Almost nobody uses Ekans in battle. It exists to evolve into Arbok, which is a completely different story. Get it there and you won't regret it. Only weak to Ground and Psychic. Known as the Snake Pokemon.
You won't find a real weakness in Ekans's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Snake Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It sneaks through grass without making a sound and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind.
Ekans Weakness
GoodEkans's Poison typing leaves it vulnerable to Ground and Psychic moves. The Poison typing picks up 5 resistances to work with.
Ekans is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Arbok. Check the evolution method below. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 160 total stats over Ekans.
Breed Ekans easily with 72 breeding partners from the Dragon and Ground egg groups.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Ekans with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. A spread EV build EVs and Jolly nature maximize that, and Intimidate handles the rest.
Best Build
Best Ekans Moveset
- Earthquake
- Glare
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Ekans's coverage across 9 types all comes from technical machines, built on top of Belch and Gunk Shot for same-type damage. Sludge Bomb and Belch are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Ekans won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 12 types means it always has an effective option. Gunk Shot and Sludge Bomb anchor the STAB core.
The natural movepool does the job, but Beat Up and Disable from the egg pool give Ekans something extra.
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Ekans's Normal and Dark coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Sludge Bomb and Poison Jab for same-type damage. Earthquake and Iron Tail are the payoff moves.
Ekans can't be caught in Scarlet & Violet. Bring it over from Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
No wild encounters for Ekans in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
moderate rates across 6 locations for Ekans in endgame routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations
6 walking spots from Lv. 58-63 for Ekans. Sorted by game progression with rates on each row, so you can compare without scrolling through everything.
decent spawn rates across 2 locations for Ekans in early-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations
At 288 BST, Ekans is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Arbok before bringing it to any serious fight.
Ekans evolves into Arbok at level 22. Ekans is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Ekans gets Intimidate, Shed Skin, and Unnerve. But Intimidate is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Ekans is a physical attacker with base 60 Attack. Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — at base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
Ekans appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Present since Red & Blue, Ekans appears in 20 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Ekans have the longest track record of availability in the series.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A