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.
It is thought that this Pokémon came onto land because its prey adapted to life on land.
It is thought that this Pokémon came onto land because its prey adapted to life on land.
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 |
 Serperior Grass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Serperior builds →Leaf Storm 4x234-276%KO Solar Beam 4x215-253%KO Leaf Blade 4x121-142%KO Energy Ball 4x162-191%KO | ||
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Exeggutor builds →Leaf Storm 4x355-418%KO Wood Hammer 4x189-222%KO Solar Beam 4x328-387%KO Energy Ball 4x245-289%KO | ||
 Decidueye GrassGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Iki Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Decidueye builds →Solar Beam 4x272-320%KO Leaf Blade 4x159-187%KO Energy Ball 4x204-240%KO Low Sweep 2x39-46% | ||
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Meganium builds →Petal Dance 4x234-276%KO Solar Beam 4x234-276%KO Earthquake 2x46-55% Petal Blizzard 4x128-151%KO | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Leafeon builds →Solar Beam 4x181-213%KO Leaf Blade 4x162-191%KO Energy Ball 4x139-164%KO Giga Drain 4x117-138%KO | ||
In Sun & Moon, Cobalion can KO Kabutops with Close Combat (113-133%). Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt also KOs at 182-214%.
 Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemFightiniumz NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x113-133%KO Stone Edge31-37% | ||
 Ferrothorn GrassSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureSassy Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 Tapu Koko ElectricFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityElectric Surge ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Tapu Koko builds →Thunderbolt 2x182-214%KO Volt Switch 2x141-167%KO Dazzling Gleam81-95% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x154-180%KO Scald46-54% Waterfall61-72% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Breloom builds →Mach Punch 2x54-63% Bullet Seed 4x68-80% | ||
Sun & Moon 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 95 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 9 more.
Sun & Moon Kabutops Best Moveset
Kabutops leads with Focus Sash insurance. Even if it can't take a hit naturally, it'll survive long enough to deal early damage. Max Attack and Speed EVs go all-in on offense since bulk doesn't matter here.
Best Build
Kabutops best EVs are Attack and Speed
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Liquidation
- Rock Slide
- Aqua Jet
- X Scissor
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Liquidation
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Kabutops misses out on Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam. That's 12 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Stone Edge, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Kabutops in Sun & Moon
No wild encounters for Kabutops in Sun & Moon. Bring Kabuto over from Red, Yellow, or Shield, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
How to Obtain Kabutops in Sun & Moon
Step 1Obtain KabutoReceive as a gift in:
Ultra SunGift · Route 8 · Revive Dome FossilLet's Go PikachuGift · Cinnabar Island · Revive Dome FossilThen trade to Sun & Moon to continue the evolution chain.
Also found in:
Step 2Kabutops ✓
Kabutops Guide
In Sun & Moon, 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. Liquidation with Focus Sash is the standard set.
In Sun & Moon, 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 Sun & Moon, 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.
For Sun & Moon, Kabutops has answers, but so do you. Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.
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