Arbok's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, HP trails, 2 stats clear the bar. Moderately hard to find and worth 2 Attack EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
The pattern on its belly is for intimidation. It constricts foes while they are frozen in fear.
The pattern on its belly is for intimidation. It constricts foes while they are frozen in fear.
Arbok is weak to Ground and Psychic. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Arbok leans offensive (base 95 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Fairy |
Drifblim deals 39-46% with Hex.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Arbok View Alomomola builds →Flip Turn27-31% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves View Talonflame builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAftermath ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Arbok View Drifblim builds →Hex39-46% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnburden ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Arbok View Slurpuff builds →Flamethrower24-28% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBulletproof ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Arbok View Chesnaught builds →Knock Off26-31% | ||
Arbok is the evolved form of Ekans. Breeding produces Ekans eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Ekans gave Arbok the biggest boost in Attack (+35), bringing the total to 448 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
Breeding
Breed with Arbok to get Ekans eggs easily using 72 partners from the Dragon and Ground egg groups.
Gunkshot is the main STAB option after a Coil boost. Leftovers gives Arbok passive recovery each turn to survive the setup turn, and max Attack and Speed EVs make the boosted hits count. Ground coverage catches resists.
Best Build
Arbok best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Coil
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Glare
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Wall Moveset
- Glare
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Glare
- Haze
- Toxic
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Dragon Tail
- Glare
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Coil
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Glare
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Wall Moveset
- Glare
- Knock Off
- Poison Jab
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Glare
- Haze
- Toxic
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Coil
- Gunk Shot
- Dragon Tail
- Glare
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Poison Jab
- Glare
- Crunch
- Aqua Tail
Recommended Teammates
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Moves
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 11 types means almost nothing walls Arbok cleanly, with Belch and Gunk Shot anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 12 types means almost nothing walls Arbok cleanly, with Gunk Shot and Sludge Bomb anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
Breeding opens up real options for Arbok. Beat Up and Disable come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Belch and Gunk Shot and coverage across 9 types.
Arbok develops a solid moveset just through leveling. Earthquake and Hyper Beam show up naturally, and the progression handles both STAB and utility without leaning on TMs for the core attacks.
No wild encounters for Arbok in Scarlet & Violet. Bring Ekans over from Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Arbok can't be caught in Legends: Z-A. Transfer Ekans from Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
You're catching Ekans first, not Arbok. Ekans appears at moderate rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Arbok in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Ekans is your first catch on the way to Arbok. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 58-63 across 6 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch EkansBogsunk CavernGrass Lv.58-63 SwampPostPost-gameGrassland CaveGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameRiverbank CaveGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStill-Water CavernGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameSunlit CavernGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameSwampy CaveGrass Lv.58-63 SwampPostPost-game
Step 2Arbok ✓
Arbok doesn't appear wild. Catch Ekans instead, it shows up at decent rates. Evolve it at level 22 to get Arbok. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Arbok in Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee
Step 1Catch EkansRoute 3Grass Lv.3-8 Route20%EarlyRoute 4Grass Lv.7-12 Route20%Early
Step 2Arbok ✓
Ekans evolves into Arbok at level 22. Arbok is the fully evolved form. It sits at 448 BST in its evolved form.
Arbok can work for a story run. 448 BST is average, but Poison typing fills a niche depending on your team composition.
Don't let Arbok's 448 base stat total fool you. Intimidate is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier.
Run Intimidate on Arbok. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Arbok also gets Shed Skin and Unnerve, but they don't compare.
Arbok has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves