Is Unown Good in Emerald Playthrough?
Breed-only Psychic with AbilityLevitate. Unown knows only MoveHidden Power, whose type and power depend on IVs. Twenty-eight forms exist for collectors. Zero viability exists for battlers. Not a team option under any circumstances.
Roxanne's typing presses Unown's defenses.
Unown trades roughly evenly with Brawly's team.
Wattson's typing presses Unown's defenses.
Unown trades roughly evenly with Flannery's team.
Norman's team hits Unown's weaknesses hard.
Winona's typing presses Unown's defenses.
Tate & Liza's typing presses Unown's defenses.
Juan's typing presses Unown's defenses.
Sidney's team hits Unown's weaknesses hard.
Phoebe's Pokemon outpace and outclass Unown here.
Glacia's team hits Unown's weaknesses hard.
Drake's team hits Unown's weaknesses hard.
Wallace's typing presses Unown's defenses.
Trade
Unown cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 5)
- LV 5NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Unown in Emerald
Emerald has no Unown at all. Its only Gen 3 home is the Tanoby Chambers over in FireRed and LeafGreen, and the symbol Pokemon cannot even be bred thanks to its egg group, so the alphabet has to be traded in glyph by glyph.
Unown cannot be caught in the wild in Emerald, but you can still get it via these paths:
Unown only obtainable via Tanoby Chambers in FireRed/LeafGreen (transfer required). Undiscovered egg group prevents breeding.
Catch in the wild and trade from these games:
Then trade to Emerald.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
How to Get Shiny Unown in Emerald
Unown cannot be encountered in Emerald, so trade one across from FireRed or LeafGreen, where it hides among the Tanoby Ruins chambers on Seven Island before you carry the shiny back. See every game where Shiny Unown can be hunted
Shiny Unown Evolution
Does Not EvolveUnown Weakness
Bug, Ghost, and Dark moves hit Unown for super-effective damage. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Bug, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fighting, Psychic |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
What is Unown Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Unown
 Heracross BugFighting | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Heracross builds →Megahorn 2x238-280%KO Thief 2x23-27% | ||
 Houndoom DarkFire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Houndoom builds →Crunch 2x142-168%KO Shadow Ball 2x81-95% | ||
 Absol Dark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Absol builds →Shadow Ball 2x110-130%KO Bite 2x79-93% | ||
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Shiftry builds →Shadow Ball 2x88-104%KO Thief 2x62-73% | ||
 Banette Ghost | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Banette builds →Shadow Ball 2x148-175%KO Feint Attack 2x57-67% | ||
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Cacturne builds →Feint Attack 2x112-132%KO Pin Missile 2x18-21% | ||
 Sableye DarkGhost | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Sableye builds →Shadow Ball 2x104-123%KO Feint Attack 2x71-84% | ||
 Mightyena Dark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Mightyena builds →Crunch 2x88-104%KO Shadow Ball 2x81-95% | ||
 Volbeat Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Volbeat builds →Signal Beam 2x95-113%KO Shadow Ball 2x68-81% Thief 2x25-30% | ||
 Ninjask Bug | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Ninjask builds →Shadow Ball 2x81-95% Leech Life 2x32-38% Thief 2x26-31% | ||
 Dusclops Ghost | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Dusclops builds →Shadow Ball 2x100-118%KO Pursuit 2x30-36% | ||
 Beautifly Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Beautifly builds →Silver Wind 2x76-89% Shadow Ball 2x67-79% Thief 2x44-52% | ||
 Illumise Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Unown View Illumise builds →Shadow Ball 2x49-58% Thief 2x35-42% | ||
 Pinsir Bug | C | |
Unown Evolutions
For whatever reason, Unown sits in the Undiscovered egg group. A Psychic type at 336 stats with no chain and no eggs. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
E Unown Best Moveset
MoveHidden Power is the only move Unown will ever learn, and the moveset is locked to that single slot regardless of the Hidden Power type rolled. No team has a reason to run this over any other special attacker in Emerald.
Best Build
Unown best EVs are HP and Attack
Utility Moveset
- Hidden Power Water
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Unown's options are limited here. You've got Psychic STAB for STAB damage, but there isn't much beyond Psychic hitting power. TMs help fill gaps, though the kit stays tight.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
This POKéMON is shaped like ancient text characters. Although research is ongoing, it is a mystery as to which came first, the ancient writings or the various UNOWN.
Unown Emerald Guide
Unown isn't catchable in Emerald. Catch one in FireRed or LeafGreen, then trade it to Emerald.
Honestly, in Emerald Unown is a tough sell. It rates just F-Tier, and stronger Psychic options exist. Fun pick, not a practical one.
In Emerald, use Unown as a balanced. Special attacks are the main output. Not the fastest,
For Emerald, run Jolly on Unown. +Speed is what matters, and the -Sp. Atk cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the balanced role.
For Emerald, build your team around Drowzee, Wigglytuff, and Wartortle. These have the highest co-usage rates with Unown in competitive formats. They cover each other's weaknesses.
Game Availability
Unown first appeared in Gold & Silver and has been available in 16 games across 8 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Unown.
Keep playing · EmeraldEmerald Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Emerald Tier List