Electric moves don't affect Donphan at all — that's the advantage of Ground typing. It relies on priority moves or Scarf to keep up. Known as the Armor Pokemon. Built to hit on the physical side.
Attack and Defense carry most of Donphan's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Attack and Defense EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take a long time to grow.
It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its TACKLE is strong enough to knock down a house.
Donphan Weakness
AvgDonphan is weak to Water, Grass, and Ice-type moves. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. Donphan's physical bulk (base 120 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Evolved from Phanpy. Donphan is the final form in this two-stage line. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Attack grew the most through evolution (+60 over Phanpy), and Donphan peaks at 500 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Donphan to get Phanpy eggs easily using 102 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Ancient Power, Body Slam, Counter and 3 more.
Donphan runs a standard defensive wall set. Impish nature with HP-heavy investment EVs shapes the build, while Leftovers brings passive recovery each turn. Sturdy supports the kit from the background.
Best Build
Best Donphan Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Hidden Power Rock
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Breeding opens up real options for Donphan. Ancient Power and Body Slam come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Earthquake and Fissure and Normal and Rock coverage and more.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
No wild encounters for Donphan. The 2-stage line runs through Phanpy, which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 25 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Donphan in FireRed & LeafGreen
The path to Donphan starts with Phanpy at Lv. 10-15 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PhanpyEFFORTLESSSevault CanyonFireRedGrassLv.15CommonEarlyEFFORTLESSSevault CanyonLeafGreenGrassLv.15CommonEarlyEASYCanyon EntranceFireRedGrassLv.10-15UncommonEarlyEASYCanyon EntranceLeafGreenGrassLv.10-15UncommonEarly
Step 2Donphan ✓
We rate Donphan C-Tier — a situational pick that fills a niche. At 500 BST, it fits the support role. Base 120 Attack stands out.
Phanpy evolves into Donphan at level 25. Donphan is the fully evolved form. At 500 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Sturdy is the go-to ability for Donphan. It prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Its hidden ability Sand Veil can work in specific setups.
Base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Donphan is a physical attacker with base 120 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a support.
Donphan appears in 16 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Available in 16 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Donphan spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A