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Hitmonlee is exclusively used on Terrain teams, which, in tandem with Electric Seed or Grassy Seed, help it set up with Bulk Up more easily. Close Combat is Hitmonlee's best STAB move, as it does not run the same risk to miss as High Jump Kick does. Knock Off gives Hitmonlee coverage for Pokemon like Mesprit and Silvally-Ghost, cripples Pokemon like Weezing, and hits Flying-types if Hitmonlee is not running Stone Edge. Stone Edge allows Hitmonlee to remove Flying-types such as Charizard with ease. Alternatively, Poison Jab gives Hitmonlee coverage for Fairy-types like Aromatisse and Silvally-Fairy. Hitmonlee requires either Pincurchin or Thwackey as a partner and therefore pairs well with other Terrain sweepers like Thievul. On Electric Terrain teams, Jolteon can pressure Flying-types for Hitmonlee so it can run Poison Jab, and Nature Power Ribombee can lure Charizard if Electric Terrain is still active. For Grassy Terrain teams, Thwackey is able to wear down Pokemon like Weezing and Charizard for Hitmonlee to break through late-game.

Moves Curse activates Hitmonlee's ability Unburden and makes it stronger and less susceptible to priority moves such as Sneasel's Ice Shard. Close Combat is Hitmonlee's most reliable STAB move and, thanks to the defense drops after use, allows Hitmonlee to gain the Unburden boost should it find itself in a situation where it cannot set up with Curse. Knock Off not only provides amazing utility for Hitmonlee's team, but it also allows Hitmonlee to hit Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Xatu, Dhelmise, and Decidueye for super effective damage. Stone Edge allows Hitmonlee to hit Pokemon such as Golbat and Vikavolt for heavy damage. Earthquake is a fine option over Stone Edge to hit Garbodor and Delphox for more accurate super effective damage. However, this leaves Hitmonlee more susceptible to Whimsicott, Golbat, and Vikavolt. Set Details Unburden doubles Hitmonlee's Speed after consuming its White Herb, allowing it to outpace every Pokemon in the metagame. White Herb restores the stat drops that come with using Curse, making it a reliable way to boost Hitmonlee's stats. Maximum Attack and Speed EVs in tandem with an Adamant nature allow Hitmonlee to hit as hard as possible without sacrificing Speed. Usage Tips Hitmonlee should be used as a wincon, so only bring it out late-game when its checks and counters are gone or weakened enough to the point where it can pick them off after it sets up. Avoid using Hitmonlee early- or mid-game; it only gets one chance to set up, and if it loses White Herb prematurely thanks to Close Combat, it won't get that chance again. Hitmonlee is very frail, so it cannot come in on most strong attacks. Despite this, Hitmonlee does force switches against Pokemon such as Incineroar, Absol, and Silvally-Steel, so use these opportunities to start setting up. Hitmonlee can use Curse twice to gain more power and bulk while still outspeeding Heliolisk, Sneasel, and Whimsicott. However, this leaves it outsped by Choice Scarf Passimian. Team Options Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel and Houndoom make great teammates for Hitmonlee because they can trap and potentially get rid of the Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon that give Hitmonlee problems. Special wallbreakers such as Alolan Exeggutor, Delphox, and Vikavolt can overwhelm physically defensive Pokemon such as Garbodor, defensive Slowking, and Palossand for Hitmonlee. Slow pivots such as Incineroar, Silvally-Steel, and Vikavolt can help bring Hitmonlee in on foes it can pressure such as Choice-locked Dark-type Pokemon. Incineroar and Silvally-Steel can also help Hitmonlee sponge hits from opposing Pokemon by using Intimidate or Parting Shot, making it easier for it to set up and sweep. Memento users like Whimsicott and Choice Scarf Gallade also help Hitmonlee take hits and can lure defensive Slowking and cripple it with Switcheroo or Trick. Pokemon like Seismitoad, Steelix, Rhydon, and Garbodor are good to pair with Hitmonlee because of their ability to set up entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes. Toxic users such as Vaporeon, and Garbodor help put bulky Pokemon that resist Close Combat like Palossand, defensive Slowking, and Dhelmise on a timer. Fire-types such as Electrium Z Magmortar and Grassium Z Delphox also make for good teammates because they lure Slowking in and deal with Comfey nicely.

