Stats & Training
Poliwrath's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the 1.06M XP medium-slow curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 3 Defense EVs.
With its extremely tough muscles, it can keep swimming in the Pacific Ocean without resting.
Poliwrath Weakness
Type-wise, Poliwrath takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Flying, and Psychic. 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 |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Platinum, Dragonite can KO Poliwrath with Outrage (93-109%). Azelf's Explosion hits Poliwrath for 70-83%. Zapdos deals 81-95% with Thunderbolt.
 Dragonite Dragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Dragonite builds →Extreme Speed41-49% Outrage93-109%KO | ||
 Azelf Psychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Azelf builds →Explosion70-83% U Turn10-12% | ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Zapdos builds →Thunderbolt 2x81-95% Heat Wave14-16% | ||
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves View Roserade builds →
| ||
 Rotom ElectricGhost | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Scarf NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Poliwrath View Rotom builds →Thunderbolt 2x81-96% Shadow Ball36-42% | ||
Platinum 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 and Politoed share the same 500 total stats, but they're distributed differently. Check the comparison below to see where each one specializes. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Poliwrath to get Poliwag eggs easily using 69 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Endeavor, Haze and 7 more.
Platinum Poliwrath Best Moveset
Leftovers buys the setup turn. Poliwrath clicks Bulk Up, then starts cleaning with Waterfall and utility options. Jolly nature with max Attack and Speed EVs makes sure nothing tanks a boosted hit comfortably.
Best Build
Poliwrath best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Waterfall
- Substitute
- Ice Punch
- Bulk Up
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Breeding's the move. Bubble Beam and Endeavor give Poliwrath options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Focus Punch and Focus Blast. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Poliwrath in Platinum
Can't catch Poliwrath directly. Start with Poliwag at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Poliwag to Poliwrath is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Poliwrath in Platinum
To get Poliwrath, start by catching Poliwag through surfing encounters at Lv. 35-55. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Poliwrath Guide
In Platinum, Poliwrath looks average on paper at 500 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list. Waterfall with Leftovers 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 85 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 Platinum, 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