Thundurus Therian

Using Thundurus Therian in a Playthrough

Thundurus is an Electric/Flying Legendary with two interchangeable formes controlled by the Reveal Glass. Incarnate Forme has base 125 Special Attack, 115 Attack, and 111 Speed, while Prankster gives +1 priority to status moves and the Hidden Ability Defiant raises Attack by two stages whenever an opponent lowers one of its stats. Thunderbolt or Thunder, Wildbolt Storm in later games, Volt Switch, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Psychic, Nasty Plot, Thunder Wave, Taunt, and Rain Dance give it both offensive and support roles. Therian Forme shifts power into base 145 Special Attack while lowering Speed to 101 and gains Volt Absorb, which grants a complete Electric immunity and restores one-quarter of maximum HP when struck by an Electric move. Both formes are immune to Ground and resist Bug, Fighting, Flying, Grass, and Steel, but are weak to Ice and Rock and take significant damage from Stealth Rock. Timid is usually ideal for special sets, while Incarnate can also support mixed or Defiant-oriented strategies.

Thundurus Therian in Competitive Pokémon

Incarnate Thundurus was powerful enough to be removed from standard BW OU and is currently classified in Ubers for the generation. Base 111 Speed, base 125 Special Attack, Nasty Plot, strong Electric coverage, and Prankster Thunder Wave or Taunt made it simultaneously a threatening sweeper and an emergency speed-control Pokemon; it was also one of the most dominant support Pokemon in VGC 2011 and VGC 2012. Therian Thundurus entered BW2 with a different identity: base 145 Special Attack, base 101 Speed, Volt Absorb, Agility, Nasty Plot, U-turn, Thunder, and Focus Blast made it one of BW OU's strongest offensive Electric-types without Prankster's utility. Later generations preserved the distinction, with Incarnate leaning toward disruptive offense and Therian toward raw special power and Electric immunity. Both formes remain constrained by mediocre 79/70/80 bulk and a Stealth Rock weakness.

Thundurus Therian in Nuzlockes

If Legendary Pokemon are allowed under the run's rules, either Thundurus forme can contribute immediately because of high Speed, strong special offense, and a Ground immunity. Incarnate Forme is especially safe for utility because Prankster Thunder Wave or Taunt can act before nearly every ordinary opponent, reducing the chance that a dangerous setup strategy gets out of control. Therian Forme's Volt Absorb creates an additional complete immunity and can heal it on a predicted Electric attack, while its base 145 Special Attack makes clean knockouts easier. Rock and Ice coverage remain the major threats, and Stealth Rock can remove a quarter of Thundurus's HP on entry. Thunderbolt is generally safer than Thunder outside rain, while Timid helps both formes rely on moving first instead of their mediocre defenses.

Therian Thundurus takes on a sleek, dragon- or serpent-like body and is suspected to represent the species' true form, revealed through the Reveal Glass. It can fire thunderbolts from its tail powerful enough to annihilate foes and can move so quickly that it seems to appear without warning. In this form it travels over oceans while searching for regions in which to reside. The Therian form is also associated with the mysterious Interdream Zone.