Moves High Jump Kick is Hitmonlee's best STAB move, OHKOing a lot of bulky Pokemon, such as Escavalier, thanks to the boosts from Reckless and Life Orb. Knock Off is a great coverage move that can deal with Ghost- and Psychic-types and also cripples a lot of Pokemon, such as Golbat and Togetic, by removing their items. Mach Punch is a nice STAB priority move that can revenge kill a weakened Cinccino or Scrafty, and Sucker Punch can be used to surprise threats, such as Meloetta, Fletchinder, and Delphox, alongside Knock Off. Rapid Spin removes entry hazards from Hitmonlee's side of the field. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be used to hit Golbat, while Poison Jab is an option to hit Fairy-types, such as Aromatisse and Togetic, on the switch. Set Details With maximum Attack and Speed EVs, Hitmonlee hits hard and fast with the remaining 4 EVs put in Defense. An Adamant nature provides more power, specifically letting Hitmonlee always OHKO Druddigon and Escavalier, but Jolly can be used to outspeed Braviary, Kabutops, and Rotom-C, along with opposing Adamant Hitmonlee. Reckless powers up High Jump Kick and Life Orb lets Hitmonlee do more damage. Usage Tips Beware of using High Jump Kick if the opponent has a Ghost-type or may have Protect, as Hitmonlee will lose 50% of its health in these cases, though you can safely spam High Jump Kick if they don't. You should try to use Knock Off on Ghost-types and Protect users, though it can be easily spammed in general to remove items and hurt Ghost-types, especially considering Hitmonlee's checks, such as Golbat, rely on their items. Rapid Spin can be used to remove hazards when needed, and Hitmonlee can be saved to revenge kill some Pokemon, such as Nasty Plot Houndoom or Delphox, with its priority moves. Team Options Hitmonlee appreciates having entry hazard support because it forces a lot of switches, so Omastar, Accelgor, Crustle, and Qwilfish are nice teammates to have. Poison-types like Drapion and Steel-types such as Escavalier can be used to deal with Fairy-types such as Aromatisse and Togetic. Grass-types, such as Virizion and Venusaur, can take on Alomomola, which can be a threatening check for Hitmonlee. Pokemon that appreciate having entry hazards removed by Hitmonlee's Rapid Spin are also nice teammates to have; some of these Pokemon include Fletchinder, Houndoom, and Mega Glalie.

Moves Hitmonlee hits really hard with Reckless High Jump Kick. Knock Off hits Ghost- and Psychic-types that don't care about High Jump Kick and can be used to revenge kill some of them, such as Delphox, or to remove Golbat's Eviolite on the switch. Stone Edge deals with Golbat, which doesn't care much about the other two moves. Close Combat can be used to late-game clean safely without risking High Jump Kick's chance to miss, and Rapid Spin can be used to remove entry hazards, though you won't want to get locked into it very often. Set Details Choice Scarf boosts Hitmonlee's average Speed and outspeeds some fast Pokemon, such as Delphox and even Jolteon, even with an Adamant nature, allowing it to perform really well as a revenge killer. Jolly is used over Adamant to outspeed Choice Scarf Braviary and Rotom-C, but the power given by an Adamant nature can be appreciated, too. Usage Tips This set lets Hitmonlee function as a revenge killer for threats such as Delphox and a late-game cleaner once the opposing team is weakened enough. Avoid using High Jump Kick if the opponent has a Ghost-type or may use Protect, as Hitmonlee will lose half of its HP along with a lot of momentum, so go with Knock Off if you predict a Ghost-type coming in. Also, don't use Rapid Spin unless you're facing something that Hitmonlee forces to switch out and the foe lacks a Ghost-type. Team Options Omastar, Accelgor, Crustle, and Qwilfish can provide Hitmonlee with the entry hazard support that takes its switch-forcing game to the next level. Psychic-types including Delphox and Meloetta can take on Poison-types such as Golbat as well as Aromatisse, though Drapion and Skuntank are immune to Psychic-type attacks, so having a Ground-type on your team such as Rhyperior that can take on those is also a good idea. Having wallbreakers such as Life Orb Druddigon and Exploud is also cool, as they weaken the opposing team, allowing Hitmonlee to late-game clean more reliably.

