Is Onix Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Union Cave and Rock Tunnel encounters. Rock/Ground with AbilitySturdy blocking OHKO moves. The real draw is Steelix through Metal Coat trade, adding Steel typing and massive Defense. Onix itself is too fragile to carry without evolving.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Bugsy's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Chuck's team.
Steelix resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
In-Game Trade
Onix can be received through an in-game trade in Violet City. Trade Bellsprout. Trade a Bellsprout to a trainer in Violet City.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM28GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- TUTORNormalHeadbuttPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 15Ilex Forest
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- LV 41SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- TM59DragonDragon PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Given by Clair in the Dragon's Den after the Dragon Shrine test
- LV 49NormalDouble-EdgePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 54RockStone EdgePower 150Accuracy 80%PP 5
Catch Onix
Catch Onix in Union Cave (walking, Lv 6, rare).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM28GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- TUTORNormalHeadbuttPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 15Ilex Forest
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- LV 41SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15
- After Clair
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- TM59DragonDragon PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Given by Clair in the Dragon's Den after the Dragon Shrine test
- LV 49NormalDouble-EdgePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 54RockStone EdgePower 150Accuracy 80%PP 5
How to Get Onix in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Onix tunnels through seven locations wild, common to rare and reaching level 48 deep underground, with a trade option near Violet too. Hold a Metal Coat on it for a trade and the rock snake becomes Steelix instead.
7 locations to catch Onix
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Onix in HGSS
The line opens with Onix at Lv. 6-48 via walking and trade encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 1Onix ✓Safari Zone - WastelandLv.15-17FloorRate 40%NightSafari Zone - WastelandLv.15-17FloorRate 30%DaySafari Zone - WastelandLv.15-16FloorRate 20%MorningUnion Cave - B1FLv.8CaveRate 10%Union Cave - 1FLv.6CaveRate 5%Rock Tunnel - B1FLv.16CaveRate 20%Cliff Cave - 1FLv.20CaveRate 10%Union Cave - B2FLv.23CaveRate 5%Mt. Silver - 1FLv.42CaveRate 30%Victory Road - 1FLv.34-36CaveRate 15%Victory Road - 2FLv.34-36CaveRate 15%Victory Road - 3FLv.34-36CaveRate 15%Mt. Silver - Lower mountainsideLv.48CaveRate 30%Violet CityIn-game tradeLimitedTrade for (give Bellsprout)
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into SteelixCliff Cave - 1FLv.23CaveRate 2%Mt. Silver - 1F Upper ChamberLv.48CaveRate 20%Olivine CityIn-game tradeLimitedTrade anyor evolve from Onix (Step 1)
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver for Onix.
How to Get Shiny Onix in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Onix winds through Rock Tunnel and Victory Road, though a shiny hatches faster from Masuda breeding. Compare Shiny Onix odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Onix Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds for Onix.
Onix Weakness
Onix's Rock/Ground typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. Water and Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Electric-type attacks completely. The Rock/Ground typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Onix's physical bulk (base 160 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Water, Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Ice, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Flying, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Onix Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Onix
 Tangrowth Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Tangrowth builds →Solar Beam 4x482-567%KO Focus Blast 2x160-189%KO | ||
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Cacturne builds →Solar Beam 4x504-593%KO Focus Punch 2x77-91% | ||
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Vileplume builds →Solar Beam 4x482-567%KO Drain Punch 2x25-30% | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chikorita (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Meganium builds →Solar Beam 4x388-457%KO Iron Tail 2x40-48% Rock Smash 2x18-22% | ||
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Shiftry builds →Solar Beam 4x410-483%KO Dig 2x38-46% Focus Blast 2x136-161%KO | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Ludicolo builds →Solar Beam 4x410-483%KO Surf 4x326-385%KO Focus Punch 2x53-63% Ice Beam 2x109-128%KO | ||
 Carnivine Grass | C | |
 Hariyama Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Hariyama builds →Focus Punch 2x122-143%KO Dig 2x43-52% Surf 4x122-143%KO | ||
 Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Feraligatr builds →Waterfall 4x122-143%KO Focus Punch 2x72-85% Dig 2x40-48% Iron Tail 2x49-59% | ||
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Bronzong builds →Solar Beam 4x247-291%KO Flash Cannon 2x124-147%KO Rock Smash 2x18-22% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Slowbro builds →Surf 4x354-417%KO Focus Punch 2x55-65% Ice Beam 2x117-139%KO Dig 2x30-37% | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Leafeon builds →Solar Beam 4x299-352%KO Dig 2x40-48% Iron Tail 2x51-61% Rock Smash 2x22-26% | ||
 Suicune Water | A | |
Obtain MethodBurned Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Onix View Suicune builds →Surf 4x326-385%KO Ice Beam 2x109-128%KO Dig 2x30-37% Iron Tail 2x38-46% | ||
Onix Evolutions
To get Steelix from Onix, you need a trade. The evolution method matters here. The evolved forms gain up to 125 total stats over Onix. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Onix easily with 29 breeding partners from the Mineral egg group. Pass egg moves like Block, Defense Curl, Explosion and 4 more to offspring.
HGSS Onix Best Moveset
160 Defense is enormous, but 35 HP means the effective physical bulk is lower than it looks. Rock/Ground typing invites 4x Water and Grass weaknesses. AbilitySturdy guarantees surviving one hit from full HP, giving the moveset exactly one defensive interaction.
Best Build
Onix best EVs are Attack and Speed
Support Moveset
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The natural movepool does the job, but Block and Defense Curl from the egg pool give Onix something extra.
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
All 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It twists and squirms through the ground. The thunderous roar of its tunneling echoes a long way.
It rapidly bores through the ground at 50 mph by squirming and twisting its massive, rugged body.
Onix HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- Where in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone can I find Onix?
See the Locations section above for where to find Onix in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Onix from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Onix easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
No. Onix only evolves into Steelix through a real trade. There is no in-game alternative in HeartGold & SoulSilver. The Metal Coat must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
Trade a Bellsprout to a trainer in Violet City. This is an NPC trade, so the Onix you receive is yours immediately, no transfer cable needed.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, for a casual playthrough, Onix works as a placeholder. Rock/Ground coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Steelix. That's where the stats start mattering.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Onix as a balanced. Physical side carries the damage. Speed is middling, Earthquake is the primary attack.
Game Availability
Present since Red & Blue, Onix appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Onix have the longest track record of availability in the series.
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
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