Pokémon Sword and Shield: All Abilities and Hidden Abilities

There are hundreds of Abilities and Hidden Abilities within the Pokémon RPGs. However, only some of them appear in Sword and Shield. Here's a list of every Ability and Hidden Ability in Gen 8, a description of what it does, what overworld effects it has, and a list of which Pokémon from Sword and Shield have the chance of learning it. Note that Hidden Abilities are rare, you'll only find Pokémon with a Hidden Ability via Gigantamax Raids, or if you get lucky enough to have someone trade one to you. Additionally, it should be noted that while most Abilities are helpful, some Abilities cause problems for the user. Here's a complete list of all Abilities and Hidden Abilities found in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

• Adaptability
• Aftermath
• Analytic
• Anger Point
• Anticipation
• Arena Trap
• Aroma Veil
• Ball Fetch
• Battery
• Battle Armor
• Berserk
• Big Pecks
• Blaze
• Bulletproof
• Chlorophyll
• Clear Body
• Cloud Nine
• Competitive
• Compound Eyes
• Contrary
• Cotton Down
• Cursed Body
• Cute Charm
• Damp
• Dauntless Shield
• Defiant
• Disguise
• Drizzle
• Drought
• Dry Skin

A-D

In general, Abilities and Hidden Abilities are helpful effects that automatically happen in battle and sometimes in the overworld. However, some Abilities and Hidden Abilities are not useful. Here are all of the Abilities and Hidden Abilities from A through D.

Adaptability

Powers up moves of the same type as the Pokémon from 1.5 to 2.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as an Ability:

• Eevee
• Basculin

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Corphish
• Crawdaunt
• Feebas

Aftermath

Damages the attacker by 1/4 of its total HP if it contacts the Pokémon with a finishing hit.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as an Ability:

• Drifloon
• Drifblim
• Stunky
• Skuntank

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Trubbish
• Garbodor
• Gigantamax Garbodor

Analytic

Boosts a moves attack power by 30% when the Pokémon is the last one to attack during a turn.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as an Ability:

• Elgyem
• Beheeyem

Anger Point

When a critical hit damages a Pokémon with Anger Point, its Attack stat is maxed.

Overworld effect: None

Anticipation

The Pokémon can sense an opposing Pokémon's dangerous moves like 1-hit KOs or super-effective attacks.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this ability:

• Barboach
• Whiscash
• Croagunk
• Toxicroak
• Hatenna
• Hattrem
• Hatterene

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Galarian Ponyta
• Galarian Rapidash
• Eevee
• Gigantamax Eevee
• Ferrothorn

Arena Trap

Prevents opposing Pokémon from fleeing or switching out. However, a Pokemon with the Levitate Ability aren't affected. Additionally, a Pokémon that knows Baton Pass can swap out, but the Pokémon it switches with will be stuck.

Overworld effect: If the Pokémon is in the lead spot, the chances of encountering a wild Pokémon increase to 200%.

Pokémon that can have this ability:

• Diglett
• Dugtrio
• Trapinch

Aroma Veil

Protects itself and its allies from attacks that limit their move choices.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Spritzee
• Aromatisse
• Milcery
• Alcremie
• Gigantamax Alecremie

Ball Fetch

A Pokémon with Ball Fetch will fetch the first failed Poké Ball thrown at a wild Pokémon if it isn't already holding an item.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Yamper

Battery

When a Pokémon with Battery is in battle, the power of its allies' special moves increases by 30%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Charjabug

Battle Armor

Battle Armor provides a Pokémon with hard armor that protects it from critical hits.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Perrserker
• Falinks
• Type: Null
• Skorupi
• Drapion

Berserk

When a Pokémon knows Berserk, their Special Attack raises by one stage whenever their HP drops below half.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Drampa

Big Pecks

This ability prevents other Pokémon from lowering the Defense of the Pokémon that has this Ability. However, it doesn't prevent the Pokemon from lowering its own Defense. This ability doesn't affect Pokémon with the Ability, Mold Breaker.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Pidove
• Tranquill
• Unfezant
• Vullaby
• Mandibuzz
• Rookidee
• Corvisquire

Blaze

When a Pokémon with the Blaze Ability uses a Fire-type move, that move's power is increased by 50% if the user has less than or equal to half of its maximum HP remaining.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Charmander
• Charmeleon
• Charizard
• Scorbunny
• Raboot
• Cinderace

Bulletproof

This Ability protects the Pokémon from ball and bomb moves.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Jangmo-o
• Hakamo-o
• Kommo-o