Even when compared to other Fighting-types, this set boasts a lot of power and coverage. Hitmonlee's oft overlooked ability, Reckless, boosts some of Hitmonlee's moves, including High Jump Kick, making it very difficult to switch into. While Medicham is more powerful, even with Reckless factored in, Hitmonlee's Speed stat is higher and it arguably has better coverage. Factoring in the STAB boost and Reckless, High Jump Kick hits a whopping 234 Base Power, which is so powerful that it 2HKOes 252/252+ Tangrowth after Stealth Rock! Because Hitmonlee's High Jump Kick is so powerful, coverage moves will generally do less damage even factoring in super effective damage. Sucker Punch is a fairly strong priority move Hitmonlee can use, and it can also hit Psychic-types hard if they decide to attack Hitmonlee. Mach Punch is an alternative priority, as it is more reliable and gets a STAB boost, though it doesn't offer extra coverage. Double-Edge is also boosted by Reckless, and with 144 Base Power after the boost, it gets a strong neutral hit on Pokemon such as Slowking and Uxie. Stone Edge can be used instead to hit Flying-types and Rotom hard, but beware that most of these Pokemon outpace Hitmonlee. Finally, Earthquake hits Poison-types such as Qwilfish for super effective damage that would generally be able to take a High Jump Kick relatively well. Although this set emphasizes power, a Jolly nature is preferred to outspeed many Pokemon, including non-Choice Scarf Rotom-C, Timid Magmortar, and Jolly Kabutops. However, as most of these Pokemon generally run either Choice Scarf or non-boosting natures, an Adamant nature can be used for more power. Close Combat can be used as the main STAB, but in this case, the power drop is very noticeable thanks to Reckless boosting High Jump Kick to nearly unmatched levels of power. Hitmonlee desperately needs to get rid of Ghost-types, as not only can Hitmonlee generally not hit them hard, but using High Jump Kick on them makes Hitmonlee lose half of its health and easy to finish off. Due to this, Pursuit support from the likes of Drapion or Absol can finish off these Ghosts even if they switch out. Dark-types also take care of Psychic-types in a similar fashion, a type that gives Hitmonlee similar problems. Although Hitmonlee can use Stone Edge, most Flying-types remain faster than Hitmonlee, can switch into its Fighting STAB, and threaten it with a STAB of their own. Lanturn makes a good partner, as it resists Flying-type moves and also can take Moltres's and Sigilyph's coverage moves well due to its typing and great Special Defense. Hitmonlee takes tons of recoil damage from its moves and has a low HP stat, so Wish support can be helpful, provided you can find a moment to switch Hitmonlee back in. Clefable knows Wish and is immune to Ghost-type attacks as well as damage from burns. Both Clefable and the aforementioned Lanturn also know Heal Bell, which Hitmonlee appreciates due to how susceptible it is to status moves.

