Early Confusion and Sleep Powder make Butterfree a useful carry for the first few Gyms in Red & Blue despite F-Tier stats.
385HP60Attack45Defense50Speed70Sp.Def80Sp.Atk80
Caterpie
Metapod
Butterfree
Weak to
Physical
Balanced
70Speed · Below Avg

Is Butterfree Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?

Available before Brock if you catch Caterpie in Viridian Forest, and MoveConfusion at level 10 actually handles his gym. Butterfree's real value is MoveSleep Powder, which trivializes tough fights for the rest of the game. Doesn't hit hard enough to be a main attacker, but the utility keeps it relevant longer than you'd expect.

StrongGoodEvenToughBadEEEGGEESGSGTEBrockGym 1MistyGym 2SurgeGym 3ErikaGym 4KogaGym 5SabrinaGym 6BlaineGym 7GiovanniGym 8LoreleiE4BrunoE4AgathaE4LanceE4BlueChamp*
Brock
Gym 1
Even

Butterfree trades roughly evenly with Brock's team.

You Win
Geodude
Lv 12
RockGround
Rock Head
TackleDefense Curl
Even
Onix
Lv 14
RockGround
Rock Head
TackleScreechBide
Misty
Gym 2
Even

Butterfree trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.

Even
Staryu
Lv 18
Water
Illuminate
TackleWater Gun
Risky
Starmie
Lv 21
WaterPsychic
Illuminate
TackleWater GunBubble Beam
Lt. Surge
Gym 3
Even

Butterfree trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.

Even
Voltorb
Lv 21
Electric
Soundproof
TackleScreechSonic Boom
Even
Pikachu
Lv 18
Electric
Static
Thunder ShockGrowlThunder WaveQuick Attack
Risky
Raichu
Lv 24
Electric
Static
Thunder ShockGrowlThunderbolt
Erika
Gym 4
Good

Butterfree has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.

You Win
Victreebel
Lv 29
GrassPoison
Chlorophyll
Razor LeafWrapPoison PowderSleep Powder
Even
Tangela
Lv 24
Grass
Chlorophyll
ConstrictBind
You Win
Vileplume
Lv 29
GrassPoison
Chlorophyll
Petal DancePoison PowderMega DrainSleep Powder
Koga
Gym 5
Good

Butterfree has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.

You Win
Koffing
Lv 37
Poison
Levitate
TackleSmogSludgeSmokescreen
You Win
Muk
Lv 39
Poison
Stench
DisablePoison GasMinimizeSludge
You Win
Koffing
Lv 37
Poison
Levitate
TackleSmogSludgeSmokescreen
Even
Weezing
Lv 43
Poison
Levitate
SmogSludgeToxicSelf Destruct
Sabrina
Gym 6
Even

Butterfree trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.

Risky
Kadabra
Lv 38
Psychic
Synchronize
DisablePsybeamRecoverPsychic
Even
Mr Mime
Lv 37
Psychic
Soundproof
ConfusionBarrierLight ScreenDouble Slap
You Win
Venomoth
Lv 38
BugPoison
Shield Dust
Poison PowderLeech LifeStun SporePsybeam
Risky
Alakazam
Lv 43
Psychic
Synchronize
PsybeamRecoverPsywaveReflect
Blaine
Gym 7
Even

Butterfree trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.

Even
Growlithe
Lv 42
Fire
Intimidate
EmberLeerTake DownAgility
Even
Ponyta
Lv 40
Fire
Run Away
Tail WhipStompGrowlFire Spin
Risky
Rapidash
Lv 42
Fire
Run Away
Tail WhipStompGrowlFire Spin
Risky
Arcanine
Lv 47
Fire
Intimidate
RoarEmberFire BlastTake Down
Giovanni
Gym 8
Strong

Butterfree resists most of Giovanni's coverage and hits back hard.

Easy KO
Rhyhorn
Lv 45
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
StompTail WhipFury AttackHorn Drill
You Win
Dugtrio
Lv 42
Ground
Sand Veil
GrowlDigSand AttackSlash
You Win
Nidoqueen
Lv 44
PoisonGround
Poison Point
ScratchTail WhipBody SlamPoison Sting
You Win
Nidoking
Lv 45
PoisonGround
Poison Point
TackleHorn AttackPoison StingThrash
Easy KO
Rhydon
Lv 50
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
StompTail WhipFissureHorn Drill
Lorelei
Elite Four
Good

Butterfree has the type edge here and should clean up Lorelei's team.