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Wooloo
• Dubwool
• Applin

Cheek Pouch

A Pokémon with Cheek Pouch will regain 33% of their maximum HP after consuming a Berry.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Bunnelby
• Diggersby
• Skwovet
• Greedent

Chlorophyll

When the weather is harsh sunlight, the Speed stat of Pokémon with this Ability is doubled.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Oddish
• Gloom
• Vileplume
• Bellossom
• Seedot
• Nuzleaf
• Shiftry
• Maractus

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Leafeon
• Cottonee
• Whimsicott

Clear Body

This Ability prevents stat reduction caused by other Pokémon's moves and Abilities. However, it doesn't prevent the Pokémon with the Ability from lowering its own stats.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Dreepy
• Drakloak
• Dragapult

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Klink
• Klang
• Klinklang

Cloud Nine

When a Pokémon with Cloud Nine is in battle, all effects of weather are negated; however, the weather itself does not disappear.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Drampa

Competitive

When the stat of a Pokémon that has this Ability is lowered by an opponent, its Special Attack increases by two. However, this Ability doesn't take effect if a Pokémon lowers its own stats.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Milotic
• Gothita
• Gothorita
• Gothitelle

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Boltund
• Meowstic

Compound Eyes

The moves of a Pokémon with this Ability have increased accuracy by a factor of 1.3.

Overworld effect: If a Pokémon with this Ability is the first in your party, it increases the likelihood of finding a wild Pokémon holding an item.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Butterfree
• Venonat
• Nincada
• Joltik
• Blipbug
• Dottler

Contrary

A Pokémon with this Ability is affected inversely when it comes to stat changes. For example, an opponent's move that would decrease stats of the Pokémon with the Ability would increase them instead, and a move that would increase stats would decrease them. However, if an attacking Pokémon knows the Ability, Mold Breaker, then Contrary won't take effect.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Inkay
• Malamar

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Shuckle

Cotton Down

If a Pokémon with Cotton Down is hit by a damaging move, the other Pokémon in battle decrease in Speed by one stage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Gossifleur
• Eldegoss

Cursed Body

When an opposing Pokémon's move damages a Pokémon with this Ability, there's a 30% chance that that move will be disabled for four turns.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Corsola
• Frillish
• Jellicent
• Froslass

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Sinistea
• Polteageist
• Dreepy
• Drakloak
• Dragapult

Cute Charm

When a Pokémon comes in contact with a Pokémon that has Cute Charm, there's a 30% chance the attacking Pokémon will become infatuated if it's the opposite gender of the Pokémon with the Ability.

Overworld effect: If a Pokémon with this Ability is the first in your party, there's a 66.7% chance that you'll encounter a wild Pokémon of the opposite gender.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Cleffa
• Clefairy
• Clefable
• Minccino
• Cinccino
• Sylveon

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Milotic
• Stufful

Damp

This Ability prevents Pokémon from using Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Mind Blown in battle. If a Pokémon with the Ability Aftermath faints, it prevents the opposing Pokémon from fainting.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Wooper
• Quagsire

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Frillish
• Jellicent

Dauntless Shield

When a Pokémon with Dauntless Shield enters a battle, its Defense stat increases by one stage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Zamazenta

Defiant

When a Pokémon with this Ability gets its stats lowered by an opposing Pokémon, the Pokémon with the Ability has its Attack increased by two stages. Defiant won't come into effect if a Pokémon lowers its own stats.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Pawniard
• Bisharp

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Farfetch'd
• Braviary
• Passimian
• Obstagoon
• Falinks

Disguise

When the Pokémon is in Disguise Form, Disguise prevents the Pokémon from taking damage by another Pokémon's attack or when the Pokémon hits itself in confusion. However, it then turns into its Busted Form and loses 1/8 of its total HP.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Mimikyu

Drizzle

A Pokémon with this Ability summons rain in battle for five turns. This boosts the effects of Water-type moves by 50% and decreases the effects of Solar Beam and Fire-type moves by 50%. However, if heavy rain, extremely harsh sunlight, or strong winds are the current weather, then this Ability will not activate.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Pelipper

Drought

When a Pokémon that knows Drought enters a battle, it summons harsh sunlight.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Torkoal

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

• Vulpix
• Ninetales

Dry Skin

When weather conditions are at harsh sunlight, a Pokémon with this Ability loses 1/8 of its maximum HP at the end of each turn. When weather conditions are rain, a Pokémon with this Ability regains 1/8 of its maximum HP at the end of each turn. Additionally, Fire-type moves do 25% more damage to a Pokémon with Dry Skin. Inversely, Water-type moves restore HP.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

• Croagunk
• Toxicroak
• Heloptile
• Heliolisk