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 is said that it usually hides in underwater caves. It can create whirlpools by yawning.
It sleeps deep on the ocean floor to build its energy. It is said to cause tornadoes as it wakes.
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 30 partners from the Dragon and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Disable, Dragon Breath and 7 more.
Kingdra's locked into one move per switch-in with Choice Specs, trading flexibility for boosted special damage with move lock. Surf is the go-to spam option, with the remaining moves keeping switch-ins honest.
Best Build
Best Kingdra Moveset
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
- Dragon Pulse
Recommended Teammates
Breeding's the move. Aurora Beam and Disable 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
A trade step sits in Kingdra's 3-stage chain from Horsea. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Horsea shows up at solid rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
How to Obtain Kingdra in HeartGold & SoulSilver
The path to Kingdra starts with Horsea at Lv. 10-40 via fishing and surfing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch HorseaEASYWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldSurfing on waterLv.10-20CommonEarlyWaterEASYWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverSurfing on waterLv.10-20CommonEarlyWaterEASYWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSurfing on waterLv.15-25CommonEarlyWaterEASYWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSurfing on waterLv.15-25CommonEarlyWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldSurfing on waterLv.30-40CommonMidWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverSurfing on waterLv.30-40CommonMidWaterHARDWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldGood RodLv.20RareMidWaterHARDWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverGood RodLv.20RareMidWaterHARDWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldGood RodLv.20RareMidWaterHARDWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverGood RodLv.20RareMidWaterHARDSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverGood RodLv.20RareMidWaterHARDSeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldGood RodLv.20RareMidWaterEASYWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldSuper RodLv.40CommonLateWaterEASYWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverSuper RodLv.40CommonLateWaterEASYWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSuper RodLv.40CommonLateWaterEASYWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSuper RodLv.40CommonLateWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldSuper RodLv.40CommonLateWaterEASYSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverSuper RodLv.40CommonLateWater
Step 2Catch or Evolve SeadraMODERATEWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSurfing on waterLv.15-30UncommonEarlyWaterMODERATEWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSurfing on waterLv.15-30UncommonEarlyWaterEXTREMEWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldSuper RodLv.40RareLateWaterEXTREMEWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverSuper RodLv.40RareLateWaterEXTREMEWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSuper RodLv.40RareLateWaterEXTREMEWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSuper RodLv.40RareLateWaterEXTREMESeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldSuper RodLv.40RareLateWaterEXTREMESeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverSuper RodLv.40RareLateWateror evolve from Horsea (Step 1)- Step 3Kingdra ✓
Kingdra looks average on paper at 540 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. B-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 leaning toward the physical side (base 95 Attack). 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