You Win
Dewgong
Lv 54
WaterIce
Thick Fat
GrowlAurora BeamRestTake Down
You Win
Cloyster
Lv 53
WaterIce
Shell Armor
SupersonicClampAurora BeamSpike Cannon
Easy KO
Slowbro
Lv 54
WaterPsychic
Oblivious
GrowlWater GunWithdrawAmnesia
Risky
Jynx
Lv 56
IcePsychic
Oblivious
Double SlapIce PunchBody SlamThrash
Even
Lapras
Lv 56
WaterIce
Water Absorb
Body SlamConfuse RayBlizzardHydro Pump
Bruno
Elite Four
Strong

Butterfree resists most of Bruno's coverage and hits back hard.

Easy KO
Onix
Lv 53
RockGround
Rock Head
Rock ThrowRageSlamHarden
You Win
Hitmonchan
Lv 55
Fighting
Keen Eye
Ice PunchThunder PunchMega PunchCounter
You Win
Hitmonlee
Lv 55
Fighting
Limber
Jump KickFocus EnergyHigh Jump KickMega Kick
Easy KO
Onix
Lv 56
RockGround
Rock Head
Rock ThrowRageSlamHarden
You Win
Machamp
Lv 58
Fighting
Guts
LeerFocus EnergyFissureSubmission
Agatha
Elite Four
Good

Butterfree has the type edge here and should clean up Agatha's team.

Even
Gengar
Lv 56
GhostPoison
Cursed Body
Confuse RayNight ShadeHypnosisDream Eater
You Win
Golbat
Lv 56
PoisonFlying
Inner Focus
SupersonicConfuse RayWing AttackHaze
You Win
Haunter
Lv 55
GhostPoison
Levitate
Confuse RayNight ShadeHypnosisDream Eater
You Win
Arbok
Lv 58
Poison
Intimidate
BiteGlareScreechAcid
Even
Gengar
Lv 60
GhostPoison
Cursed Body
Confuse RayNight ShadeToxicDream Eater
Lance
Elite Four
Tough

Lance's typing presses Butterfree's defenses.

Risky
Gyarados
Lv 58
WaterFlying
Intimidate
Dragon RageLeerHydro PumpHyper Beam
Risky
Dragonair
Lv 56
Dragon
Shed Skin
AgilitySlamDragon RageHyper Beam
Risky
Dragonair
Lv 56
Dragon
Shed Skin
AgilitySlamDragon RageHyper Beam
Risky
Aerodactyl
Lv 60
RockFlying
Rock Head
SupersonicBiteTake DownHyper Beam
Risky
Dragonite
Lv 62
DragonFlying
Inner Focus
AgilitySlamBarrierHyper Beam
Blue
Champion
Even

Butterfree trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.

Risky
Pidgeot
Lv 61
NormalFlying
Keen Eye
WhirlwindWing AttackSky AttackMirror Move
Risky
Alakazam
Lv 59
Psychic
Synchronize
PsybeamRecoverPsychicReflect
Easy KO
Rhydon
Lv 61
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
Tail WhipFury AttackHorn DrillLeer
Even
Exeggutor
Lv 61
GrassPsychic
Chlorophyll
BarrageHypnosisStomp
Risky
Gyarados
Lv 63
WaterFlying
Intimidate
Dragon RageLeerHydro PumpHyper Beam
Risky
Charizard
Lv 65
FireFlying
Blaze
RageSlashFire BlastFire Spin

Catch Caterpie

Available before Badge 1
Type
Bug
Tier
F

Catch Caterpie on Route 2 (walking, Lv 3-5, uncommon).

View Caterpie locations

How to Get Butterfree in Red & Blue

No wild Butterfree in Red or Blue. Level a Metapod to 10 and it evolves, which usually means raising a Caterpie caught in Viridian Forest first.

Catch Caterpie or Metapod at any of these 4 spots to eventually evolve into Butterfree.

Encountered via tall grass encounters

  1. 1
    Catch Caterpie
  2. 2
    Evolve Metapodat Lv.7
  3. 3
    Evolve Butterfreeat Lv.10
Badge 1
Badge 2

How to Obtain Butterfree in RB

To get Butterfree, start by catching Caterpie through walking encounters at Lv. 3-8. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Butterfree
    Step 3Butterfree ✓

Butterfree Weakness

Butterfree is weak to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, Poison, 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 Special) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.

