Ground moves don't affect Gyarados at all — that's the advantage of Water/Flying typing. Intimidate lowers the opponent's Attack on switch-in. An original Gen 1 pick. It needs some investment to avoid getting outsped.
Attack and Sp. Def carry most of Gyarados's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 2 Attack EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
In ancient literature, there is a record of a Gyarados that razed a village when violence flared.
Rarely seen in the wild. Huge and vicious, it is capable of destroying entire cities in a rage.
Gyarados Weakness
ExcellentType-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. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. With 95 HP and balanced defenses, Gyarados can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
Evolved from Magikarp. Gyarados is the final form in this two-stage line. No compatible partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are hatches fast. Attack grew the most through evolution (+115 over Magikarp), and Gyarados peaks at 540 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Gyarados to get Magikarp eggs easily from the Dragon and Water2 egg groups.
Nothing fancy here. Gyarados builds around Sitrus Berry for a one-time health recovery at low HP, Careful nature for the right stat lean, and HP-heavy investment EVs. Intimidate does its job quietly.
Best Build
Best Gyarados Moveset
- Waterfall
- Protect
- Taunt
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
TMs carry this one. Gyarados learns Hydro Pump and Aqua Tail naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Dark and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
A handful of locations for Gyarados with high spawn rates across late-game fishing spots. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Where To Catch Gyarados in X & Y
To get Gyarados, start by catching Magikarp through trade and fishing encounters at Lv. 5-35. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch MagikarpEASYParfum PalaceXOld RodLv.15CommonEarlyBuildingEASYParfum PalaceYOld RodLv.15CommonEarlyBuildingEASYRoute 22XOld RodLv.15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 22YOld RodLv.15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 3XOld RodLv.15CommonEarlyRouteEASYRoute 3YOld RodLv.15CommonEarlyRouteLEGENDARYAmbrette Town - HotelXIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityTuesday trade with HikerLEGENDARYAmbrette Town - HotelYIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityTuesday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCamphrier Town - HotelXIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityWednesday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCamphrier Town - HotelYIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityWednesday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCoumarine City - HotelYIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityFriday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCoumarine City - HotelXIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityFriday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCouriway Town - HotelXIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityThursday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCouriway Town - HotelYIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityThursday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCyllage City - HotelXIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityMonday trade with HikerLEGENDARYCyllage City - HotelYIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCityMonday trade with HikerLEGENDARYGeosenge Town - HotelXIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCitySunday trade with HikerLEGENDARYGeosenge Town - HotelYIn-game tradeLv.5LimitedEarlyCitySunday trade with Hiker
Step 2Gyarados ✓EASYParfum PalaceXSuper RodLv.35CommonLateBuildingEASYParfum PalaceYSuper RodLv.35CommonLateBuildingEASYRoute 22XSuper RodLv.35CommonLateRouteEASYRoute 22YSuper RodLv.35CommonLateRouteEASYRoute 3YSuper RodLv.35CommonLateRouteEASYRoute 3XSuper RodLv.35CommonLateRouteor evolve from Magikarp (Step 1)
Intimidate changes the entire equation for Gyarados. The 540 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier as a wallbreaker.
Magikarp evolves into Gyarados at level 20. Gyarados is the fully evolved form. At 540 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Intimidate is what you want on Gyarados. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Moxie) work on paper but Intimidate is what makes Gyarados worth using. Intimidate synergizes with Gyarados's base 100 Sp.Def, letting it soak special attacks as a pivot.
Base 81 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Gyarados is a physical attacker with base 125 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a wallbreaker.
Gyarados appears in 22 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Gyarados has appeared in 22 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A