Iron Leaves is a Pokemon Violet exclusive Legendary that acts as a futuristic counterpart to Virizion, and players can only encounter this Pokemon during limited-time Tera Raid events. While the two other members of the Swords of Justice also have paradox counterparts, Iron Leaves is the only one available through raids. Here is how to defeat 5-Star Iron Leaves.
Iron Leaves Weaknesses & Moveset
Even though Iron Leaves has “iron” in its name, players don’t have to worry about Steel-type moves. Instead, Virizion takes on a pure Psychic-type and uses Psychic, Bug, and Grass-type moves. This means, players will want to use Bug, Ghost, or Dark-type moves to deal maximum damage.
That said, we recommend you avoid taking Dark-type Pokemon into battle, as Iron Leaves’ Megahorn move is super effective against Dark-types. To be safe, we think Ghost-type Pokemon are the best bets as they are strong against Psychic types and resist damage from Bug-type moves.
| Pokemon | Level | Moves | Ability | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Iron Leaves | 75 | Psyblade  Leaf Blade  Megahorn  Swords Dance  Electric Terrain  | Quark Drive | Psychic (Tera) |
Iron Leaves is a physical attacker, so it will likely use Swords Dance to boost its Attack stat. Electric Terrain will activate Quark Drive, so it may be worth Taunting Iron Leaves at the start of combat to avoid any unnecessary buffing on its part.
Best Iron Leaves Counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Below are three Pokemon we think are the absolute best when taking down Iron Leaves. Some of these are Pokemon that players often use in raid events, so you may already have them on hand.
Annihilape
Yes, Annihilape is part Fighting-type, which is vulnerable to Psychic attacks, but if you can survive a couple of hits and charge up your Tera Orb, Annihilape can become a Tera Ghost Type and get rid of that issue. After that, the fight becomes a breeze.
Use Rage Fist over and over while tanking hits. Each attack you land will restore your health (thanks to Shell Bell), and every attack they land will increase the damage of Rage Fist. Pair this damage with the buff from Terastalizing, and you’ll whittle Iron Leaves down in no time.
| Pokemon | Level | Moves | Held Item | Ability | Nature | EVs & IVs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Annihilape | 100 | Rage Fist Screech Close Combat | Shell Bell | Defiant | Adamant | HP & Attack |
Kingambit
I know Kingambit goes against our “no Dark-type disclaimer,” but its dual Steel typing makes up for it. It’s immune to Psyblade, takes decreased damage from Leaf Blade, and takes normal damage from Megahorn. The catch is, you cannot Terastalize into a pure Dark-type or you’ll risk getting knocked out immediately.
For Kingambit, we like to set up our damage with Swords Dance. Use this three times to max out your attack stat and then use Kowtow Cleave. You can sneak in moves like X-Scissor, but they won’t deal as much damage.
| Pokemon | Level | Moves | Held Item | Ability | Nature | EVs & IVs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kingambit | 100 | Swords Dance Kowtow Cleave X-Scissor | Shell Bell | Defiant | Adamant | HP & Attack |
Gholdengo
Gholdengo has been a Raid favorite for many, and it’s once again one of the best Pokemon you can bring to Iron Leaves fights. Its Steel/Ghost typing makes it resist all of Iron Leaves’ attacks, and its moveset helps it perform well in an attacker and a supportive role.
Shadow Ball is a great damage-dealing move, and it gets even stronger if you Terastalize into a Ghost-type. Nasty Plot can be used to raise your own Special Attack, and Metal Sound can be used early and after the shield breaks to lower Iron Leaves’ defense. We like to use a Shell Bell to consistently recover HP, but you can also opt for Recover if you’re in a pinch.
| Pokemon | Level | Moves | Held Item | Ability | Nature | EVs & IVs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gholdengo | 100 | Shadow Ball Metal Sound Nasty Plot Recover | Shell Bell | Good As Gold | Modest | HP & Special Attack |
And that’s all you need to know about defeating Iron Leaves in 5-star Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids. They shouldn’t offer much of a challenge, especially if you stick with the recommended Pokemon.
