Attack and Defense carry most of Qwilfish's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 1 Attack EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Be cautious if this Pokémon starts sucking in water—it will soon attack by scattering the toxic spikes that grow all over its body.
Experienced fishers say they try to catch Qwilfish in the brief moment that these Pokémon become defenseless just after launching poisonous spikes.
Qwilfish's Water/Poison typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Ground, and Psychic. With 8 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Qwilfish's physical bulk (base 85 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
Salazzle deals 39-46% with Flamethrower.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Ambipom builds →U Turn13-16% Knock Off25-30% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMarvelscale ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Milotic builds →Scald25-30% Flip Turn8-10% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityCorrosion ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Salazzle builds →Flamethrower39-46% Sludge Bomb39-46% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPrankster ItemLightclay NatureImpish Moves View Grimmsnarl builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBigpecks ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Bombirdier builds →Knock Off38-45% | ||
Qwilfish doesn't evolve by leveling. You'll need an evolution item to push it forward to Overqwil. The evolved forms gain up to 70 total stats over Qwilfish. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Qwilfish easily with 34 breeding partners from the Water2 egg group.
Flip Turn keeps your team's momentum going. Qwilfish doesn't need to stay in long, Rocky Helmet provides chip damage on every physical hit received and max Attack and Speed EVs make every visit count. Spikes threatens on the way out. Intimidate adds passive value.
Best Build
Qwilfish best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Spikes
- Flip Turn
- Barb Barrage
- Pain Split
Recommended Teammates
Pivot Moveset
- Flip Turn
- Spikes
- Barb Barrage
- Pain Split
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Wallbreaker Moveset
- Barb Barrage
- Flip Turn
- Self Destruct
- Liquidation
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Poison Jab
- Liquidation
- Gunk Shot
- Destiny Bond
Recommended Teammates
Support Moveset
- Fell Stinger
- Toxic
- Spikes
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
Winds & Waves has not been released yet. Build info will be available after launch.
Check back after the game launches for competitive build content.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Spikes
- Flip Turn
- Barb Barrage
- Pain Split
Recommended Teammates
Pivot Moveset
- Flip Turn
- Spikes
- Barb Barrage
- Pain Split
Doubles Physical Wallbreaker Moveset
- Barb Barrage
- Flip Turn
- Self Destruct
- Liquidation
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Poison Jab
- Liquidation
- Gunk Shot
- Destiny Bond
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Qwilfish. TMs unlock coverage across 9 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Gunk Shot and Hydro Pump into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Move data for Qwilfish in Winds & Waves isn't available yet. The moveset will be updated once the game releases.
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Qwilfish. TMs unlock coverage across 7 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Gunk Shot and Hydro Pump into something with actual range.
A solid spread overall. Qwilfish gets Aqua Tail and Sludge Bomb for same-type damage alongside Bug and Dark coverage and more. It won't blow anyone away, but it doesn't leave you stuck either.
Qwilfish appears at decent spawn rates across 34 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.
Best Locations to Catch Qwilfish in Scarlet & Violet
Qwilfish's encounter pool splits between Scarlet and Violet. You've got 34 walking spots at Lv. 15-40 total, but your version determines which ones actually show up.
Winds & Waves hasn't launched yet, so encounter data for Qwilfish isn't confirmed. In other games, it's available in Gold, Crystal, or X.
Qwilfish doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Gold, Crystal, or X to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
4 encounter spots for Qwilfish at decent spawn rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Best Locations to Catch Qwilfish in Legends: Arceus
You can find Qwilfish through 4 walking encounters at walking. The list is sorted by game progression, so the earliest accessible spots show up first.
Qwilfish is meant to evolve into Overqwil. At 440 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Intimidate is what you want on Qwilfish. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Poison Point, Swift Swim) work on paper but Intimidate is what makes Qwilfish worth using.
Qwilfish's hidden ability is Intimidate. Lowers opponents' Attack one stage upon entering battle. Better than the standard options for competitive play.
Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Qwilfish is a physical attacker with base 95 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Since debuting in Gold & Silver, Qwilfish has appeared in 20 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Hisuian form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
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 8PLAHisuian
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves