Is Kingler Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Krabby evolves at level 28. The physical/special split transforms Kingler in Gen 4. That massive Attack stat finally connects with physical Water moves like MoveCrabhammer. Handles Jasmine, Pryce, and Blaine. A Pokemon that needed this generation to work.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Kingler resists most of Bugsy's coverage and hits back hard.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Kingler trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's typing presses Kingler's defenses.
Kingler resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Clair's typing presses Kingler's defenses.
Kingler resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Kingler trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Kingler trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Kingler resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Kingler has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Catchable
Catch Kingler in Cliff Cave (walking, Lv 22, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 22)
- LV 22WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM75NormalSwords DancePower —Accuracy 100%PP 30Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- LV 51WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 56WaterCrabhammerPower 135Accuracy 85%PP 10
Catch Krabby
Catch Krabby in Cianwood City (Rock Smash, Lv 15-24, common).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 15)
- LV 15WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Whitney
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Kimono Girl in the Ecruteak Dance Theater
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- LV 39WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 41WaterCrabhammerPower 135Accuracy 85%PP 10
How to Get Kingler in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Kingler scuttles wild across ten spots, rare to uncommon and reaching level 40, often pulled from a Super Rod or a Rock Smash boulder. Raising a Krabby to level 28 is the easier path to the big-clawed crab.
11 locations to catch Kingler11 locations to catch Krabby
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, tall grass encounters
Encountered via fishing with a Rod, tall grass encounters
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Catch Krabby at any of the 11 locations below, then level it up to 28 — it evolves into Kingler.
Badge 1 Badge 2 Badge 3 Badge 4 Badge 5 Badge 6 Badge 7 Badge 8Where To Catch Kingler in HGSS
Krabby gets you Kingler sooner: catch it (before Badge 2) and evolve it at Lv 28. Wild Kingler first appears at Cliff Cave (after Badge 4).
- Step 1Catch KrabbyCianwood CityLv.15-24Smashing rocksRate 90%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.13-15Old RodRate 30%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.15-17FloorRate 30%Cherrygrove CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Cianwood CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Olivine CityLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 34Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 40Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Union Cave - B2FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Whirl Islands - 1FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Whirl Islands - B2FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Route 19Lv.10Old RodRate 15%Seafoam Islands - B4FLv.10Old RodRate 15%Cliff Cave - 1FLv.20-26Smashing rocksRate 90%Cherrygrove CityLv.20Good RodRate 50%Cianwood CityLv.20Good RodRate 50%Olivine CityLv.20Good RodRate 50%Route 34Lv.20Good RodRate 50%Route 40Lv.20Good RodRate 50%Union Cave - B2FLv.20Good RodRate 50%Whirl Islands - 1FLv.20Good RodRate 50%Whirl Islands - B2FLv.20Good RodRate 50%Route 19Lv.20Good RodRate 50%Whirl Islands - 1FLv.22-24GrassRate 50%Whirl Islands - B1FLv.22-24GrassRate 50%Whirl Islands - B2FLv.22-24GrassRate 50%Whirl Islands - B3FLv.23-25GrassRate 50%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.22-25Good RodRate 40%Seafoam Islands - B4FLv.20Good RodRate 20%Cliff Cave - 1FLv.20CaveRate 10%Route 19Lv.24-27Smashing rocksRate 10%Cherrygrove CityLv.40Super RodRate 60%Cianwood CityLv.40Super RodRate 60%Olivine CityLv.40Super RodRate 60%Route 34Lv.40Super RodRate 60%Route 40Lv.40Super RodRate 60%Union Cave - B2FLv.40Super RodRate 60%Route 19Lv.40Super RodRate 60%Whirl Islands - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 40%Whirl Islands - B2FLv.40Super RodRate 40%
- Step 2Kingler ✓Route 19Lv.28-31Smashing rocksRate 90%Cliff Cave - 1FLv.22CaveRate 10%Cliff Cave - 1FLv.28-31Smashing rocksRate 10%Safari Zone - Rocky BeachLv.38-39Super RodRate 20%Whirl Islands - 1FLv.40Super RodRate 20%Whirl Islands - B2FLv.40Super RodRate 20%Seafoam Islands - B4FLv.40Super RodRate 15%Cherrygrove CityLv.40Super RodRate 10%Cianwood CityLv.40Super RodRate 10%Olivine CityLv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 34Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 40Lv.40Super RodRate 10%Union Cave - B2FLv.40Super RodRate 10%Route 19Lv.40Super RodRate 10%or evolve from Krabby (Step 1)
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver for Kingler.
How to Get Shiny Kingler in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Kingler guards Route 19 and the Cliff Cave, but breeding it Masuda-style is the quicker path to a shiny. Compare Shiny Kingler odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Kingler Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds for Kingler.
Kingler Weakness
Kingler's Water typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric and Grass. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Kingler's physical bulk (base 115 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Kingler Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Kingler
 Parasect BugGrass | C | |
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Carnivine Grass | C | |
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
 Ampharos Electric | C | |
 Jumpluff Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodSafari Zone Surfing | ||
 Electrode Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodTeam Rocket Hq Interact Encounter | ||
 Plusle Electric | B | |
 Luxray Electric | C | |
 Budew GrassPoison | C | |
Kingler Evolutions
Kingler is the evolved form of Krabby. Breeding produces Krabby eggs, and they take an average time to hatch. Evolving from Krabby gave Kingler the biggest boost in HP (+25), bringing the total to 475 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Kingler to get Krabby eggs easily using 21 partners from the Water 3 egg group. Notable egg moves include Agility, Amnesia, Ancient Power and 7 more.
HGSS Kingler Best Moveset
130 Attack behind physical MoveCrabhammer is devastating now that Water moves can be physical. The moveset delivers massive Water damage from the correct stat, and AbilityHyper Cutter prevents Attack drops. 115 Defense absorbs physical hits. 75 Speed and 50 Sp. Atk are the limits.
Best Build
Kingler best EVs are Attack and Defense
Physical Tank Moveset
- Crabhammer
- Swords Dance
- X Scissor
- Superpower
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
You'll want to breed for Agility and Amnesia on Kingler. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Crabhammer and Surf, they expand what Kingler can actually threaten in practice.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 26 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It can hardly lift its massive, overgrown pincer. The pincer’s size makes it difficult to aim properly.
Its pincers grow peculiarly large. If it lifts the pincers too fast, it loses its balance and staggers.
Kingler HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- Where in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone can I find Kingler?
See the Locations section above for where to find Kingler in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Kingler from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Kingler easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Kingler as a wallbreaker. Physical side carries the damage. Speed is middling, Crabhammer is the primary attack.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Adamant on Kingler. +Attack is what matters, and the -Sp. Atk cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the wallbreaker role.
Gigantamax Kingler is exclusive to Sword & Shield, so it's not usable in HeartGold & SoulSilver. The form has a unique appearance and a signature G-Max move.
Game Availability
Kingler first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 19 games across 9 generations. It later gained a Gigantamax form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShGigantamax
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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