Although Hitmonlee is relatively fast, it can still find itself outpaced by many Pokemon, and it also can easily be revenge killed by Choice Scarf users due to its low bulk. However, it can fix these problems with Unburden, which raises its Speed to 546 and allows it to outrun practically every Pokemon in the metagame, including all relevant Choice Scarf users. Be sure not to activate Unburden too early within the match, because there are usually many Pokemon that need to be eliminated before Hitmonlee can clean up, particularly Ghost-types, Psychic-types, and priority users. Although Close Combat is the weaker of the two STABs Hitmonlee has available, it has perfect accuracy and is not lacking in power by any means, while the defense drops from the move are rather irrelevant because Hitmonlee won't get outsped and will get defeated by priority regardless because of its frailty. High Jump Kick offers a bit more power, but its 90% accuracy can ruin the chance of a late-game sweep. Stone Edge covers Flying-type Pokemon and also hits bulky Pokemon such as Rotom or Uxie harder than anything else Hitmonlee has. Although a priority move may seem useless with Unburden, it can still be useful for activating the ability. Mach Punch is preferred for this slot, as a Fighting Gem-boosted Mach Punch can finish off faster foes, and after Unburden activates, it can help Hitmonlee avoid getting hit by other priority moves. If you really need to activate Unburden, Fake Out with a Normal Gem guarantees the foe cannot strike unless it is a Ghost-type. However, be warned that this pretty much takes your item slot away, removing Hitmonlee's boosts on its main attacks. For the last filler slot, Return hits Psychic-types harder than any of Hitmonlee's other moves, while Earthquake hits Qwilfish hard, although neither do that much to their respective targets. The item choice depends on the priority move. A Fighting Gem is generally more useful, because that way Mach Punch or the main STAB can activate Unburden. However, as mentioned, if Fake Out is used, a Normal Gem will ensure that the move activates Unburden. You could use other odd Gems to activate Unburden, such as a Ground Gem to power up Earthquake and hit targets such as Qwilfish for a ton of damage, and let Hitmonlee use its STAB moves early-game to try and avoid activating Unburden too early, but you must be sure that you will consistently be using the move that activates the Gem. Adamant is preferred because Hitmonlee will outspeed anything that isn't an unconventional Choice Scarf user—it outspeeds even Choice Scarf Cinccino. Before Hitmonlee starts sweeping, Psychic- and Ghost-types need to be removed, as Hitmonlee cannot hit most of them very hard. Due to this, Absol, Spiritomb, and Drapion make good partners, as they have both Pursuit and alternative STAB options to take them down. There also exist many Poison-types in RU that do not take very much damage from Earthquake, such as Amoonguss and Qwilfish, that can stop Hitmonlee's sweep. Sigilyph can take down both of them or set up as they flee. Hitmonlee can also switch into Dark attacks that may be targeted at Psychic-types and has Mach Punch to bypass possible Sucker Punches. Finally, as almost all priority murders Hitmonlee if it cannot finish off the foe with Mach Punch, Alomomola makes a good partner, as it makes a great switch into physical attacks, most notably Entei, which packs Extreme Speed.

Although a combination of Endure and a Berry looks very out of date, Hitmonlee's unique traits, including Unburden, means it does not have to rely on a Salac Berry to outpace its foes. After a boost from Unburden and Liechi Berry, Hitmonlee becomes a very fearsome sweeper. With the boost from Liechi Berry, it reaches a staggering 558 Attack, meaning Hitmonlee can hit anything it faces hard. Not only this, but after an Unburden boost, Hitmonlee hits 546 Speed, which is good enough to outspeed everything unboosted in RU and every relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon as well. Endure pairs well with Unburden and Liechi Berry because it allows Hitmonlee to survive an attack that would normally KO it with 1 HP, gain both boosts, and proceed to sweep with a STAB 200 Base Power Reversal. Because of how hard Reversal hits, the only time its coverage moves will see usage is both when they hit a Pokemon for super effective damage and when Reversal is not very effective. Stone Edge gets coverage on Flying-type Pokemon and Earthquake gets coverage on Poison-types. Furthermore, the combination of these three moves hits every Pokemon in RU for at least neutral damage. However, due to Poison-types not being overly common, Mach Punch can be used to potentially finish off priority users such as Kabutops, though note that it may not KO the opponent unless it is super effective or the opponent has a bit of prior damage. Although this particular Hitmonlee can be extremely hard to stop, because Hitmonlee is stuck at 1 HP, opponents that can survive a hit pose huge threats to this set. Many of these Pokemon, such as Uxie, Spiritomb, and Slowking, can be taken down with Dark-type support from the likes of Drapion or Absol, as they can hit them when they switch with Pursuit or hit them hard if they decide to stay in with a different Dark STAB. Priority moves destroy this set, as even with Mach Punch there is no guarantee that Hitmonlee will be able to OHKO them. Alomomola makes a great partner due to this, being able to take on priority moves well thanks to its excellent physical bulk, especially Entei which packs Extreme Speed. Finally, if Hitmonlee ever has to switch out, Rapid Spin support is needed to ensure that it won't be immediately taken out upon switching back in. Kabutops makes a great partner, as it can also take on Entei well and can defeat all spinblockers in RU with ease.

