You won't find a real weakness in Ekans's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Snake Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It sneaks through grass without making a sound and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind.
It sneaks through grass without making a sound and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind.
Ekans's Poison typing leaves it vulnerable to Ground and Psychic. The Poison typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Ekans's Poison typing only leaves 2 gaps to cover.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Fairy |
Espeon threatens a KO with Psyshock (98-116%). Krookodile's Earthquake also KOs at 167-197%.
 Landorus Ground | S | |
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Ekans View Landorus builds →Sludge Bomb20-23% | ||
 Espeon Psychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Ekans View Espeon builds →Psyshock 2x98-116%KO | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ekans View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x167-197%KO Knock Off55-64% Close Combat33-39% | ||
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Ekans View Hatterene builds →Nuzzle7-8% | ||
Ekans is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Arbok. Check the evolution method below. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 160 total stats over Ekans. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
Breeding
Breed Ekans easily with 72 breeding partners from the Dragon and Ground egg groups.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Ekans with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Spread EVs and Jolly nature maximize that, and Intimidate handles the rest.
Best Build
Ekans best EVs are Speed and Sp. Def
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Glare
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Glare
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Glare
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Glare
Recommended Teammates
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Moves
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Ekans's coverage across 9 types all comes from technical machines, built on top of Belch and Gunk Shot for same-type damage. Sludge Bomb and Belch are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Ekans won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 12 types means it always has an effective option. Gunk Shot and Sludge Bomb anchor the STAB core.
The natural movepool does the job, but Beat Up and Disable from the egg pool give Ekans something extra.
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Ekans's Normal and Dark coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Sludge Bomb and Poison Jab for same-type damage. Earthquake and Iron Tail are the payoff moves.
Ekans can't be caught in Scarlet & Violet. Bring it over from Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
No wild encounters for Ekans in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Red, Gold, or Brilliant Diamond and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
moderate rates across 6 locations for Ekans in endgame routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations to Catch Ekans in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
6 walking spots from Lv. 58-63 for Ekans. Sorted by game progression with rates on each row, so you can compare without scrolling through everything.
decent spawn rates across 2 locations for Ekans in early-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations to Catch Ekans in Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee
Get Ekans to Arbok at level 22. At 288 BST, Ekans is just the starting point.
Level 22 gets you Arbok. Not the fastest evolution, so consider Exp. Share or route grinding to speed it up.
For a casual playthrough, Ekans works as a placeholder. Poison coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Arbok. That's where the stats start mattering.
You won't have trouble finding Ekans. It's been around since Legends: Z-A and appears in 20 games total. Latest appearances: Yellow and Red & Blue.
Present since Red & Blue, Ekans appears in 20 games spanning 10 generations. Gen 1 originals like Ekans have the longest track record of availability in the series.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
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 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