards of your opponent's deck.

Tyranitar-GX (Sun/Moon: Lost Thunder)

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

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!