Mixed
Balanced
55Speed · Slow

Stats & Training

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

Base Stats
Avg
HP30
F
Attack80
C
Defense90
B
Sp. Atk45
D
Sp. Def45
D
Speed55
D
Total345
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging45 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height0.5 m
Weight11.5 kg
Base XP71
Abilities
Abilities were introduced in Generation III. Shown below for reference.
Swift Swim
Doubles Speed during rain.
Battle Armor
Protects against critical hits.
Weak ArmorHA
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

A POKéMON that was resurrected from a fossil found in what was once the ocean floor eons ago.

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
DamageTypes
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 I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
4xCritical
¼xResist
0xImmune
None
How to Beat Kabuto in Red & Blue (Best Counters)
Tangela
Tangela
Grass
C
Available Moves
Moves
  • Solar BeamTM22
  • Mega DrainTM21
  • AbsorbLv. 29
Damage vs Kabuto
Solar Beam 4x
464-545%KO
Mega Drain 4x
160-188%KO
Absorb 4x
82-97%
View Tangela builds →

Red & Blue Evolution

Kabuto evolves into Kabutops, but can't breed. At 345 stats as a Rock/Water type, evolution is the only path. Evolving adds up to 150 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Kabuto
RockWater
Kabutops
RockWater
HP
30
60+30
ATK
80
115+35
DEF
90
105+15
SP.ATK
55
65+10
SP.DEF
45
70+25
SPE
55
80+25
BST
355D-Tier
495C-Tier+140
ROLE
Balanced
Wallbreaker
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Red & Blue Kabuto Best Moveset

Best Build

Gen 1 build content has limited support (no abilities, held items, or natures).

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

Moves

Most of Kabuto's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Hydro Pump and Surf, but Normal and Grass and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Harden
D30Normal
Lv 1
Scratch
4010035Normal
Lv 34
Absorb
2010020Grass
Lv 39
Slash
D7010020Normal
Lv 44
Leer
10030Normal
Lv 49
Hydro Pump
D120805Water

TM Moves

TM
TM34
Bide+1
10Normal
TM14
Blizzard
D110905Ice
TM08
Body Slam
C8510015Normal
TM11
Bubble Beam
D6510020Water
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM10
Double-Edge
C12010015Normal
TM13
Ice Beam
D9510010Ice
TM31
Mimic
10Normal
TM20
Rage
2010020Normal
TM33
Reflect
C20Psychic
TM44
Rest
C10Psychic
TM50
Substitute
C10Normal
HM03
Surf
C9510015Water
TM09
Take Down
908520Normal
TM06
Toxic
C9010Poison
TM12
Water Gun
D4010025Water

Egg Moves

Kabuto doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Kabuto can't learn any Tutor moves

How to Get Kabuto in Red & Blue

Kabuto is handed to you at Cinnabar Island. No encounter rates or random spawns involved, so there's nothing to grind. Check the location details below for the exact conditions to trigger it.

Best Locations to Catch Kabuto in Red & Blue

Cinnabar Island - Pokémon Lab
RedGift from NPC Lv.30 Water
LimitedMid
Revive Dome Fossil
Cinnabar Island - Pokémon Lab
BlueGift from NPC Lv.30 Water
LimitedMid
Revive Dome Fossil

Kabuto Guide

  • Kabuto evolves into Kabutops at level 40. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 345 BST.

  • Kabuto evolves into Kabutops at level 40. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.

  • In Red & Blue, 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 is catchable in Red & Blue. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 18 other games across the series.

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.

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