Drakloak sits in the middle of its evolution line — stronger than Dreepy but not yet at full power. Most trainers push through to Dragapult as fast as possible. Introduced in Gen 8. Normal and Fighting moves can't touch it, which offsets the 5 weaknesses somewhat.
The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Attack carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Caretaker Pokemon on a slow 1.25M XP grind, worth 2 Speed EVs per KO.
It’s capable of flying faster than 120 mph. It battles alongside Dreepy and dotes on them until they successfully evolve.
Without a Dreepy to place on its head and care for, it gets so uneasy it’ll try to substitute any Pokémon it finds for the missing Dreepy.
Drakloak Weakness
GoodType-wise, Drakloak takes extra damage from Ice, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, and Fairy. Normal and Fighting moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. At base 102 Speed, Drakloak outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
Partway through Dreepy's chain. Drakloak still has another evolution ahead before reaching Dragapult. For breeding, takes forever to hatch with a decent partner pool via two egg groups. HP has grown the most so far (+40), but there's still another 190 stats to gain in the final evolution.
How to Evolve
Breed with Drakloak to get Dreepy eggs easily using 43 partners from the Indeterminate and Dragon egg groups. Notable egg moves include Confuse Ray, Curse, Disable and 4 more.
Infiltrator and Eviolite give Drakloak staying power beyond its evolution stage. Timid nature boosts Speed, max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs set the spread, and the pre-evolution bulk actually works here.
Best Build
Best Drakloak Moveset
- Draco Meteor
- Hex
- Thunder Wave
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Breeding's the move. Confuse Ray and Curse give Drakloak options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 9 types already covers a decent range on top of Outrage and Dragon Rush. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
high spawn rates for Drakloak across 26 locations in endgame routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Where To Catch Drakloak in Sword & Shield
The path to Drakloak starts with Dreepy at Lv. 50-65 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch DreepyHARDLake of OutrageShieldGrassLv.50-522%PostWaterHeavy FogHARDLake of OutrageSwordGrassLv.50-522%PostWaterThunderstormHARDLake of OutrageSwordGrassLv.50-522%PostWaterHeavy FogHARDLake of OutrageShieldGrassLv.50-522%PostWaterThunderstormHARDLake of OutrageShieldGrassLv.50-521%PostWaterOvercastHARDLake of OutrageSwordGrassLv.50-521%PostWaterOvercast
Step 2Drakloak ✓EFFORTLESSOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-65100%PostSandstormEFFORTLESSOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-65100%PostSandstormMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostIntense SunMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostRainingMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostSnowingMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostHeavy FogMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostOvercastMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostRainingMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostNormal WeatherMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostHeavy FogMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostSnowstormMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostOvercastMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostNormal WeatherMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostSnowstormMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostThunderstormMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostIntense SunMODERATEOld CemeterySwordOverworldLv.60-659%PostSnowingMODERATEOld CemeteryShieldOverworldLv.60-659%PostThunderstormCHALLENGINGLake of OutrageShieldOverworldLv.55-582%PostWaterHeavy FogCHALLENGINGLake of OutrageSwordOverworldLv.55-582%PostWaterThunderstormCHALLENGINGLake of OutrageSwordOverworldLv.55-582%PostWaterHeavy FogCHALLENGINGLake of OutrageShieldOverworldLv.55-582%PostWaterThunderstormHARDLake of OutrageShieldOverworldLv.55-581%PostWaterOvercastHARDLake of OutrageSwordOverworldLv.55-581%PostWaterRainingHARDLake of OutrageSwordOverworldLv.55-581%PostWaterOvercastHARDLake of OutrageShieldOverworldLv.55-581%PostWaterRainingor evolve from Dreepy (Step 1)
Drakloak is meant to evolve into Dragapult. At 410 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Drakloak's biggest threats include Cloyster (Ice), Dragapult (Ghost), and Dragonite (Dragon), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Dark and Fairy-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Drakloak's base 102 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Clear Body is the go-to ability for Drakloak. It prevents stats from being lowered by other Pokémon. Its hidden ability Cursed Body can work in specific setups. Infiltrator is the other option — pick based on what your team needs.
Base 102 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Drakloak is a special attacker with base 60 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits. Best used as a pivot.
Drakloak can be found in Scarlet & Violet and Sword & Shield.
Drakloak joined the series in Sword & Shield and has been available in 2 titles so far. With 2 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
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 VIIISwShDebut
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A