Stats & Training
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 Weakness
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 |
 Landorus Ground | S | |
Ground is super effective against EkansView Landorus → | ||
 Espeon Psychic | A | |
Psychic is super effective against EkansView Espeon → | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Ground is super effective against EkansView Krookodile → | ||
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Psychic is super effective against EkansView Hatterene → | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, 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% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
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 65 breeding partners from the Dragon and Ground egg groups. Pass egg moves like Poison Fang, Poison Tail, Scary Face and 3 more to offspring.
Scarlet & Violet Ekans Best Moveset
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
Moves
The natural movepool does the job, but Poison Fang and Poison Tail from the egg pool give Ekans something extra. Pair those with Belch and Gunk Shot for STAB and coverage across 9 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Ekans in Scarlet & Violet
Ekans Guide
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.
In Scarlet & Violet, 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 can find Ekans in Scarlet & Violet. The Locations section has the full breakdown of routes and encounter details. It also appears in 19 other games across the series.
Game Availability
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