Special
Sweeper
520High
115Fast
BTier

Between Natural Cure and Water/Psychic typing, Starmie carves out a strong competitive niche. It clears status conditions when it switches out, which gives it an edge most Pokemon in its stat range don't have. An original Gen 1 pick.

The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Sp. Atk carry the offense, HP doesn't even come close. A Mysterious Pokemon on a slow 1.25M XP grind, worth 2 Speed EVs per KO.

Base Stats
520High
HP60
C
Attack75
C
Defense85
C
Sp. Atk100
B
Sp. Def85
C
Speed115
B
Total520
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Starmie yields +2 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+2
Details
Catch60Challenging•Slow1.25M XP•1.1m / 3'07"•80kg / 176.4 lbs•182Base XP
Pokedex Entries

Its shining core is thought to receive and transmit enigmatic signals. It has been known to cause headaches in those who approach it.

Sun

Its unusual body shape, reminiscent of abstract art, led local people to spread rumors that this Pokémon may be an invader from outer space.

Moon

Starmie Weakness

Vulnerable

Electric, Grass, Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves hit Starmie for super-effective damage. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. 5 weaknesses means you'll want teammates that can handle the coverage gaps.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
ElectricGrassBugGhostDark
½xResisti
FireWaterIceFightingPsychicSteel
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (5)i
FireGroundRockFightingPoison
5Weak
6Resist
0Immune
Scorei-4
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
IlluminateDoubles the wild encounter rate.
Natural CureCures any major status ailment upon switching out.
AnalyticHAStrengthens moves to 1.3× their power when moving last.

Getting Starmie requires an evolution item, not just grinding levels. The chain starts at Staryu. Breed this form to get Staryu eggs (average hatch time). HP grew the most through evolution (+30 over Staryu), and Starmie peaks at 520 total stats.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Staryu
#120Staryu
Water Stone
Starmie
#121Starmie
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Staryu
Water
Starmie
WaterPsychic
HP
30
60+30
ATK
45
75+30
DEF
55
85+30
SP.ATK
70
100+30
SP.DEF
55
85+30
SPE
85
115+30
BST
340D-Tier
520A-Tier+180
ROLE
Balanced
Sweeper
TYPE
Special
Special
Breeding
Challenging

Breed with Starmie to get Staryu eggs (with patience) from the Water3 egg group.

Egg Groups
Water3
Gender
GenderlessDittoDitto only
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body

The recommended build leans into Starmie's strengths as a special attacker. Life Orb provides extra damage on every hit for a health trade, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs back that up. Analytic rounds out the package.

Best Build

Special Sweeper
Ability
Analytic
Item
Life OrbPOWER
Nature
Timid+SPE
EVs

Best Starmie Moveset

  • Rapid Spin
  • Ice Beam
  • ThunderboltCoverage
  • Hydro PumpSTAB

Recommended Teammates

Crawdaunt
CrawdauntDecent

Level-up moves are just the starting point for Starmie. TMs unlock coverage across 8 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Hydro Pump and Dream Eater into something with actual range.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Hydro Pump
110805Water
Lv 1
Rapid Spin
5010040Normal
Lv 1
Recover
——10Normal
Lv 1
Spotlight+3
——15Normal
Lv 1
Swift
60—20Normal
Lv 1
Water Gun
4010025Water
Lv 40
Confuse Ray
—10010Ghost

TM Moves

Src
TM14
Blizzard
110705Ice
TM100
Confide
——20Normal
TM99
Dazzling Gleam
8010010Fairy
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM85
Dream Eater
10010015Psychic
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM91
Flash Cannon
8010010Steel
TM21
Frustration
—10020Normal
TM68
Giga Impact
150905Normal
TM86
Grass Knot
—10020Grass
TM74
Gyro Ball
—1005Steel
TM07
Hail
——10Ice
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM15
Hyper Beam
150905Normal
TM13
Ice Beam
9010010Ice
TM16
Light Screen
——30Psychic
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM77
Psych Up
——10Normal
TM29
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM03
Psyshock
8010010Psychic
TM18
Rain Dance
——5Water
TM33
Reflect
——20Psychic
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM27
Return
—10020Normal
TM48
Round
6010015Normal
TM55
Scald
8010015Water
TM88
Sleep Talk
——10Normal
TM90
Substitute
——10Normal
TM94
Surf
9010015Water
TM87
Swagger
—8515Normal
TM25
Thunder
1107010Electric
TM73
Thunder Wave
—9020Electric
TM24
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
TM06
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM92
Trick Room-7
——5Psychic
TM98
Waterfall
8010015Water

