Special
Balanced
340Low
85Moderate
DTier

Staryu is technically a pre-evolution of Starmie, but it holds its own in formats where Eviolite is allowed. Only weak to Electric and Grass. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets. Been around since Gen 1.

Staryu's spread isn't flashy. Speed leads, HP trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Easy to catch and worth 1 Speed EV, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats
340Avg
HP30
F
Attack45
D
Defense55
D
Sp. Atk70
C
Sp. Def55
D
Speed85
C
Total340
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Staryu yields +1 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Details
Catch225Easy•Slow1.25M XP•0.8m / 2'07"•34.5kg / 76.1 lbs•68Base XP
Pokedex Entries

As long as the center section is unharmed, it can grow back fully even if it is chopped to bits.

Yellow

Staryu Weakness

Avg

Staryu is weak to Electric and Grass-type moves. Its Water typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. Only 2 weaknesses makes it relatively easy to build around defensively.

Gen I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
ElectricGrass
½xResisti
FireWaterIce
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (3)i
FireGroundRock
2Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei-1
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.

Staryu evolves into Starmie, but can't breed. At 340 stats as a Water type, evolution is the only path. Evolving adds up to 180 stat points total.

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 not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Best Build

Gen 1 build content has limited support (no abilities, held items, or natures).

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

TMs define Staryu's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Hydro Pump and Surf, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal and Ice coverage and more. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Tackle
3510035Normal
Lv 17
Water Gun
4010025Water
Lv 22
Harden
——30Normal
Lv 27
Recover
——20Normal
Lv 32
Swift
60—20Normal
Lv 37
Minimize
——20Normal
Lv 42
Light Screen
——30Psychic
Lv 47
Hydro Pump
120805Water

TM Moves

Src
TM34
Bide+1
——10Normal
TM14
Blizzard
110905Ice
TM11
Bubble Beam
6510020Water
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM10
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
HM05
Flash
—7020Normal
TM13
Ice Beam
9510010Ice
TM31
Mimic
——10Normal
TM29
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM46
Psywave
—10015Psychic
TM20
Rage
2010020Normal
TM33
Reflect
——20Psychic
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM40
Skull Bash
10010010Normal
TM50
Substitute
——10Normal
HM03
Surf
9510015Water
TM39
Swift
60—20Normal
TM09
Take Down
908520Normal
TM30
Teleport-6
——20Psychic
TM25
Thunder
1107010Electric
TM45
Thunder Wave
—10020Electric
TM24
Thunderbolt
9510015Electric
TM06
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM49
Tri Attack
8010010Normal
TM12
Water Gun
4010025Water

Egg Moves

Staryu doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Staryu can't learn any Tutor moves

Easy grab on Staryu with high spawn rates across 9 locations in early-game fishing spots. Two different catch methods are in play here. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.

Best Locations

You can find Staryu through 9 fishing and surfing encounters at Lv. 5-40. The list is sorted by game progression, so the earliest accessible spots show up first.

Pallet Town
Super RodLv.5-10CommonEarlyCity
EASY
Vermilion City - Harbor
Super RodLv.15UncommonEarlyCity
MODERATE
Route 19
Super RodLv.20CommonMidRoute
EASY
Route 21
Super RodLv.20CommonMidRoute
EASY
Seafoam Islands - B4F
Super RodLv.20-40CommonMidWater
EASY
Seafoam Islands - B3F
Super RodLv.20-40CommonMidWater
EASY
Seafoam Islands - B4F
Surfing on waterLv.30CommonMidWater
EASY
Seafoam Islands - B3F
Surfing on waterLv.30CommonMidWater
EASY
Route 20
Super RodLv.30UncommonMidRoute
MODERATE

  • Staryu isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Starmie to unlock its full potential. At 340 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.

  • Staryu's biggest threats include Jolteon (Electric) and Exeggutor (Grass), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.

  • Staryu evolves into Starmie using a Water Stone. Staryu is the base form of this evolutionary line.

  • Staryu fills the balanced role. It's a special attacker with base 70 Sp. Atk. Base 85 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.

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

Staryu has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.