Murkrow's built around mixed offense. Speed leads the charge, Defense pays for it. Tough to catch, worth 1 Speed EV. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Feared and loathed by many, it is believed to bring misfortune to all those who see it at night.
If spotted, it will lure an unwary person into chasing it, then lose the pursuer on mountain trails.
Type-wise, Murkrow takes extra damage from Electric, Ice, Rock, and Fairy. Ground and Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground, Psychic |
 | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityShadowshield ItemPower Herb NatureQuiet Moves View Lunala builds →
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 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves View Talonflame builds →
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 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoody ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves View Smeargle builds →
| ||
 Politoed Water | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemDamprock NatureCalm Moves View Politoed builds →
| ||
 | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityShadowtag ItemSitrus Berry NatureSassy Moves View Gothitelle builds →
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Evolving Murkrow into Honchkrow takes an evolution item. It's not a simple level-up, so check the chain details below. Evolving adds up to 100 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Murkrow easily with 73 breeding partners from the Flying egg group.
Prankster gives Murkrow passive value while it walls. Calm nature boosts Sp. Def, max HP and Sp. Def EVs maximize the special wall profile, and Eviolite keeps it in the game.
Best Build
Murkrow best EVs are Sp. Def and HP
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Tailwind
- Taunt
- Foul Play
- Haze
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Haze
- Taunt
- Thunder Wave
- Foul Play
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Brave Bird
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
- Thunder Wave
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Bulky Support Moveset
- Tailwind
- Haze
- Foul Play
- Perish Song
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Tailwind
- Protect
- Taunt
- Snarl
Recommended Teammates
Moves
TMs define Murkrow's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Brave Bird and Hurricane, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it coverage across 7 types. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Murkrow's movepool balances level-up moves with TM options. Consistent STAB comes from Dark Pulse and Air Slash, and Ice and Ghost coverage and more keeps opponents from switching in for free. No major gaps here.
Breeding's the move. Assurance and Brave Bird give Murkrow options it can't learn any other way, and Ghost and Psychic coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Sky Attack and Brave Bird. The egg moves push it further.
Breeding's the move. Assurance and Brave Bird give Murkrow options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 8 types already covers a decent range on top of Sky Attack and Brave Bird. The egg moves push it further.
Murkrow is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 126 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations to Catch Murkrow in Scarlet & Violet
Murkrow's encounter pool splits between Scarlet and Violet. You've got 126 walking spots at Lv. 15-65 total, but your version determines which ones actually show up.
decent spawn rates for Murkrow across 5 locations in mid-game routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Best Locations to Catch Murkrow in Legends: Arceus
5 walking spots from walking for Murkrow. Sorted by game progression with rates on each row, so you can compare without scrolling through everything.
Murkrow starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 11 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Murkrow in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
You'll find Murkrow across 11 walking encounters from Lv. 10-21, sorted by game progression. Earlier spots show up first so you can grab one as soon as it's reachable.
Easy grab on Murkrow with high spawn rates across 2 locations in early-game routes. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations to Catch Murkrow in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Murkrow isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Honchkrow to unlock its full potential. At 405 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Run Prankster on Murkrow. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Murkrow also gets Insomnia and Super Luck, but they don't compare.
Prankster is the hidden ability. It raises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage. Worth hunting for if you want Murkrow to compete at a higher level.
Murkrow fills the pivot role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 85 Attack). Base 91 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
Murkrow has been available in 17 games since Gold & Silver, though obtaining it requires an item-based evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
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 7SM
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