Walrein Best Moveset
110 HP with 95 Sp. Atk at 90/90 defenses on Ice/Water. The moveset runs special dual TermStab from behind real bulk. 65 Speed means going second, but the HP and defenses survive to trade. Strong Style maximizes damage per slow turn.
Ice/Water with Thick Fat removing Fire and Ice weaknesses in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). 110 HP and good special bulk made Walrein a reliable Rest-Talk tank that absorbed hits all game.
Best Moves
Best Build
Walrein best EVs are HP and Sp. Atk
Special Tank Moveset
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Yawn
- Encore
Recommended Teammates
Ice Body healed 6.25% per turn in hail in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Paired with Protect and Substitute for the Stallrein strategy. Stall opponents to death one turn at a time.
Wall Moveset
- Surf
- Protect
- Substitute
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Abomasnow set permanent hail in Gen V (Black & White), and Walrein stalled behind Substitute while Ice Body healed. Functional but easy to beat if prepared.
Wall Moveset
- Toxic
- Protect
- Blizzard
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Weather nerfed to five turns in Gen VI (X & Y). Without permanent hail, the stall engine died. Walrein without the gimmick was just a slow Ice-type with no role.
Special Attacker Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Brine
- Super Fang
Recommended Teammates
No hail, no stall, no niche in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Ice/Water had too many weaknesses for a Pokemon with no Speed and no weather to hide behind.
Special Tank Moveset
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power Fighting
Recommended Teammates
Four gens of irrelevance in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Walrein existed in the format but had zero reason to be selected over any other defensive Water-type.
Bulky Support Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Curse
- Liquidation
- Avalanche
Recommended Teammates
Walrein Weakness
Electric, Grass, Fighting, and Rock moves hit Walrein for super-effective damage. Thick Fat reduces Fire/Ice damage, further improving the defensive spread. Walrein's overall bulk (110/90/90) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Fighting, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Ice |
What is Walrein Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Walrein
Raikou can KO Walrein with Thunderbolt (122-144%). Breloom's Mach Punch hits Walrein for 36-43%. Lucario's Close Combat also KOs at 125-148%.
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Walrein View Raikou builds →Scald18-21% Thunderbolt 2x122-144%KO Volt Switch 2x96-113%KO | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemLoaded Dice NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Walrein View Breloom builds →Mach Punch 2x36-43% Bullet Seed 2x23-27% | ||
 Lucario FightingSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemLife Orb NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Walrein View Lucario builds →Extreme Speed28-33% Close Combat 2x125-148%KO Aura Sphere 2x69-82% | ||
 Terrakion RockFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Walrein View Terrakion builds →Close Combat 2x108-127%KO Stone Edge 2x90-106%KO Earthquake30-35% | ||
Evolution
The three-stage chain from Spheal through Sealeo ends here at Walrein. Want more? Breed for Spheal eggs. A massive partner pool available via two egg groups. The evolution from Spheal pushed Walrein to 530 total stats. HP saw the largest single gain at +40. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
How to Get Walrein
Walrein appears at decent spawn rates across 2 spots in mid-game routes. 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 Walrein in PLA
Spheal is your first catch on the way to Walrein. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 16-47 across 4 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch SphealGinkgo LandingLv.27-30GrassRate 15%
Step 3Walrein ✓Ginkgo LandingLv.16-30GrassRate 15%Islespy ShoreLv.44-47GrassRate 15%or evolve from Sealeo (Step 2)
Walrein starts showing up in endgame routes at moderate rates across 6 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Where To Catch Walrein in BDSP
Spheal is your first catch on the way to Walrein. You'll find walking and surfing encounters from Lv. 35-63 across 16 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch SphealRoute 226Lv.35-45Surfing on waterShining PearlRate 30%Route 230Lv.35-45Surfing on waterShining PearlRate 30%Glacial CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameIcy CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameWhiteout CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-game
Step 2Catch or Evolve SealeoRoute 226Lv.40-55Surfing on waterShining PearlRate 5%Route 230Lv.40-55Surfing on waterShining PearlRate 5%Glacial CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameIcy CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameWhiteout CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameor evolve from Spheal (Step 1)
Step 3Walrein ✓Glacial CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameIcy CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameWhiteout CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameor evolve from Sealeo (Step 2)
Can't catch Walrein directly. Start with Spheal at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 44. The 3-stage chain from Spheal to Walrein is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Walrein in SwSh
Spheal is your first catch on the way to Walrein. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 60-65 across 32 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch SphealFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldRate 100%SandstormFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldRate 100%Intense SunFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 45%Normal WeatherFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 37%Normal WeatherFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 33%OvercastFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 33%Normal WeatherFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 32%Heavy FogFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 30%SnowingFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 30%OvercastFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 30%RainingFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 27%SnowstormFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 25%SnowstormFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 25%Heavy FogFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldSwordRate 25%ThunderstormFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 25%SnowingFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 25%RainingFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 25%Heavy FogFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 22%SnowingFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 22%OvercastFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 22%RainingFrigid SeaLv.60-65GrassRate 20%ThunderstormFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 20%SnowstormFrigid SeaLv.60-65OverworldShieldRate 17%Thunderstorm
Step 2Evolve into SealeoBREEDINGAvailableLeave Walrein with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Sealeo egg.
Step 3Walrein ✓
You're catching Spheal first, not Walrein. Spheal appears at moderate rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
Base Stats
Walrein's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with HP doing the heavy lifting. And the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 3 HP EVs.
Its thick tusks are strong enough to shatter drift ice. They have been known to break, but they will grow back by the next year. The Hisui region is well known for these broken tusks.
Walrein Guide
Walrein looks average on paper at 530 BST. But Thick Fat is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Walrein gets Thick Fat, Ice Body, and Oblivious. But Thick Fat is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Walrein is a special attacker with base 95 Sp. Atk. Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
Run Surf, Ice Beam, Rest, and Blizzard on Walrein. Surf is the most common pick at 0% usage. Surf provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Walrein appears in 15 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
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 7LGPE
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