Butterfree Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
4x (Critical)Rock
2x (Weak)Fire, Electric, Ice, Poison, Flying
0.5x (Resist)Bug
0.25x (Resist)Grass, Fighting
0x (Immune)Ground
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

What is Butterfree Weak Against

Fragile
6Weak
3Resist
1Immune
Score-6
4xCritical
½xResist
¼xResist
0xImmune

What is Butterfree Strong Against

5Strong
0Resisted
0Immune
Score+5
½xResisted
None
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Butterfree

Geodude
Geodude
RockGround
C
C
Pikachu
Pikachu
Electric
C
Spearow
Spearow
NormalFlying
C
Pidgey
Pidgey
NormalFlying
D

Butterfree Evolutions

Butterfree is the evolved form of Caterpie, reached at level 10. A Bug/Flying type at 385 stats that still can't breed. Evolving from Caterpie gave Butterfree the biggest boost in Special (+60), bringing the total to 385 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Butterfree
BugFlying
HP
45
50+5
60+10
ATK
30
20-10
45+25
DEF
35
55+20
50-5
SP.ATK
20
25+5
90+65
SP.DEF
20
25+5
80+55
SPE
45
30-15
70+40
BST
195F-Tier
205F-Tier+10
395E-Tier+190
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Utility
Utility
Special
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

RB Butterfree Best Moveset

MoveSleep Powder is the entire identity. Bug/Flying typing, 80 Special, and poor Speed mean one thing happens: something falls asleep, and then Butterfree folds. The move slots after sleep are irrelevant because nothing else hits hard enough to matter.

Best Build

Experimental
Utility
Ability
Unknown
Item
None
Best Nature for Butterfree
HardyNEUTRAL

Utility Moveset

  • Sleep Powder
  • PsychicCoverage
  • Mega Drain
  • Stun Spore

Moves List

TMs define Butterfree's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Bug and Flying STAB, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Psychic and Normal coverage. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Confusion
—5010025Psychic
Lv 12
Confusion
—5010025Psychic
Lv 15
Poison Powder
——7535Poison
Lv 16
Stun Spore
B—7530Grass
Lv 17
Sleep Powder
B—7515Grass
Lv 21
Supersonic
——5520Normal
Lv 26
Whirlwind-6
———20Normal
Lv 32
Psybeam
A6510020Psychic

TM Moves

All 19 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four

TM
TM34D——10Normal
TM32
Double TeamSafari Zonebadge 3
———15Normal
TM10
Double-EdgeRocket Hideoutbadge 3
D12010015Normal
TM15
Hyper BeamRocket Game Cornerbadge 3
C150905Normal
TM21B4010010Grass
TM31
MimicSaffron Citybadge 5
D——10Normal
TM29
PsychicSaffron Citybadge 5
B9010010Psychic
TM46——10015Psychic
TM20
RageRoute 15badge 3
D2010020Normal
TM02
Razor WindCeladon Department Storebadge 3
—8010010Normal
TM33
ReflectKanto Power Plantbadge 3
A——20Psychic
TM44
RestS.S. Annebadge 2
C——10Psychic
TM22
Solar BeamPokémon Mansionbadge 6
C12010010Grass
TM50
SubstituteRocket Game Cornerbadge 3
A——10Normal
TM39
SwiftRoute 12 Gate 2Fbadge 2
D60—20Normal
TM09
Take DownSilph Co.badge 3
D908520Normal
TM30
Teleport-6Route 9badge 2
———20Psychic
TM06C—9010Poison
TM04
Whirlwind-6Route 4badge 1
———20Normal

Tutor Moves

Butterfree can't learn any Tutor moves

Base Stats

Base Stats
Avg
HP60
C
Attack45
D
Defense50
D
Sp. Atk80
C
Sp. Def80
C
Speed70
C
Total385
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging45 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height1.1 m
Weight32.0 kg
Base XP178
EV Yield
HPAtkDefSpA+2SpD+1Spe
Strong Special Attack training target
Pokedex Entry

In battle, it flaps its wings at high speed to release highly toxic dust into the air.

Pokemon Red / Pokemon Blue

Butterfree Red & Blue Guide

  • Honestly, in Red & Blue Butterfree is a tough sell. It rates just E-Tier, and stronger Bug/Flying options exist. Fun pick, not a practical one.

  • In Red & Blue, Butterfree plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully.

Game Availability

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.

Explore

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