Stats & Training
Attack and Special carry most of Gyarados's stat budget. Defense's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 2 Attack stat exp. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Rarely seen in the wild. Huge and vicious, it is capable of destroying entire cities in a rage.
Rarely seen in the wild. Huge and vicious, it is capable of destroying entire cities in a rage.
Gyarados Weakness
Type-wise, Gyarados takes extra damage from Electric and Rock. Watch out for Electric attacks, those deal 4x damage. Ground moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. With 95 HP and balanced defenses, Gyarados can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Electric |
| 2x (Weak) | Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Fighting, Bug |
| 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
In Red & Blue, Rhydon's Rock Slide hits Gyarados for 75-89%. Exeggutor's Explosion hits Gyarados for 63-74%. Zapdos's Thunderbolt also KOs at 143-169%.
 | S | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Gyarados View Rhydon builds →Rock Slide 2x75-89% Body Slam28-33% | ||
 | S | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Gyarados View Exeggutor builds →Psychic36-42% Explosion63-74% | ||
 Zapdos Electric | S | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Gyarados View Zapdos builds →Drill Peck29-34% Thunderbolt 4x143-169%KO | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Gyarados View Cloyster builds →Explosion63-74% Clamp5-6% Blizzard31-37% | ||
Red & Blue Evolution
Magikarp's chain leads to Gyarados (at level 20). A Water/Flying type at 580 stats, sitting in the Undiscovered group. Attack grew the most through evolution (+115 over Magikarp), and Gyarados peaks at 580 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Red & Blue Gyarados Best Moveset
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Hyper Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Blizzard
- Body Slam
Recommended Teammates
Moves
TMs carry this one. Gyarados learns Hydro Pump and Surf naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Dark and Dragon and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Gyarados in Red & Blue
You're catching Magikarp first, not Gyarados. Magikarp appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Gyarados in Red & Blue
The path to Gyarados starts with Magikarp at Lv. 5-15 via fishing and gift encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch MagikarpCeladon CityBlueOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyCeladon CityRedOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyCerulean Cave - 1FBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Cave100%EarlyCerulean Cave - 1FRedOld Rod Lv.5 Cave100%EarlyCerulean Cave - B1FRedOld Rod Lv.5 Cave100%EarlyCerulean Cave - B1FBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Cave100%EarlyFuchsia CityRedOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyFuchsia CityBlueOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyPallet TownRedOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyPallet TownBlueOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyRoute 10RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 10BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 11RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 11BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 12RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 12BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 13BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 13RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 17RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 17BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 18RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 18BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 19RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 19BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 20RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 20BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 21RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 21BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 22RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 22BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 23RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 23BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 24BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 24RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 25BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 25RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 6RedOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlyRoute 6BlueOld Rod Lv.5 Route100%EarlySafari Zone - CenterRedOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - CenterBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - EastRedOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - EastBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - NorthRedOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - NorthBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - WestRedOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySafari Zone - WestBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Facility100%EarlySeafoam Islands - B4FRedOld Rod Lv.5 Water100%EarlySeafoam Islands - B4FBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Water100%EarlySeafoam Islands - B3FRedOld Rod Lv.5 Water100%EarlySeafoam Islands - B3FBlueOld Rod Lv.5 Water100%EarlyVermilion City - CityRedOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyVermilion City - CityBlueOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyVermilion City - HarborBlueOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyVermilion City - HarborRedOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyViridian CityBlueOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyViridian CityRedOld Rod Lv.5 City100%EarlyRoute 4RedGift from NPC Lv.5 RouteCommonEarlyBuy for 500Route 4BlueGift from NPC Lv.5 RouteCommonEarlyBuy for 500Fuchsia CityRedSuper Rod Lv.15 City25%EarlyFuchsia CityBlueSuper Rod Lv.15 City25%EarlyRoute 12RedSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 12BlueSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 13BlueSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 13RedSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 17RedSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 17BlueSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 18RedSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%EarlyRoute 18BlueSuper Rod Lv.15 Route25%Early
Step 2Gyarados ✓
Gyarados Guide
For Red & Blue, we rate Gyarados B-Tier: a solid option in Red & Blue for the right team. At 580 BST, it fits the wallbreaker role. Hyper Beam anchors the moveset.
Mega Evolution isn't available in Red & Blue, but Gyarados does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Gyarados hits 680 BST.
Base 81 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Gyarados is a mixed attacker with base 125 Attack and 100 Special. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a wallbreaker.
For Red & Blue, the core moveset is Hyper Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, and Body Slam. Hyper Beam leads at 17% usage. This set covers the wallbreaker role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Gyarados has appeared in 22 titles over 10 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega 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 6ORASMega
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