Special
Balanced
80Speed · Above Avg

Stats & Training

Magikarp's spread isn't flashy. Speed leads, Attack trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Easy to catch and worth 1 Speed stat exp, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats
Below
HP20
F
Attack10
F
Defense55
D
Sp. Atk20
F
Sp. Def20
F
Speed80
C
Total205
Details
Catch Rate
Guaranteed255 / 255
Growth Rate
Slow1.25M XP
Height0.9 m
Weight10.0 kg
Base XP40
Abilities
Abilities were introduced in Generation III. Shown below for reference.
Swift Swim
Doubles Speed during rain.
RattledHA
Raises Speed one stage upon being hit by a dark, ghost, or bug move.
EV Yield
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Speed training source
Pokedex Entries

Famous for being very unreliable. It can be found swimming in seas, lakes, rivers and shallow puddles.

Yellow

Magikarp Weakness

Electric and Grass moves hit Magikarp for super-effective damage. Its Water typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. Magikarp's physical bulk (base 55 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

Magikarp Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Electric, Grass
0.5x (Resist)Fire, Water, Ice
Type ChartAvg
2Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Score-1
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
None
½xResist
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None
How to Beat Magikarp in Yellow (Best Counters)
Pikachu
Pikachu
Electric
C
Obtain MethodPallet Town Gift
Available Move
Moves
  • Thunder ShockLv. 1
Damage vs Magikarp
Thunder Shock 2x
68-84%
View Pikachu builds →

Yellow Evolution

You'll evolve Magikarp into Gyarados the traditional way. This Water type doesn't breed despite having a chain ahead. The evolved forms gain up to 335 total stats over Magikarp. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Magikarp
Water
Gyarados
WaterFlying
HP
20
95+75
ATK
10
125+115
DEF
55
79+24
SP.ATK
15
60+45
SP.DEF
20
100+80
SPE
80
81+1
BST
200D-Tier
540A-Tier+340
ROLE
Balanced
Wallbreaker
TYPE
Utility
Physical
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Yellow Magikarp 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

Magikarp's options are limited here. You've got Water STAB for STAB damage, but there isn't much beyond Water hitting power. TMs help fill gaps, though the kit stays tight.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Splash
40Normal
Lv 15
Tackle
D409535Normal

TM Moves

Magikarp can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Magikarp doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Magikarp can't learn any Tutor moves

Yellow Magikarp Locations

Magikarp's scattered across 34 spots in early-game fishing spots with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.

Best Locations to Catch Magikarp in Yellow

Magikarp won't take long. 34 fishing and gift spots from Lv. 5-15 with solid rates across most of them. The top locations at each game stage are listed first.

Celadon City
Old Rod Lv.5 City
100%Early
Cerulean Cave - 1F
Old Rod Lv.5 Cave
100%Early
Cerulean Cave - B1F
Old Rod Lv.5 Cave
100%Early
Fuchsia City
Old Rod Lv.5 City
100%Early
Pallet Town
Old Rod Lv.5 City
100%Early
Route 10
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 11
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 12
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 13
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 17
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 18
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 19
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 20
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 21
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 22
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 23
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 24
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 25
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Route 4
Gift from NPC Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Buy for 500
Route 6
Old Rod Lv.5 Route
100%Early
Safari Zone - Center
Old Rod Lv.5 Facility
100%Early
Safari Zone - East
Old Rod Lv.5 Facility
100%Early
Safari Zone - North
Old Rod Lv.5 Facility
100%Early
Safari Zone - West
Old Rod Lv.5 Facility
100%Early
Seafoam Islands - B4F
Old Rod Lv.5 Water
100%Early
Seafoam Islands - B3F
Old Rod Lv.5 Water
100%Early
Vermilion City - City
Old Rod Lv.5 City
100%Early
Vermilion City - Harbor
Old Rod Lv.5 City
100%Early
Viridian City
Old Rod Lv.5 City
100%Early
Fuchsia City
Super Rod Lv.5-15 City
75%Early
Safari Zone - East
Super Rod Lv.5-15 Facility
75%Early
Safari Zone - North
Super Rod Lv.5-15 Facility
75%Early
Safari Zone - West
Super Rod Lv.5-15 Facility
75%Early
Safari Zone - Center
Super Rod Lv.5-10 Facility
50%Early

Magikarp Guide

  • Get Magikarp to Gyarados at level 20. At 205 BST, Magikarp is just the starting point.

  • Level 20 gets you Gyarados. Quick enough that Magikarp barely slows you down.

  • In Yellow, Magikarp does the job early-game if you need a Water type on your team. Evolve it into Gyarados before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.

  • You can find Magikarp in Yellow. The Locations section has the full breakdown of routes and encounter details. It also appears in 21 other games across the series.

Game Availability

Magikarp has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 22 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.

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