Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Arcanine's Attack does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Attack EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
An ancient picture scroll shows that people were captivated by its movement as it ran through prairies.
Its magnificent bark conveys a sense of majesty. Anyone hearing it can’t help but grovel before it.
Arcanine's Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, and Rock. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. With 90 HP and balanced defenses, Arcanine can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
 Tinkaton FairySteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPickpocket ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Tinkaton builds →Knock Off14-17% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemRocky Helmet NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Forretress builds →Rapid Spin11-13% Volt Switch12-15% | ||
 Thwackey Grass | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemTerrain Extender NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Thwackey builds →U Turn12-14% Knock Off22-26% | ||
 Perrserker Steel | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityToughclaws ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Arcanine View Perrserker builds →U Turn21-25% Knock Off39-46% Close Combat72-85% | ||
Arcanine evolved from Growlithe's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Growlithe eggs (average hatch time). The evolution from Growlithe pushed Arcanine to 555 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +40. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Arcanine to get Growlithe eggs easily using 278 partners from the Ground egg group.
Intimidate helps Arcanine stick around while dealing real damage. Heavy-Duty Boots for hazard immunity on every switch-in, max Attack and Speed EVs for the right balance, and Extreme Speed as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Arcanine best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Curse
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
- Snarl
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Flare Blitz
- Morning Sun
- Close Combat
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Burn Up
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Flamethrower
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Burn Up
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Extreme Speed
- Flamethrower
- Flare Blitz
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Moves
STAB runs through Overheat and Flare Blitz for the basics, but Arcanine's real strength is the 11-type coverage spread. Dark and Fairy hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The offense anchors on Raging Fury and Flare Blitz, with coverage across 10 types adding reach. It's a workable movepool for Arcanine that handles most situations. Raging Fury and Double-Edge give it enough punch where it matters.
You'll want to breed for Body Slam and Burn Up on Arcanine. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Burn Up and Overheat, they expand what Arcanine can actually threaten in practice.
STAB runs through Burn Up and Overheat for the basics, but Arcanine's real strength is the 10-type coverage spread. Dark and Normal hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Arcanine tops out at low spawn rates across 4 locations in endgame routes. The encounters below are sorted by rate so you can see exactly what you're working with.
Where To Catch Arcanine in Scarlet & Violet
To get Arcanine, start by catching Growlithe through walking encounters at Lv. 17-65. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch GrowlitheEast Province (Area Three) - RockyScarletOverworld Lv.17-23 Route12%MidEast Province (Area Three) - RockyVioletOverworld Lv.17-23 Route12%MidSouth Province (Area Three) - RockyVioletOverworld Lv.17-23 Route12%MidSouth Province (Area Three) - RockyScarletOverworld Lv.17-23 Route12%MidEast Province (Area Three) - MineScarletOverworld Lv.17-23 Route6%MidEast Province (Area Three) - MineVioletOverworld Lv.17-23 Route6%MidNorth Province (Area Two) - Bamboo ForestVioletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%PostNorth Province (Area Two) - Bamboo ForestScarletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%PostNorth Province (Area Two) - RockyVioletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%PostNorth Province (Area Two) - RockyScarletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%Post
Step 2Arcanine ✓North Province (Area Two) - Bamboo ForestVioletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%PostNorth Province (Area Two) - Bamboo ForestScarletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%PostNorth Province (Area Two) - RockyVioletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%PostNorth Province (Area Two) - RockyScarletOverworld Lv.47-65 Route1%Postor evolve from Growlithe (Step 1)
Arcanine doesn't appear wild. Catch Growlithe instead, it shows up at decent rates. Evolve it through a special method to get Arcanine. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Arcanine in Legends: Arceus
Step 1Catch GrowlitheVeilstone CapeGrassUncommonWindbreak StandGrassUncommon
Step 2Arcanine ✓
You're catching Growlithe first, not Arcanine. Growlithe 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 Arcanine in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Growlithe is your first catch on the way to Arcanine. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 58-63 across 4 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch GrowlitheSandsear CaveGrass Lv.58-63 DesertPostPost-gameSpacious CaveGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameTyphlo CavernGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameVolcanic CaveGrass Lv.58-63 VolcanoPostPost-game
Step 2Arcanine ✓
A few locations for Arcanine with decent 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.
Where To Catch Arcanine in Sword & Shield
To get Arcanine, start by catching Growlithe through walking encounters at Lv. 7-58. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch GrowlitheRolling FieldsShieldOverworld Lv.7-1060%EarlyIntense SunWest Lake AxewellShieldGrass Lv.7-11 Cave40%EarlyIntense SunDappled GroveShieldGrass Lv.11-15 Forest40%EarlyIntense SunWest Lake AxewellShieldOverworld Lv.8-14 Cave35%EarlyIntense SunEast Lake AxewellShieldGrass Lv.8-12 Cave30%EarlyIntense SunSouth Lake MilochShieldGrass Lv.11-13 Water30%EarlyIntense SunRolling Fields - 2ShieldOverworld Lv.7-1025%EarlyIntense SunEast Lake AxewellShieldOverworld Lv.10-15 Cave25%EarlyIntense SunSouth Lake MilochShieldOverworld Lv.14-16 Water25%EarlyIntense SunRolling FieldsShieldGrass Lv.7-1020%EarlyIntense SunWatchtower RuinsShieldGrass Lv.11-14 Building20%EarlyIntense SunRoute 3ShieldOverworld Lv.10-14 Route15%EarlyAll WeatherSouth Lake Miloch - 2ShieldOverworld Lv.14-16 Water15%EarlyIntense SunDappled GroveShieldOverworld Lv.13-15 Forest2%EarlyIntense SunHammerlocke HillsSwordGrass Lv.28-3040%MidIntense SunWatchtower RuinsShieldOverworld Lv.26-29 Building10%MidIntense SunNorth Lake MilochShieldOverworld Lv.26-28 Water5%MidIntense SunAxew's EyeShieldGrass Lv.35-4040%LateIntense SunDusty BowlSwordOverworld Lv.42-4730%LateIntense SunGiant's SeatShieldOverworld Lv.33-38 Water5%LateIntense SunAxew's EyeShieldOverworld Lv.36-405%LateIntense Sun
- Step 2Arcanine ✓Lake of OutrageOverworld Lv.55-58 Water25%PostIntense Sunor evolve from Growlithe (Step 1)
Arcanine already has 555 BST going for it, and Intimidate pushes the competitive value even higher. A-Tier attacker on our tier list.
Watch for Starmie (Water), Golem (Ground), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Arcanine. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB.
Arcanine gets Intimidate, Flash Fire, and Justified. But Intimidate is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Arcanine is a mixed attacker with base 110 Attack and 100 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 95 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the attacker role.
Arcanine has answers, but so do you. Faster attackers outpace it. Anything with a super-effective STAB move and decent speed can revenge kill.
Available since Red & Blue, Arcanine appears in 21 games spanning 10 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Hisuian form in Generation 8.
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 8PLAHisuian
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves