Mixed
Balanced
309Low
65Moderate
DTier

Charmander sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Charizard as fast as possible. Known as the Lizard Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.

Speed and Sp. Atk carry most of Charmander's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 1 Speed EV. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.

Base Stats
309Avg
HP39
F
Attack52
D
Defense43
D
Sp. Atk60
C
Sp. Def50
D
Speed65
C
Total309
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Charmander yields +1 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Details
Catch45ChallengingMedium Slow1.06M XP0.6m / 2'00"8.5kg / 18.7 lbs62Base XP
Pokedex Entries

The fire on the tip of its tail is a measure of its life. If the Pokémon is healthy, its tail burns intensely.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Charmander Weakness

Avg

Charmander is weak to Water, Ground, and Rock-type moves. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Standard number of weaknesses for the Fire typing.

4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
3Weak
6Resist
0Immune
Scorei0
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
BlazeStrengthens fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Solar PowerHAIncreases Special Attack to 1.5× but costs 1/8 max HP after each turn during strong sunlight.

Three stages ahead. Charmander grows into Charmeleon, then pushes on to Charizard. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, average hatch time with no compatible partners via two egg groups. Evolving adds up to 225 stat points total.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Charmander
Fire
Charizard
FireFlying
HP
39
58+19
78+20
ATK
52
64+12
84+20
DEF
43
58+15
78+20
SP.ATK
60
80+20
109+29
SP.DEF
50
65+15
85+20
SPE
65
80+15
100+20
BST
309D-Tier
405D-Tier+96
534B-Tier+129
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Sweeper
TYPE
Utility
Special
Special
Breeding
Easy

Breed Charmander easily from the Dragon and Monster egg groups. Pass egg moves like Air Cutter, Ancient Power, Beat Up and 11 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
DragonMonster
Gender
87.5%12.5%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
14moves

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Egg moves make a real difference. Charmander gets Air Cutter and Ancient Power exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 9 types rounds out the picture alongside Overheat and Flare Blitz.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Growl
10040Normal
Lv 1
Scratch
4010035Normal
Lv 4
Ember
4010025Fire
Lv 8
Smokescreen
10020Normal
Lv 12
Dragon Breath
6010020Dragon
Lv 17
Fire Fang
659515Fire
Lv 20
Slash
7010020Normal
Lv 24
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
Lv 28
Scary Face
10010Normal
Lv 32
Fire Spin
358515Fire
Lv 36
Inferno
100505Fire
Lv 40
Flare Blitz
12010015Fire

TM Moves

Src
TM40
Aerial Ace
6020Flying
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM31
Brick Break
7510015Fighting
TM93
Cut
509530Normal
TM28
Dig
8010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM02
Dragon Claw
8010015Dragon
TM59
Dragon Pulse
8510010Dragon
TM58
Endure+4
10Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM54
False Swipe
4010040Normal
TM38
Fire Blast
110855Fire
TM35
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
TM56
Fling
10010Dark
TM01
Focus Punch-3
15010020Fighting
TM23
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
TM50
Overheat
130905Fire
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM80
Rock Slide
759010Rock
TM98
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
TM39
Rock Tomb
609515Rock
TM65
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
TM82
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM96
Strength
8010015Normal
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
8515Normal
TM75
Swords Dance
20Normal
TM61
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire
TM10
Work Up
30Normal

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Air Cutter
609525Flying
Egg
Ancient Power
601005Rock
Egg
Beat Up
10010Dark
Egg
Belly Drum
10Normal
Egg
Bite
6010025Dark
Egg
Counter-5
10020Fighting
Egg
Crunch
8010015Dark
Egg
Dragon Dance
20Dragon
Egg
Dragon Rush
1007510Dragon
Egg
Dragon Tail-6
609010Dragon
Egg
Flare Blitz
12010015Fire
Egg
Metal Claw
509535Steel
Egg
Outrage
12010010Dragon
Egg
Wing Attack
6010035Flying

Tutor Moves

Charmander can't learn any Tutor moves

6 encounter spots for Charmander at moderate rates starting from endgame routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.

Best Locations

Which version you're playing matters for Charmander. 6 walking spots at Lv. 58-63 spread across Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and some routes only appear in one cartridge. Check the version badges below.

Sandsear Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostDesertPost-game
Sandsear Cave
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostDesertPost-game
Typhlo Cavern
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Typhlo Cavern
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Volcanic Cave
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostVolcanoPost-game
Volcanic Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostVolcanoPost-game
  • Charmander is meant to evolve into Charmeleon. At 309 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Charmander's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Rhydon (Ground), and Golem (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.

  • Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16. Charmander is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.

  • Blaze is the go-to ability for Charmander. It strengthens fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less. Its hidden ability Solar Power can work in specific setups.

  • At base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Charmander is a mixed attacker — base 52 Attack and 60 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.

  • Charmander appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

One of the original 151, Charmander has appeared in 21 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.