Stats & Training
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 Weakness
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 |
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Garchomp builds →Dig 2x94-111%KO Bulldoze 2x71-84% Sand Tomb 2x44-51% | ||
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Bronzong builds →Future Sight 2x129-152%KO Extrasensory 2x87-103%KO Confusion 2x56-66% | ||
 Toedscruel GroundGrass | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Toedscruel builds →Earth Power 2x98-116%KO Mud Shot 2x61-73% Mud-Slap 2x24-28% | ||
 Quagsire WaterGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Quagsire builds →Earthquake 2x84-99% Mud Shot 2x52-62% | ||
 Whiscash WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Qwilfish View Whiscash builds →Future Sight 2x84-99% Earthquake 2x78-92% Zen Headbutt 2x41-49% Mud-Slap 2x24-28% | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, 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% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
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 24 breeding partners from the Water2 egg group. Pass egg moves like Acid Spray, Aqua Jet, Astonish and 7 more to offspring.
Scarlet & Violet Qwilfish Best Moveset
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
Moves
You'll want to breed for Acid Spray and Aqua Jet on Qwilfish. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Gunk Shot and Hydro Pump, they expand what Qwilfish can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Scarlet & Violet Qwilfish Locations
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.
Qwilfish Guide
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.
In Scarlet & Violet, 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.
Game Availability
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