Is Malamar Good in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Playthrough?
Dark/Psychic with AbilityContrary turning stat drops into boosts. MoveSuperpower raises Attack and Defense instead of lowering them. Dark shuts down Acerola's Ghost E4, Psychic handles Hala. The Contrary trick makes Malamar stronger with every hit. Creative and effective.
Inkay trades roughly evenly with Ilima's team.
Inkay trades roughly evenly with Hala's team.
Malamar has the type edge here and should clean up Lana's team.
ElectricSteelReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Moon only)
BugElectricReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GrassReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GhostFairyReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou...
Inkay trades roughly evenly with Kiawe's team.
Inkay trades roughly evenly with Mallow's team.
Inkay trades roughly evenly with Olivia's team.
Malamar trades roughly evenly with Sophocles's team.
Malamar has the type edge here and should clean up Acerola's team.
Malamar trades roughly evenly with Nanu's team.
Malamar trades roughly evenly with Mina's team.
Malamar has the type edge here and should clean up Hapu's team.
Malamar trades roughly evenly with Molayne's team.
Malamar has the type edge here and should clean up Olivia's team.
Malamar resists most of Acerola's coverage and hits back hard.
Malamar trades roughly evenly with Kahili's team.
Malamar trades roughly evenly with Kukui's team.
Catch Inkay on Route 1 (walking, Lv 4-7).
Your Inkay should hit Level 30 before you reach Lana, at typical leveling pace.
How to Get Malamar in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Malamar doesn't appear wild. Catch Inkay instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it at level 30 to get Malamar. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Malamar in USUM
To get Malamar, start by catching Inkay through walking encounters at Lv. 4-61. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch InkayRoute 1 - Hau'oli OutskirtsLv.4-7GrassRate 30%Ancient Poni PathLv.41-44GrassRate 20%Poni WildsLv.41-44GrassRate 20%Poni GauntletLv.58-61GrassRate 15%
Step 2Malamar ✓
Malamar Weakness
Malamar's Dark/Psychic typing leaves it vulnerable to Bug and Fairy. Bug hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Psychic-type attacks completely. With 86 HP and balanced defenses, Malamar can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Bug |
| 2x (Weak) | Fairy |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
What is Malamar Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Malamar
 Vivillon Bug | C | |
 Grubbin Bug | D | |
 Cutiefly BugFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Cutiefly builds →Silver Wind 4x78-93% Draining Kiss 2x34-41% | ||
 Mawile SteelFairy | C | |
 Butterfree Bug | C | |
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Butterfree builds →Silver Wind 4x100-118%KO | ||
 Charjabug BugElectric | C | |
Vivillon Bug | C | |
 Ledian Bug | C | |
Cutiefly BugFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Cutiefly builds →Silver Wind 4x74-87% Draining Kiss 2x33-39% | ||
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Butterfree builds →Silver Wind 4x109-129%KO | ||
Charjabug BugElectric | C | |
Vivillon Bug | C | |
Ledian Bug | C | |
Cutiefly BugFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Cutiefly builds →Silver Wind 4x80-94% Draining Kiss 2x36-43% | ||
 Ariados BugPoison | C | |
 Pinsir Bug | C | |
Butterfree Bug | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Butterfree builds →Silver Wind 4x105-124%KO | ||
Vivillon Bug | C | |
 Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift | ||
 Golisopod BugWater | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Wimpod (Dividing Peak Tunnel Interact Encounter) Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Golisopod builds →First Impression 4x176-207%KO | ||
Pinsir Bug | C | |
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift | ||
 Ribombee BugFairy | B | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Ribombee builds →Pollen Puff 4x158-186%KO Dazzling Gleam 2x70-83% | ||
 Masquerain Bug | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Masquerain builds →Silver Wind 4x114-134%KO | ||
Golisopod BugWater | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Wimpod (Dividing Peak Tunnel Interact Encounter) Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Golisopod builds →First Impression 4x167-197%KO | ||
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Pinsir Bug | C | |
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift | ||
Masquerain Bug | C | |
Golisopod BugWater | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Wimpod (Dividing Peak Tunnel Interact Encounter) Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Golisopod builds →First Impression 4x168-198%KO | ||
Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Pinsir Bug | C | |
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift | ||
Masquerain Bug | C | |
Golisopod BugWater | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Wimpod (Dividing Peak Tunnel Interact Encounter) Available Move Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Golisopod builds →First Impression 4x170-201%KO | ||
Volcarona BugFire | A | |
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
 Armaldo RockBug | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Anorith (Route 8 Gift) | ||
Pinsir Bug | C | |
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Yveltal can KO Malamar with U-turn (89-105%). Marshadow's Close Combat hits Malamar for 49-58%. Xerneas deals 77-91% with Moonblast.
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDarkaura ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Yveltal builds →Dark Pulse38-45% U Turn 4x89-105%KO | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemLife Orb NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Marshadow builds →Shadow Sneak16-20% Close Combat49-58% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFairyaura ItemPower Herb NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Xerneas builds →Moonblast 2x77-91% Focus Blast48-57% Thunder45-53% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityStancechange ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Malamar View Aegislash builds →Shadow Sneak8-10% | ||
Malamar Evolutions
Malamar is the evolved form of Inkay. Breeding produces Inkay eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Inkay gave Malamar the biggest boost in Attack (+38), bringing the total to 482 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Malamar to get Inkay eggs easily using 95 partners from the Water1 and Water2 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Camouflage, Destiny Bond, Flatter and 3 more.
USUM Malamar Best Moveset
AbilityContrary reverses stat changes, making MoveSuperpower raise Attack and Defense instead of lowering them. Dark/Psychic TermStab from 92 Attack after a Contrary Superpower boost hits at real power. 73 Speed acts after many threats. The moveset holds C-tier through the Contrary Superpower loop that gets stronger with every use.
Best Build
Malamar best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Superpower
- Psycho Cut
- Knock Off
- Night Slash
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The natural movepool does the job, but Camouflage and Destiny Bond from the egg pool give Malamar something extra. Pair those with Foul Play and Psychic for STAB and coverage across 7 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
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
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
When it comes to strong hypnosis, there’s an endless number of people who utilize Malamar for their nefarious deeds.
It flashes the pattern on its torso to control its prey and draw them in. The edges of its fins are supremely sharp.
Malamar Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Guide
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Don't let Malamar's 482 base stat total fool you. Contrary is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier. Superpower with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Run Contrary on Malamar. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Malamar also gets Suction Cups and Infiltrator, but they don't compare.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Malamar fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 92 Attack. Base 73 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, run Superpower, Psychocut, Knock Off, and Nightslash on Malamar. Superpower is the most common pick at 0% usage. This set covers the balanced role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Introduced in X & Y, Malamar has appeared in 7 games across 5 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
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 6XYDebut
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
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