Stats & Training
Speed and Sp. Atk carry most of Charmander's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 1 Speed stat exp. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
If it’s healthy, the flame on the tip of its tail will burn vigorously, even if it gets a bit wet.
Charmander Weakness
Charmander is weak to Water, Ground, and Rock. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Standard number of weaknesses for the Fire typing.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
In Crystal, Vaporeon can KO Charmander with Surf (168-197%). Rhydon threatens a KO with Earthquake (238-281%). Aerodactyl's Earthquake also KOs at 132-156%.
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x168-197%KO | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Rhydon builds →Rock Slide 2x179-211%KO Earthquake 2x238-281%KO | ||
 Aerodactyl Rock | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Charmander View Aerodactyl builds →Earthquake 2x132-156%KO | ||
Crystal Evolution
Three stages ahead. Charmander grows into Charmeleon, then pushes on to Charizard. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, average hatch time with a small partner pool via two egg groups. Evolving adds up to 225 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Charmander easily with 13 breeding partners from the Dragon and Monster egg groups. Pass egg moves like Ancient Power, Beat Up, Belly Drum and 3 more to offspring.
Crystal Charmander Best Moveset
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Fire Blast
- Belly Drum
- Rock Slide
- Return
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Charmander gets Ancient Power and Beat Up exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 8 types rounds out the picture alongside Fire Blast and Flamethrower.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Charmander in Crystal
Charmander Guide
Charmander becomes Charmeleon at level 16, then Charizard at level 36. Straight three-stage line with no branching.
Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16. Early evolution, you'll hit it before the third gym in most games.
For Crystal, you can run Charmander through the first few routes without issues. 309 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Charmeleon as fast as you can.
Charmander is catchable in Crystal. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 20 other games across the series.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Charmander has appeared in 21 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves