Stats & Training
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.
Butterfree has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can even search out, extract, and carry honey from flowers that are blooming over six miles from its nest.
Butterfree has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can even search out, extract, and carry honey from flowers that are blooming over six miles from its nest.
Butterfree Weakness
Butterfree is weak to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying. 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.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Ice, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Weavile can KO Butterfree with Ice Shard (97-114%). Zapdos's Thunderbolt also KOs at 91-107%.
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Butterfree View Weavile builds →Knock Off78-92% Ice Shard 2x97-114%KO Pursuit48-57% | ||
 Heatran FireSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Butterfree View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave 2x64-75% Thunderbolt 2x91-107%KO | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Butterfree View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 4x430-507%KO Pursuit43-51% Crunch86-102%KO Superpower21-25% | ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPoisonheal ItemToxic Orb NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Butterfree View Gliscor builds →Knock Off23-28% | ||
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Evolution
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Butterfree to get Caterpie eggs easily using 68 partners from the Bug egg group.
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Butterfree Best Moveset
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 spread EVs maximize first-turn impact.
Best Build
Butterfree best EVs are Defense and Speed
Doubles Utility Moveset
- Sleep Powder
- Bug Buzz
- Psychic
- Shadow Ball
Recommended Teammates
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Sleep Powder
- Psychic
Recommended Teammates
Moves
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 coverage across 8 types. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Butterfree in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Butterfree can't be caught in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. Transfer Caterpie from Red, Yellow, or FireRed and evolve through the 3-stage chain to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
Butterfree Guide
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, 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.
Honestly, in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Butterfree is a tough sell at 395 BST. Plenty of stronger Bug/Flying options exist. Fun pick, not a practical one.
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, 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. Sleep Powder with Focus Sash is the standard set.
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, 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.
Game Availability
Butterfree first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 19 games across 10 generations. It later gained a Gigantamax form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
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 8SwShGigantamax
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves