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 slices its prey apart and sucks out the fluids. The discarded body parts become food for other Pokémon.
The cause behind the extinction of this species is unknown. Kabutops were aggressive Pokémon that inhabited warm seas.
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 |
In Sword & Shield, Excadrill can KO Kabutops with Earthquake (125-147%). Rillaboom threatens a KO with Wood Hammer (308-363%). Cobalion's Close Combat also KOs at 113-133%.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x125-147%KO Rapid Spin10-12% | ||
 Rillaboom Grass | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemAssault Vest NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Rillaboom builds →U Turn30-36% Wood Hammer 4x308-363%KO | ||
 Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x113-133%KO | ||
 Zeraora Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Zeraora builds →Drain Punch 2x54-64% | ||
Sword & Shield 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 81 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups.
Sword & Shield Kabutops Best Moveset
This build takes hits and hits back. Assault Vest provides a special bulk boost with no status moves allowed, Weakarmor supports the gameplan, and max Attack and Speed EVs mean Kabutops doesn't crumble to chip damage. Plus the remaining moves backing it up.
Best Build
Kabutops best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- Rapid Spin
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Attacker Moveset
- Liquidation
- Rock Slide
- Protect
- Aqua Jet
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without TMs, Kabutops's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 9 types on top of Meteor Beam and Hydro Pump for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Kabutops in Sword & Shield
Kabutops doesn't appear wild. Catch Kabuto instead, it shows up at decent rates. Evolve it at level 40 to get Kabutops. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Kabutops in Sword & Shield
To get Kabutops, start by catching Kabuto through surfing encounters at Lv. 60-65. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch KabutoRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave24%PostNormal WeatherRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave24%PostThunderstormRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave24%PostIntense SunRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave24%PostRainingRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave24%PostHeavy FogRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave24%PostOvercastRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave20%PostSnowstormRoaring-Sea CavesSurfing on water Lv.60-65 Cave20%PostSnowing
Step 2Kabutops ✓
Kabutops Guide
In Sword & Shield, 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. Stone Edge with Assault Vest is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, 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 Sword & Shield, Kabutops fills the wallbreaker role. It's a physical attacker with base 115 Attack. Base 80 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
In Sword & Shield, run Stone Edge, Waterfall, Rapid Spin, and Knock Off on Kabutops. Stone Edge is the most common pick at 22% usage. Waterfall provides reliable STAB damage.
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