A long wait between Dratini and Dragonite. Dragonair doesn't evolve until level 55, one of the highest evolution thresholds in all of Red & Blue.
420HP61Attack84Defense65Speed70Sp.Def70Sp.Atk70
Dratini
Dragonair
Dragonite
Weak to
Special
Balanced
70Speed · Below Avg

Is Dragonair Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?

Better than Dratini but still waiting for the real payoff. Dragonair evolves into Dragonite at level 55, which is near the end of the game. Keep grinding.

StrongGoodEvenToughBadTTEEETGSEGEGGBrockGym 1MistyGym 2SurgeGym 3DratiniPurchaseErikaGym 4DragonairEvolveKogaGym 5SabrinaGym 6BlaineGym 7GiovanniGym 8LoreleiE4DragoniteEvolveBrunoE4AgathaE4LanceE4BlueChamp*
Misty
Gym 2
Tough

Misty's typing presses Dratini's defenses.

Even
Staryu
Lv 18
Water
Illuminate
TackleWater Gun
Risky
Starmie
Lv 21
WaterPsychic
Illuminate
TackleWater GunBubble Beam
Lt. Surge
Gym 3
Even

Dratini trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.

Even
Voltorb
Lv 21
Electric
Soundproof
TackleScreechSonic Boom
Even
Pikachu
Lv 18
Electric
Static
Thunder ShockGrowlThunder WaveQuick Attack
Risky
Raichu
Lv 24
Electric
Static
Thunder ShockGrowlThunderbolt
Erika
Gym 4
Even

Dratini trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.

Even
Victreebel
Lv 29
GrassPoison
Chlorophyll
Razor LeafWrapPoison PowderSleep Powder
You Win
Tangela
Lv 24
Grass
Chlorophyll
ConstrictBind
Even
Vileplume
Lv 29
GrassPoison
Chlorophyll
Petal DancePoison PowderMega DrainSleep Powder
Koga
Gym 5
Even

Dragonair trades roughly evenly with Koga's team.

You Win
Koffing
Lv 37
Poison
Levitate
TackleSmogSludgeSmokescreen
Even
Muk
Lv 39
Poison
Stench
DisablePoison GasMinimizeSludge
You Win
Koffing
Lv 37
Poison
Levitate
TackleSmogSludgeSmokescreen
Risky
Weezing
Lv 43
Poison
Levitate
SmogSludgeToxicSelf Destruct
Sabrina
Gym 6
Tough

Sabrina's typing presses Dragonair's defenses.

Risky
Kadabra
Lv 38
Psychic
Synchronize
DisablePsybeamRecoverPsychic
Even
Mr Mime
Lv 37
Psychic
Soundproof
ConfusionBarrierLight ScreenDouble Slap
Even
Venomoth
Lv 38
BugPoison
Shield Dust
Poison PowderLeech LifeStun SporePsybeam
Risky
Alakazam
Lv 43
Psychic
Synchronize
PsybeamRecoverPsywaveReflect
Blaine
Gym 7
Good

Dragonair has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.

You Win
Growlithe
Lv 42
Fire
Intimidate
EmberLeerTake DownAgility
You Win
Ponyta
Lv 40
Fire
Run Away
Tail WhipStompGrowlFire Spin
You Win
Rapidash
Lv 42
Fire
Run Away
Tail WhipStompGrowlFire Spin
Even
Arcanine
Lv 47
Fire
Intimidate
RoarEmberFire BlastTake Down
Giovanni
Gym 8
Strong

Dragonair resists most of Giovanni's coverage and hits back hard.

Easy KO
Rhyhorn
Lv 45
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
StompTail WhipFury AttackHorn Drill
You Win
Dugtrio
Lv 42
Ground
Sand Veil
GrowlDigSand AttackSlash
You Win
Nidoqueen
Lv 44
PoisonGround
Poison Point
ScratchTail WhipBody SlamPoison Sting
You Win
Nidoking
Lv 45
PoisonGround
Poison Point
TackleHorn AttackPoison StingThrash
Easy KO
Rhydon
Lv 50
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
StompTail WhipFissureHorn Drill
Lorelei
Elite Four
Even

Dragonair trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.

Even
Dewgong
Lv 54
WaterIce
Thick Fat
GrowlAurora BeamRestTake Down
Even
Cloyster
Lv 53
WaterIce
Shell Armor
SupersonicClampAurora BeamSpike Cannon
You Win
Slowbro
Lv 54
WaterPsychic
Oblivious
GrowlWater GunWithdrawAmnesia
Even
Jynx
Lv 56
IcePsychic
Oblivious
Double SlapIce PunchBody SlamThrash
Even
Lapras
Lv 56
WaterIce
Water Absorb
Body SlamConfuse RayBlizzardHydro Pump
Bruno
Elite Four
Good

Dragonite has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.

