Mixed
Sweeper
400Average
105Fast
CTier

Kadabra sits in the middle of its evolution line — stronger than Abra but not yet at full power. Most trainers push through to Alakazam as fast as possible. Known as the Psi Pokemon. Its damage comes from the special side.

Sp. Atk leads and Defense gets almost nothing. That's Kadabra's stat line in a nutshell. 2 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Sp. Atk EVs.

Base Stats
400Above
HP40
D
Attack35
F
Defense30
F
Sp. Atk120
A
Sp. Def70
C
Speed105
B
Total400
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Kadabra yields +2 SpA
HPAtkDefSpA+2SpDSpe
Details
Catch100Moderate•Medium Slow1.06M XP•1.3m / 4'03"•56.5kg / 124.6 lbs•140Base XP
Pokedex Entries

If one is nearby, an eerie shadow appears on TV screens. Seeing the shadow is said to bring bad luck.

Brilliant Diamond

When it uses its psychic power, it emits strong alpha waves that can ruin precision instruments.

Shining Pearl

Kadabra Weakness

Vulnerable

Kadabra is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves. Kadabra's special bulk (base 70 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
BugGhostDark
½xResisti
FightingPsychic
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (2)i
FightingPoison
3Weak
2Resist
0Immune
Scorei-4
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
SynchronizeCopies burns, paralysis, and poison received onto the Pokémon that inflicted them.
Inner FocusPrevents flinching.
Magic GuardHAProtects against damage not directly caused by a move.

Sitting between Abra and Alakazam, Kadabra is part of a chain that requires a trade. Not your typical level-up setup. HP has grown the most so far (+15), but there's still another 100 stats to gain in the final evolution.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Abra
#063Abra
16
Level 16
Kadabra
#064Kadabra
Trade
Alakazam
#065Alakazam
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Abra
Psychic
Kadabra
Psychic
Alakazam
Psychic
HP
25
40+15
55+15
ATK
20
35+15
50+15
DEF
15
30+15
45+15
SP.ATK
105
120+15
135+15
SP.DEF
55
70+15
95+25
SPE
90
105+15
120+15
BST
310D-Tier
400C-Tier+90
500B-Tier+100
ROLE
Attacker
Sweeper
Sweeper
TYPE
Special
Special
Special
Breeding
Easy

Breed with Kadabra to get Abra eggs easily from the Humanshape egg group. Notable egg moves include Ally Switch, Confusion, Encore and 9 more.

Egg Groups
Humanshape
Gender
♂75.0%♀25.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
12moves

Magic Guard helps Kadabra stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, max HP and Speed EVs for the right balance, and Light Screen as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.

Best Build

Wall
Ability
Magic Guard
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Nature
Timid+SPE
EVs

Best Kadabra Moveset

  • Light ScreenSTAB
  • ReflectUtility
  • RecoverRecovery
  • Psych Up

Recommended Teammates

Shedinja
ShedinjaExcellent
Blastoise
BlastoiseExcellent

The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 10 types means almost nothing walls Kadabra cleanly, with Future Sight and Dream Eater anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Confusion
5010025Psychic
Lv 1
Disable
—10020Normal
Lv 1
Kinesis
—8015Psychic
Lv 1
Teleport-6
——20Psychic
Lv 5
Psybeam
6510020Psychic
Lv 10
Reflect
——20Psychic
Lv 15
Ally Switch+2
——15Psychic
Lv 20
Psycho Cut
7010020Psychic
Lv 25
Recover
——10Normal
Lv 30
Psyshock
8010010Psychic
Lv 35
Psychic
9010010Psychic
Lv 40
Role Play
——10Psychic
Lv 45
Future Sight
12010010Psychic
Lv 50
Calm Mind
——20Psychic

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
—10015Normal
TM04
Calm Mind
——20Psychic
TM57
Charge Beam
509010Electric
TM21
Dazzling Gleam
8010010Fairy
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM60
Drain Punch
7510010Fighting
TM85
Dream Eater
10010015Psychic
TM58
Endure+4
——10Normal
TM53
Energy Ball
9010010Grass
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM70
Flash
—10020Normal
TM56
Fling
—10010Dark
TM01
Focus Punch-3
15010020Fighting
TM86
Grass Knot
—10020Grass
TM23
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
TM16
Light Screen
——30Psychic
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM77
Psych Up
——10Normal
TM29
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM18
Rain Dance
——5Water
TM67
Recycle
——10Normal
TM33
Reflect
——20Psychic
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM20
Safeguard
——25Normal
TM30
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM34
Shock Wave
60—20Electric
TM48
Skill Swap
——10Psychic
TM82
Sleep Talk
——10Normal
TM90
Substitute
——10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
——5Fire
TM87
Swagger
—8515Normal
TM12
Taunt
—10020Dark
TM46
Thief
6010025Dark
TM73
Thunder Wave
—9020Electric
TM41
Torment
—10015Dark
TM92
Trick Room-7
——5Psychic

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Ally Switch+2
——15Psychic
Egg
Confusion
5010025Psychic
Egg
Encore
—1005Normal
Egg
Fire Punch
7510015Fire
Egg
Guard Split
——10Psychic
Egg
Guard Swap
——10Psychic
Egg
Ice Punch
7510015Ice
Egg
Knock Off
6510020Dark
Egg
Magic Coat+4
——15Psychic
Egg
Power Trick
——10Psychic
Egg
Psycho Shift
—10010Psychic
Egg
Thunder Punch
7510015Electric

Tutor Moves

Kadabra can't learn any Tutor moves

Kadabra's scattered across 8 spots in mid-game routes with decent spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.

Where To Catch Kadabra in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Abra is your first catch on the way to Kadabra. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 4-47 across 12 total spots in the chain.

  1. Abra
    Step 1Catch Abra
    Route 203
    Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.4-515%EarlyRoute
    EASY
    Route 203
    Shining PearlGrassLv.4-515%EarlyRoute
    EASY
    Route 215
    Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.2010%MidRoute
    MODERATE
    Route 215
    Shining PearlGrassLv.2010%MidRoute
    MODERATE
  2. Kadabra
    Step 2Kadabra ✓
    Route 215
    Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.20-2215%MidRoute
    EASY
    Route 215
    Shining PearlGrassLv.20-2215%MidRoute
    EASY
    Dazzling Cave
    Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires Defog
    Dazzling Cave
    Shining PearlGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires Defog
    Stargleam Cavern
    Shining PearlGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires Defog
    Stargleam Cavern
    Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.25-29MidCaveRequires Defog
    Victory Road - 2F
    Shining PearlGrassLv.45-4725%LateCave
    EASY
    Victory Road - 2F
    Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.45-4725%LateCave
    EASY
    or evolve from Abra (Step 1)

  • Kadabra is meant to evolve into Alakazam. At 400 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Kadabra's biggest threats include Scyther (Bug), Misdreavus (Ghost), and Tyranitar (Dark), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Kadabra's base 105 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.

  • Abra evolves into Kadabra at level 16. Kadabra evolves into Alakazam by trading. Kadabra is a middle-stage evolution in the Abra line.

  • Magic Guard is what you want on Kadabra. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Synchronize, Inner Focus) work on paper but Magic Guard is what makes Kadabra worth using. With base 105 Speed, Magic Guard gives Kadabra an edge before opponents can react.

  • Base 105 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Kadabra is a mixed attacker — base 35 Attack and 120 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits. Best used as a sweeper.

  • Kadabra appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

One of the original 151, Kadabra has appeared in 21 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.