That 4x Grass weakness is something every Kabutops user needs to plan around. Swift Swim doubles its Speed in rain, which helps. A competitive option since Gen 1. Known as the Shellfish Pokemon.
Kabutops's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, HP trails, 3 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 2 Attack EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
KABUTOPS once swam underwater to hunt for prey. It was apparently evolving from being a water dweller to living on land as evident from changes in its gills and legs.
Kabutops Weakness
VulnerableGrass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground-type moves hit Kabutops for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Kabutops's physical bulk (base 105 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Kabutops is the evolved form of Kabuto. Breeding produces Kabuto eggs, and they're slow to hatch. Evolving from Kabuto gave Kabutops the biggest boost in Attack (+35), bringing the total to 495 stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Kabutops to get Kabuto eggs using 58 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 4 more.
One boost from Swords Dance and Kabutops gets dangerous fast. The Adamant nature targets max Attack and Speed, and Swiftswim backs the whole approach. Rock Slide and Normal coverage handle most of what's left standing.
Best Build
Best Kabutops Moveset
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- Brick Break
- Flail
Recommended Teammates
Without breeding, Kabutops misses out on Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Surf and Dive, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
No wild encounters for Kabutops in Emerald. Bring Kabuto over from Red, Yellow, or Shield, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Don't let Kabutops's 495 base stat total fool you. Swift Swim is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as a wallbreaker.
Kabuto evolves into Kabutops at level 40. Kabutops is the fully evolved form. At 495 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Run Swift Swim on Kabutops. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Kabutops also gets Battle Armor and Weak Armor, but they don't compare. On wall sets, Swift Swim pairs with Kabutops's base 105 Defense to absorb physical hits on the switch.
Kabutops fills the wallbreaker role. It's a physical attacker with base 115 Attack. Base 80 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Kabutops appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Kabutops has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 19 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- 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 VIORAS
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