Stats & Training
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.
They love to gather in smelly areas where sludge accumulates, making the stench around them worse.
Its body is made of a powerful poison. Touching it accidentally will cause a fever that requires bed rest.
Muk Weakness
Ground and Psychic moves hit Muk for super-effective damage. The Poison typing picks up 4 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 type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
 Whiscash WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Whiscash builds →Zen Headbutt 2x43-50% Mud-Slap 2x18-23% | ||
 Meditite FightingPsychic | D | |
Whiscash WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Whiscash builds →Zen Headbutt 2x38-46% Mud Bomb 2x38-46% Mud-Slap 2x15-19% | ||
 Bronzor SteelPsychic | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Bronzor builds →Extrasensory 2x26-31% Confusion 2x15-19% | ||
 Wooper WaterGround | D | |
Obtain MethodRuins Of Alph Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Wooper builds →Mud Bomb 2x22-27% Mud Shot 2x19-23% | ||
 Spoink Psychic | D | |
 Drowzee Psychic | D | |
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
 Onix RockGround | C | |
Bronzor SteelPsychic | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Bronzor builds →Extrasensory 2x22-26% Confusion 2x15-18% | ||
 Numel FireGround | D | |
 Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x53-63% Sand Tomb 2x24-29% | ||
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Graveler builds →Earthquake 2x79-93% Dig 2x63-74% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Bronzor SteelPsychic | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Bronzor builds →Extrasensory 2x22-26% Confusion 2x16-19% | ||
Numel FireGround | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Numel builds →Earth Power 2x43-51% Dig 2x45-53% | ||
Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x53-63% Sand Tomb 2x26-30% | ||
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Graveler builds →Earthquake 2x77-91% Dig 2x63-74% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Bronzor SteelPsychic | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Bronzor builds →Extrasensory 2x20-24% Confusion 2x14-17% | ||
Numel FireGround | D | |
Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x53-62% Sand Tomb 2x24-29% | ||
 Gligar Ground | C | |
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Graveler builds →Earthquake 2x78-92% Dig 2x62-74% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Bronzor SteelPsychic | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Bronzor builds →Future Sight 2x31-37% Extrasensory 2x21-25% Confusion 2x14-16% | ||
Numel FireGround | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Muk View Numel builds →Earth Power 2x43-51% Dig 2x45-53% | ||
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Flygon's Earthquake hits Muk for 84-99%. Azelf's Explosion hits Muk for 66-78%.
 Flygon GroundDragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Muk View Flygon builds →Earthquake 2x84-99% Outrage50-59% U Turn10-12% | ||
 Azelf Psychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Muk View Azelf builds →Explosion66-78% U Turn9-11% | ||
HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution
Muk is what Grimer becomes. Breed it for Grimer eggs (average hatch time). A decent partner pool 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 31 partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Curse, Explosion, Haze and 8 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Muk Best Moveset
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 Poisonjab 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
- Poison Jab
- Explosion
- Curse
- Fire Punch
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Coverage runs deep. Muk can hit 10 types beyond STAB, including Ground and Normal. The offense anchors on Gunk Shot and Sludge Bomb while TMs handle everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Muk in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Muk appears at decent spawn rates across 12 spots in early-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Where To Catch Muk in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Grimer is your first catch on the way to Muk. You'll find walking and surfing encounters from Lv. 15-32 across 20 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch GrimerCeladon CityHeartGoldSurfing on water Lv.15-20 City90%EarlyCeladon CitySoulSilverSurfing on water Lv.15-20 City90%EarlyRoute 16HeartGoldGrass Lv.26-28 RouteCommonMidRoute 16SoulSilverGrass Lv.26-28 RouteCommonMidRoute 18SoulSilverGrass Lv.26-28 RouteCommonMidRoute 18HeartGoldGrass Lv.26-28 RouteCommonMidRoute 17SoulSilverGrass Lv.27-29 RouteCommonMidRoute 17HeartGoldGrass Lv.27-29 RouteCommonMid
Step 2Muk ✓Celadon CityHeartGoldSurfing on water Lv.15 City10%EarlyCeladon CitySoulSilverSurfing on water Lv.15 City10%EarlyRoute 18SoulSilverGrass Lv.29-30 RouteUncommonMidNightRoute 18HeartGoldGrass Lv.29-30 RouteUncommonMidNightRoute 17SoulSilverGrass Lv.30-32 RouteUncommonMidNightRoute 17HeartGoldGrass Lv.30-32 RouteUncommonMidNightRoute 16HeartGoldGrass Lv.29 RouteRareMidRoute 16SoulSilverGrass Lv.29 RouteRareMidRoute 18SoulSilverGrass Lv.30 RouteRareMidMorning/dayRoute 18HeartGoldGrass Lv.30 RouteRareMidMorning/dayRoute 17SoulSilverGrass Lv.32 RouteRareLateMorning/dayRoute 17HeartGoldGrass Lv.32 RouteRareLateMorning/dayor evolve from Grimer (Step 1)
Muk Guide
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Muk works as a tank with 500 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in HeartGold & SoulSilver's meta. Poisonjab 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.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Poisonjab, Explosion, Curse, and Firepunch on Muk. Poisonjab is the most common pick at 16% usage. Curse lets it set up before sweeping.
Game Availability
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