Introduced in generation four, with the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games, Hippowdon is a monotype ground Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Hippopotas and is not known to evolve into any other Pokemon. Hippowdon is classified by the Pokedex as the “Heavyweight Pokemon” indicating its massive size. This guide will showcase Hippowdon’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Hippowdon.
About Hippowdon
As a generation four Pokemon, Hippowdon first appeared in the Diamond and Pearl season of the anime with the episode Sleight of Sand!. It is part of a two stage evolution with Hippopotas as its pre-evolution which evolves from level 34 onwards. Hippowdon is rather unique as it has two different visual appearances depending on whether it is male or female. The Pokedex states that Hippowdon has a short temper and will hold its mouth agape as a show of strength.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl Sleight of Sand! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl |
| Region | Sinnoh |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Hippopotas, not known to evolve into any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 34 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | It brandishes its gaping mouth in a display of fearsome strength. It raises vast quantities of sand while attacking. |
Hippowdon Base Stats
| HP | 108 |
| ATTACK | 112 |
| DEFENCE | 118 |
| SP. ATTACK | 68 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 72 |
| SPEED | 47 |
| TOTAL | 525 |
Appearance
Hippowdon is a hippopotamus-like Pokemon with two different visual appearances. If the Hippowdon is male, it will have a light brown skin color and female Hippowdon will have a black skin color. But both genders have a black shell on their backs with three holes on each side and will walk on four legs, with four squared claws on each leg. Hippowdon is a fairly large Pokemon at 6 feet and 7 inches, or 2 meters, tall.
Behavior
The Pokedex states that Hippowdon is famously short-tempered and it will often become enraged by seemingly nothing and will display its large mouth as a challenge. Hippowdon’s massive jaw is capable of crushing cars but it is shown to get along with Dwebble who will clear any stones stuck in the holes of its back. While its relationship with Dwebble is mutually beneficial, Hippowdon is known to get into territorial disputes with Drapion occasionally.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Hippowdon has a powerful physical attack along with a decent health pool matched with a strong physical defense. While it is very slow, it is capable of taking a few physical hits. Hippowdon can also come with the ability Sand Force, which makes all of its ground, rock, and steel type moves hit 1.3x harder. Furthermore, as a ground type Pokemon, Hippowdon is weak to water, grass, and ice type moves, is immune to electric types and will resist poison and rock type moves.
Shiny Hippowdon
It is very difficult to distinguish between regular Hippowdon and Shiny Hippowdon. Both of the visual variants receive very little changes as a male Shiny Hippowdon has a slightly brighter brown color with a tinge of green to it. The female Shiny Hippowdon is a bit more distinct as it turns from a dark gray to a very dark version of green but the shells on both of the variants, both regular and shiny Hippowdon, remain dark gray.
Best Moveset
Hippowdon has been near the top of competitive brackets since its release. Its high physical bulk along with its strong physical attack make it a threatening Pokemon. It is very difficult to remove and either Sand Stream or Sand Force can be utilized to help set up the rest of your team or commit to doing damage with Hippowdon. With a Leftovers, as a held item, Hippowdon can shrug off many physical moves and thus, consider running Earthquake, Stealth Rock, Slack Off, and Stone Edge/Whirlwind. Earthquake benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), Stealth Rock’s damage will begin to add up, Slack Off can ensure the longevity of your Hippowdon, and Stone Edge can function as type coverage, while Whirlwind seeks to maximize the value of Stealth Rock.
| Earthquake | Stealth Rock |
| Slack Off | Stone Edge/Whirlwind |
How to Catch Hippowdon in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Hippowdon in Pokemon Go, the easiest way would be to obtain a Hippopotas and eventually evolve it into Hippowdon. Like most final evolutions, its base evolution is a more common spawn than its final evolution in the wild. While searching near farmlands, parks, quarries, and other rocky areas will help, you can also hatch 5 km eggs to increase your chances of obtaining a Hippopotas. A Hippopotas needs 50 candies in order to evolve into Hippowdon but if you want to skip all that, then you can also find a Hippowdon in tier 3 and tier 4 Pokemon Gym raids.
Trivia
- Despite the differences in color between the male and female Hippowdon, the menu screen displays the male sprite regardless.
- The inspiration for Hippowdon is based on a hippopotamus.
- The name Hippowdon is a combination of the words hippopotamus, powder, and pow.
Video
FAQ
Is Black Hippowdon shiny?
A black-skinned Hippowdon is not a shiny Pokemon as Hippowdon has two different colors for male and female variants. The black Hippowdon is simply a female Hippowdon and is not a shiny Pokemon. A dark green Hippowdon is a shiny Pokemon, and the male variant is simply a lighter brown.
What Number is Hippowdon in the Pokedex?
Hippowdon is the 450th Pokemon in the Pokedex. The Pokedex will label every Pokemon with a number typically sequentially with its evolutions. However, Pokemon that were released in a prior generation will gain priority over sequential order with evolutions. Therefore, you can use this number to remind yourself which generation a Pokemon was released in.
Why is Hippowdon so good?
Hippowdon is capable of a lot in battle as it hits very hard, is capable of taking hits, and can even set up a sandstorm for the rest of your team. Hippowdon manages to accomplish a lot by simply existing on the field, and not many Pokemon can keep up with its base stats.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Heavyweight Pokemon”. Hippowdon managed to stay in the limelight of competitive play since its introduction in generation four. There are not many Pokemon that can do everything that Hippowdon does and it is unique in this regard. Hippowdon can also appear in four different colors, two for male and female, and another two for each shiny variant. Reserve a slot for Hippowdon on your team and you will not regret it.
