Absol
Dark
Best attacking moveset: Snarl and Brutal Swing, worth 14.4 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Absol can learn 10 combinations. Snarl with Brutal Swing does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Brutal Swing is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Absol you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Snarl and Payback, worth 13.2 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psycho Cut | Psychic | 4 | 0.5s | +7 |
| Snarl | Dark | 11 | 1.0s | +13 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Pulse | Dark | 80 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Megahorn | Bug | 105 | 2.0s | -100 |
| Payback | Dark | 95 | 2.0s | -100 |
| Thunder | Electric | 100 | 2.5s | -100 |
| Brutal Swing Legacy | Dark | 65 | 2.0s | -33 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Absol has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, photobomb.
Other forms
Numbers
| Max CP | 2,856 at level 50, 2,526 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,443 CP at level 20, or 1,805 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,370 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 246 attack · 120 defense · 163 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 75,000 Stardust and 75 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 5 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 5,000 Stardust and 5 Candy |
| Size | 1.2 m and 47 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Absol does not have one best moveset, it has 5. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Ghost, Psychic, Grass.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 23.1 |
| Psychic | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 23.1 |
| Grass | Snarl + Megahorn | 16.4 |
| Snarl + Thunder | 15.1 | |
| Water | Snarl + Thunder | 15.1 |
| Poison | Psycho Cut + Brutal Swing | 14.7 |
| Normal | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Ground | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Rock | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Bug | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Steel | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Fire | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Electric | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Ice | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Dragon | Snarl + Brutal Swing | 14.4 |
| Dark | Snarl + Megahorn | 14.0 |
| Fighting | Psycho Cut + Thunder | 11.9 |
| Fairy | Psycho Cut + Thunder | 10.5 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Absol is actually for.
Counters: what beats Absol
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lucario | FightingSteel | Force Palm + Aura Sphere Legacy | 45.7 |
 Pheromosa | BugFighting | Bug Bite + Focus Blast | 44.4 |
 Kartana | GrassSteel | Fury Cutter + Sacred Sword | 43.5 |
 Terrakion | RockFighting | Double Kick + Sacred Sword Legacy | 41.7 |
 Blaziken | FireFighting | Counter + Aura Sphere | 41.3 |
 Enamorus | Fairy | Fairy Wind + Dazzling Gleam | 38.6 |
 Conkeldurr | Fighting | Force Palm + Focus Blast | 38.1 |
 Keldeo | WaterFighting | Low Kick + Sacred Sword | 37.8 |
 Breloom | GrassFighting | Force Palm + Dynamic Punch | 37.6 |
 Urshifu | Fighting | Counter + Dynamic Punch | 37.3 |
Ranked by damage per second against Absol's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.