One of the major benefits of using Life Orb is that Hitmonlee can freely switch between attacks, making him less susceptible to prediction. Since Hitmonlee is already frail, the added power on each attack is a great trade-off for a small amount of recoil. With a base 120 Attack stat, powerful moves, and great coverage, not much can safely switch into this set. Close Combat is the core move of this set, providing Hitmonlee with a powerful STAB attack that effectively demolishes the many Pokemon who do not have the Defense to handle it. Stone Edge complements Close Combat perfectly, OHKOing common Flying-types like Moltres and giving Hitmonlee a powerful attack to deter Ghost-types from switching in. Earthquake is used to handle bulky Poison-types like Nidoqueen who would otherwise wall this set, and lands an OHKO on Toxicroak, although Blaze Kick can be used to deliver an OHKO to offensive Venusaur. The last slot gives Hitmonlee a strong priority attack, as his Speed is still quite average. Mach Punch is the more reliable option, as it doesn't require your opponent to attack, but Sucker Punch is more powerful and allows Hitmonlee to revenge kill special threats like Mismagius and Alakazam (beware of Substitute). Jolly is the preferred nature, since Hitmonlee needs as much Speed as possible to defeat certain threats. Without a Jolly nature, Hitmonlee will be outsped by positive-natured Venusaur, Blaziken, and Toxicroak, lowering his effectiveness when dealing with these threats. With Life Orb, the power of Jolly is usually adequate, although Adamant may be used to grab the 2HKO on specially defensive Spiritomb and a chance to 2HKO standard Tangrowth. Rapid Spin can be used in the last slot to get rid of hazards, as Hitmonlee has the advantage of keeping offensive momentum, unlike other spinners, and doesn't particularly attract many Ghost-types. Eliminating bulky physical walls is recommended prior to sending out Hitmonlee. The biggest nuisances to Hitmonlee are Weezing, Claydol, Slowbro, and Uxie, who can switch in multiple times and cripple him with a burn or retaliate with a STAB attack. Powerful special attackers such as Mismagius and Alakazam can OHKO or 2HKO these threats, while they enjoy Hitmonlee's ability to eliminate Registeel, Chansey, and Spiritomb. Spiritomb can defeat these Pokemon with Shadow Ball or begin setting up on them with Calm Mind. Houndoom and Arcanine can nab a Flash Fire boost, as Hitmonlee attracts Will-O-Wisp users, at which point they can begin firing off boosted attacks. Because of Hitmonlee's frail defenses, a bulky Pokemon is useful to take the priority attacks aimed at him. Milotic can defeat most of Hitmonlee's counters one-on-one because of her access to instant recovery and high special attack, as Hitmonlee's counters aren't generally specially bulky.

