Stats & Training
Rufflet's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Attack EV, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
They pick fights indiscriminately. They grow stronger and more powerful each time they faint or are injured.
With its sharp claws, this Pokémon pierces its prey, and then it pecks at them. Although it also consumes berries, it’s a carnivore at heart.
Rufflet Weakness
Rufflet's Normal/Flying typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Ice, and Rock. It shrugs off Ground and Ghost-type attacks completely.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground, Ghost |
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Magnezone builds →Zap Cannon 2x202-238%KO Discharge 2x135-159%KO Spark 2x66-79% Thunder Shock 2x68-81% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Sudowoodo builds →Head Smash 2x202-238%KO Stone Edge 2x135-159%KO Rock Slide 2x101-120%KO Rock Tomb 2x82-97% | ||
 Vikavolt BugElectric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Vikavolt builds →Zap Cannon 2x221-261%KO Thunderbolt 2x167-197%KO Spark 2x66-79% | ||
 Pikachu Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Pikachu builds →Thunder 2x88-103%KO Thunderbolt 2x72-85% Wild Charge 2x77-91% Discharge 2x65-77% | ||
In Sun & Moon, Zapdos can KO Rufflet with Thunderbolt (161-190%). Terrakion threatens a KO with Stone Edge (301-354%). Weavile's Ice Shard also KOs at 115-136%.
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave57-67% Thunderbolt 2x161-190%KO | ||
 Terrakion RockFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Terrakion builds →Close Combat180-212%KO Stone Edge 2x301-354%KO | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Rufflet View Weavile builds →Knock Off93-109%KO Ice Shard 2x115-136%KO Pursuit57-68% | ||
Sun & Moon Evolution
Rufflet evolves into Braviary. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 160 total stats over Rufflet. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Rufflet with 58 breeding partners from the Flying egg group.
Sun & Moon Rufflet Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Rufflet develops a solid moveset just through leveling. Brave Bird and Thrash show up naturally, and the progression handles both STAB and utility without leaning on TMs for the core attacks.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Sun & Moon Rufflet Locations
high spawn rates in early-game routes across 4 locations. Rufflet's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Best Locations to Catch Rufflet in Sun & Moon
4 gift and walking spots from Lv. 11-55 for Rufflet. Sorted by game progression with rates on each row, so you can compare without scrolling through everything.
Rufflet Guide
In Sun & Moon, Rufflet isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Braviary to unlock its full potential. At 350 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
In Sun & Moon, Run Sheer Force on Rufflet. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Rufflet also gets Keen Eye and Hustle, but they don't compare.
In Sun & Moon, Rufflet fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 83 Attack. At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
In Sun & Moon, Rufflet does the job early-game if you need a Normal/Flying type on your team. Evolve it into Braviary before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
Introduced in Black & White, Rufflet has appeared in 9 games across 6 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
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 5BWDebut
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