Stats & Training
Darmanitan's spread is anchored by Attack, with balanced defenses backing it up. Sp. Atk is the clear weak point. Worth 2 Attack EVs per KO, and the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve keeps leveling painless.
Anger has reignited its atrophied flame sac. This Pokémon spews fire everywhere as it rampages indiscriminately.
Darmanitan takes this form when enraged. It won’t stop spewing flames until its rage has settled, even if its body starts to melt.
Darmanitan Weakness
Darmanitan's Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, and Rock. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Darmanitan leans offensive (base 140 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
In Sword & Shield, Lunatone's Psychic hits Darmanitan for 60-70%. Slowking deals 79-93% with Scald.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Ferrothorn builds →Knock Off21-24% | ||
 Lunatone RockPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemPower Herb NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Lunatone builds →Ice Beam20-23% Moonblast21-25% Psychic60-70% | ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Slowking builds →Scald 2x79-93% | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x151-178%KO | ||
 Gyarados Water | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Darmanitan View Gyarados builds →Waterfall 2x129-152%KO Bounce68-81% Ice Fang17-21% | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Darmanitan is the evolved form of Darumaka. Breeding produces Darumaka eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Darumaka gave Darmanitan the biggest boost in Attack (+50), bringing the total to 480 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Darmanitan to get Darumaka eggs easily using 152 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Extrasensory, Flame Wheel, Focus Punch and 3 more.
Sword & Shield Darmanitan Best Moveset
Darmanitan's locked into one move per switch-in with Choice Scarf, trading flexibility for speed patching through item lock. Flare Blitz is the go-to spam option, with Ground coverage keeping switch-ins honest.
Best Build
Darmanitan best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- U Turn
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Earthquake
- U Turn
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Special Tank Moveset
- Flare Blitz
- Superpower
- Will O Wisp
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Moves
You'll want to breed for Extrasensory and Flame Wheel on Darmanitan. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Overheat and Flare Blitz, they expand what Darmanitan can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
How to Get Darmanitan in Sword & Shield
No wild encounters for Darmanitan. The 2-stage line runs through Darumaka, which you can catch at moderate rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 35 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Darmanitan in Sword & Shield
To get Darmanitan, start by catching Darumaka through walking encounters at Lv. 38-65. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch DarumakaRoute 8 - on Steamdrift WayGrass Lv.38-41 Route5%LateAll WeatherRoute 10 - Near StationGrass Lv.43-46 Route5%LateAll WeatherRoute 10Grass Lv.44-46 Route5%LateAll WeatherSnowslide SlopeOverworld Lv.60-65 Ice10%PostSnowstorm
Step 2Darmanitan ✓
Darmanitan Guide
In Sword & Shield, Don't let Darmanitan's 480 base stat total fool you. Zen Mode is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it A-Tier as a cannon. Flare Blitz with Choice Scarf is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, Zen Mode. This is Darmanitan's defining trait. It changes darmanitan's form after each turn depending on its HP: Zen Mode below 50% max HP, and Standard Mode otherwise. Every competitive set revolves around it. If your Darmanitan doesn't have Zen Mode, it's not worth running.
In Sword & Shield, Run Zen Mode on Darmanitan. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Darmanitan also gets Sheer Force, but they don't compare.
In Sword & Shield, Darmanitan fills the cannon role. It's a physical attacker with base 140 Attack. Base 95 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Game Availability
Darmanitan first appeared in Black & White and spans 7 games across 6 generations. It later gained a Galarian form in Generation 8, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
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 5BWDebut
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 8SwShGalarian
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