When you supplement 120 base Attack with a 120 base Power STAB attack from one of the best attacking types in the game, you know you've got a monster on your hands. Choice Band Hitmonlee hits 508 Attack, enough to easily muscle his way through most of the tier. With the great coverage this set provides, not much can switch in safely. Pokemon that could have easily sponged an unboosted Hitmonlee's Close Combat, such as Regirock and Steelix, now have a chance to be OHKOed with Stealth Rock support, showing how easily Hitmonlee can dispose of the toughest Pokemon in the tier. Close Combat is Hitmonlee's powerful STAB move and is used to eliminate powerful walls such as Registeel and Milotic. Close Combat does up to 38% to the now popular specially defensive Weezing, meaning that with just Stealth Rock support it has a high chance to 3HKO. Earthquake is, again, used to hit Poison-types and now gets the 2HKO on Nidoqueen, eliminating her as a counter. Stone Edge hits Flying-types for an OHKO and prevents Ghost-types from switching in for free. Mismagius is OHKOed after Stealth Rock, and there is a chance to OHKO Rotom as well. Since every move on this set can OHKO or 2HKO every Venusaur bar the physically bulkiest, Mach Punch is a superior option to Blaze Kick, as it grants Hitmonlee a nifty revenge killing tool. Blaze Kick can still be used if you have trouble with physically bulky Venusaur, however. Choice Band Hitmonlee is an excellent wallbreaker that can blow holes in most teams. However, he falls prey to the crippling weakness all Choiced Pokemon share: they are unable to switch attacks between turns. This set is heavily reliant on prediction (much like the Scarfer), but has an easier time dealing with resistances because of the sheer force behind Hitmonlee's attacks (Toxicroak and Nidoking are 2HKOed by Close Combat, for example). Choice Band Hitmonlee partners well with teammates who attract Pokemon he can easily switch in on, such as Registeel. Alakazam and Mismagius are great choices, especially since both can easily handle bulkier threats such as Claydol, Weezing, and Slowbro. Flash Fire or Fire-type Pokemon are useful teammates as well, as they can absorb Will-O-Wisp and are benefited by Hitmonlee's wallbreaking abilities. Houndoom is the best choice because his Dark STAB and access to Pursuit allow him to trap and defeat bulky Psychic-types.

Hitmonlee sports the highest base Attack out of all the Fighting-types in UU (tied with both Blaziken and Hariyama), making him a great revenge killer. With Choice Scarf compensating for Hitmonlee's middling Speed, he now has the ability to OHKO faster threats such as Sceptile and Swellow before they have a chance to attack. Although lacking in power, this set focuses on eliminating offensive Pokemon rather than pure wallbreaking. Close Combat is Hitmonlee's STAB move and serves as his main form of attack. Earthquake is used for Poison-types, such as Toxicroak, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen, who can easily soak up Hitmonlee's STAB. Stone Edge complements Close Combat and Earthquake by hitting Flying-types super effectively, as they can switch in on most of this set with ease. The last slot is mostly filler. Blaze Kick puts the hurt on Venusaur while Mach Punch can be used to hit Pokemon that attempt to attack Hitmonlee with priority, or if the opponent has grabbed a Speed boost. When wielding Choice Scarf, with an Adamant nature, Hitmonlee's Speed caps at 409, outspeeding every Pokemon in the tier besides Electrode and opposing Pokemon holding Choice Scarf. Coupled with a 372 Attack stat, his revenge killing capabilities are top-notch. Don't try and play Scarfed Hitmonlee as you would Primeape. Primeape's access to U-turn allows him to switch in and out freely without giving any free turns to the opponent, helping to create momentum. Play to Hitmonlee's strengths, namely higher attack power and greater coverage, which allow him to revenge kill a larger variety of threats. Because Choiced Hitmonlee cannot switch between attacks, he is extremely susceptible to prediction. Ghost-types are particularly threatening, as they can acquire a free Substitute as Hitmonlee is forced to switch. Spiritomb is the best all-around partner for Choiced Hitmonlee, being able to switch in and eliminate Ghost-types with a STAB Pursuit / Sucker Punch combination. Strong physical walls like Weezing, Claydol, and Uxie can easily withstand Close Combat or Stone Edge, and Spiritomb handles them decently as well. Special attackers like Mismagius can take advantage of these offensively inept walls to set up a Nasty Plot and OHKO each of them. Mixed Houndoom can switch in on Will-O-Wisp and Pursuit Ghost- and Psychic-types or scorch Weezing with a boosted Fire Blast. Choice Scarf Hitmonlee appreciates hazard support due to his lower offensive capabilities. Omastar makes a fine choice, as he has access to both Stealth Rock and Spikes.

