Kabuto is technically a pre-evolution of Kabutops, but it holds its own in formats where Eviolite is allowed. Swift Swim doubles its Speed in rain, adding extra value. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets. Part of the Gen 1 roster.
Nothing fancy in Kabuto's spread. It leans physical with Defense out front. And you'll get 1 Defense EV per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It is thought to have inhabited beaches 300 million years ago. It is protected by a sturdy shell.
Kabuto Weakness
VulnerableKabuto is weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground-type moves. Watch out for Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. The Rock/Water typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Kabuto's physical bulk (base 90 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
Kabuto is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Kabutops. Check the evolution method below. A massive partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 140 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Kabuto with 114 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 9.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Most of Kabuto's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Stone Edge and Surf, but Grass and Normal and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Kabuto gets Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Grass and Normal coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Meteor Beam and Hydro Pump.
Most of Kabuto's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Surf and Scald, but Normal and Grass and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Egg moves make a real difference. Kabuto gets Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Hydro Pump and Surf.
Kabuto doesn't appear in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Transfer it from Red, Yellow, or Shield to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Kabuto appears at decent spawn rates across 8 spots in endgame water routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations
Surfing encounters at Lv. 60-65 across 8 spots for Kabuto. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Kabuto is handed to you at Cinnabar Island. No encounter rates or random spawns involved, so there's nothing to grind. Check the location details below for the exact conditions to trigger it.
Best Locations
No searching required for Kabuto. You receive it at Route 8 from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.
Best Locations
At 355 BST, Kabuto is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Kabutops before bringing it to any serious fight.
Kabuto evolves into Kabutops at level 40. Kabuto is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Kabuto gets Swift Swim, Battle Armor, and Weak Armor. But Swift Swim is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Kabuto is a physical attacker with base 80 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.
Kabuto appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Present since Red & Blue, Kabuto appears in 19 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Kabuto 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