Kabuto | Pokémon guide

Say hello to Kabuto, the ancient Pokémon waiting for you to awaken it from its centuries of slumber.

Pokemon Kabuto: Kabuto's 3D model from Home pasted with a drop shadow on a brown PT background

The Shellfish Pokémon, Kabuto, is one of the first fossils that we ever encountered in the world of Pokémon, setting the stage for a huge range of prehistoric critters in later generations. It may look a bit like a frisbee, but this creepy crawly is filled with ancient knowledge and power.

Get to know its fellow hard-hitters with our guides to the best rock Pokémon, water Pokémon, and gen 1 Pokémon next as we peruse the Pokédex together.

Here's everything in our Kabuto guide:

Here's the key information you need to know about Kabuto:

National Pokédex # 0,140
Type Rock/Water
Abilities Swift Swim or Battle Armor
Hidden ability Weak Armor
Gender ratio Male - 87.5%
Female - 12.5%
Catch rate 11.9%
Egg groups Water 1 and Water 3
EV yield One defense

Pokemon Kabuto: Kabuto's evolution chain into Kabutops on blue circles on a brown PT background

Kabuto's evolution

Kabuto evolves into Kabutops starting from level 40. To get Kabuto in the first place, you need to revive it from the Dome Fossil at whichever game you're playing's research institute.

Kabuto's locations

Here are all the locations you can find Kabuto in each Pokémon game:

Gen 1 locations

Red / Blue Revive from Dome Fossil at the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island
Yellow Revive from Dome Fossil at the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island

Gen 2 locations

Gold / Silver Time Capsule
Crystal Time Capsule

Gen 3 locations

Ruby / Sapphire Trade
Emerald Trade
FireRed / LeafGreen Revive from Dome Fossil at the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island
Colosseum Trade
XD Trade

Gen 4 locations

Diamond / Pearl Revive from Dome Fossil at the Oreburgh Mining Museum in Oreburgh City
Platinum Revive from Dome Fossil at the Oreburgh Mining Museum in Oreburgh City
HeartGold Receive a Dome Fossil as a held item on a traded Pokémon and revive it at the Pewter Museum of Science in Pewter City
SoulSilver Revive from Dome Fossil at the Pewter Museum of Science in Pewter City

Gen 5 locations

Black / White Revive from Dome Fossil at the Nacrene Museum
Black 2 / White 2 Revive from Dome Fossil at the Nacrene Museum

Gen 6 locations

X Receive a Dome Fossil as a held item on a traded Pokémon and revive it at the Ambrette Town Fossil Lab
Y Revive from Dome Fossil at the Ambrette Town Fossil Lab
Omega Ruby Revive from Dome Fossil at the Devon Corporation in Rustboro City
Alpha Sapphire Receive a Dome Fossil as a held item on a traded Pokémon and revive it at the Devon Corporation in Rustboro City

Gen 7 locations

Sun / Moon Receive a Dome Fossil as a held item on a traded Pokémon and revive it
Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon Revive from Dome Fossil at the Fossil Restoration Center on Route 8
Let's Go Pikachu / Let's Go Eevee Revive from Dome Fossil at Cinnabar Lab on Cinnabar Island

Gen 8 locations

Sword / Shield Trade
Shield Expansion Pass Surfing at Giant's Foot and the Roaring-Sea Caves, and Max Raid Battles at Giant's Bed, Snowslide Slope, Giant's Foot, Ballimere Lake, and the Frigid Sea
Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl Revive from Dome Fossil at the Oreburgh Mining Museum in Oreburgh City
Legeds: Arceus Unobtainable

Gen 9 locations

Scarlet / Violet Unobtainable
Legends: Z-A Unobtainable

Kabuto's base stats

Kabuto's base stats are as follows. As you level it up, these stats grow.

  • HP - 30
  • Attack - 80
  • Defense - 90
  • Sp. Atk - 55
  • Sp. Def - 45
  • Speed - 55

Kabuto's type strengths and weaknesses

As a combined rock- and water-type Pokémon, Kabuto has a great selection of resistances, meaning it's surprisingly good at surviving various attacks. It still has four weaknesses and is extra vulnerable to grass attacks, so avoid using it in grass gyms where possible.

