Stats & Training
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.
In the water, it tucks in its limbs to become more compact, then it wiggles its shell to swim fast.
With sharp claws, this ferocious, ancient Pokémon rips apart prey and sucks their body fluids.
Kabutops Weakness
Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground 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.
| 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)
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Azelf's Explosion hits Kabutops for 38-45%. Bronzong's Earthquake hits Kabutops for 65-77%.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Azelf builds →Explosion38-45% U Turn21-25% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureBrave Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Bronzong builds →Explosion40-48% Earthquake 2x65-77% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityKeeneye ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x84-99% | ||
HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Kabutops to get Kabuto eggs using 69 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 7 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Kabutops Best Moveset
One boost from Swords Dance and Kabutops gets dangerous fast. The Adamant nature targets flexible, and Swiftswim backs the whole approach. Waterfall and the remaining moves handle most of what's left standing.
Best Build
Kabutops best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Kabutops misses out on Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam. That's 10 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Stone Edge and Surf, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Kabutops in HeartGold & SoulSilver
You're catching Kabuto first, not Kabutops. Kabuto appears but it's a rare spawn in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Kabutops in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Step 1Catch KabutoPewter City - Museum of ScienceSoulSilverGift from NPC Lv.20 CityLimitedMidRevive Dome FossilPewter City - Museum of ScienceHeartGoldGift from NPC Lv.20 CityLimitedMidRevive Dome Fossil
Step 2Kabutops ✓
Kabutops Guide
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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. Waterfall with Life Orb is the standard set.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Waterfall, Stone Edge, Aqua Jet, and Swords Dance on Kabutops. Waterfall is the most common pick at 24% usage. Waterfall provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Kabutops has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 19 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
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