Egg Moves

Starmie doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Starmie can't learn any Tutor moves

Reminder Moves

Src
Rem
Brine
6510010Water
Rem
Bubble Beam
6510020Water
Rem
Camouflage
——20Normal
Rem
Cosmic Power
——20Psychic
Rem
Gyro Ball
—1005Steel
Rem
Harden
——30Normal
Rem
Light Screen
——30Psychic
Rem
Minimize
——10Normal
Rem
Power Gem
8010020Rock
Rem
Psychic
9010010Psychic
Rem
Psywave
—10015Psychic
Rem
Reflect Type
——15Normal
Rem
Tackle
4010035Normal

Transfer Moves

Src
Gen 2
Attract
—10015Normal
Gen 2
Aurora Beam
6510020Ice
Gen 4
Avalanche-4
6010010Ice
Gen 2
Barrier
——20Psychic
Gen 1
Bide+1
——10Normal
Gen 2
Curse
——10Ghost
Gen 6
Dive
8010010Water
Gen 3
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Gen 4
Endure+4
——10Normal
Gen 6
Flash
—10020Normal
Gen 3
Mimic
——10Normal
Gen 4
Natural Gift
—10015Normal
Gen 2
Nightmare
—10015Ghost
Gen 1
Rage
2010020Normal
Gen 4
Rollout
309020Rock
Gen 6
Secret Power
7010020Normal
Gen 1
Skull Bash
13010010Normal
Gen 2
Supersonic
—5520Normal
Gen 1
Take Down
908520Normal
Gen 1
Teleport-6
——20Psychic
Gen 1
Tri Attack
8010010Normal
Gen 4
Twister
4010020Dragon
Gen 4
Whirlpool
358515Water
Gen 2
Zap Cannon
120505Electric

Starmie appears at moderate rates across 2 spots in early-game fishing spots. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.

Where To Catch Starmie in Sun & Moon

Staryu is your first catch on the way to Starmie. You'll find gift, fishing, and more encounters from Lv. 10-55 across 12 total spots in the chain.

  1. Staryu
    Step 1Catch Staryu
    Route 7
    SunSuper RodLv.10-191%EarlyRoute
    LEGENDARY
    Route 7
    MoonSuper RodLv.10-191%EarlyRoute
    LEGENDARY
    Hano Beach
    MoonGrassLv.21-2480%MidWater
    EFFORTLESS
    Hano Beach
    SunGrassLv.21-2480%MidWater
    EFFORTLESS
    Poké Pelago - Ula'ula Island reached
    SunGift from NPCLv.21-278%Mid
    EASY
    Poké Pelago - Ula'ula Island reached
    MoonGift from NPCLv.21-278%Mid
    EASY
    Poké Pelago - Poni Island reached
    SunGift from NPCLv.37-435%Late
    EASY
    Poké Pelago - Poni Island reached
    MoonGift from NPCLv.37-435%Late
    EASY
    Poké Pelago - Elite Four defeated
    MoonGift from NPCLv.49-554%Post
    MODERATE
    Poké Pelago - Elite Four defeated
    SunGift from NPCLv.49-554%Post
    MODERATE
  2. Starmie
    Step 2Starmie ✓
    Route 7
    SunSuper RodLv.10-19EarlyRouteSOS from Staryu
    Route 7
    MoonSuper RodLv.10-19EarlyRouteSOS from Staryu
    or evolve from Staryu (Step 1)

  • Natural Cure changes the entire equation for Starmie. The 520 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier as a sweeper.

  • Watch for Raikou (Electric), Venusaur (Grass), and Pinsir (Bug) when using Starmie. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.

  • Staryu evolves into Starmie using a Water Stone. Starmie is the fully evolved form. At 520 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.

  • Natural Cure is what you want on Starmie. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Illuminate, Analytic) work on paper but Natural Cure is what makes Starmie worth using. With base 115 Speed, Natural Cure gives Starmie an edge before opponents can react.

  • Base 115 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Starmie is a special attacker with base 100 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.

  • Starmie appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

One of the original 151, Starmie has appeared in 20 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.