Defense and Attack carry most of Honedge's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Defense EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Honedge’s soul once belonged to a person who was killed a long time ago by the sword that makes up Honedge’s body.
The blue eye on the sword’s handguard is the true body of Honedge. With its old cloth, it drains people’s lives away.
Honedge's Steel/Ghost typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ground, Ghost, and Dark. It shrugs off Normal, Fighting, and Poison-type attacks completely. With 9 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Honedge's physical bulk (base 100 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ground, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Rock, Dragon, Steel, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting, Poison |
Volcarona can KO Honedge with Heat Wave (146-172%). Lokix deals 35-42% with Sucker Punch.
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemGrassyseed NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Honedge View Volcarona builds →Heat Wave 2x146-172%KO | ||
 Annihilape FightingGhost | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDefiant ItemSitrus Berry NatureJolly Moves View Annihilape builds →
| ||
 Lokix BugDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTintedlens ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Honedge View Lokix builds →Knock Off 2x33-39% U Turn4-5% Sucker Punch 2x35-42% | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Honedge View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x50-59% Knock Off 2x33-39% | ||
 Cinderace Fire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLibero ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Honedge View Cinderace builds →U Turn3-3% Sucker Punch 2x23-28% | ||
Three stages ahead. Honedge grows into Doublade, then pushes on to Aegislash. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, average hatch time with plenty of partners via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 175 total stats over Honedge. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Honedge easily with 84 breeding partners from the Mineral egg group.
Honedge hasn't fully evolved, but Eviolite's 50% bulk boost makes it viable anyway. Relaxed nature with max HP and Defense EVs shapes the defensive spread, and Noguard adds utility.
Best Build
Honedge best EVs are HP and Defense
Bulky Support Moveset
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Gyro Ball
- Sacred Sword
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword
Recommended Teammates
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Power Trick
- Rock Slide
- Protect
- Wide Guard
Recommended Teammates
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Power Trick
- Rock Slide
- Protect
- Wide Guard
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Honedge. TMs unlock coverage across 7 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Steel Beam and Iron Head into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The natural movepool does the job, but Block and Destiny Bond from the egg pool give Honedge something extra. Pair those with Iron Head and Flash Cannon for STAB and coverage across 8 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
The natural movepool does the job, but Destiny Bond and Metal Sound from the egg pool give Honedge something extra.
The natural movepool does the job, but Destiny Bond and Metal Sound from the egg pool give Honedge something extra.
No wild encounters for Honedge in Legends: Z-A. It's available in X, Sun, or Sword and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
A handful of locations for Honedge with high spawn rates across mid-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations to Catch Honedge in Sword & Shield
4 walking encounters at Lv. 28-31 for Honedge across Shield and Sword. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
2 encounter spots for Honedge at moderate rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Best Locations to Catch Honedge in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Honedge starts showing up in mid-game routes at moderate rates across 2 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Honedge in Sun & Moon
Level 35 gets you Doublade. Not the fastest evolution, so consider Exp. Share or route grinding to speed it up.
You can run Honedge through the first few routes without issues. 325 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Doublade as fast as you can.
Across 6 games, Honedge has solid availability. First showed up in Legends: Z-A. The latest games to include it are X & Y and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire.
Honedge joined the series in X & Y and has been available in 6 titles so far. With 5 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
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 6XYDebut
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