Stats & Training
Cranidos's all-in on Attack at the expense of Sp. Atk. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 1 Attack EV and follows a standard growth curve.
It lived in jungles around 100 million years ago. Its skull is as hard as iron.
It was resurrected from an iron-ball-like fossil. It downs prey with its headbutts.
Cranidos Weakness
Cranidos is weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. That's a lot of weak spots to cover so team support is important.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying |
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Slowking threatens a KO with Scald (155-182%).
 Heatran FireSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Cranidos View Slowking builds →Scald 2x155-182%KO | ||
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Evolution
Cranidos evolves into Rampardos. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 145 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Cranidos with 63 breeding partners from the Monster egg group. Pass egg moves like Crunch, Curse, Double-Edge and 7 more to offspring.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Cranidos 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
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 10 types means almost nothing walls Cranidos cleanly, with Head Smash and Stone Edge anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Cranidos in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
No wild encounters for Cranidos in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. It's available in Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Cranidos Guide
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Cranidos isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Rampardos to unlock its full potential. At 350 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Cranidos's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Exeggutor (Grass), and Blaziken (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Ground and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Run Sheer Force on Cranidos. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Cranidos also gets Mold Breaker, but they don't compare.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Sheer Force is the hidden ability. It strengthens moves with extra effects to 1.3× their power, but prevents their extra effects. Worth hunting for if you want Cranidos to compete at a higher level.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Cranidos fills the cannon role. It's a physical attacker with base 125 Attack. At base 58 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
Game Availability
Cranidos first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 12 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
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 4DPDebut
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