Since Hitmonlee is commonly seen holding a Life Orb, opponents will assume he is Choiced if he doesn't suffer recoil after every attack. This set capitalizes on that assumption, allowing Hitmonlee to obtain a surprise KO against an unsuspecting opponent. Substitute eases prediction, as it allows Hitmonlee to scout the opponent's switch-in and protects him from all forms of status. Close Combat is the crux of the set, and it is complemented by Stone Edge, which delivers a swift KO against Flying-types and provides a way to hit Ghost-types. Rock Slide is a more reliable attack that still OHKOes Scyther and Moltres, but it is weaker against everything else. Sucker Punch has excellent synergy with Substitute, which forces the opponent to attack and therefore ensures it lands. An Adamant nature with Black Belt allows Hitmonlee to feign Choice while giving him just enough power to KO certain threats. Below are several damage calculations demonstrating the power of Adamant Hitmonlee's Black Belt-boosted Close Combat against certain threats. Close Combat vs. 252/0 Registeel: 94% - 111% Close Combat vs. 248/252 Milotic: 51.9% - 61.3% Close Combat vs. 52/204 Donphan: 53% - 62.3% Close Combat vs. 252/252 Blastoise: 48.9% - 57.5% Close Combat vs. 252/176 Omastar: 92.4% - 108.7% Close Combat vs. 212/252 Torterra: 44% - 52.3% Close Combat vs. 252/224 Miltank: 88.3% - 104.1% Close Combat vs. 4/0 Venusaur: 46.8% - 55.5% -1 Close Combat vs. 252/4 Hitmontop: 55.6% - 66.1% The strategy to using this set effectively is to switch Hitmonlee in on a Pokemon whom he can threaten instantly, such as Registeel or Chansey, and use Substitute while your opponent switches out. Once that has been accomplished, proceed to hit the switch-in with the most appropriate attack. Although Substitute grants Hitmonlee a great utility move, he still doesn't have the power to break through dedicated physical walls like Weezing and Slowbro. Hitmonlee should be used mid-to-late game when your opponent's team is weakened, or early on if you see the chance to obtain a surprise KO. For example, players may see the large amount of damage Close Combat does to their Venusaur and assume it's a Choice Band variant, and switch to Mismagius in hopes of setting up a Substitute. From here, Hitmonlee can Stone Edge and Sucker Punch appropriately to eliminate her from the match. This Hitmonlee works particularly well on heavily offensive teams, as one surprise KO can turn the entire match around. Powerful special attackers like Mismagius enjoy Hitmonlee's ability to eliminate Registeel and Chansey as well as weaken Spiritomb. Hitmonlee's ability to eliminate Milotic allows Pokemon like Rhyperior and Arcanine to sweep freely. If used on a more balanced team, a defensive pivot like Milotic is useful to sponge priority attacks and status.

This is a fairly standard Choice Band user, with one niche: the capability to switch with impunity into paralyzing moves such as Thunder Wave thanks to Limber. Hidden Power Ghost and Rock Slide hit the Pokemon that resist Hitmonlee's Fighting STAB, Salamence in particular.

