Is Golbat Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?
Golbat is usable but never exciting. Fast enough to go first and tough enough to take a hit, but Poison/Flying typing doesn't threaten much in Red and Blue. It can hang on your team through the mid-game, but you'll probably swap it for something better before the E4.
Brock's typing presses Zubat's defenses.
Misty's typing presses Zubat's defenses.
Golbat trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Golbat trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Giovanni's team.
Golbat trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Golbat has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Golbat trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Golbat trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Golbat trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Catch Zubat
Catch Zubat in Mt. Moon (walking, Lv 6-11, common).
Recommended Moves
- LV 15NormalBitePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- After Misty
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Route 12 Gate 2F
- After Lt. Surge
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- TM09NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20Silph Co.
- TM02NormalRazor WindPower 80Accuracy 75%PP 10Celadon Department Store
- LV 28FlyingWing AttackPower 53Accuracy 100%PP 35
- After Erika
- TM21GrassMega DrainPower 40Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Celadon Gym Leader Erika
- After Koga
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Prize for defeating Fuchsia Gym Leader Koga
Evolve Zubat to Golbat
Zubat evolves into Golbat at Level 22. Your Zubat should hit Level 22 before you reach Lt. Surge, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 22)
- LV 22NormalBitePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 25
- LV 22GhostConfuse RayPower —Accuracy 100%PP 10
- After Misty
- TM39NormalSwiftPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Route 12 Gate 2F
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Rocket Game Corner
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- TM09NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20Silph Co.
- TM02NormalRazor WindPower 80Accuracy 75%PP 10Celadon Department Store
- After Koga
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Prize for defeating Fuchsia Gym Leader Koga
How to Get Golbat in Red & Blue
The evolved bat haunts the deeper, higher-level caves, 14 spots mostly rare. Golbat clusters in Victory Road and Seafoam, with a common pocket in Cerulean Cave.
3 locations to catch Golbat4 locations to catch Zubat
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Catch Zubat at any of the 4 locations below, then level it up to 22 — it evolves into Golbat.
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5 Badge 6 Badge 7 Badge 8Where To Catch Golbat in RB
Zubat gets you Golbat sooner: catch it (before Badge 2) and evolve it at Lv 22. Wild Golbat first appears at Seafoam Islands (after Badge 6).
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in Red & Blue for Golbat.
Golbat Weakness
Type-wise, Golbat takes extra damage from Electric, Ice, Psychic, and Rock. Ground moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Psychic, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
- 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 Golbat Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Golbat
 Rhydon GroundRock | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golbat View Rhydon builds →Rock Slide 2x92-108%KO Blizzard 2x37-44% Thunderbolt 2x32-38% | ||
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
 Jolteon Electric | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) | ||
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | S | |
 Lapras WaterIce | B | |
Obtain MethodSilph Co Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golbat View Lapras builds →Blizzard 2x89-106%KO Thunderbolt 2x51-61% Psychic 2x49-58% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | B | |
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Cinnabar Island Gift) | ||
 Dewgong WaterIce | C | |
 Starmie WaterPsychic | S | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Staryu (Route 19 Super Rod) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golbat View Starmie builds →Psychic 2x84-99% Blizzard 2x68-80% Thunderbolt 2x58-69% | ||
 Cloyster WaterIce | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Shellder (Route 6 Super Rod) | ||
 Raichu Electric | C | |
 Kabutops RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Kabuto (Cinnabar Island Gift) | ||
 Electrode Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodPower Plant Interact Encounter | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golbat View Slowbro builds →Psychic 2x84-99% Blizzard 2x68-80% | ||
Golbat Evolutions
Zubat's chain ends at Golbat (at level 22). Despite 465 base stats, this Poison/Flying type doesn't breed. Evolving from Zubat gave Golbat the biggest boost in Special (+45), bringing the total to 465 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
RB Golbat Best Moveset
Poison/Flying with 80 Speed and poor stats everywhere else. Neither type offers useful TermStab and the movepool can't compensate. MoveConfuse Ray for disruption is the closest thing to a niche.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Confuse Ray
- Mega Drain
- Toxic
- Wing Attack
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
TMs define Golbat's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Wing Attack, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Dark and Bug coverage and more. That's where the options open up.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 14 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Once it strikes, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.
Golbat Red & Blue Guide
In Red & Blue, Golbat has 465 BST, so weigh it against what your team already covers.
In Red & Blue, Golbat plays as a pivot. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully.
Game Availability
Golbat has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 21 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Golbat.
Keep playing · Red & BlueRed & Blue Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Red & Blue Tier List