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 collects honey every day. It rubs honey onto the hairs on its legs to carry it back to its nest.
Water-repellent powder on its wings enables it to collect honey, even in the heaviest of rains.
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.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
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 using 47 partners from the Bug egg group.
Focus Sash guarantees Butterfree survives one hit from full HP. That's enough to deal early damage and fire off Sleep Powder before going down. Compoundeyes and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs maximize first-turn impact.
Best Build
Best Butterfree Moveset
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
- Stun Spore
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
TMs define Butterfree's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Bug Buzz and Signal Beam, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Psychic and Grass coverage and more. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
A solid number of locations for Butterfree with decent spawn rates across early-game 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 Butterfree in HeartGold & SoulSilver
To get Butterfree, start by catching Caterpie through walking and headbutt encounters at Lv. 2-36. The chain covers 3 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch CaterpieEFFORTLESSRoute 30HeartGoldGrassLv.2-4CommonEarlyRouteDayEFFORTLESSRoute 30HeartGoldGrassLv.3-4CommonEarlyRouteMorningEFFORTLESSRoute 2 - NorthHeartGoldGrassLv.3-4CommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEFFORTLESSRoute 2 - SouthHeartGoldGrassLv.3-4CommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEFFORTLESSViridian ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.3CommonEarlyForestMorning/dayEFFORTLESSRoute 31HeartGoldGrassLv.4-5CommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEFFORTLESSIlex ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.5-6CommonEarlyForestMorning/dayEFFORTLESSNational ParkHeartGoldGrassLv.10-12CommonEarlyFacilityMorningEFFORTLESSNational ParkHeartGoldGrassLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityDayEASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestHeartGoldGrassLv.7-18UncommonEarlyFacilityBefore post-gameEASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestSoulSilverGrassLv.7-18UncommonEarlyFacilityBefore post-gameLEGENDARYIlex ForestHeartGoldHeadbutting treesLv.3-5LimitedEarlyForestEASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestHeartGoldGrassLv.24-36UncommonMidFacilityPost-game (Tue)EASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestSoulSilverGrassLv.24-36UncommonMidFacilityPost-game (Tue)
Step 2Catch or Evolve MetapodEFFORTLESSViridian ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.3-5CommonEarlyForestMorning/dayEFFORTLESSIlex ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.5-6CommonEarlyForestDayEFFORTLESSIlex ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.6CommonEarlyForestMorningEFFORTLESSNational ParkHeartGoldGrassLv.10CommonEarlyFacilityMorning/dayEASYRoute 30HeartGoldGrassLv.4UncommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEASYRoute 31HeartGoldGrassLv.5UncommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEASYRoute 2 - NorthHeartGoldGrassLv.5UncommonEarlyRouteMorningEASYRoute 2 - SouthHeartGoldGrassLv.5UncommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestHeartGoldGrassLv.9-18UncommonEarlyFacilityBefore post-gameEASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestSoulSilverGrassLv.9-18UncommonEarlyFacilityBefore post-gameLEGENDARYIlex ForestHeartGoldHeadbutting treesLv.3-5LimitedEarlyForestEASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestHeartGoldGrassLv.26-36UncommonMidFacilityPost-game (Tue)EASYNational Park - Bug Catching ContestSoulSilverGrassLv.26-36UncommonMidFacilityPost-game (Tue)HARDRoute 47HeartGoldHeadbutting special treesLv.25-28LimitedMidRouteor evolve from Caterpie (Step 1)
Step 3Butterfree ✓EASYRoute 2 - NorthHeartGoldGrassLv.7-8UncommonEarlyRouteMorningEASYRoute 2 - NorthHeartGoldGrassLv.7-10UncommonEarlyRouteDayEASYRoute 2 - SouthHeartGoldGrassLv.7-8UncommonEarlyRouteMorningEASYViridian ForestHeartGoldGrassLv.7UncommonEarlyForestMorningCHALLENGINGNational Park - Bug Catching ContestSoulSilverGrassLv.12-15RareEarlyFacilityBefore post-gameCHALLENGINGNational Park - Bug Catching ContestHeartGoldGrassLv.12-15RareEarlyFacilityBefore post-gameLEGENDARYIlex ForestHeartGoldHeadbutting treesLv.6-8LimitedEarlyForestCHALLENGINGNational Park - Bug Catching ContestSoulSilverGrassLv.27-30RareMidFacilityPost-game (Tue)CHALLENGINGNational Park - Bug Catching ContestHeartGoldGrassLv.27-30RareMidFacilityPost-game (Tue)HARDRoute 47HeartGoldHeadbutting special treesLv.25-28LimitedMidRouteor evolve from Metapod (Step 2)
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