Zangoose Best Moveset
115 Attack with AbilityToxic Boost increasing Attack 50% when poisoned. Held ItemToxic Orb activates the boost turn one. NatureJolly at 90 Speed outspeeds enough of the tier. The moveset runs boosted Normal TermStab through Facade that doubles in power under status. Fast, hard-hitting, and doesn't care about being poisoned because it makes the hits harder.
115 Attack with Swords Dance in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Immunity prevented Toxic, and boosted Return hit hard. A clean physical sweeper when it found setup time.
Best Moves
Best Build
Zangoose best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Ball
- Swords Dance
- Quick Attack
- Brick Break
Recommended Teammates
Outclassed by stronger Normal-types in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). 115 Attack wasn't unique anymore, and 90 Speed was increasingly average.
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Close Combat
- Thunder Punch
- Ice Punch
- Night Slash
Recommended Teammates
Toxic Boost arrived in Gen V (Black & White). Toxic Orb poisoned Zangoose, boosting Attack by 50%. Facade doubled in power when statused. Massive damage, but poison chip ate HP every turn.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Quick Attack
Recommended Teammates
Same Toxic Boost Facade in Gen VI (X & Y). Devastating damage output but the clock was always ticking from poison. A race against its own HP bar.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Facade
- Quick Attack
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw
Recommended Teammates
Fell in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). The suicide attacker niche was too inconsistent. Other Pokemon hit just as hard without actively killing themselves.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Facade
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Returned in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Toxic Boost was still the only plan, and the plan still meant burning through HP just to deal competitive damage.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Facade
- Knock Off
- Quick Attack
- Close Combat
Recommended Teammates
Zangoose Weakness
Zangoose's Normal typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting. It shrugs off Ghost-type attacks completely. Zangoose leans offensive (base 115 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ghost |
What is Zangoose Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Zangoose
Dragapult can KO Zangoose with Draco Meteor (93-109%).
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityInfiltrator ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Dragapult builds →U Turn28-33% Draco Meteor93-109%KO | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityProtosynthesis ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Great Tusk builds →Rapid Spin29-34% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityGoodasgold ItemAir Balloon NatureTimid Moves View Gholdengo builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPoisonheal ItemToxic Orb NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Gliscor builds →Earthquake36-43% Knock Off24-28% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureSassy Moves View Slowking-Galar builds →
| ||
Evolution
Zangoose doesn't evolve, so breeding's where the action is. You'll find a massive partner pool across one egg group, and eggs are average hatch time. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Zangoose easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
Zangoose Locations
Zangoose appears at moderate rates across 8 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.
Best Locations to Catch Zangoose in Scarlet & Violet
4 walking encounters at Lv. 20-80 for Zangoose across Violet and Scarlet. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Zangoose doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Ruby & Sapphire, Diamond & Pearl, or Scarlet & Violet to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Zangoose cannot be caught in the wild in Legends: Z-A, but you can still get it via these paths:
Catch in the wild and trade from these games:
Then trade to Legends: Z-A.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Zangoose 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.
Best Locations to Catch Zangoose in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Walking encounters at Lv. 58-63 across 6 spots for Zangoose. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
No wild encounters for Zangoose in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. It's available in Ruby & Sapphire, Diamond & Pearl, or Scarlet & Violet and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Zangoose is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Base Stats
Everything pushes toward physical damage here. Zangoose's Attack does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Attack EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a standard growth curve.
It’s Seviper’s archrival. To threaten those it encounters, it fans out the claws on its front paws.
Zangoose Guide
Zangoose works as a cannon with 458 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a situational pick that fills a niche. That 115 base Attack does the heavy lifting.
Watch for Blaziken (Fighting) when using Zangoose. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Immunity prevents poison. That's the one you want on Zangoose. Toxic Boost is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Zangoose is a physical attacker with base 115 Attack. Speed tells the real story. Base 90 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the cannon role.
Run Facade, Knock Off, Quickattack, and Close Combat on Zangoose. Facade is the most common pick at 0% usage. Facade provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Zangoose 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