Defense leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Golem's stat line in a nutshell. 3 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 3 Defense EVs.
The rocklike shell is shed each year. The cast-off shell then crumbles, reverting to a mass of soil, which can be spread across fields to promote crop growth.
Golem is weak to Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. Watch out for Water and Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Golem's physical bulk (base 130 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Water, Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Ice, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Flying, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
 Gyarados Water | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golem View Gyarados builds →Hydro Pump 4x154-182%KO Blizzard 2x51-61% Aqua Tail 4x132-155%KO Ice Beam 2x43-50% | ||
 Toedscruel GroundGrass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golem View Toedscruel builds →Power Whip 4x108-128%KO Solar Beam 4x210-248%KO Earth Power 2x79-93% Seed Bomb 4x75-89% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golem View Breloom builds →Focus Punch 2x112-132%KO Solar Beam 4x168-197%KO Dynamic Punch 2x75-89% Seed Bomb 4x121-143%KO | ||
 Wo-Chien DarkGrass | B | |
Obtain MethodSouth Province Area One Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golem View Wo-Chien builds →Power Whip 4x125-147%KO Solar Beam 4x240-283%KO Body Press 2x28-34% Seed Bomb 4x85-101%KO | ||
 Gogoat Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Golem View Gogoat builds →Solar Beam 4x243-286%KO Earthquake 2x40-48% Leaf Blade 4x108-128%KO Surf 4x123-145%KO | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Torkoal's Eruption hits Golem for 39-46%. Archaludon threatens a KO with Flash Cannon (99-117%).
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDrought ItemCharcoal NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Golem View Torkoal builds →Eruption39-46% Heat Wave25-29% | ||
 Archaludon SteelDragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStamina ItemAssault Vest NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Golem View Archaludon builds →Flash Cannon 2x99-117%KO Dragon Pulse53-62% | ||
 Dondozo Water | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Dondozo builds →
| ||
 Annihilape FightingGhost | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDefiant ItemSitrus Berry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Golem View Annihilape builds →Drain Punch 2x43-51% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Golem View Zapdos builds →Hurricane28-33% Heat Wave16-19% | ||
Getting Golem requires a trade, not just grinding levels. The chain starts at Geodude. Breed this form to get Geodude eggs (quick to hatch). HP grew the most through evolution (+40 over Geodude), and Golem peaks at 495 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Golem to get Geodude eggs easily using 55 partners from the Mineral egg group.
For a hazard lead, Golem wants max HP and Attack EVs and Custapberry. The Adamant nature tilts toward physical duty, and Sturdy contributes without taking a move slot.
Best Build
Golem best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Stone Edge
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
Physical Wallbreaker Moveset
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Unknown
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Tank Moveset
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Support Moveset
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Rock Polish
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Moves
TMs carry this one. Golem learns Earthquake and Stone Edge naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Steel and Normal and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Golem isn't available in the wild in Scarlet & Violet. Start by transferring Geodude from Red, Yellow, or Gold. The evolution path from Geodude to Golem is covered in the steps below.
For Scarlet & Violet, we rate Golem C-Tier: a niche pick in Scarlet & Violet's meta. At 495 BST, it fits the wallbreaker role. Stealth Rock with Custapberry is the standard set.
In Scarlet & Violet, Golem's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Venusaur (Grass), and Lapras (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Gyarados is the most dangerous since Water moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Ground, and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Rock Head is the go-to ability for Golem. It protects against recoil damage. Its hidden ability Sand Veil can work in specific setups. Sturdy is the other option. Pick based on what your team needs.
Base 45 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Golem is a physical attacker with base 120 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a wallbreaker.
For Scarlet & Violet, the core moveset is Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Explosion, and Stone Edge. Stealth Rock leads at 22% usage. Earthquake provides reliable STAB damage.
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Golem has appeared in 20 titles over 10 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
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 7SMAlolan
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