Stats & Training
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.
It has a preference for hot things. When it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail.
From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out.
Charmander Weakness
Charmander is weak to Water, Ground, and Rock. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Standard number of weaknesses for the Fire typing.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
In Sword & Shield, Tyranitar can KO Charmander with Stone Edge (485-571%). Excadrill threatens a KO with Earthquake (298-351%). Krookodile's Earthquake also KOs at 253-299%.
 Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Tyranitar builds →Crunch194-229%KO Stone Edge 2x485-571%KO Earthquake 2x323-381%KO | ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x298-351%KO Rapid Spin50-59% | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x253-299%KO Knock Off83-97% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Slowbro builds →Scald 2x137-162%KO | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | C | |
Water is super effective against CharmanderView Urshifu → | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Three stages ahead. Charmander grows into Charmeleon, then pushes on to Charizard. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, average hatch time with plenty of partners via two egg groups. Evolving adds up to 225 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Charmander easily with 63 breeding partners from the Dragon and Monster egg groups. Pass egg moves like Ancient Power, Belly Drum, Bite and 5 more to offspring.
Sword & Shield Charmander Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Flamethrower and Inferno bring the raw damage. But Charmander also picks up coverage across 10 types from TMs, making it tough to find a safe switch. You're not locked into one angle here.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Charmander in Sword & Shield
Charmander doesn't appear in Sword & Shield. Transfer it from Red, Yellow, or Brilliant Diamond to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Charmander Guide
Charmander becomes Charmeleon at level 16, then Charizard at level 36. Straight three-stage line with no branching.
Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16. Early evolution, you'll hit it before the third gym in most games.
For Sword & Shield, you can run Charmander through the first few routes without issues. 309 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Charmeleon as fast as you can.
Charmander is catchable in Sword & Shield. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 20 other games across the series.
Game Availability
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.
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 8SwSh
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