Arbok punches above its weight class thanks to Intimidate. It lowers the opponent's Attack on switch-in, which is enough to make up for stats that don't impress on their own. Only weak to Ground and Psychic. Known as the Cobra Pokemon.
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.
This POKéMON is terrifically strong in order to constrict things with its body. It can even flatten steel oil drums. Once ARBOK wraps its body around its foe, escaping its crunching embrace is impossible.
Arbok Weakness
AvgArbok is weak to Ground and Psychic-type moves. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Arbok leans offensive (base 95 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
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.
Breed with Arbok to get Ekans eggs easily using 27 partners from the Dragon and Ground egg groups. Notable egg moves include Beat Up, Poison Fang, Pursuit and 2 more.
Intimidate helps Arbok stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, max Attack and Speed EVs for the right balance, and Sludge Bomb as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Best Arbok Moveset
- Sludge Bomb
- Earthquake
- Body Slam
- Glare
Recommended Teammates
Breeding opens up real options for Arbok. Beat Up and Poison Fang come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Sludge Bomb and Poison Fang and Dark and Normal coverage and more.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
No wild encounters for Arbok in Ruby & Sapphire. Bring Ekans over from Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
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.
Ekans evolves into Arbok at level 22. Arbok is the fully evolved form. It sits at 448 BST in its evolved form.
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 fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 95 Attack. Base 80 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Arbok appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Arbok has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- 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