Normal damage Bug, Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Ghost, Psychic, Rock, Steel, Water
Weak Electric, Fighting, Grass, Ground
Resistant Fire, Flying, Ice, Normal, Poison
Immune N/A

Pokemon Kabuto: Art of Kabuto from Pokemon TCG Pocket

Kabuto's moveset

In the latest generation of Pokémon games, Kabuto can learn the following moves:

Level up moves

Level Move Type
One Absorb Grass
One Harden Normal
Five Scratch Normal
Ten Sand Attack Ground
15 Aqua Jet Water
20 Leer Normal
25 Mud Shot Ground
30 Ancient Power Rock
35 Brine Water
41 Protect Normal
45 Leech Life Bug
50 Liquidation Water
55 Metal Sound Steel
60 Stone Edge Rock

Learnable TMs and TRs in Sword and Shield

Move Type
Attract Normal
Blizzard Ice
Body Slam Normal
Brine Water
Dig Ground
Earth Power Ground
Endure Normal
Facade Normal
Giga Drain Grass
Hail Ice
Hydro Pump Water
Ice Beam Ice
Icy Wind Ice
Iron Defense Steel
Leech Life Bug
Liquidation Water
Mud Shot Ground
Protect Normal
Rain Dance Water
Rest Psychic
Rock Blast Rock
Rock Slide Rock
Rock Tomb Rock
Round Normal
Sandstorm Rock
Scald Water
Screech Normal
Sleep Talk Normal
Snore Normal
Stealth Rock Rock
Stone Edge Rock
Substitute Normal
Surf Water
Thief Dark
Waterfall Water
Whirlpool Water

Learnable TMs in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Move Type
Aerial Ace Flying
Attract Normal
Blizzard Ice
Brine Water
Dig Ground
Double Team Normal
Endure Normal
Facade Normal
Giga Drain Grass
Hail Ice
Ice Beam Ice
Protect Normal
Rain Dance Water
Rest Psychic
Rock Polish Rock
Rock Slide Rock
Rock Smash Fighting
Rock Tomb Rock
Sandstorm Rock
Scald Water
Sleep Talk Normal
Stealth Rock Rock
Stone Edge Rock
Substitute Normal
Surf Water
Swagger Normal
Thief Dark
Water Pulse Water
Waterfall Water

Egg moves in Sword and Shield

Move Type Breed with
Aurora Beam Ice Shellder, Cloyster, Remoraid, Octillery, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein
Bubble Beam Water Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Tentacool, Tentacruel, Krabby, Kingler, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Popplio, Brionne, Primarina, Dewpider, Araquanid, Pincurchin
Confuse Ray Ghost Lapras, Lileep, Cradily
Flail Normal Krabby, Kingler, Corsola, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Feebas, Milotic, Relicanth, Tympole, Palpitoad, Seismitoad, Stunfisk, Galarian Stunfisk, Clauncher, Clawitzer
Knock Off Dark Lombre, Ludicolo, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Skorupi, Drapion
Mega Drain Grass Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Lileep, Cradily
Rapid Spin Normal Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise
Take Down Normal Mantine, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Relicanth

Egg moves in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Move Type Breed with
Aurora Beam Ice Seel, Dewgong, Shellder, Cloyster, Remoraid, Octillery, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein
Bubble Beam Water Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Tentacool, Tentacruel, Krabby, Kingler, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Marill, Azumarill, Corsola, Remoraid, Octillery, Mantine, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Surskit, Masquerain, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon
Confuse Ray Ghost Lapras, Mantine, Lileep, Cradily
Flail Normal Krabby, Kingler, Totodile, Croconaw, Feraligatr, Corsola, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Feebas, Milotic, Relicanth
Icy Wind Ice Seel, Dewgong
Knock Off Dark Lombre, Ludicolo, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Skorupi, Drapion
Mega Drain Grass Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Lileep, Cradily
Mud Shot Ground Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Krabby, Kingler, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert
Rapid Spin Normal Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise
Screech Normal Psyduck, Golduck, Tentacool, Tentacruel, Totodile, Croconaw, Feraligatr, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Huntail
Take Down Normal Seel, Dewgong, Mantine, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Relicanth, Bidoof, Bibarel

That's everything you need to know about Kabuto!