Magikarp is a fish Pokémon notorious for being extremely weak and useless in battle. It is primarily reddish-orange in color with yellow fins and whiskers. Despite its pathetic nature, Magikarp is incredibly hardy and can survive in highly polluted waters. It is known for its signature move Splash, which does absolutely nothing in battle. Magikarp is based on the Asian carp and a Chinese legend about carp leaping over the Dragon Gate to become dragons.
While seemingly worthless, Magikarp has the potential to evolve into the fearsome Gyarados at level 20, making it a popular choice for patient trainers. In the wild, Magikarp are extremely common in most bodies of water and are easy prey for many predators. The Pokémon's apparent uselessness has made it the subject of many jokes in the Pokémon community.
Interestingly, Magikarp can leap over mountains using Splash after living for many years, though the move remains useless in battle. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Magikarp gained the ability to use Z-Splash, which boosts its Attack stat by three stages when holding a Normalium Z crystal. Despite being so weak, Magikarp is actually quite fertile, existing in huge numbers across various water bodies.
Pokédex Data
- Category: Fish Pokémon
- Height: 2'11" (0.9 m)
- Weight: 22 lbs (10 kg)
- Abilities: Swift Swim, Rattled (Hidden)
- Type: Water
Breeding
- Egg Groups: Water 2, Dragon
- Gender Ratio: 50% male, 50% female
- Egg Cycles: 5 (1,280 steps)
Pokédex Entries Across Versions
- Sword: It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world.
- Shield: This weak and pathetic Pokémon gets easily pushed along rivers when there are strong currents.
- Platinum: A Magikarp living for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though.
Evolutions
Magikarp evolves into Gyarados at level 20.
Habits
Magikarp are known for their habit of splashing about aimlessly, making them easy targets for predators. They can be found in many bodies of water, including lakes, rivers, and ponds. Due to their weak swimming ability, they usually live downstream of water flows.
Additions Across Generations
- Generation 6: Gained Mega Evolution for its evolved form, Gyarados
- Generation 7: Gained Z-Move capability with Z-Splash
- Generation 8: Can Dynamax in battles