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.
Its body had begun to change so it could function on land. But it didn’t adapt in time and went extinct.
It swims at speeds of roughly 29 knots, quickly closing in on its prey and slashing into them with its scythes to finish them off.
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 |
 Sceptile Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Sceptile builds →Leaf Storm 4x306-360%KO Leaf Blade 4x132-156%KO Energy Ball 4x215-253%KO Brick Break 2x36-43% | ||
 Decidueye GrassGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Decidueye builds →Leaf Storm 4x294-347%KO Leaf Blade 4x159-187%KO Energy Ball 4x204-240%KO Razor Leaf 4x98-116%KO | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 4x162-191%KO Energy Ball 4x139-164%KO Giga Drain 4x117-138%KO Magical Leaf 4x94-111%KO | ||
 Cradily RockGrass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Lileep (Route 8 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Cradily builds →Energy Ball 4x173-204%KO Giga Drain 4x147-173%KO | ||
 Lurantis Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Lurantis builds →Solar Blade 4x215-253%KO Petal Blizzard 4x155-182%KO Leaf Blade 4x155-182%KO Energy Ball 4x173-204%KO | ||
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Cobalion can KO Kabutops with Close Combat (113-133%). Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt also KOs at 182-214%.
 Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemFightiniumz NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x113-133%KO Stone Edge31-37% | ||
 Ferrothorn GrassSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureSassy Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 Tapu Koko ElectricFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityElectric Surge ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Tapu Koko builds →Thunderbolt 2x182-214%KO Volt Switch 2x141-167%KO Dazzling Gleam81-95% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x154-180%KO Scald46-54% Waterfall61-72% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Kabutops View Breloom builds →Mach Punch 2x54-63% Bullet Seed 4x68-80% | ||
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon 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 95 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray and 9 more.
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Kabutops Best Moveset
Kabutops leads with Focus Sash insurance. Even if it can't take a hit naturally, it'll survive long enough to deal early damage. Max Attack and Speed EVs go all-in on offense since bulk doesn't matter here.
Best Build
Kabutops best EVs are Attack and Speed
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Liquidation
- Rock Slide
- Aqua Jet
- X Scissor
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Liquidation
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Kabutops misses out on Aurora Beam and Bubble Beam. That's 12 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Stone Edge, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Kabutops in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Can't catch Kabutops directly. Start with Kabuto at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 40. The 2-stage line from Kabuto to Kabutops is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Kabutops in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Step 1Catch KabutoRoute 8 - Fossil Restoration CenterUltra SunGift from NPC Lv.15 RouteEarlyRevive Dome FossilRoute 8 - Fossil Restoration CenterUltra MoonGift from NPC Lv.15 RouteEarlyRevive Dome Fossil
Step 2Kabutops ✓
Kabutops Guide
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, 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. Liquidation with Focus Sash is the standard set.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, 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 Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, 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.
For Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, 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