Stats & Training
Nothing fancy in Empoleon's spread. It leans special with Sp. Atk out front. And you'll get 3 Sp. Atk EVs per KO for it. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
The three horns that extend from its beak attest to its power. The leader has the biggest horns.
It swims as fast as a jet boat. The edges of its wings are sharp and can slice apart drifting ice.
Empoleon Weakness
Empoleon's Water/Steel typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Fighting, and Ground. It shrugs off Poison-type attacks completely. It resists 10 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. With 84 HP and balanced defenses, Empoleon can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Water, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Ice, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Excadrill can KO Empoleon with Earthquake (101-119%). Cobalion threatens a KO with Close Combat (92-108%). Zeraora deals 44-52% with Drain Punch.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x101-119%KO Rapid Spin8-10% | ||
 Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x92-108%KO | ||
 Zeraora Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Zeraora builds →Drain Punch 2x44-52% | ||
 Regieleki Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTransistor ItemMagnet NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Regieleki builds →Volt Switch 2x51-60% Electroweb 2x41-48% Thunderbolt 2x66-77% | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | C | |
Fighting is super effective against EmpoleonView Urshifu → | ||
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Evolution
The three-stage chain from Piplup through Prinplup ends here at Empoleon. Want more? Breed for Piplup eggs. A massive partner pool available via two egg groups. The evolution from Piplup pushed Empoleon to 530 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Empoleon to get Piplup eggs easily using 131 partners from the Ground and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Agility, Aqua Ring, Double Hit and 8 more.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Empoleon Best Moveset
Empoleon doesn't rely on pure speed. Leftovers gives it passive recovery each turn to stay healthy, and Modest nature still pushes offense. Scald and the remaining moves keep the pressure on while max HP and Sp. Atk EVs balance power and survivability.
Best Build
Empoleon best EVs are HP and Sp. Atk
Special Tank Moveset
- Scald
- Flash Cannon
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot
Recommended Teammates
Moves
You'll want to breed for Agility and Aqua Ring on Empoleon. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Hydro Cannon and Hydro Pump, they expand what Empoleon can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Empoleon in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
No wild encounters for Empoleon. The 3-stage chain runs through Piplup, which you can catch at moderate rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 36 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Empoleon in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
To get Empoleon, start by catching Piplup through walking encounters at Lv. 58-63. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PiplupFountainspring CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameFountainspring CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameRiverbank CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameRiverbank CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStill-Water CavernShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStill-Water CavernBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-game
Step 2Evolve into Prinplup
Step 3Empoleon ✓
Empoleon Guide
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Empoleon works as an attacker with 530 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl's meta. Scald with Leftovers is the standard set.
Torrent strengthens water moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less. That's the one you want on Empoleon. Competitive is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Empoleon is a special attacker with base 111 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the attacker role.
For Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Empoleon has answers, but so do you. Faster attackers outpace it. Anything with a super-effective STAB move and decent speed can revenge kill.
Game Availability
Debuting in Diamond & Pearl, Empoleon appears in 12 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
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 4DPDebut
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