Zapdos

Zapdos is one of the strongest special attackers in the UU tier, and one glance at its stats should tell you why. An enormous base 125 Special Attack makes Zapdos hit like a truck, and base 100 Speed allows it to outspeed many of the common attackers in the UU tier such as Darmanitan, Heracross, and Nidoking. Furthermore, Zapdos has outstanding versatility, being able to run solid offensive, defensive, and Choice sets. Very few Pokemon are safe from Zapdos's wrath since the electric fury can attack with nearly perfect coverage in just Thunderbolt, Heat Wave, and a Hidden Power of choice.

Unfortunately, Zapdos has its limitations. For starters, the dedicated special walls of UU, such as Umbreon and Snorlax, have no problem shrugging off even Zapdos's most powerful attacks and recovering away the damage. Also, even with Hidden Power, Zapdos will still be walled by certain Ground-type Pokemon. UU's other Electric-type powerhouse, Raikou, defeats Zapdos one-on-one and often uses Zapdos as a set-up opportunity. Finally, Zapdos loses 25% of its health just by switching into Stealth Rock, but at least has the benefit of being immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Despite its shortcomings, Zapdos is a very powerful special attacker in the UU tier and a threat that every team needs to prepare for.