At 355 BST, Kabuto is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Kabutops before bringing it to any serious fight.

What is Kabuto weak to?

In Diamond & Pearl, Kabuto's biggest threats include Venusaur (Grass), Jolteon (Electric), and Hitmonlee (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Venusaur is the most dangerous since Grass moves deal 4x damage. Ground-type attackers are also a problem.

What is the best ability for Kabuto?

Kabuto gets Swift Swim, Battle Armor, and Weak Armor. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.

What role does Kabuto play in battle?

Kabuto is a physical attacker with base 80 Attack. Fragile, can't afford to take many hits, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often.

In Diamond & Pearl, For a casual playthrough, Kabuto works as a placeholder. Rock/Water coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Kabutops . That's where the stats start mattering.

Kabuto - Weakness, Evolution, Moveset, EVs & Stats

Physical

Balanced

DTier

55Speed · Slow

Stats & Training

Nothing fancy in Kabuto's spread. It leans physical with Defense out front. And you'll get 1 Defense EV per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats

Avg

HP30

Attack80

Defense90

Sp. Atk55

Sp. Def45

Speed55

Total355

Details

Catch Rate

Challenging45 / 255

Growth Rate

Medium Fast1M XP

Height0.5 m

Weight11.5 kg

Base XP71

Abilities

Swift Swim

Doubles Speed during rain.

Battle Armor

Protects against critical hits.

Weak ArmorHANot in game

Raises Speed and lowers Defense by one stage each upon being hit by a physical move.

EV Yield

HPAtkDef+1SpASpDSpe

Defense training source

Pokedex Entries

It is thought to have inhabited beaches 300 million years ago. It is protected by a stiff shell.

Kabuto Weakness

Kabuto is weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground. Watch out for Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. The Rock/Water typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Kabuto's physical bulk (base 90 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

Kabuto Weakness and Resistance Chart
Damage	Types
4x (Critical)	Grass
2x (Weak)	Electric, Fighting, Ground
0.5x (Resist)	Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying
0.25x (Resist)	Fire

Type ChartVulnerable

4Weak

5Resist

0Immune

Score-4

Gen IV Type Chart

Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)

4xCritical

Grass

2xWeak

Electric Fighting Ground

½xResist

Normal Ice Poison Flying

¼xResist

Fire

0xImmune

None

STAB (6)

Fire Ice Flying Bug Ground Rock

How to Beat Kabuto in Diamond & Pearl (Best Counters)

Heracross BugFighting	B
Available Moves Moves Focus PunchTM01 Brick BreakTM31 Rock SmashHM06 Damage vs Kabuto Focus Punch 2x 203-242%KO Brick Break 2x 106-125%KO Rock Smash 2x 61-75% View Heracross builds →
Turtwig Grass	D
Obtain MethodLake Verity Gift Available Moves Moves Razor LeafLv. 13 Rock SmashHM06 AbsorbLv. 9 Damage vs Kabuto Razor Leaf 4x 111-133%KO Rock Smash 2x 28-33% Absorb 4x 56-67% View Turtwig builds →
Lotad WaterGrass	D
Available Move Moves AbsorbLv. 5 Damage vs Kabuto Absorb 4x 56-67% View Lotad builds →
Seedot Grass	D
HM Move Moves Rock SmashHM06 Damage vs Kabuto Rock Smash 2x 22-28% View Seedot builds →
Lileep RockGrass	D
Obtain MethodOreburgh City Gift Upcoming Move Moves Energy BallLv. 50 Learns Energy Ball at Level 50 View Lileep builds →

Diamond & Pearl Evolution

Kabuto is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Kabutops. Check the evolution method below. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 140 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

2 Forms

#140Kabuto

Level 40

#141Kabutops

Stat Comparison 2 Stages

Kabuto

RockWater

Kabutops

RockWater

60+30

ATK

115+35

DEF

105+15

SP.ATK

65+10

SP.DEF

70+25

SPE

80+25

BST

355D-Tier

495C-Tier+140

ROLE

Balanced

Wallbreaker

TYPE

Physical

Breeding

Moderate

Breed Kabuto with 69 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 7 more to offspring.

