Without Tinted Lens, Butterfree wouldn't see any competitive play. With it? It makes resisted hits deal full damage, turning modest base stats into a real offensive threat. Bug/Flying is solid coverage on top of that. It needs some investment to avoid getting outsped.
Butterfree's spread isn't flashy. Sp. Atk leads, Attack trails, 2 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 3 Sp. Atk and Sp. Def EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It loves the nectar of flowers and can locate flower patches that have even tiny amounts of pollen.
Butterfree Weakness
VulnerableButterfree is weak to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying-type moves. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground-type moves entirely. Butterfree's special bulk (base 80 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
Butterfree is the final form in a three-stage chain from Caterpie through Metapod. Breeding this form produces Caterpie eggs (quick to hatch). Evolving from Caterpie gave Butterfree the biggest boost in Sp.Atk (+70), bringing the total to 395 stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Butterfree to get Caterpie eggs easily from the Bug egg group.
For a setup attacker, Butterfree wants max HP and Defense EVs and Wide Lens. The Bold nature tilts toward physical wall duty, and Compoundeyes contributes without taking a move slot.
Best Build
Best Butterfree Moveset
- Sleep Powder
- Hurricane
- Quiver Dance
- Shadow Ball
Recommended Teammates
Butterfree develops a solid moveset just through leveling. Bug Buzz and Dream Eater show up naturally, and the progression handles both STAB and utility without leaning on TMs for the core attacks.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Can't catch Butterfree directly. Start with Caterpie at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 10. The 3-stage chain from Caterpie to Butterfree is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Butterfree in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
To get Butterfree, start by catching Caterpie through walking encounters at Lv. 58-63. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch CaterpieBogsunk CavernGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-gameGrassland CaveGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSpacious CaveGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSwampy CaveGrassLv.58-63PostSwampPost-game
Step 2Evolve into Metapod
Step 3Butterfree ✓
Don't let Butterfree's 395 base stat total fool you. Tinted Lens is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier.
Butterfree's biggest threats include Golem (Rock), Charizard (Fire), and Raikou (Electric), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Golem is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ice and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Run Tinted Lens on Butterfree. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Butterfree also gets Compound Eyes, but they don't compare.
Butterfree fills the balanced role. It's a special attacker with base 90 Sp. Atk. Base 70 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Butterfree appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Butterfree first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 19 games across 9 generations. It later gained a Gigantamax form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
- 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 VIIISwShGigantamax
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A