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.
In the water, it tucks in its limbs to become more compact, then it wiggles its shell to swim fast.
A slim and fast swimmer. It slices its prey with its sharp sickles and drinks the body fluids.
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.
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 from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 9 more.
Start with max Attack without Speed EVs. Jolly nature gives Kabutops the right fast physical lean, Life Orb adds extra damage on every hit for a health trade, and Swiftswim works in the background. Waterfall is the main damage option.
Best Build
Best Kabutops Moveset
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Rock Slide
- Brick Break
Recommended Teammates
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 Stone Edge and Surf, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Can't catch Kabutops directly. Start with Kabuto but it's a rare spawn from the locations below, then evolve at level 40. The 2-stage line from Kabuto to Kabutops is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Kabutops in X & Y
Step 1Catch KabutoMODERATEAmbrette Town - Fossil LabYGift from NPCLv.20LimitedMidCityRevive Dome FossilMODERATEAmbrette Town - Fossil LabXGift from NPCLv.20LimitedMidCityRevive Dome Fossil
Step 2Kabutops ✓
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