Scyther's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 4 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 1 Attack EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It slashes through grass with its sharp scythes, moving too fast for the human eye to track.
The sharp scythes on its forearms become increasingly sharp by cutting through hard objects.
Scyther's Bug/Flying typing leaves it vulnerable to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying. Rock hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Ground-type attacks completely.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Ice, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Blissey builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemAssault Vest NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Scrafty builds →Knock Off26-31% Close Combat12-14% Drain Punch7-9% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityWaterbubble ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Araquanid builds →Liquidation29-35% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBulletproof ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Chesnaught builds →Knock Off14-17% | ||
 Thwackey Grass | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemTerrain Extender NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Thwackey builds →U Turn9-11% Knock Off17-20% | ||
Scyther's evolution chain splits 2 ways into Scizor and Kleavor. The method you choose determines which form you get. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Scyther easily with 91 breeding partners from the Bug egg group.
Find one free turn for Swords Dance and Scyther can run through teams. Jolly nature leans fast physical, Technician supports the sweep, and Grass coverage stops anything from walling it cleanly.
Best Build
Scyther best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Trailblaze
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Protect
- Close Combat
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Bug Bite
- U Turn
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Trailblaze
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Protect
- Close Combat
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Bug Bite
- U Turn
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dual Wingbeat
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Bug Bite
Recommended Teammates
Utility Moveset
- Bug Bite
- Aerial Ace
- Dual Wingbeat
- Acrobatics
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without TMs, Scyther's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get Normal and Fighting coverage and more on top of Bug Buzz and X-Scissor for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Without TMs, Scyther's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get Normal and Dark coverage and more on top of Bug Buzz and X-Scissor for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Scyther's movepool balances level-up moves with TM options. Consistent STAB comes from X-Scissor and Air Slash, and Normal and Fighting coverage and more keeps opponents from switching in for free. No major gaps here.
You'll want to breed for Baton Pass and Counter on Scyther. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Bug Buzz and X-Scissor, they expand what Scyther can actually threaten in practice.
Scyther is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 14 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations to Catch Scyther in Scarlet & Violet
14 walking encounters at Lv. 15-55 for Scyther across Scarlet and Violet. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
No wild encounters for Scyther in Legends: Z-A. It's available in Red, Yellow, or Sword and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
A few locations for Scyther with decent spawn rates across mid-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations to Catch Scyther in Legends: Arceus
Scyther is available from mid-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 9 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations to Catch Scyther in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
9 walking spots from Lv. 16-63 for Scyther. Sorted by game progression with rates on each row, so you can compare without scrolling through everything.
Scyther isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Scizor to unlock its full potential. At 500 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Watch for Aerodactyl (Rock), Arcanine (Fire), and Jolteon (Electric) when using Scyther. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Aerodactyl is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ice and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Run Technician on Scyther. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Scyther also gets Swarm and Steadfast, but they don't compare. With base 105 Speed, Technician gives Scyther an edge before opponents can react.
Scyther fills the sweeper role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 110 Attack). Base 105 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Scyther does the job early-game if you need a Bug/Flying type on your team. Evolve it into Scizor before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Scyther has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 22 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
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 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves