Physical
Balanced
448Average
80Moderate
CTier

Arbok is a Poison-type from Gen 1. Only weak to Ground, Psychic, and Bug. 95 base Attack is its best stat. Known as the Cobra Pokemon. It needs some investment to avoid getting outsped.

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.

Base Stats
448Above
HP60
C
Attack95
B
Defense69
C
Sp. Atk65
C
Sp. Def79
C
Speed80
C
Total448
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Arbok yields +2 Atk
HPAtk+2DefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch90Challenging•Medium Fast1M XP•3.5m / 11'06"•65kg / 143.3 lbs•157Base XP
Pokedex Entries

The frightening patterns on its belly have been studied. Six variations have been confirmed.

Yellow

Arbok Weakness

Vulnerable

Arbok is weak to Ground, Psychic, and Bug-type moves. Arbok leans offensive (base 95 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.

Gen I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
GroundPsychicBug
½xResisti
GrassFightingPoison
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (2)i
GrassBug
3Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei-3
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesAbsorbs on switch
Abilities
IntimidateLowers opponents' Attack one stage upon entering battle.
Shed SkinHas a 33% chance of curing any major status ailment after each turn.
UnnerveHAPrevents opposing Pokémon from eating held Berries.

Arbok is the evolved form of Ekans, reached at level 22. A Poison type at 448 stats that still can't breed. Evolving from Ekans gave Arbok the biggest boost in Attack (+35), bringing the total to 448 stats.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Ekans
#023Ekans
22
Level 22
Arbok
#024Arbok
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Ekans
Poison
Arbok
Poison
HP
35
60+25
ATK
60
95+35
DEF
44
69+25
SP.ATK
40
65+25
SP.DEF
54
79+25
SPE
55
80+25
BST
288C-Tier
448C-Tier+160
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Arbok runs a standard attacker set. A nature nature with flexible EVs EVs shapes the build, while an item brings extra utility. An ability supports the kit from the background.

Best Build

Utility
Ability
Not in Gen 1
Item
Not in Gen 1
Nature
Not in Gen 1

Best Arbok Moveset

  • WrapCoverage
  • EarthquakeCoverage
  • GlareUtility
  • Hyper Beam

Recommended Teammates

Victreebel
VictreebelGood
Dragonite
DragoniteGood
Tauros
TaurosDecent

TMs define Arbok's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Acid and Poison Sting, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal and Dark coverage and more. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
—10030Normal
Lv 1
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 1
Wrap
158520Normal
Lv 10
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 17
Bite
6010025Normal
Lv 27
Glare
—7530Normal
Lv 36
Screech
—8540Normal
Lv 47
Acid
4010030Poison

TM Moves

Src
TM34
Bide+1
——10Normal
TM08
Body Slam
8510015Normal
TM28
Dig
10010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM10
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
TM26
Earthquake
10010010Ground
TM27
Fissure
—305Ground
TM15
Hyper Beam
150905Normal
TM21
Mega Drain
4010010Grass
TM31
Mimic
——10Normal
TM20
Rage
2010020Normal
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM48
Rock Slide
759010Rock
TM40
Skull Bash
10010010Normal
HM04
Strength
8010015Normal
TM50
Substitute
——10Normal
TM09
Take Down
908520Normal
TM06
Toxic
—9010Poison

Egg Moves

Arbok doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Arbok can't learn any Tutor moves

Arbok isn't available in the wild in Yellow. Start by transferring Ekans from Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond. The evolution path from Ekans to Arbok is covered in the steps below.

How to Obtain Arbok in Yellow

  1. Ekans
    Step 1Obtain Ekans

    Catch in the wild in:

    RedWalking · Route 9

    Then trade to Yellow to continue the evolution chain.

    Also found in:

    GoldCrystalFireRedDiamondPlatinumHeartGold
  2. Arbok
    Step 2Arbok ✓

  • 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.

  • Arbok's biggest threats include Golem (Ground), Starmie (Psychic), and Scyther (Bug), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.

  • Ekans evolves into Arbok at level 22. Arbok is the fully evolved form. It sits at 448 BST in its evolved form.

  • 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.