Starting October 2, 2026, Tyranitar is back in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's 7-star Tera Raid Battles, this time with a Ghost Tera Type that rewrites how it fights. The event runs for exactly one week, until October 8 at 11:59 p.m. UTC, and the Pokémon can only be caught once per save file. Here's what matters before you jump into a black crystal.
Why this Ghost Tera Tyranitar hits differently
Under normal rules, Rock/Dark Tyranitar takes quadruple damage from Fighting-type moves, historically the fastest way to take it down. Terastallizing into the Ghost type removes that problem entirely. For the duration of the fight, Tyranitar becomes a pure Ghost type defensively, which cancels its Fighting weakness and makes Fighting moves completely useless against it.
The rest of its spec sheet doesn't let up either: level 100, an Adamant nature pushing its Attack stat even higher at the cost of Special Attack, the Sand Stream ability, and a moveset built for close-range punishment, Stone Edge, Crunch, Earthquake and Shadow Claw, with Focus Energy and Dragon Dance thrown in mid-battle to boost its crit rate and stats further.
Dates and access: only until October 8
The raid runs from Friday, October 2, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. UTC through Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. UTC, inside 7-star black crystals scattered across Paldea. Those crystals only appear once you've progressed far enough into the postgame; if yours hasn't unlocked yet, you can still join the fight online or locally through another trainer who already has access. You'll need the latest Poké Portal News update via Mystery Gift for the event crystal to show up on the map at all.
This event lands in the middle of a busy month for Scarlet and Violet. For the card side of things, our article on the Scarlet and Violet Black Bolt & White Flare expansion covers what's new for collectors this October.
The best Pokémon to beat it
With its Fighting weakness gone, two reliable angles of attack remain: Ghost and Dark moves, both of which still hurt Tyranitar even under its new typing. Four names keep coming up in teams that clear this raid:
| Pokémon | Type | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Crawdaunt | Water / Dark | Hits with super-effective Dark STAB, and Shell Armor keeps it safe from the critical hits that hurt most against this Tyranitar |
| Krookodile | Ground / Dark | Resists Rock, Dark and Ghost all at once, so it shrugs off nearly everything Tyranitar throws back |
| Kingambit | Dark / Steel | Shares that same resistance profile while hitting back hard |
| Annihilape | Fighting / Ghost | Its Ghost-type moves deal real damage, and its bulk makes up for Fighting STAB being useless here |
The real danger isn't the type matchup, it's Tyranitar's raw Attack stat and its boosted critical-hit rate once Focus Energy kicks in. Bringing along a Pokémon with Intimidate or Pressure helps the team absorb the opening turns while everyone else sets up.
What the raid rewards
Every clear hands out Exp. Candy L and XL, Protein, and a generous stack of Ghost Tera Shards for Terastallizing other team members down the line. The host also walks away with TM061 and an Ability Patch, two items that don't show up every day. Tyranitar itself can only be caught once per save file, but nothing stops you from running the raid again afterward purely for the item drops: its shiny rate is locked at zero, so there's no point hunting for a special-colored version.
A comeback, not a debut: what's changed since March 2025
This Ghost Tera Tyranitar isn't new: the exact same build already ran in late March and early April 2025, during an earlier wave of 7-star raids. The Pokémon Company has made a habit of bringing these "Mighty" event Pokémon back in later waves, giving players who missed the first run another shot. If you already caught one in 2025, you won't be able to catch a second this time, but you can still fight the raid for the rewards.
Tyranitar belongs to that short list of pseudo-legendary Pokémon that competitive players and raiders alike treat with real caution. In that same spirit, the Dragonite LED Pokéball on a wood stand pays tribute to another pseudo-legendary that commands the same respect the moment it steps onto the field.
FAQ: Ghost Tera Tyranitar
Can I join this raid without having unlocked 7-star black crystals myself?
Yes. As long as another player in your online or local session has already unlocked black crystals, you can join their raid and get the same rewards, including the catch if you've never had one before.
I already caught it in 2025, can I try again for a better one?
No. The catch is limited to once per save file, even across separate runs of the same event. You can, however, keep battling the raid as many times as you like for the item rewards.
Does the Ghost Tera Type stay on the Pokémon after I catch it?
Yes, the Tyranitar you catch keeps its Ghost Tera Type outside the raid. You can use it to Terastallize into Ghost in your own battles, which is genuinely rare for a Pokémon that's normally Rock and Dark.
Do I need an internet connection just to see the black crystal appear?
Yes, at least once: you need to download the latest Poké Portal News through Mystery Gift before the event crystal shows up anywhere on the Paldea map.
Why bring an Intimidate Pokémon instead of just a Ghost or Dark resist?
Because the main threat isn't the type of Tyranitar's attacks, it's their sheer power combined with a high critical-hit rate once Focus Energy is up. Lowering its Attack reduces damage even on turns where it lands a lucky crit.
Is there any chance this Tyranitar is shiny?
No, the shiny rate for this event is fixed at zero, as is standard for raids that hand out a special Mark. There's no point re-running the battle hoping for one.
Watch the raid breakdown on the Ser J.K. Gardellade YouTube channel
While you've still got until October 8 to try your luck, the Rayquaza LED Pokéball on a wood stand and the rest of the light-up Pokéball collection stay at 29.99 € per model, for Pokémon that still command attention long after they leave the screen.
Image credits: official Pokédex artwork from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet via pokemondb.net, event banner via Serebii.net, video thumbnail via the Ser J.K. Gardellade YouTube channel. Game and artwork © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK / The Pokémon Company. Sources: serebii.net, pokemonblog.com, dotesports.com, game8.co.
