Is Kabuto Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Dome Fossil revival. Rock/Water with AbilitySwift Swim in rain or AbilityBattle Armor blocking crits. Kabutops at level 40 benefits enormously from the physical/special split matching its strong Attack with physical Water and Rock moves.
Kabuto has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Kabuto resists most of Bugsy's coverage and hits back hard.
Kabuto has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Kabuto trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's Pokemon outpace and outclass Kabuto here.
Kabuto has the type edge here and should clean up Jasmine's team.
Kabuto has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Kabuto trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Kabuto has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Kabuto trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.
Kabuto trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Kabuto trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Kabuto has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Kabutops trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Kabutops has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Fossil
Kabuto can be revived from a fossil obtained in Pewter City. Revive Dome Fossil. Revive a Dome Fossil at the Pewter Museum of Science.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- LV 31WaterAqua JetPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- After Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- LV 46RockAncient PowerPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 5
Evolve Kabuto to Kabutops
Kabuto evolves into Kabutops at Level 40. Your Kabuto should hit Level 40 before you reach Sabrina, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- TM75NormalSwords DancePower —Accuracy 100%PP 30Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- After Pryce
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Item ball on Ice Path 1F
- LV 54RockAncient PowerPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 5
How to Get Kabuto in HeartGold & SoulSilver
The Dome Fossil revives into Kabuto at level 20 once the Pewter City scientist works on it. That museum trip is the only way to get one, since none appear wild.
1 location to catch Kabuto
Badge 8How to Obtain Kabuto in HGSS
- Step 2Evolve into Kabutops
How to Get Shiny Kabuto in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Kabuto revives from the Dome Fossil in Pewter City, though a shiny hatches faster from Masuda breeding. Compare Shiny Kabuto odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Kabuto Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Soft Reset: Save in front of a static, gift, or legendary encounter, then reset until it sparkles.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds for Kabuto.
Kabuto Weakness
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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Kabuto Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Kabuto
 Tangrowth Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Tangrowth builds →Solar Beam 4x524-617%KO Earthquake 2x79-94% Focus Blast 2x174-206%KO Shock Wave 2x87-103%KO | ||
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
 Sceptile Grass | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Treecko (Silph Co Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Sceptile builds →Leaf Storm 4x588-692%KO Focus Punch 2x103-122%KO Earthquake 2x70-83% | ||
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Cacturne builds →Solar Beam 4x545-642%KO Focus Punch 2x133-157%KO | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Breloom builds →Seed Bomb 4x238-281%KO Focus Punch 2x222-262%KO | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Venusaur builds →Solar Beam 4x485-571%KO Earthquake 2x67-80% Rock Smash 2x28-34% | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Vileplume builds →Solar Beam 4x524-617%KO Drain Punch 2x40-48% | ||
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Shiftry builds →Leaf Storm 4x517-608%KO Dig 2x64-76% Focus Blast 2x147-173%KO | ||
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Meganium builds →Solar Beam 4x413-487%KO Earthquake 2x67-80% Rock Smash 2x28-34% | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Ludicolo builds →Solar Beam 4x442-520%KO Focus Punch 2x89-105%KO | ||
 Toxicroak PoisonFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Toxicroak builds →Focus Punch 2x187-220%KO Earthquake 2x84-99% | ||
 Cradily RockGrass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Lileep (Pewter City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabuto View Cradily builds →Solar Beam 4x410-483%KO Earthquake 2x67-80% Rock Smash 2x28-34% | ||
 Carnivine Grass | C | |
Kabuto Evolutions
Kabuto is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Kabutops. Check the evolution method below. Plenty of partners 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 69 breeding partners from the Water 1 and Water 3 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 7 more to offspring.
HGSS Kabuto Best Moveset
Rock/Water with 80 Attack and 90 Defense at the first stage. AbilitySwift Swim doubles 55 Speed in rain. The moveset has physical Rock and Water coverage. Evolve to Kabutops for competitive function.
Best Build
Kabuto best EVs are HP and Defense
Bulky Support Moveset
- Aqua Jet
- Rock Slide
- Absorb
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
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. Normal and Grass coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Surf and Waterfall.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
On rare occasions, some have been found as fossils which they became while hiding on the ocean floor.
This Pokémon lived in ancient times. On rare occasions, it has been discovered as a living fossil.
Kabuto HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
Revive a Dome Fossil at the Pewter Museum of Science. Kabuto is revived at level 5. Give it Rare Candies or experience-share if you want it ready for the late-game.
Yes. Kabuto is not available during the main story. It can only be obtained after entering the Hall of Fame. Kabuto becomes available after the main story is complete in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Kabuto has 355 BST and evolves into Kabutops. Compare the two forms before you give either one a team slot.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Kabuto plays as a balanced. Not the fastest, so pick your spots carefully.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Impish is the go-to nature for Kabuto. That's +Defense / -Sp. Atk. Pair it with 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe EVs. Fits the balanced role.
Game Availability
Present since Red & Blue, Kabuto appears in 19 games spanning 9 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 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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