Nothing fancy in Kabuto's spread. It leans physical with Defense out front. And you'll get 1 Defense EV per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It is thought to have inhabited beaches 300 million years ago. It is protected by a sturdy shell.
It is thought to have inhabited beaches 300 million years ago. It is protected by a sturdy shell.
Kabuto is weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground. Watch out for Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. The Rock/Water typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Kabuto's physical bulk (base 90 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
Sinistcha can KO Kabuto with Shadow Ball (95-112%). Hippowdon threatens a KO with Earthquake (130-154%). Magnezone's Thunderbolt also KOs at 451-531%.
 Sinistcha GrassGhost | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityHospitality ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Sinistcha builds →Shadow Ball95-112%KO | ||
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x130-154%KO | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAnalytic ItemChoice Specs NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Magnezone builds →Flash Cannon201-236%KO Volt Switch 2x351-413%KO Thunderbolt 2x451-531%KO | ||
 Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySharpness ItemLum Berry NatureJolly Moves View Gallade builds →
| ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityOvergrow ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Venusaur builds →Sludge Bomb45-53% Giga Drain 4x304-358%KO Knock Off19-23% | ||
Kabuto is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Kabutops. Check the evolution method below. A massive partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 140 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Kabuto with 114 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups.
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
Most of Kabuto's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Stone Edge and Surf, but Grass and Normal and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Kabuto gets Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Grass and Normal coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Meteor Beam and Hydro Pump.
Most of Kabuto's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Surf and Scald, but Normal and Grass and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Egg moves make a real difference. Kabuto gets Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Hydro Pump and Surf.
Kabuto doesn't appear in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Transfer it from Red, Yellow, or Shield to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Kabuto appears at decent spawn rates across 8 spots in endgame water routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations to Catch Kabuto in Sword & Shield
Surfing encounters at Lv. 60-65 across 8 spots for Kabuto. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
Kabuto is handed to you at Cinnabar Island. No encounter rates or random spawns involved, so there's nothing to grind. Check the location details below for the exact conditions to trigger it.
Best Locations to Catch Kabuto in Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee
No searching required for Kabuto. You receive it at Route 8 from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.
Best Locations to Catch Kabuto in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
At 355 BST, Kabuto is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Kabutops before bringing it to any serious fight.
Kabuto gets Swift Swim, Battle Armor, and Weak Armor. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Kabuto is a physical attacker with base 80 Attack. Fragile, can't afford to take many hits, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
For a casual playthrough, Kabuto works as a placeholder. Rock/Water coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Kabutops. That's where the stats start mattering.
Present since Red & Blue, Kabuto appears in 19 games spanning 10 generations. Gen 1 originals like Kabuto have the longest track record of availability in the series.
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