Utility
Support
380Low
50Slow
CTier

Without Prankster, Sableye wouldn't see any competitive play. With it? It gives priority to its status moves, turning modest base stats into a real offensive threat. Dark/Ghost is solid coverage on top of that. Normal, Fighting, and Psychic moves can't touch it, and only 0 types hit it super-effectively.

You won't find a real weakness in Sableye's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Darkness Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 2 Attack and Defense EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.

Base Stats
380Avg
HP50
D
Attack75
C
Defense75
C
Sp. Atk65
C
Sp. Def65
C
Speed50
D
Total380
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Sableye yields +1 Atk, +1 Def
HPAtk+1Def+1SpASpDSpe
Details
Catch45ChallengingMedium Slow1.06M XP0.5m / 1'08"11kg / 24.3 lbs133Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It hides in the darkness of caves. Its diet of gems has transformed its eyes into gemstones.

Black / White

Sableye Weakness

Fortress

Sableye has no type weaknesses thanks to its unique defensive typing. Normal, Fighting, and Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity.

Gen V Type Chart
  • Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
  • Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
None
½xResisti
¼xResisti
None
STAB (2)i
0Weak
1Resist
3Immune
Scorei+10
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Keen EyePrevents accuracy from being lowered.
StallMakes the Pokémon move last within its move's priority bracket.
PranksterHARaises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.

Sableye is what you get. No evolutions, but it breeds through one egg group with plenty of partners. Hatching is average hatch time. It's got 10 egg moves worth looking into.

How to Evolve

No Evolution
Sableye
#302Sableye
Does not evolve
Breeding
Easy

Breed Sableye easily with 53 breeding partners from the Humanshape egg group. Pass egg moves like Captivate, Feint, Flatter and 7 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Humanshape
Gender
50.0%50.0%
Hatch Time
25 cycles·6,425 steps
Moderate~6 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
10moves
Breed With (best first)
gardevoirinfernapegalladelopunnycacturnevolbeatillumisemonfernospindabunearycacneachimchar

max HP and Sp. Def EVs and Calm nature turn Sableye into a wall that doesn't fold easily. Leftovers brings passive recovery each turn for the long game, and Recover handles sustain. Prankster fills in the gaps.

Best Build

Wall
Ability
Prankster
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Nature
Calm+SPD
EVs

Best Sableye Moveset

  • Will O Wisp
  • RecoverRecovery
  • TauntUtility
  • Foul PlaySTAB

Stall teams hate this. Sableye can spread damage across 12 types, with Normal and Rock punishing common defensive pivots. STAB from Foul Play and Shadow Ball keeps the pressure honest on everything else.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
10030Normal
Lv 1
Scratch
4010035Normal
Lv 4
Foresight
40Normal
Lv 8
Night Shade
10015Ghost
Lv 11
Astonish
3010015Ghost
Lv 15
Fury Swipes
188015Normal
Lv 18
Fake Out+3
4010010Normal
Lv 22
Detect+4
5Fighting
Lv 25
Shadow Sneak+1
4010030Ghost
Lv 29
Knock Off
6510020Dark
Lv 32
Feint Attack
6020Dark
Lv 36
Punishment
1005Dark
Lv 39
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
Lv 43
Power Gem
7010020Rock
Lv 46
Confuse Ray
10010Ghost
Lv 50
Foul Play
9510015Dark
Lv 53
Zen Headbutt
809015Psychic
Lv 57
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
Lv 60
Mean Look
5Normal

TM Moves

Src
TM40
Aerial Ace
6020Flying
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM31
Brick Break
7510015Fighting
TM04
Calm Mind
20Psychic
HM01
Cut
509530Normal
TM28
Dig
8010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM85
Dream Eater
10010015Psychic
TM63
Embargo
10015Dark
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM70
Flash
10020Normal
TM56
Fling
10010Dark
TM21
Frustration
10020Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM01
Hone Claws
15Dark
TM59
Incinerate
3010015Fire
TM47
Low Sweep
6010020Fighting
TM66
Payback
5010010Dark
TM84
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM77
Psych Up
10Normal
TM29
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM18
Rain Dance
5Water
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM67
Retaliate
701005Normal
TM27
Return
10020Normal
TM94
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
TM39
Rock Tomb
609510Rock
TM48
Round
6010015Normal
TM30
Shadow Ball
8010015Ghost
TM65
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
TM95
Snarl
559515Dark
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
9015Normal
TM12
Taunt
10020Dark
TM19
Telekinesis
15Psychic
TM46
Thief
6010010Dark
TM41
Torment
10015Dark
TM06
Toxic
9010Poison
TM61
Will-O-Wisp
7515Fire

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Captivate
10020Normal
Egg
Feint+2
3010010Normal
Egg
Flatter
10015Dark
Egg
Mean Look
5Normal
Egg
Metal Burst
10010Steel
Egg
Moonlight
5Normal
Egg
Nasty Plot
20Dark
Egg
Recover
10Normal
Egg
Sucker Punch+1
801005Dark
Egg
Trick
10010Psychic

Tutor Moves

Sableye can't learn any Tutor moves

Transfer Moves

Src
Gen 3
Body Slam
8510015Normal
Gen 3
Counter-5
10020Fighting
Gen 3
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Gen 3
Dynamic Punch
100505Fighting
Gen 4
Endure+4
10Normal
Gen 4
Focus Punch-3
15010020Fighting
Gen 4
Fury Cutter
209520Bug
Gen 4
Headbutt
7010015Normal
Gen 3
Mega Kick
120755Normal
Gen 3
Mega Punch
808520Normal
Gen 3
Metronome
10Normal
Gen 3
Mimic
10Normal
Gen 4
Mud-Slap
2010010Ground
Gen 4
Natural Gift
10015Normal
Gen 4
Ominous Wind
601005Ghost
Gen 4
Pain Split
20Normal
Gen 4
Secret Power
7010020Normal
Gen 3
Seismic Toss
10020Fighting
Gen 4
Shock Wave
6020Electric
Gen 4
Water Pulse
6010020Water

Sableye appears at decent spawn rates across 6 spots in endgame 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

walking encounters for Sableye across 6 spots at Lv. 49+. The catch is that Black and White don't share every location, so compare what's available in your version.

Challenger's Cave - 1F
BlackGrassLv.49UncommonPostCaveAny
EASY
Challenger's Cave - 1F
WhiteGrassLv.49UncommonPostCaveAny
EASY
Challenger's Cave - B1F
BlackGrassLv.49UncommonPostCaveAny
EASY
Challenger's Cave - B1F
WhiteGrassLv.49UncommonPostCaveAny
EASY
Challenger's Cave - B2F
WhiteGrassLv.49UncommonPostCaveAny
EASY
Challenger's Cave - B2F
BlackGrassLv.49UncommonPostCaveAny
EASY
  • Sableye looks average on paper at 380 BST. But Prankster is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier support on our tier list.

  • Sableye has no type weaknesses, making it hard to counter through typing alone. Focus on status moves, entry hazards, or raw neutral damage to take it down.

  • Sableye doesn't evolve and has no evolutionary line. It's a Dark/Ghost-type Pokemon with a 380 base stat total.

  • Sableye gets Prankster, Keen Eye, and Stall. But Prankster is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.

  • Sableye is leaning toward the physical side (base 75 Attack). But the speed tells the real story — base 50 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the support role.

  • Sableye appears in 16 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.

Available since Ruby & Sapphire, Sableye appears in 16 games spanning 7 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Mega form in Generation 7.