Noctowl is one of the best Pokemon in the OU metagame. Thanks to its amazing combination of traits, such as Tinted Lens, an immunity to Ground, a base 86 Special Attack, and a diverse movepool, it can efficiently perform a variety of roles, easily fitting on all kinds of teams. Noctowl can function as an excellent pivot, being able to set up Screens and check threats such as Zygarde and Mega Lopunny. Its access to different boosting moves in Agility and Work Up and the introduction of Z-Moves also allow it to become a fearsome wallbreaker and setup sweeper, with the ability to defeat offense or stall with the appropriate move. However, Noctowl's weakness to Ice and Rock means it is defeated by common Pokemon such as Weavile and Tyranitar. Lastly, its mediocre base Speed without boosts leaves it outsped by many offensive threats, such as Tapu Lele and Kyurem-B. Despite its small shortcomings, Noctowl defines the OU metagame, and is easily one of the most splashable Pokemon in the tier.