Hitmonlee possesses two very useful qualities that give it a great niche in GSC NU: high Special Defense and high Attack. In combination with RestTalk, they allow it to reliably check special attackers that cannot use physical attacks effectively, such as Dewgong, Chinchou, and Ninetales. The fact that these Pokemon are all very common defensive options means Hitmonlee is granted a large number of opportunities to switch in and either hit something hard or fish for paralysis with Body Slam. Its high Attack and STAB Fighting-type moves also allow it to check Normal- and Rock-types, and it can 2HKO the majority of these with High Jump Kick. If a more offensive approach is desired, Hitmonlee can replace Body Slam for Hidden Power Rock, which can hit Flying- and Bug-types hard. The scarcity of viable Psychic-types makes this the preferred option over Hidden Power Ghost, and the primary target of Hidden Power, Xatu, happens to be weak to both. However, RestTalk Xatu, especially the Drill Peck variant, is still very difficult for Hitmonlee to deal with if healthy, so paralyzing it for a teammate tends to be the more effective approach. Hitmonlee's ability to spread paralysis to an opposing team's checks to Fighting-types gives it great offensive synergy with setup sweepers like Kingler, Primeape, and Lickitung. Removing Xatu outright can also sometimes leave an opposing team without any good response to Hitmonlee. One way to achieve this is to Pursuit trap Xatu with Houndour. If Hitmonlee paralyzes Xatu with Body Slam, it becomes particularly vulnerable to a Houndour with Crunch and Pursuit. Furthermore, Houndour can use Counter to dispatch of a Xatu that tries to fight it with Drill Peck. However, Hitmonlee is not entirely without downsides—Pineco sets up Spikes against it relatively freely and can be difficult to safely deal with. It is a good idea to have a plan in place to try to ensure that Pineco is at least unable to take something down with Explosion after setting up Spikes. Pokemon that resist Normal, such as Sudowoodo, Graveler, and Pupitar, are helpful in this regard. Opposing physical sweepers like Kingler and Primeape also have an advantage over Hitmonlee, so checks to these such as Xatu and Weezing make for desirable teammates.

Hitmonlee can attempt to sweep an opposing team by boosting its already high Attack and then using its strong coverage to overpower foes. Meditate is the best standalone option, as it does not lower Hitmonlee's Speed. However, if Hitmonlee is receiving Speed boosts from a Baton Passer, then Curse can be used to increase both its bulk and damage without sacrificing its Speed advantage. Hidden Power Rock is used to target the nearly omnipresent Xatu, and Double-Edge gives Hitmonlee the most damage possible against Poison-types like Weezing, Arbok, and Gloom. Hitmonlee can also sacrifice a small amount of power against Xatu and other Flying- and Bug-types by running Double-Edge over Hidden Power Rock, which frees up the last slot for Hitmonlee to use a utility move such as Body Slam for paralysis, Rapid Spin to remove Spikes, or Mach Punch for priority. However, this leaves Hitmonlee without any move to hit the rare Gastly, leaving it dependent on teammates with Pursuit such as Houndour. Hitmonlee is generally inferior to Primeape when it comes to the role of setup sweeper due to Primeape's higher Speed and its access to Cross Chop and Rock Slide. Hitmonlee's main advantages over Primeape are its ability to hit Poison-types slightly harder with its neutral attacks and its superior special bulk. This arguably makes Hitmonlee a better receiver of Speed boosts than Primeape, so it is worth considering Baton Passers with Agility, such as Ledian, Farfetch'd, and Ariados, as potential teammates. Hitmonlee is also more suitable to switch into weaker special attacks for its team, whereas Primeape prefers to remain at near full health for as long as it can. It's important to bring a reliable method of handling Xatu when using Hitmonlee, so Pokemon like Ninetales, Mantine, and Magnemite make for useful teammates. Primeape also has a huge advantage over Hitmonlee when the two face off thanks to its potential Cross Chop critical hit OHKO, so Pokemon such as Xatu, Weezing, and Gloom are useful to put the enraged monkey in its place; the latter of the three can also help spread paralysis.