Ubers
/ˈuːbərz/
CommonThe Smogon tier for Pokemon considered too powerful for standard competitive play, effectively a ban list that doubles as its own format.
Being 'sent to Ubers' is sometimes talked about like a punishment, but Ubers is also a real tier people play in. The framing depends on context.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zacian was so busted they had to ban it to ubers on day two | The Pokemon proved immediately overpowered and was removed from standard play very fast. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | people forget ubers is actually its own tier. you can just play ubers and use everything | Ubers is not just a ban list; it is a playable format where powerful Pokemon are allowed. | reddit, 2022 |
| 03 | my whole team comp is illegal in OU because I picked two ubers by accident | The team cannot be used in standard play because it includes banned Pokemon. | x, 2023 |
| 04 | some people think legendaries are always ubers. not true. reshiram is OU | Legendary status does not automatically mean Ubers; tier placement depends on performance. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- A Pokemon has been banned from standard competitive play by Smogon.
- Discussing the tier where banned Pokemon are placed.
- Referring to a Pokemon as too powerful for regular formats.
Do not use it when
- You mean a Pokemon is simply good or high-tier in OU.Use “S-tier” instead.
- You mean something is the best in general use, not the ban tier.
Ubers vs OU
Ubers
Ubers is the tier for Pokemon banned from standard play due to being overpowered.
VS
ou-team
OU (OverUsed) is the standard tier where most competitive Pokemon are allowed.
Origin and context
Ubers originated on Smogon as a banlist for Pokemon too powerful for the then-standard OU tier. Over time the community began treating it as a playable format rather than just a holding area for banned Pokemon.
- First seen
- mid-2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/ubersUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0