Stats & Training
You won't find a real weakness in Poliwrath's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Tadpole Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 3 Defense EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Its body is solid muscle. When swimming through cold seas, Poliwrath uses its impressive arms to smash through drift ice and plow forward.
Poliwrath is skilled at both swimming and martial arts. It uses its well-trained arms to dish out powerful punches.
Poliwrath Weakness
Type-wise, Poliwrath takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. It resists 7 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel |
In Sword & Shield, Rillaboom can KO Poliwrath with Wood Hammer (114-135%). Celesteela's Air Slash hits Poliwrath for 68-80%. Clefable deals 56-67% with Moonblast.
 Rillaboom Grass | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemAssault Vest NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Rillaboom builds →U Turn11-13% Wood Hammer 2x114-135%KO | ||
 Celesteela Steel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Celesteela builds →Flamethrower13-16% Air Slash 2x68-80% | ||
 Clefable Fairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Clefable builds →Moonblast 2x56-67% Knock Off4-5% | ||
 Zeraora Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemAir Balloon NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Zeraora builds →Drain Punch20-24% | ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Slowking builds →Scald12-15% | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Poliwrath is one of 2 ways Poliwhirl's chain can end. This one takes the item path, while the siblings go different directions. Breed through Poliwag to get eggs. Poliwrath edges out Politoed by 10 total stats (510 vs 500). Defense is where most of the advantage lives. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Poliwrath to get Poliwag eggs easily using 81 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Endeavor, Haze, Mind Reader and 3 more.
Sword & Shield Poliwrath Best Moveset
The Sash lets Poliwrath ignore defensive shortcomings for one turn. Use that turn to deal early damage, and Waterabsorb squeezes extra value from the position. Max HP and Attack EVs push damage output.
Best Build
Poliwrath best EVs are Attack and Speed
Doubles Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Belly Drum
- Rock Slide
- Waterfall
- Drain Punch
Recommended Teammates
Bulky Support Moveset
- Ice Punch
- Brick Break
- Waterfall
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Liquidation
- Close Combat
- Darkest Lariat
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Breeding's the move. Endeavor and Haze give Poliwrath options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Close Combat and Focus Blast. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Poliwrath in Sword & Shield
You're catching Poliwag first, not Poliwrath. Poliwag appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Poliwrath in Sword & Shield
To get Poliwrath, start by catching Poliwag through walking and surfing encounters at Lv. 13-45. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PoliwagBrawlers' CaveShieldOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyNormal WeatherBrawlers' CaveSwordOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlySnowingBrawlers' CaveSwordOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyRainingBrawlers' CaveSwordOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyOvercastBrawlers' CaveSwordOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyNormal WeatherBrawlers' CaveShieldOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyThunderstormBrawlers' CaveShieldOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyIntense SunBrawlers' CaveShieldOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlySnowingBrawlers' CaveShieldOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyRainingBrawlers' CaveSwordOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyThunderstormBrawlers' CaveShieldOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyOvercastBrawlers' CaveSwordOverworld Lv.13-18 Cave16%EarlyIntense SunBrawlers' CaveShieldSurfing on water Lv.40-45 Cave50%LateAll WeatherBrawlers' CaveSwordSurfing on water Lv.40-45 Cave50%LateAll Weather
Step 2Evolve into Poliwhirl
Step 3Poliwrath ✓
Poliwrath Guide
In Sword & Shield, Poliwrath looks average on paper at 510 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list. Earthquake with Focus Sash is the standard set.
Poliwrath gets Swift Swim, Water Absorb, and Damp. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Poliwrath is a physical attacker with base 95 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 70 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many.
In Sword & Shield, Swift Swim is the hidden ability. It doubles Speed during rain. Worth hunting for if you want Poliwrath to compete at a higher level.
Game Availability
Present since Red & Blue, Poliwrath appears in 20 games spanning 10 generations. Gen 1 originals like Poliwrath have the longest track record of availability in the series.
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