Mawile is a bizarre Pokémon. It faces away from its opponent in battle, letting the giant mouth on the back of its head do the talking. And biting. The prevailing theory is that Mawile is based on the futakuchi-onna, a Japanese legend about a cursed woman. In the stories, the woman develops a mouth on her skull, which hides beneath her hair. This is usually revealed at the end of the story, giving it the vibe of a creepy campfire tale. This tricky nature might also explain why Mawile is a Fairy-type.
Where To Find Mawile In Sword & Shield
First things first: Mawile is exclusive to Pokémon Sword. Those playing Shield will need to trade for it. Good trades would be Sableye, Lunatone, or Eiscue.
If you are playing Sword, check Bridge Field, Dusty Bowl, and Giant’s Mirror during a snowstorm.
What Mawile Does In Battle
Once upon a time, Mawile had a Mega Evolution that made it a formidable combatant. That doesn’t exist in Sword & Shield, leaving Mawile as a rather weak Pokémon with good typing. The Steel/Fairy combo protects it from most of Fairy’s weaknesses, and one of Steel’s. It is double weak to fire, though, so be wary of that.
As for what moves to give Mawile, Smogon once offered an experimental set based on the idea of Mawile being a tank. It can lay down Stealth Rock and Toxic, and use Pain Split if its HP gets too low. Intimidate can help to weaken the opponent, ensuring Mawile doesn’t get taken out too fast.
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