Stats & Training
You won't find a real weakness in Kingdra's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Dragon Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 3 Attack and Sp. Atk and Sp. Def EVs, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It is said that it usually hides in underwater caves. It can create whirlpools by yawning.
It sleeps deep on the ocean floor to build its energy. It is said to cause tornadoes as it wakes.
Kingdra Weakness
Type-wise, Kingdra takes extra damage from Dragon. Not many exploitable gaps in the Water/Dragon typing defensive chart. With 75 HP and balanced defenses, Kingdra can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Dragon |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire, Water |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Heatran's Explosion hits Kingdra for 53-63%. Hippowdon's Earthquake hits Kingdra for 43-51%.
 | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Kingdra View Heatran builds →Explosion53-63% Fire Blast16-19% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Kingdra View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake43-51% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityKeeneye ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Kingdra View Forretress builds →Rapid Spin12-14% Explosion59-70% Payback12-14% | ||
 Nidoqueen PoisonGround | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityPoison Point ItemBlack Sludge NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Kingdra View Nidoqueen builds →Earthquake36-43% Ice Beam19-22% | ||
HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution
Kingdra evolved from Horsea's chain using a trade. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Horsea eggs (average hatch time). The evolution from Horsea pushed Kingdra to 540 total stats. Sp.Def saw the largest single gain at +70. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Kingdra to get Horsea eggs easily using 30 partners from the Dragon and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Aurora Beam, Disable, Dragon Breath and 7 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Kingdra Best Moveset
Kingdra's locked into one move per switch-in with Choice Specs, trading flexibility for boosted special damage with move lock. Surf is the go-to spam option, with the remaining moves keeping switch-ins honest.
Best Build
Kingdra best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
- Dragon Pulse
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Breeding's the move. Aurora Beam and Disable give Kingdra options it can't learn any other way, and Ice and Normal coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Draco Meteor and Outrage. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Kingdra in HeartGold & SoulSilver
A trade step sits in Kingdra's 3-stage chain from Horsea. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Horsea shows up at solid rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
How to Obtain Kingdra in HeartGold & SoulSilver
The path to Kingdra starts with Horsea at Lv. 10-40 via fishing and surfing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch HorseaWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldSurfing on water Lv.10-20 Water30%EarlyWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverSurfing on water Lv.10-20 Water30%EarlyWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSurfing on water Lv.15-25 Water30%EarlyWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSurfing on water Lv.15-25 Water30%EarlySeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldSurfing on water Lv.30-40 Water30%MidSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverSurfing on water Lv.30-40 Water30%MidWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldGood Rod Lv.20 Water10%MidWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverGood Rod Lv.20 Water10%MidWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldGood Rod Lv.20 Water10%MidWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverGood Rod Lv.20 Water10%MidSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverGood Rod Lv.20 Water10%MidSeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldGood Rod Lv.20 Water10%MidWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldSuper Rod Lv.40 Water30%LateWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverSuper Rod Lv.40 Water30%LateWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSuper Rod Lv.40 Water30%LateWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSuper Rod Lv.40 Water30%LateSeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldSuper Rod Lv.40 Water30%LateSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverSuper Rod Lv.40 Water30%Late
Step 2Catch or Evolve SeadraWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSurfing on water Lv.15-30 Water10%EarlyWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSurfing on water Lv.15-30 Water10%EarlySeafoam Islands - B4FHeartGoldSuper Rod Lv.40 Water15%LateSeafoam Islands - B4FSoulSilverSuper Rod Lv.40 Water15%LateWhirl Islands - 1FHeartGoldSuper Rod Lv.40 Water10%LateWhirl Islands - 1FSoulSilverSuper Rod Lv.40 Water10%LateWhirl Islands - B2FSoulSilverSuper Rod Lv.40 Water10%LateWhirl Islands - B2FHeartGoldSuper Rod Lv.40 Water10%Lateor evolve from Horsea (Step 1)
Step 3Kingdra ✓
Kingdra Guide
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Kingdra looks average on paper at 540 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. B-Tier on our tier list. Draco Meteor with Choice Specs is the standard set.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Kingdra's biggest threats include Dragonite (Dragon), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Kingdra gets Swift Swim, Sniper, and Damp. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Kingdra is a mixed attacker with base 95 Attack and 95 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, the core moveset is Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, Surf, and Dragon Pulse. Draco Meteor leads at 14% usage. Surf provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Since Gold & Silver, Kingdra has been in 17 games. Requiring a trade evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
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