Playthrough tier listRuby & Sapphire
Best Dark Pokémon in Ruby & Sapphire
Sidney, the first Elite Four member, opens with Mightyena, Shiftry, Cacturne, Sharpedo and Absol, and Poochyena runs on Route 101 from the start. We graded 10 Dark Pokémon you can get in Ruby & Sapphire, S to D, for beating the game. Absol and Sharpedo lead.
Graded by Build your own tier list
- Trade-in
- Ruby only
- Sapphire only
SClick any Pokémon for its gradeTap a card for its grade
TyranitarTrade-in onlyA
Absol
Sharpedo
HoundoomTrade-in only
SneaselTrade-in onlyB
Crawdaunt
Cacturne
MightyenaC
SableyeSapphire only
Carvanha
HoundourTrade-in onlyD
ShiftryRuby only
Poochyena
NuzleafRuby only
MurkrowTrade-in only
UmbreonTrade-in onlyWhat each tier means
- STop Carries a Ruby & Sapphire run against most of the bosses
- AStrong A strong pick for most of the game
- BSolid Does the job with some help
- CSituational Struggles against several bosses
- DBottom Hard to use for beating the game
2 reads blended into one listreblend in Showing16 10 in Ruby & Sapphire + 6 trade-ins
Board breakdown
Every Dark Pokémon you can get is checked here against the 13 Ruby & Sapphire gym leader, Elite Four and Champion fights, Roxanne to Steven. Sharpedo does well in 6 of them, 3 fights have no Dark answer, and the versions differ in 4 fights.
Pick Sharpedo for 6 of 13 fights, starting with Winona, against 5 fights for Absol.
Each row is one Dark pick and its 13 boxes are the fights in order. A filled box means it does well there: Sharpedo has 6, first at Winona.
Gym 1, Roxanne
Gym 2, Brawly
Gym 3, Wattson
Gym 4, Flannery
Gym 5, Norman
Gym 6, Winona
Gym 7, Tate & Liza
Gym 8, Wallace
Elite Four, Sidney
Elite Four, Phoebe
Elite Four, Glacia
Elite Four, Drake
Champion, StevenGym 1 RoxanneGym 2 BrawlyGym 3 WattsonGym 4 FlanneryGym 5 NormanGym 6 WinonaGym 7 Tate & LizaGym 8 WallaceElite Four SidneyElite Four PhoebeElite Four GlaciaElite Four DrakeChampion Steven- SharpedoGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: not on your team yetGym 6 Winona: does wellGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: no clear edgeSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: does wellSteven: does wellAfter badge 5CarvanhaRoute 118Good Rod20% of encounters
#097CarvanhaLevel 30
#098Sharpedofinal form by WinonaDark moves use Sp. Atk 95, not Attack 120Not yet: Roxanne to NormanDoes wellWinonaTate & LizaPhoebeGlaciaDrakeStevenNo clear edgeWallace, Sidney - AbsolGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: not on your team yetGym 6 Winona: not on your team yetGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: does wellSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: does wellSteven: no clear edgeAfter badge 6Route 1208% of encountersSp. Atk 75, not Attack 130Not yet: Roxanne to WinonaDoes wellTate & LizaWallacePhoebeGlaciaDrakeNo clear edgeSidney, Steven
- SableyeGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: does wellGym 3 Wattson: no clear edgeGym 4 Flannery: does wellGym 5 Norman: no clear edgeGym 6 Winona: no clear edgeGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: no clear edgeSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: no clear edgeSteven: no clear edgeAfter badge 1Granite Cave B2F20% of encountersSp. Atk 65, not Attack 75Not yet: RoxanneDoes wellBrawlyFlanneryTate & LizaPhoebeGlaciaNo clear edgeWattson, Norman, Winona, Wallace, Sidney, Drake, Steven
- ShiftryGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: not on your team yetGym 6 Winona: no clear edgeGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: does wellSidney: does wellPhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: no clear edgeSteven: no clear edgeShiftry after badge 5SeedotFrom the startRoute 10220% of encounters
#022SeedotLevel 14
#023NuzleafLeaf Stone
#024ShiftryLeaf Stone on Route 119Sp. Atk 90, not Attack 100Not yet: Roxanne to NormanDoes wellTate & LizaWallaceSidneyPhoebeGlaciaNo clear edgeWinona, Drake, Steven - CrawdauntGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: not on your team yetGym 6 Winona: no clear edgeGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: no clear edgeSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: does wellSteven: no clear edgeAfter badge 5CorphishRoute 102Good Rod20% of encounters
#129CorphishLevel 30
#130Crawdauntfinal form by WinonaSp. Atk 90, not Attack 120Not yet: Roxanne to NormanDoes wellTate & LizaPhoebeGlaciaDrakeNo clear edgeWinona, Wallace, Sidney, Steven - CacturneGym 1 Roxanne: not on your team yetGym 2 Brawly: not on your team yetGym 3 Wattson: not on your team yetGym 4 Flannery: not on your team yetGym 5 Norman: has troubleGym 6 Winona: has troubleGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: does wellSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: no clear edgeSteven: no clear edgeAfter badge 4CacneaRoute 111 desert20% of encounters
#119CacneaLevel 32
#120Cacturnefinal form by Tate & LizaNot yet: Roxanne to FlanneryDoes wellTate & LizaWallacePhoebeGlaciaHas troubleNorman, WinonaNo clear edgeSidney, Drake, Steven - MightyenaGym 1 Roxanne: no clear edgeGym 2 Brawly: has troubleGym 3 Wattson: no clear edgeGym 4 Flannery: does wellGym 5 Norman: no clear edgeGym 6 Winona: no clear edgeGym 7 Tate & Liza: does wellGym 8 Wallace: no clear edgeSidney: no clear edgePhoebe: does wellGlacia: does wellDrake: no clear edgeSteven: no clear edgeFrom the startPoochyenaRoute 10330% of encounters
#010PoochyenaLevel 18
#011Mightyenafinal form by WattsonSp. Atk 60, not Attack 90Does wellFlanneryTate & LizaPhoebeGlaciaHas troubleBrawlyNo clear edgeRoxanne, Wattson, Norman, Winona, Wallace, Sidney, Drake, Steven
Best pair
Ruby
Sharpedo + Shiftry8/13 togetherall Dark picks: 9
Sapphire
Sharpedo + Sableye8/13 togetherall Dark picks: 9
In both versions, Roxanne, Wattson and Norman have no Dark answer.
Brawly rests on Sableye, which is Sapphire only, and Sidney on Shiftry, which is Ruby only.
One row per fight, Roxanne to Steven, with the best Dark pick you can have by then. Tap a fight for its team and every pick. First with none: Roxanne.
Gyms
League
Houndoom closes Wattson in either version, plus Sidney in Sapphire.
Bring it from Emerald; the Colosseum one is Lv 48 and obeys only from badge 4.
Of the 13 fights, Dark picks found in Ruby & Sapphire cover 10, trade-ins raise that to 11, and 2 stay open. Houndoom fills the most.
This game9 of 13With trade-insRuby 10 of 13Sapphire 11 of 13Still openRoxanneNormanBrawly in Ruby
- HoundoomEmeraldHall of FameNational DexBreed a HoundourLv 24 to 30Obeys from badge 2orColosseumFinish its storyPurify the PokemonGameCube Game Boy Advance cableLv 48Obeys from badge 4Fills1 of 4 open fights in Ruby2 of 4 open fights in SapphireWattsonSidney SapphireYour team then: about Lv 21 to 26Won't obey: Roxanne, BrawlyDoes wellWattsonTate & LizaWallaceSidneyPhoebeGlaciaSteven
What each trade needs
- From EmeraldBeat Emerald's Elite FourNational Dex from BirchA Houndour to breed
- From ColosseumStory finishedPokemon purifiedGameCube to GBA cable
- Your Ruby or SapphireA PokedexOne other Pokemon in party