Attack and Speed carry most of Goldeen's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Easy to catch and yields 1 Attack EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It swims elegantly by flittering its tail fin as if it were a dress. It has the look of a queen.
It swims at a steady five knots. If it senses danger, it will strike back with its sharp horn.
Type-wise, Goldeen takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
Sinistcha's Shadow Ball hits Goldeen for 77-90%. Magnezone threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (364-429%). Kartana deals 60-71% with Knock Off.
 Sinistcha GrassGhost | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityHospitality ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Goldeen View Sinistcha builds →Shadow Ball77-90% | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAnalytic ItemChoice Specs NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Goldeen View Magnezone builds →Flash Cannon81-95% Volt Switch 2x284-334%KO Thunderbolt 2x364-429%KO | ||
 Kartana GrassSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Goldeen View Kartana builds →Knock Off60-71% | ||
 Rotom ElectricGhost | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Scarf NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Goldeen View Rotom builds →Volt Switch 2x139-164%KO Shadow Ball79-94% Thunderbolt 2x179-210%KO | ||
One evolution ahead. Goldeen grows into Seaking through a straightforward two-stage chain. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 130 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Goldeen easily with 34 breeding partners from the Water2 egg group.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
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.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Leveling does the heavy lifting. Goldeen picks up Megahorn and Blizzard along the way, building toward a complete offensive set. TMs add Flying and Normal coverage and more, but the foundation's already strong by then.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Stall teams hate this. Goldeen can spread damage across 10 types, with Flying and Normal punishing common defensive pivots. STAB from Hydro Pump and Muddy Water keeps the pressure honest on everything else.
TMs carry this one. Goldeen learns Surf and Waterfall naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Flying and Normal and beyond give it real matchup play.
Breeding's the move. Aqua Tail and Body Slam give Goldeen options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 9 types already covers a decent range on top of Hydro Pump and Surf. The egg moves push it further.
Goldeen's scattered across 24 spots in early-game fishing spots with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.
Best Locations to Catch Goldeen in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Bring Good Rod for Goldeen. There are 24 fishing encounters from Lv. 10-25 with no walking alternatives. Pick the spot with the best rate and settle in.
high spawn rates in early-game water routes across 88 locations. Goldeen's one of the easier catches on the list. Two different catch methods are in play here. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Best Locations to Catch Goldeen in Sword & Shield
88 spots to find Goldeen at Lv. 7-45 via surfing and fishing. Not all of them exist in both Sword and Shield versions, so filter by your copy below.
Easy grab on Goldeen with high spawn rates across 2 locations in early-game water routes. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations to Catch Goldeen in Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee
high spawn rates in early-game fishing spots across 12 locations. Goldeen's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Best Locations to Catch Goldeen in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Goldeen is a fishing-only catch in this game. 12 spots at Lv. 10-33 using Super Rod, so bring the right rod and check the rates on each location.
Goldeen evolves into Seaking at level 33. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 320 BST.
Goldeen evolves into Seaking at level 33. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
You can run Goldeen through the first few routes without issues. 320 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Seaking as fast as you can.
Goldeen shows up in 19 games, making it one of the more widely available Pokemon in the series. First catchable in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, most recently in Yellow and Red & Blue.
One of the original 151, Goldeen has appeared in 19 games — most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
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