Easy KO
Onix
Lv 53
RockGround
Rock Head
Rock ThrowRageSlamHarden
Even
Hitmonchan
Lv 55
Fighting
Keen Eye
Ice PunchThunder PunchMega PunchCounter
Even
Hitmonlee
Lv 55
Fighting
Limber
Jump KickFocus EnergyHigh Jump KickMega Kick
Easy KO
Onix
Lv 56
RockGround
Rock Head
Rock ThrowRageSlamHarden
Even
Machamp
Lv 58
Fighting
Guts
LeerFocus EnergyFissureSubmission
Agatha
Elite Four
Even

Dragonite trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.

Risky
Gengar
Lv 56
GhostPoison
Cursed Body
Confuse RayNight ShadeHypnosisDream Eater
You Win
Golbat
Lv 56
PoisonFlying
Inner Focus
SupersonicConfuse RayWing AttackHaze
Risky
Haunter
Lv 55
GhostPoison
Levitate
Confuse RayNight ShadeHypnosisDream Eater
Even
Arbok
Lv 58
Poison
Intimidate
BiteGlareScreechAcid
Risky
Gengar
Lv 60
GhostPoison
Cursed Body
Confuse RayNight ShadeToxicDream Eater
Lance
Elite Four
Good

Dragonite has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.

Easy KO
Gyarados
Lv 58
WaterFlying
Intimidate
Dragon RageLeerHydro PumpHyper Beam
You Win
Dragonair
Lv 56
Dragon
Shed Skin
AgilitySlamDragon RageHyper Beam
You Win
Dragonair
Lv 56
Dragon
Shed Skin
AgilitySlamDragon RageHyper Beam
You Win
Aerodactyl
Lv 60
RockFlying
Rock Head
SupersonicBiteTake DownHyper Beam
You Win
Dragonite
Lv 62
DragonFlying
Inner Focus
AgilitySlamBarrierHyper Beam
Blue
Champion
Good

Dragonite has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.

You Win
Pidgeot
Lv 61
NormalFlying
Keen Eye
WhirlwindWing AttackSky AttackMirror Move
Risky
Alakazam
Lv 59
Psychic
Synchronize
PsybeamRecoverPsychicReflect
Easy KO
Rhydon
Lv 61
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
Tail WhipFury AttackHorn DrillLeer
You Win
Arcanine
Lv 61
Fire
Intimidate
RoarEmberLeerTake Down
You Win
Exeggutor
Lv 63
GrassPsychic
Chlorophyll
BarrageHypnosisStomp
Even
Blastoise
Lv 65
Water
Torrent
BiteWithdrawBlizzardHydro Pump

Buy Dratini

Available after Badge 3
Type
Dragon
Tier
E

Dratini can be purchased in Celadon City at Lv 18. 2,800 Coins. Purchase from the Celadon Game Corner prize counter. Coins can be bought at the counter or won at the slot machines.

View Dratini locations

Evolve Dratini to Dragonair

Level 30
Type
Dragon
Tier
E

Dratini evolves into Dragonair at Level 30. Your Dratini should hit Level 30 before you reach Koga, at typical leveling pace.

Recommended Moves

Evolve Dragonair to Dragonite

Level 55
Type
DragonFlying
Tier
A

Dragonair evolves into Dragonite at Level 55. Your Dragonair should hit Level 55 before you reach Bruno, at typical leveling pace.

Recommended Moves

How to Get Dragonair in Red & Blue

Dragonair only comes from raising a Dratini to level 30, which means fishing the Safari Zone with a Super Rod or paying Game Corner coins for the base first. The middle dragon stage is never a wild catch.

Catch Dratini at any of these 2 spots to eventually evolve into Dragonair.

Encountered via fishing with a Rod

  1. 1
    Catch Dratini
  2. 2
    Evolve Dragonairat Lv.30
  3. 3
    Evolve Dragoniteat Lv.55
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6

How to Obtain Dragonair in RB

Dratini is your first catch on the way to Dragonair. You'll find fishing and gift encounters from Lv. 15-24 across 10 total spots in the chain.

  1. Dragonair
    Step 2Dragonair ✓
  2. Dragonite
    Step 3Evolve into Dragonite

Dragonair Weakness

Dragonair is weak to Ice and Dragon. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Just 2 weak spots to worry about, which keeps teambuilding straightforward.

