Kingdra's stats are solid on their own, but Swift Swim is what pushes it over the line. It doubles its Speed in rain. Only weak to Dragon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets. A longtime staple going back to Gen 2.
You won't find a real weakness in Kingdra's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Dragon Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 3 Attack and Sp. Atk and Sp. Def EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It lives in caves on the seafloor and creates giant whirlpools every time it moves.
Kingdra Weakness
ExcellentType-wise, Kingdra takes extra damage from Dragon. Not many exploitable gaps in the Water/Dragon typing defensive chart. With 75 HP and balanced defenses, Kingdra can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Kingdra evolved from Horsea's chain using a trade. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Horsea eggs (average hatch time). The evolution from Horsea pushed Kingdra to 540 total stats. Sp.Def saw the largest single gain at +70.
How to Evolve
Breed with Kingdra to get Horsea eggs easily using 39 partners from the Dragon and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Clear Smog, Disable and 10 more.
the remaining moves keeps opponents guessing about Kingdra's real targets. Scopelens provides extra utility while max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs and Modest nature handle the stat profile. Swiftswim ties it together.
Best Build
Best Kingdra Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
Recommended Teammates
Breeding's the move. Aurora Beam and Clear Smog give Kingdra options it can't learn any other way, and Ice and Normal coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Draco Meteor and Outrage. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Kingdra's 3-stage chain starts with Horsea, which appears at solid rates in the locations below. Level through 3 stages while you find a trade partner. Everything except the trade step is solo.
Where To Catch Kingdra in Black & White
Horsea is your first catch on the way to Kingdra. You'll find fishing encounters from Lv. 35-70 across 10 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch HorseaEASYP2 LaboratoryBlackSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateBuildingAnyEASYP2 LaboratoryWhiteSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateBuildingAnyEASYRoute 17BlackSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 17WhiteSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 18WhiteSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 18BlackSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateRouteAny
Step 2Catch or Evolve SeadraEASYP2 LaboratoryWhiteSuper RodLv.35-60CommonLateBuildingAnyShaking spotEASYP2 LaboratoryBlackSuper RodLv.35-60CommonLateBuildingAnyShaking spotor evolve from Horsea (Step 1)- Step 3Kingdra ✓EXTREMEP2 LaboratoryWhiteSuper RodLv.45-70RareLateBuildingAnyShaking spotEXTREMEP2 LaboratoryBlackSuper RodLv.45-70RareLateBuildingAnyShaking spotor evolve from Seadra (Step 2)
Kingdra looks average on paper at 540 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Kingdra's biggest threats include Dragonite (Dragon), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Kingdra gets Swift Swim, Sniper, and Damp. But Swift Swim is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Kingdra is a mixed attacker — base 95 Attack and 95 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 85 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Kingdra appears in 17 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Since Gold & Silver, Kingdra has been in 17 games. Requiring a trade evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
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