Mid-stage Pokemon like Zubat rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Crobat, which is where the real potential kicks in. Part of the Gen 1 roster. Ground moves can't touch it, which offsets the 4 weaknesses somewhat.
You won't find a real weakness in Zubat's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Bat Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 1 Speed EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Makes its home in gloomy caves. Atrophied eyes have left this Pokémon blind, so it scans its surroundings via sound waves that it emits from its mouth as it flies.
Zubat Weakness
ExcellentElectric, Ice, Psychic, and Rock-type moves hit Zubat for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground-type moves can't touch it at all. The Poison/Flying typing picks up 5 resistances to work with.
Zubat kicks off a three-stage evolution line through Golbat all the way to Crobat. For breeding, quick to hatch with plenty of partners via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 290 total stats over Zubat.
How to Evolve
Breed Zubat easily with 73 breeding partners from the Flying egg group.
This is a pure walling set. Focus Sash provides a guaranteed survive from full HP so Zubat sticks around, and the Careful nature reinforces special wall. The moveset handles sustain while Infiltrator does work passively.
Best Build
Best Zubat Moveset
- Haze
- Toxic
- Quick Attack
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool tells the story here. Zubat learns Fly and Heat Wave naturally, plus enough variety that TMs feel like bonuses. Coverage across 7 types extends the reach beyond that.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
A compact toolkit overall. The offense runs through Sludge Bomb and Air Slash for Zubat, with Dark and Bug coverage and more doing what it can. Don't expect versatility from this one.
Don't skip the egg moves. Zubat picks up Brave Bird and Curse only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Brave Bird and Fly while coverage across 7 types adds range.
Don't skip the egg moves. Zubat picks up Curse and Defog only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Brave Bird and Fly while coverage across 8 types adds range.
No wild encounters for Zubat in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Red, Yellow, or Gold and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Zubat appears at decent spawn rates across 7 spots in mid-game 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
Walking encounters at walking across 7 spots for Zubat. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Easy grab on Zubat with high spawn rates across 88 locations in early-game routes. Two different catch methods are in play here. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations
Before you go hunting for Zubat, check which of the 88 spots belong to your version. Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond each have different walking and surfing encounters at Lv. 4-40.
A handful of locations for Zubat with high spawn rates across endgame routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations
Zubat appears in 6 walking locations at Lv. 60-65 across Shield and Sword. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
At 245 BST, Zubat is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Golbat before bringing it to any serious fight.
Zubat evolves into Golbat at level 22. Zubat is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Inner Focus prevents flinching — that's the one you want on Zubat. Infiltrator is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Zubat is leaning toward the physical side (base 45 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.
Zubat appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Present since Red & Blue, Zubat appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Zubat 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