Dragonair Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Ice, Dragon
0.5x (Resist)Fire, Water, Electric, Grass
Gen I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split

What is Dragonair Weak Against

Avg
2Weak
4Resist
0Immune
Score0
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None

What is Dragonair Strong Against

1Strong
0Resisted
0Immune
Score+1
2xStrong
½xResisted
None
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Dragonair

Dratini
Dratini
Dragon
D

Dragonair Evolutions

Dragonair sits between Dratini and Dragonite in this three-stage chain. A Dragon type at 420 stats that can't breed. HP has grown the most so far (+20), but there's still another 180 stats to gain in the final evolution. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Dratini
Dragon
Dragonair
Dragon
Dragonite
DragonFlying
HP
41
61+20
91+30
ATK
64
84+20
134+50
DEF
45
65+20
95+30
SP.ATK
50
70+20
100+30
SP.DEF
50
70+20
100+30
SPE
50
70+20
80+10
BST
300E-Tier
420E-Tier+120
600A-Tier+180
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Wallbreaker
TYPE
Utility
Mixed
Physical
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

RB Dragonair Best Moveset

Dragon typing sounds good until you realize there are almost no Dragon-type attack moves worth using. MoveHyper Beam and Normal attacks carry the offense. The moves point toward Dragonite, not toward winning battles at this stage.

Best Build

Experimental
Utility
Ability
Unknown
Item
None
Best Nature for Dragonair
HardyNEUTRAL

Utility Moveset

  • Thunder Wave
  • WrapCoverage
  • BlizzardCoverage
  • ThunderboltCoverage

Moves List

TMs carry this one. Dragonair learns Dragon Rage naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Ice and beyond give it real matchup play.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
——10030Normal
Lv 1
Thunder Wave
B—10020Electric
Lv 1
Wrap
B158520Normal
Lv 10
Thunder Wave
B—10020Electric
Lv 20
Agility
A——30Psychic
Lv 35
Slam
—807520Normal
Lv 45
Dragon Rage
D—10010Dragon
Lv 55
Hyper Beam
A150905Normal

TM Moves

All 24 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four

TM
TM34D——10Normal
TM14
BlizzardPokémon Mansionbadge 6
B110905Ice
TM08
Body SlamS.S. Annebadge 2
C8510015Normal
TM11D6510020Water
TM32
Double TeamSafari Zonebadge 3
———15Normal
TM10
Double-EdgeRocket Hideoutbadge 3
C12010015Normal
TM23
Dragon RageRocket Game Cornerbadge 3
D—10010Dragon
TM38C120855Fire
TM07
Horn DrillCeladon Department Storebadge 3
——305Normal
TM13C9510010Ice
TM31
MimicSaffron Citybadge 5
D——10Normal
TM20
RageRoute 15badge 3
D2010020Normal
TM33
ReflectKanto Power Plantbadge 3
C——20Psychic
TM44
RestS.S. Annebadge 2
C——10Psychic
TM40
Skull BashSafari Zonebadge 4
C10010010Normal
TM50
SubstituteRocket Game Cornerbadge 3
C——10Normal
HM03
SurfSafari Zonebadge 4
C9510015Water
TM39
SwiftRoute 12 Gate 2Fbadge 2
D60—20Normal
TM09
Take DownSilph Co.badge 3
C908520Normal
TM25
ThunderKanto Power Plantbadge 5
D1107010Electric
TM45
Thunder WaveRoute 24badge 1
B—10020Electric
TM24B9510015Electric
TM06C—9010Poison
TM12
Water GunMt. Moonbadge 1
D4010025Water

Tutor Moves

Dragonair can't learn any Tutor moves

Base Stats

Base Stats
Above
HP61
C
Attack84
C
Defense65
C
Sp. Atk70
C
Sp. Def70
C
Speed70
C
Total420
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging45 / 255
Growth Rate
Slow1.25M XP
Height4.0 m
Weight16.5 kg
Base XP147
EV Yield
HPAtk+2DefSpASpDSpe
Attack training target
Pokedex Entry

A mystical POKéMON that exudes a gentle aura. Has the ability to change climate conditions.

Pokemon Red / Pokemon Blue

Dragonair Red & Blue Guide

  • For Red & Blue, you can run Dragonair through the first few routes without issues. 420 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Dragonite as fast as you can.

  • In Red & Blue, Dragonair plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully.

Game Availability

One of the original 151, Dragonair 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.

Explore

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