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.
Rock-hard scales and oil-filled swim bladders allow this Pokémon to survive the intense water pressure of the deep sea.
This Pokémon was discovered during deep-sea exploration. Its appearance hasn’t changed in 100,000,000 years, so it’s called a living fossil.
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.
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 74 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water2 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Mud-Slap, Skull Bash to offspring.
The recommended build leans into Relicanth's strengths as a hazard lead. Zoom Lens provides extra utility, and max HP and Attack EVs back that up. Rockhead rounds out the package.
Best Build
Best Relicanth Moveset
- Head Smash
- Liquidation
- Stealth Rock
- Stomping Tantrum
Recommended Teammates
Without TMs, Relicanth's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 7 types on top of Head Smash and Meteor Beam for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
moderate rates is the best you'll get on Relicanth in endgame water routes. Use the sort toggle below. Best shows where the odds peak, Earliest shows where you can access it soonest in your playthrough.
Best Locations
Before you go hunting for Relicanth, check which of the 12 spots belong to your version. Shield and Sword each have different surfing encounters at Lv. 60-65.
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