Egg Groups

Water1Water3

Gender

♂87.5%♀12.5%

Hatch Time

30 cycles·7,710 steps

Moderate~8 min with Flame Body

Egg Moves

10moves

Breed With (best first)

Diamond & Pearl Kabuto Best Moveset

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 4.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Moves

Egg moves make a real difference. Kabuto gets Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Surf and Waterfall.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1

Harden

———30Normal

Lv 1

Scratch

—4010035Normal

Lv 6

Absorb

—2010025Grass

Lv 11

Leer

——10030Normal

Lv 16

Mud Shot

—559515Ground

Lv 21

Sand Attack

D—10015Ground

Lv 26

Endure+4

———10Normal

Lv 31

Aqua Jet+1

D4010020Water

Lv 36

Mega Drain

—4010015Grass

Lv 41

Metal Sound

——8540Steel

Lv 46

Ancient Power

D601005Rock

Lv 51

Wring Out

——1005Normal

TM Moves

TM45

Attract

——10015Normal

TM14

Blizzard

D120705Ice

TM55

Brine

D6510010Water

TM78

Captivate

——10020Normal

TM28

Dig

C8010010Ground

TM32

Double Team

———15Normal

TM58

Endure+4

———10Normal

TM42

Facade

D7010020Normal

TM21

Frustration

D—10020Normal

TM19

Giga Drain

D6010010Grass

TM07

Hail

D——10Ice

TM10

Hidden Power

—6010015Normal

TM13

Ice Beam

D9510010Ice

TM83

Natural Gift

D—10015Normal

TM17

Protect+4

C——10Normal

TM18

Rain Dance

C——5Water

TM44

Rest

C——10Psychic

TM27

Return

D—10020Normal

TM69

Rock Polish

C——20Rock

TM80

Rock Slide

C759010Rock

HM06

Rock Smash

D4010015Fighting

TM39

Rock Tomb

C609510Rock

TM37

Sandstorm

———10Rock

TM43

Secret Power

—7010020Normal

TM82

Sleep Talk

C——10Normal

TM76

Stealth Rock

C——20Rock

TM90

Substitute

C——10Normal

HM03

Surf

C9510015Water

TM87

Swagger

——9015Normal

TM46

Thief

—6010025Dark

TM06

Toxic

C—8510Poison

TM03

Water Pulse

D6010020Water

HM07

Waterfall

C8010015Water

Egg Moves

Egg

Aurora Beam

—6510020Ice

Egg

Bubble Beam

—6510020Water

Egg

Confuse Ray

D—10010Ghost

Egg

Dig

C8010010Ground

Egg

Flail

——10015Normal

Egg

Icy Wind

D559515Ice

Egg

Knock Off

D6510020Dark

Egg

Mud Shot

—559515Ground

Egg

Rapid Spin

D5010040Normal

Egg

Screech

——8540Normal

Tutor Moves

Kabuto can't learn any Tutor moves

Transfer Moves

Gen

Gen 3

Aerial Ace

D60—20Flying

Gen 3

Body Slam

C8510015Normal

Gen 3

Double-Edge

C12010015Normal

Gen 3

Mimic

———10Normal

How to Get Kabuto in Diamond & Pearl

No searching required for Kabuto. You receive it at Oreburgh City from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.

