That 4x Grass weakness is something every Relicanth user needs to plan around. Swift Swim doubles its Speed in rain, which helps. Known as the Longevity Pokemon. The stat spread favors raw physical power.
Relicanth's all-in on Defense at the expense of Sp. Atk. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 2 HP and Defense EVs and follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Discovered by chance during deep-sea explorations, it has not changed since ancient times.
Relicanth Weakness
VulnerableGrass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground-type moves hit Relicanth for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Relicanth's physical bulk (base 130 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What you see is what you get. Relicanth sits outside any evolution chain, so focus on the egg moves and plenty of partners from two egg groups. Eggs are takes forever to hatch.
How to Evolve
Breed Relicanth with 69 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water2 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Amnesia, Aqua Tail, Magnitude and 7 more to offspring.
Rockhead helps Relicanth stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, flexible EVs EVs for the right balance, and Waterfall as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Best Relicanth Moveset
- Head Smash
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Double Edge
Recommended Teammates
Don't skip the egg moves. Relicanth picks up Amnesia and Aqua Tail only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Head Smash and Hydro Pump while Normal and Ice coverage and more adds range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Relicanth is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 2 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations
Don't let Relicanth's 485 base stat total fool you. Swift Swim is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier.
Relicanth doesn't evolve and has no evolutionary line. It's a Water/Rock-type Pokemon with a 485 base stat total.
Run Swift Swim on Relicanth. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Relicanth also gets Rock Head and Sturdy, but they don't compare.
Relicanth fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 90 Attack. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
Relicanth appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Relicanth first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and has been available in 14 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A