Is Nidoking Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?
Nidoking might be the single best in-game Pokemon in Red and Blue. Available before the second gym via Moon Stone, hits hard, learns a massive TM pool, and stays relevant through the Champion fight. It can handle Giovanni, put dents in the E4, and cover whatever gap your team has. If you only pick one Pokemon from this batch, make it this one.
Brock's typing presses Nidorino's defenses.
Nidorino trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.
Nidorino trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Koga's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Nidoking resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Giovanni's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Buy Nidorino
Nidorino can be purchased in Celadon City at Lv 17. 1,200 Coins. Purchase from the Celadon Game Corner prize counter. Coins can be bought at the counter or won at the slot machines.
Recommended Moves
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15S.S. Anne
- After Lt. Surge
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Celadon Department Store roof
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- After Koga
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Prize for defeating Fuchsia Gym Leader Koga
- After Sabrina
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 90%PP 5Pokémon Mansion
- After Koga
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Kanto Power Plant
Evolve Nidorino to Nidoking
Nidorino evolves into Nidoking with a Moon Stone. You can pick up the Moon Stone in Mt. Moon. 3 other locations are also available.
Recommended Moves
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Rocket Game Corner
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Celadon Department Store roof
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- After Koga
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10Silph Co.
- After Sabrina
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 90%PP 5Pokémon Mansion
- After Blaine
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 120Accuracy 85%PP 5Prize for defeating Cinnabar Gym Leader Blaine
How to Get Nidoking in Red & Blue
A male Nidorino plus a Moon Stone makes Nidoking, with no wild encounters at all. The stone is the gate, not the Nidorino, which the Safari Zone hands out freely.
Catch Nidoran♂ (male) or Nidorino at any of these 3 spots to eventually evolve into Nidoking.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
- 1Catch Nidoran♂ (male)
- 2
- 3Evolve NidokingUse Moon Stone
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8How to Obtain Nidoking in RB
To get Nidoking, start by catching Nidoran♂ (male) through walking encounters at Lv. 2-25. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch Nidoran♂ (male)
- Step 2Catch or Evolve NidorinoSafari Zone - NorthLv.30FloorRedRate 10%Safari Zone - NorthLv.30FloorBlueRate 5%Celadon City - Game CornerLv.17Game Corner PrizeBlueLimitedPurchase: 1,200 coinsSafari Zone - CenterLv.31FloorRedRate 10%or evolve from Nidoran♂ (male) (Step 1)
- Step 3Nidoking ✓
Nidoking Weakness
Type-wise, Nidoking takes extra damage from Water, Ice, Ground, Psychic, and Bug. Electric moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ice, Ground, Psychic, Bug |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fighting, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
What is Nidoking Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Nidoking
 Mewtwo Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodCerulean Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Mewtwo builds →Psychic 2x120-141%KO Blizzard 2x97-114%KO Bubble Beam 2x58-69% | ||
 Articuno Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodSeafoam Islands Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Articuno builds →Blizzard 2x97-114%KO Bubble Beam 2x39-46% | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 2x113-133%KO Blizzard 2x36-43% Surf 2x32-37% | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | B | |
Obtain MethodSilph Co Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Lapras builds →Blizzard 2x89-105%KO Hydro Pump 2x96-113%KO Psychic 2x48-57% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Vaporeon builds →Hydro Pump 2x119-140%KO Blizzard 2x73-86% | ||
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
 Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Gyarados builds →Hydro Pump 2x73-87% Blizzard 2x45-53% | ||
 Cloyster WaterIce | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Shellder (Cinnabar Island Super Rod) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Cloyster builds →Blizzard 2x89-105%KO Surf 2x77-91% | ||
 Dewgong WaterIce | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Dewgong builds →Blizzard 2x76-89% Surf 2x65-77% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Slowbro builds →Surf 2x87-103%KO Psychic 2x83-98% Blizzard 2x67-79% Earthquake 2x47-56% | ||
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Cinnabar Island Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Omastar builds →Hydro Pump 2x123-145%KO Blizzard 2x76-89% | ||
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | S | |
 Starmie WaterPsychic | S | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Staryu (Cinnabar Island Super Rod) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Starmie builds →Surf 2x87-103%KO Psychic 2x83-98% Blizzard 2x67-79% | ||
 Blastoise Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Squirtle (Pallet Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Blastoise builds →Hydro Pump 2x96-113%KO Blizzard 2x59-70% Earthquake 2x51-60% | ||
Nidoking Evolutions
Nidoran♂ (male)'s chain ends at Nidoking (using a Moon Stone). Despite 485 base stats, this Poison/Ground type doesn't breed. Defense grew the most through evolution (+37 over Nidoran M), and Nidoking peaks at 485 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
RB Nidoking Best Moveset
One of the widest movepools available: MoveEarthquake, MoveBlizzard, MoveThunderbolt, MoveFire Blast from 85 Special. The TermCoverage hits almost every type for at least unresisted damage. Average stats everywhere but the move slots cover what the numbers can't.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
TMs carry this one. Nidoking learns Earthquake and Poison Sting naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Ice and beyond give it real matchup play.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- 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.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM 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 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
All 32 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It uses its powerful tail in battle to smash, constrict, then break the prey’s bones.
Nidoking Red & Blue Guide
In Red & Blue, Nidoking plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully. Earthquake is the primary attack.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Nidoking has appeared in 19 games: most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
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 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
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
Explore
Where to go next after Nidoking.
Keep playing · Red & BlueRed & Blue Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Red & Blue Tier List