Bold Nature in Pokemon (+Defense, −Attack)
Bold nature raises Defense by 10% and lowers Attack by 10%. Bold suits physical walls — Pokemon that make full use of the Defense boost and don't miss the lost Attack.
Stat Effect
+10% Defense
−10% Attack
Berry Flavors
Likes: Sour
Dislikes: Spicy
Best For
Physical walls
Pokemon That Actually Run Bold in Competitive
Ranked VGC ladder, June 2026 — these Pokemon's most-used nature is Bold. Data: Smogon usage statistics (ranked ladder).
Best Pokemon for Bold Nature
Picked from popular fully-evolved Pokemon whose base-stat profile fits — a strong Defense to boost, without relying on Attack.
Lugia
Arceus
Dialga
Giratina Altered
Aegislash Shield
Palkia
Reshiram
Suicune
Miraidon
Eternatus
Xerneas
Yveltal
How to Get a Bold Nature
- Everstone breeding — a parent holding an Everstone always passes its nature to offspring.
- Synchronize — leading with a Bold-nature Synchronize Pokemon makes wild encounters share its nature (guaranteed in recent games).
- Mints — in Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet, a Bold Mint changes a Pokemon's stat effects to match Bold (the displayed nature stays the same).
Bold Nature — FAQ
What does Bold nature do in Pokemon?
Bold nature raises Defense by 10% and lowers Attack by 10%. It also makes the Pokemon like Sour flavor and dislike Spicy flavor, which matters for berries like Figy and confusion berries.
Which Pokemon should use a Bold nature?
Bold suits physical walls — Pokemon that make full use of the Defense boost and don't miss the lost Attack. Strong fits include Lugia, Arceus, Dialga, Giratina Altered.
How do I get a Bold nature Pokemon?
Breed with a Bold-nature parent holding an Everstone (guarantees the nature is passed down), lead with a Synchronize Pokemon of that nature when catching, or use a Bold Mint (Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet) to change an existing Pokemon's stat effects.