Special
Balanced
278Low
50Slow
DTier

Mid-stage Pokemon like Kirlia rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Gardevoir, which is where the real potential kicks in. Part of the Gen 3 roster. Dragon moves can't touch it, and only 3 types hit it super-effectively.

Nothing fancy in Kirlia's spread. It leans special with Sp. Atk out front. And you'll get 2 Sp. Atk EVs per KO for it. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats
278Below
HP38
F
Attack35
F
Defense35
F
Sp. Atk65
C
Sp. Def55
D
Speed50
D
Total278
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Kirlia yields +2 SpA
HPAtkDefSpA+2SpDSpe
Details
Catch120ModerateSlow1.25M XP0.8m / 2'07"20.2kg / 44.5 lbs97Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It resembles a maiden in appearance, but it wields strange powers to project visions of paradise. I suspect the crimson ornaments on its head are the key to its abilities.

Legends Arceus

Kirlia Weakness

Good

Poison, Ghost, and Steel-type moves hit Kirlia for super-effective damage. The upside? Dragon-type moves can't touch it at all. Not too many gaps in the chart, 3 weaknesses to account for.

4xCriticali
None
½xResisti
¼xResisti
0xImmunei
3Weak
2Resist
1Immune
Scorei0
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
SynchronizeCopies burns, paralysis, and poison received onto the Pokémon that inflicted them.
TraceCopies an opponent's ability upon entering battle.
TelepathyHAProtects against friendly Pokémon's damaging moves.

Kirlia can evolve into Gardevoir and Gallade. Kirlia sits before the split, so check the evolution methods below to pick your path. So far, Sp.Atk got the biggest boost (+20 from Ralts). The final form adds another 240 stats on top.

How to Evolve

4 Forms
Stat Comparison 4 Stages
Ralts
PsychicFairy
Kirlia
PsychicFairy
Gardevoir
PsychicFairy
Gallade
PsychicFighting
HP
28
38+10
68+30
68+30
ATK
25
35+10
65+30
125+90
DEF
25
35+10
65+30
65+30
SP.ATK
45
65+20
125+60
65
SP.DEF
35
55+20
115+60
115+60
SPE
40
50+10
80+30
80+30
BST
198D-Tier
278D-Tier+80
518B-Tier+240
518B-Tier+240
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Wallbreaker
Wallbreaker
TYPE
Special
Special
Special
Physical
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Kirlia to get Ralts eggs easily using 19 partners from the Indeterminate and Humanshape egg groups.

Egg Groups
IndeterminateHumanshape
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
gardevoirgalladeinfernapelopunnygastrodonmonfernobunearyshelloschimcharlucariokirliaralts

Best Build

Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.

Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.

The offense anchors on Psychic and Dazzling Gleam, with Electric and Fire coverage and more adding reach. It's a workable movepool for Kirlia that handles most situations. Psychic and Ice Beam give it enough punch where it matters.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Confusion
5010025Psychic
Lv 6
Teleport-6
20Psychic
Lv 11
Draining Kiss
5010010Fairy
Lv 18
Hypnosis
6020Psychic
Lv 25
Calm Mind
20Psychic
Lv 34
Psychic
9010010Psychic

TM Moves

Kirlia can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Kirlia doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Calm Mind
20Psychic
Tutor
Charge Beam
509010Electric
Tutor
Dazzling Gleam
8010010Fairy
Tutor
Fire Punch
7510015Fire
Tutor
Ice Beam
9010010Ice
Tutor
Ice Punch
7510015Ice
Tutor
Icy Wind
559515Ice
Tutor
Magical Leaf
6020Grass
Tutor
Psychic
9010010Psychic
Tutor
Rest
10Psychic
Tutor
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
Tutor
Swift
6020Normal
Tutor
Thunder Punch
7510015Electric
Tutor
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
Tutor
Zen Headbutt
809015Psychic

decent spawn rates across 3 locations for Kirlia in mid-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.

Where To Catch Kirlia in Legends: Arceus

The path to Kirlia starts with Ralts at walking via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.

  1. Ralts
    Step 1Catch Ralts
    Gapejaw Bog
    GrassUncommonSwamp
    EASY
    Heart's Crag
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    Shrouded Ruins
    GrassUncommonRuins
    EASY
    Snowpoint Temple
    GrassUncommonIce
    EASY
  2. Kirlia
    Step 2Kirlia
    Heart's Crag
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    Shrouded Ruins
    GrassUncommonRuins
    EASY
    Snowpoint Temple
    GrassUncommonIce
    EASY
    or evolve from Ralts (Step 1)
  • At 278 BST, Kirlia is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Gardevoir before bringing it to any serious fight.

  • Watch for Crobat (Poison), Gengar (Ghost), and Steelix (Steel) when using Kirlia. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB.

  • Ralts evolves into Kirlia at level 20. Kirlia can evolve into Gardevoir and Gallade depending on the method. Kirlia is a middle-stage evolution in the Ralts line.

  • Synchronize copies burns, paralysis, and poison received onto the Pokémon that inflicted them — that's the one you want on Kirlia. Telepathy is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Trace works too if your team needs something different.

  • Kirlia is a special attacker with base 65 Sp. Atk. Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.

  • Kirlia appears in 17 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.

Since Ruby & Sapphire, Kirlia has been in 17 games. Requiring an item-based evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.