Best Locations to Catch Kabuto in Diamond & Pearl

Oreburgh City - Mining Museum

PearlGift from NPC Lv.20 City

LimitedMid

Revive Dome Fossil

Oreburgh City - Mining Museum

DiamondGift from NPC Lv.20 City

LimitedMid

Revive Dome Fossil

Kabuto Guide

At 355 BST, Kabuto is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Kabutops before bringing it to any serious fight.
In Diamond & Pearl, Kabuto's biggest threats include Venusaur (Grass), Jolteon (Electric), and Hitmonlee (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Venusaur is the most dangerous since Grass moves deal 4x damage. Ground-type attackers are also a problem.
Kabuto gets Swift Swim, Battle Armor, and Weak Armor. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Kabuto is a physical attacker with base 80 Attack. Fragile, can't afford to take many hits, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
In Diamond & Pearl, For a casual playthrough, Kabuto works as a placeholder. Rock/Water coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Kabutops. That's where the stats start mattering.

Game Availability

Present since Red & Blue, Kabuto appears in 19 games spanning 10 generations. Gen 1 originals like Kabuto have the longest track record of availability in the series.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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Lileep RockGrass	D
Obtain MethodOreburgh City Gift TM Move Moves Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Bullet Seed 4x 38-46% View Lileep builds →
Turtwig Grass	D
Obtain MethodLake Verity Gift Available Moves Moves Razor LeafLv. 13 Rock SmashHM06 Bullet SeedTM09 AbsorbLv. 9 Damage vs Kabuto Razor Leaf 4x 98-115%KO Rock Smash 2x 25-31% Bullet Seed 4x 58-69% Absorb 4x 58-69% View Turtwig builds →
Cherubi Grass	D
Available Moves Moves Magical LeafLv. 19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Magical Leaf 4x 165-196%KO Bullet Seed 4x 38-46% View Cherubi builds →
Lotad WaterGrass	D
Available Moves Moves Mega DrainLv. 19 Bullet SeedTM09 AbsorbLv. 5 Damage vs Kabuto Mega Drain 4x 87-104%KO Bullet Seed 4x 38-46% Absorb 4x 48-58% View Lotad builds →
Budew GrassPoison	D
Available Moves Moves Mega DrainLv. 13 Bullet SeedTM09 AbsorbLv. 1 Damage vs Kabuto Mega Drain 4x 98-115%KO Bullet Seed 4x 38-46% Absorb 4x 58-69% View Budew builds →

Lileep RockGrass	D
Obtain MethodOreburgh City Gift Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-376%KO Giga Drain 4x 204-242%KO Bullet Seed 4x 37-45% View Lileep builds →
Nuzleaf GrassDark	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Brick BreakTM31 Razor LeafLv. 1 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-376%KO Giga Drain 4x 204-242%KO Brick Break 2x 48-57% Razor Leaf 4x 106-125%KO View Nuzleaf builds →
Snover GrassIce	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Razor LeafLv. 5 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 327-385%KO Giga Drain 4x 212-251%KO Razor Leaf 4x 99-116%KO Bullet Seed 4x 52-63% View Snover builds →
Turtwig Grass	D
Obtain MethodLake Verity Gift Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Razor LeafLv. 13 Mega DrainLv. 25 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 266-313%KO Giga Drain 4x 175-206%KO Razor Leaf 4x 106-125%KO Mega Drain 4x 99-116%KO View Turtwig builds →
Cherubi Grass	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Magical LeafLv. 19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 327-385%KO Giga Drain 4x 212-251%KO Magical Leaf 4x 167-197%KO Bullet Seed 4x 37-45% View Cherubi builds →

Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 433-510%KO Giga Drain 4x 273-322%KO Vine Whip 4x 113-134%KO Bullet Seed 4x 67-81% View Carnivine builds →
Lileep RockGrass	D
Obtain MethodOreburgh City Gift Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-376%KO Giga Drain 4x 204-242%KO Bullet Seed 4x 37-45% View Lileep builds →
Nuzleaf GrassDark	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 DigTM28 Giga DrainTM19 Brick BreakTM31 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-376%KO Dig 2x 51-60% Giga Drain 4x 204-242%KO Brick Break 2x 48-57% View Nuzleaf builds →
Snover GrassIce	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Razor LeafLv. 5 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 327-385%KO Giga Drain 4x 212-251%KO Razor Leaf 4x 99-116%KO Bullet Seed 4x 52-63% View Snover builds →
Exeggcute GrassPsychic	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-376%KO Giga Drain 4x 204-242%KO Bullet Seed 4x 37-45% View Exeggcute builds →

Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 431-508%KO Giga Drain 4x 274-323%KO Vine Whip 4x 110-131%KO Bullet Seed 4x 65-77% View Carnivine builds →
Lileep RockGrass	D
Obtain MethodOreburgh City Gift Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 327-385%KO Giga Drain 4x 209-246%KO Bullet Seed 4x 38-46% View Lileep builds →
Nuzleaf GrassDark	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 DigTM28 Giga DrainTM19 Brick BreakTM31 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-377%KO Dig 2x 50-59% Giga Drain 4x 203-238%KO Brick Break 2x 45-54% View Nuzleaf builds →
Snover GrassIce	D
Available Moves Moves Wood HammerLv. 36 Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Razor LeafLv. 5 Damage vs Kabuto Wood Hammer 4x 196-231%KO Solar Beam 4x 327-385%KO Giga Drain 4x 209-246%KO Razor Leaf 4x 97-115%KO View Snover builds →
Exeggcute GrassPsychic	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 319-377%KO Giga Drain 4x 203-238%KO Bullet Seed 4x 38-46% View Exeggcute builds →

Carnivine Grass	C
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Vine WhipLv. 11 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 425-500%KO Giga Drain 4x 267-314%KO Vine Whip 4x 108-129%KO Bullet Seed 4x 67-79% View Carnivine builds →
Lileep RockGrass	D
Obtain MethodOreburgh City Gift Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Bullet SeedTM09 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 315-371%KO Giga Drain 4x 200-236%KO Bullet Seed 4x 36-43% View Lileep builds →
Lombre WaterGrass	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 Brick BreakTM31 Drain PunchTM60 Giga DrainTM19 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 310-364%KO Brick Break 2x 36-43% Drain Punch 2x 36-43% Giga Drain 4x 194-229%KO View Lombre builds →
Nuzleaf GrassDark	D
Available Moves Moves Solar BeamTM22 DigTM28 Giga DrainTM19 Brick BreakTM31 Damage vs Kabuto Solar Beam 4x 310-364%KO Dig 2x 48-57% Giga Drain 4x 194-229%KO Brick Break 2x 44-52% View Nuzleaf builds →
Snover GrassIce	D
Available Moves Moves Wood HammerLv. 36 Solar BeamTM22 Giga DrainTM19 Razor LeafLv. 5 Damage vs Kabuto Wood Hammer 4x 194-229%KO Solar Beam 4x 321-379%KO Giga Drain 4x 200-236%KO Razor Leaf 4x 90-107%KO View Snover builds →

Magnezone ElectricSteel	B
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves ThunderboltSTAB Hidden Power Fire Thunder Wave Explosion Damage vs Kabuto Thunderbolt 2x 275-324%KO Explosion 32-38% View Magnezone builds →
Roserade GrassPoison	B
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves Toxic Spikes Hidden Power Fire SpikesHazard Sleep Powder View Roserade builds →
Gliscor GroundFlying	B
Recommended Build AbilityHypercutter ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves EarthquakeSTAB RoostRecovery TauntUtility Ice Fang Damage vs Kabuto Earthquake 2x 114-134%KO Ice Fang 12-14% View Gliscor builds →
Heracross BugFighting	B
Recommended Build AbilityGuts ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves Close Combat MegahornSTAB Stone Edge Sleep Talk Damage vs Kabuto Close Combat 2x 208-245%KO Megahorn 104-122%KO Stone Edge 58-68% View Heracross builds →
Venusaur GrassPoison	C
Recommended Build AbilityOvergrow ItemBlack Sludge NatureCalm Moves Sleep Powder Leech Seed Giga Drain Sludge Bomb Damage vs Kabuto Giga Drain 4x 312-367%KO Sludge Bomb 46-55% View Venusaur builds →