Stats & Training
Kabutops's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, HP trails, 3 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 2 Attack EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
KABUTOPS once swam underwater to hunt for prey. It was apparently evolving from being a water dweller to living on land as evident from changes in its gills and legs.
Kabutops Weakness
Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground moves hit Kabutops for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Kabutops's physical bulk (base 105 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
In Emerald, Magneton can KO Kabutops with Thunderbolt (156-184%). Claydol threatens a KO with Earthquake (86-101%). Heracross deals 70-83% with Megahorn.
 Magneton ElectricSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemMagnet NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Magneton builds →Thunderbolt 2x156-184%KO | ||
 Claydol GroundPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Claydol builds →Rapid Spin7-8% Earthquake 2x86-101%KO Explosion35-41% Psychic35-41% | ||
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySwarm ItemSalacberry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Heracross builds →Megahorn70-83% Rock Slide30-35% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityEffect Spore ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Breloom builds →Mach Punch 2x50-59% | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x139-163%KO | ||
Emerald Evolution
Kabutops is the evolved form of Kabuto. Breeding produces Kabuto eggs, and they're slow to hatch. Evolving from Kabuto gave Kabutops the biggest boost in Attack (+35), bringing the total to 495 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Kabutops to get Kabuto eggs using 58 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 4 more.
Emerald Kabutops Best Moveset
One boost from Swords Dance and Kabutops gets dangerous fast. The Adamant nature targets max Attack and Speed, and Swiftswim backs the whole approach. Rock Slide and Normal coverage handle most of what's left standing.
Best Build
Kabutops best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- Brick Break
- Flail
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Kabutops misses out on Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Surf and Dive, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Kabutops in Emerald
No wild encounters for Kabutops in Emerald. Bring Kabuto over from Red, Yellow, or Shield, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Kabutops Guide
In Emerald, Don't let Kabutops's 495 base stat total fool you. Swift Swim is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as a wallbreaker. Rock Slide with Salacberry is the standard set.
In Emerald, Run Swift Swim on Kabutops. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Kabutops also gets Battle Armor and Weak Armor, but they don't compare. On wall sets, Swift Swim pairs with Kabutops's base 105 Defense to absorb physical hits on the switch.
In Emerald, Kabutops fills the wallbreaker role. It's a mixed attacker with base 115 Attack and 65 Sp. Atk. Base 80 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
For Emerald, Kabutops has answers, but so do you. Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.
Game Availability
Kabutops has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 19 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
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