Darmanitan's spread is anchored by Attack, with balanced defenses backing it up. Sp. Atk is the clear weak point. Worth 2 Attack EVs per KO, and the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve keeps leveling painless.
Anger has reignited its atrophied flame sac. This Pokémon spews fire everywhere as it rampages indiscriminately.
Darmanitan takes this form when enraged. It won’t stop spewing flames until its rage has settled, even if its body starts to melt.
Darmanitan's Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, and Rock. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Darmanitan leans offensive (base 140 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
Greninja can KO Darmanitan with Surf (149-175%). Excadrill threatens a KO with Earthquake (155-183%). Garchomp's Earthquake also KOs at 151-178%.
 Greninja WaterDark | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityBattlebond ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse66-78% Ice Beam25-29% Surf 2x149-175%KO U Turn13-15% | ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x155-183%KO Rapid Spin26-31% | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x151-178%KO | ||
 Glimmet RockPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityToxicdebris ItemEviolite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Glimmet builds →Power Gem 2x89-105%KO Sludge Bomb50-59% | ||
 Gyarados Water | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Gyarados builds →Waterfall 2x129-152%KO Earthquake 2x107-126%KO | ||
Darmanitan is the evolved form of Darumaka. Breeding produces Darumaka eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Darumaka gave Darmanitan the biggest boost in Attack (+50), bringing the total to 480 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Darmanitan to get Darumaka eggs easily using 278 partners from the Ground egg group.
Darmanitan's locked into one move per switch-in with Choice Scarf, trading flexibility for speed patching through item lock. Flare Blitz is the go-to spam option, with Ground coverage keeping switch-ins honest.
Best Build
Darmanitan best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- U Turn
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Tank Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Superpower
- Will O Wisp
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- U Turn
- Superpower
Doubles Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- Thrash
- Stone Edge
Recommended Teammates
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- U Turn
- Superpower
Doubles Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- Thrash
- Stone Edge
Recommended Teammates
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
- Earthquake
- Superpower
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without TMs, Darmanitan's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 9 types on top of Overheat and Flare Blitz for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
You'll want to breed for Encore and Endure on Darmanitan. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Overheat and Flare Blitz, they expand what Darmanitan can actually threaten in practice.
You'll want to breed for Encore and Endure on Darmanitan. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Overheat and Flare Blitz, they expand what Darmanitan can actually threaten in practice.
You'll want to breed for Encore and Endure on Darmanitan. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Overheat and Flare Blitz, they expand what Darmanitan can actually threaten in practice.
No wild encounters for Darmanitan. The 2-stage line runs through Darumaka, which you can catch at moderate rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 35 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Darmanitan in Sword & Shield
To get Darmanitan, start by catching Darumaka through walking encounters at Lv. 38-65. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch DarumakaRoute 8 - on Steamdrift WayGrass Lv.38-41 Route5%LateAll WeatherRoute 10 - Near StationGrass Lv.43-46 Route5%LateAll WeatherRoute 10Grass Lv.44-46 Route5%LateAll WeatherSnowslide SlopeOverworld Lv.60-65 Ice10%PostSnowstorm
Step 2Darmanitan ✓
Darmanitan isn't available in the wild in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Start by transferring Darumaka from Black, Black 2, or Sword. The evolution path from Darumaka to Darmanitan is covered in the steps below.
Darmanitan can't be caught in Sun & Moon. Transfer Darumaka from Black, Black 2, or Sword and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
A handful of locations for Darmanitan with high spawn rates across late-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Where To Catch Darmanitan in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
To get Darmanitan, start by catching Darumaka through walking encounters at Lv. 36-38. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Obtain Darumaka
Step 2Darmanitan ✓Mirage Spots - Area 15Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.36-3880%LateMirage Spots - Area 15Omega RubyGrass Lv.36-3880%LateMirage Spots - Area 21Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.36-3880%LateMirage Spots - Area 21Omega RubyGrass Lv.36-3880%LateMirage Spots - Area 9Omega RubyGrass Lv.36-386%LateMirage Spots - Area 9Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.36-386%Lateor evolve from Darumaka (Step 1)
Don't let Darmanitan's 480 base stat total fool you. Zen Mode is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it B-Tier as a cannon.
Zen Mode. This is Darmanitan's defining trait. It changes darmanitan's form after each turn depending on its HP: Zen Mode below 50% max HP, and Standard Mode otherwise. Every competitive set revolves around it. If your Darmanitan doesn't have Zen Mode, it's not worth running.
Run Zen Mode on Darmanitan. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Darmanitan also gets Sheer Force, but they don't compare.
Darmanitan fills the cannon role. It's a physical attacker with base 140 Attack. Base 95 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Darmanitan first appeared in Black & White and spans 7 games across 6 generations. It later gained a Galarian form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
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 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BWDebut
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 8SwShGalarian
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