Muk's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Special bulk with HP doing the heavy lifting. And the medium-fast 1M XP curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 HP and Attack EVs.
The garbage it eats causes continuous chemical changes in its body, which produce its exceedingly vivid coloration.
While it’s unexpectedly quiet and friendly, if it’s not fed any trash for a while, it will smash its Trainer’s furnishings and eat up the fragments.
Ground and Psychic moves hit Muk for super-effective damage. The Poison typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Muk's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Fairy |
 Dugtrio Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Dugtrio builds →Earthquake 2x81-95% Earth Power 2x35-42% Dig 2x65-77% Mud Bomb 2x25-30% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Slowbro builds →Psychic 2x58-68% Zen Headbutt 2x52-62% Confusion 2x34-40% | ||
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Hypno builds →Future Sight 2x59-70% Synchronoise 2x59-70% Psychic 2x45-53% Zen Headbutt 2x51-60% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x89-105%KO Psychic 2x68-80% Psycho Cut 2x27-32% Psybeam 2x49-58% | ||
In Sun & Moon, Swampert can KO Muk with Earthquake (128-151%). Tapu Lele threatens a KO with Psychic (107-125%).
 Swampert WaterGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Muk View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x128-151%KO Scald21-25% Waterfall51-60% | ||
 Tapu Lele PsychicFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPsychic Surge ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Muk View Tapu Lele builds →Moonblast28-33% Psyshock 2x95-112%KO Psychic 2x107-125%KO | ||
 Landorus Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Muk View Landorus builds →Sludge Bomb14-16% | ||
Muk is what Grimer becomes. Breed it for Grimer eggs (average hatch time). Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Grimer pushed Muk to 500 total stats. Sp.Def saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Muk to get Grimer eggs easily using 52 partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Acid Spray, Curse, Haze and 9 more.
Stickyhold helps Muk stick around while dealing real damage. Black Sludge for Poison-type passive recovery, max HP and Attack EVs for the right balance, and Gunkshot as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Muk best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Gunk Shot
- Shadow Sneak
- Ice Punch
- Poison Jab
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Wallbreaker Moveset
- Poison Gas
- Gunk Shot
- Protect
- Explosion
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Coverage runs deep. Muk can hit 10 types beyond STAB, including Ground and Normal. The offense anchors on Gunk Shot and Belch while TMs handle everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
No wild encounters for Muk. The 2-stage line runs through Grimer, which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 38 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Muk in Sun & Moon
Grimer is your first catch on the way to Muk. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 5-27 across 6 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch GrimerRoute 1 - Hau'oli OutskirtsSunGrass Lv.6-8 Route20%EarlyRoute 1 - Hau'oli OutskirtsMoonGrass Lv.6-8 Route20%EarlyHau'oli City - Shopping DistrictMoonGrass Lv.5-8 City10%EarlyHau'oli City - Shopping DistrictSunGrass Lv.5-8 City10%EarlyMalie City - Outer CapeMoonGrass Lv.24-27 City30%MidMalie City - Outer CapeSunGrass Lv.24-27 City30%Mid
Step 2Muk ✓
In Sun & Moon, Muk works as a tank with 500 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in Sun & Moon's meta. Gunkshot with Black Sludge is the standard set.
Stench has a 10% chance of making target Pokémon flinch with each hit. That's the one you want on Muk. Poison Touch is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Sticky Hold works too if your team needs something different.
Muk is a physical attacker with base 105 Attack. Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the tank role.
For Sun & Moon, Muk has answers, but so do you. Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.
Available since Red & Blue, Muk appears in 19 games spanning 10 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained an Alolan form in Generation 7.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves