Should you evolve Cosmoem into Solgaleo or Lunala in Pokémon Go?

When you have a Cosmoem, the next step is to choose between evolving it into a Solgaleo or a Lunala.

Cosmeom, a blue and purple orb surrounded by a gold cage.
Image via Niantic

Cosmoem is the second evolution of Cosmog, and it has two distinct final evolutions you can pick from in Pokémon Go: Solgaleo and Lunala. Deciding between these two Legendary Pokémon can be tough, and there are stark differences between the two.

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These differences offer unique bonuses for both choices. While you will eventually want to catch them both at least once to add them to your Pokédex, knowing which one to go for first can be challenging. Is one stronger than the other? Is one easier to use? There are a lot of questions you may need to ask before you make this decision. Here’s a full breakdown of whether you should evolve Cosmoem into Solgaleo or Lunala in Pokémon Go.

Is it better to evolve Cosmoem into Solgaleo or Lunala in Pokémon Go?

Dusk Mane Necrozma in Pokemon Go, an angular lion-like creature colored black and yellow.
A powerful fusion form features Solgaleo and Necrozma. Image via the Pokémon Company. Remix by Dot Esports

Solgaleo has more weaknesses than Lunala, but that doesn’t make Lunala the best choice. Despite having two more weaknesses than Lunala, Solgaleo is far more resistant to several other attacks. It makes it difficult to counter this Pokémon unless you have those specific options ready. If an opponent doesn’t have those moves, or you’ve eliminated the Pokémon that can use those attacks, Solgaleo is difficult to overwhelm. For anyone who wants to compete in endgame content, grabbing Solgaleo first is the best option available to you in Pokémon Go.

In addition to making Solgaleo your first choice, its fusion form, Dusk Mane Necrozma is potent. With the addition of Necrozma to Pokémon Go, Lunala and Solgaleo have a unique fusion form that can only be unlocked if you have a Necrozma in your party and the proper energy to use it. If you have a Lunala, it becomes Dawn Wings Necrozma. Between the two, Dusk Mane Necrozma is the strongest, which you can only get if you have a Solgaleo in your party.

Ultimately, you want at least one Solgaleo and a Lunala in your party. However, Solgaleo should be your first choice because of its moveset diversity, stats, and overall strength. Expect to use it in the Master League against other players, or throw it as your lead raiding Pokémon against other five-star Legendary Pokémon.

All Solgaleo stats in Pokémon Go

In Pokémon Go, Solgaleo is a Psychic and Steel-type Pokémon making for a tanky, offensive powerhouse of a Pokémon.

AbilitiesStats
Pokémon Type Psychic and Steel-type
Base Stamina Rate264
Base Attack Rate255
Base Defense Rate191

As you might expect, Solgaleo learns more fire-type moves thanks to its association with the sun. These are all the fast and charged attacks Solgaleo can learn in Pokémon Go.

All Fast AttacksAll Charged Attacks
Fire SpinFlamethrower
Zen HeadbuttIron Head
Psychic Fangs
Solar Beam

All Lunala stats in Pokémon Go

Lunala is a Psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon and shares a bit more similarity to Solgaleo this time.

AbilitiesStats
Pokémon TypePsychic and Ghost-type
Base Stamina Rate264
Base Attack Rate255
Base Defense Rate191

Lunala favors Psychic, Ghost, and Fairy-type attacks related to the moon. These are all the moves Lunala can use in Pokémon Go.

All Fast AttacksAll Charged Attacks
Air Slash Future Sight
Confusion Moonblast
Psychic
Shadow Ball

Thanks to the fact that it’s only weak to two types of attacks, Ghost and Dark, Lunala is a really strong choice in many fights. It’s highly resistant to Normal and Fighting-type attacks, and it’s resistant to Poison and Psychic-type moves. The big catch, of course, is that Lunala is extremely weak to Ghost and Dark-type moves, which means if it is weak to an attack, it won’t last long.

Who is Cosmoem in Pokémon Go?

Cosmog in Pokémon Go
The starter form of Solgaleo and Lunala is Cosmog. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Cosmoem evolves from Cosmog, the starter evolution of Solgaleo and Lunala. In the main series games, Cosmoem evolves into Solgaleo if leveled up in Sun and Lunala if leveled up in Moon. In Pokémon Go, evolutions work a little differently. Since there aren’t two versions of the game, you’ll have to pay attention to the time of day you evolve Cosmoem and use your accrued Cosmog Candies to choose your favorite form.

Before worrying about which of these two to decide between, it’s essential to know how to catch Cosmog in Pokémon Go. It’s a legendary Pokémon, and you won’t be able to find it outside of events.

How to got Cosmog in Pokémon Go

Cosmog initially debuted when you could unlock the Special Research called A Cosmic Companion. Because players only received one Cosmog then, they had to choose between Solgaleo and Lunala. However, Niantic has reintroduced Cosmog in other events since its initial debut in September 2022, and we can expect more in the future. You’ll want to pay attention to Niantic’s blog page describing upcoming events that could feature Cosmog, or any Special Research tickets that get released featuring this elusive Pokémon.

How to evolve Cosmoem into Solgaleo or Lunala in Pokémon Go

To evolve Cosmoem in Pokémon Go, you need to spend 100 candies. Cosmoem can evolve into Solgaleo and Lunala, but there are specific terms for each evolution, and they are listed here.

  • To evolve Solgaleo in Pokémon Go you have to evolve Cosmoem during the day.
  • To evolve Lunala in Pokémon Go, you have to evolve Cosmoem during the night.

With its unique Psychic/Steel typing, Solgaleo can act a little bit like a wild card in battles. That Steel type makes it take significantly less damage from Poison attacks and is further resistant to Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Steel, and Fairy-type attacks. Tragically, as a Steel type, it’s weak to Dark, Fire, Ghost, and Ground-type moves, which you’ll want to compensate for when configuring any teams with it.

Author
Image of Karli Iwamasa
Karli Iwamasa
Karli is a freelance writer and editor for Dot Esports based in the Bay Area. She mostly writes about Pokémon with a focus on competitive VGC but also enjoys VALORANT.
Author
Image of Zack Palm
Zack Palm
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.