Introduced in generation one in the Pokemon Red, Blue and Green games, Hitmonchan is a monotype fighting Pokemon. It used to be a standalone Pokemon until generation two, where its evolution line was tied to Hitmonlee and Hitmontop via Tyrogue. However, there has to be a unique condition in order for Tyrogue to evolve into Hitmonchan. A Pokemon that resembles a boxer, and as a generation one Pokemon, it has appeared throughout the anime in numerous roles. This guide will showcase Hitmonchan’s appearances in the anime, its capabilities in battle, as well as other general facts about Hitmonchan.
About Hitmonchan
While it used to be a standalone Pokemon, Hitmonchan now evolves from Tyrogue when Tyrogue’s defense is higher than its attack stat. This pre-evolution also ties it to Hitmonlee and Hitmontop which makes the evolution line fairly unique. Hitmonchan first appeared in the original series with the episode The Punchy Pokemon. Its design closely resembles human boxers and the Pokedex states that it possesses the spirit of a championship boxer.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon Original Series The Punchy Pokemon |
| First appearance in game | Red/Green (Japan) Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Evolves from Tyrogue if its defense is higher than its attack |
| 1st Evo level | 20 (If Tyrogue’s defense is higher than attack) |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | A Hitmonchan is said to possess the spirit of a boxer who had been working towards a world championship. This Pokémon has an indomitable spirit and will never give up in the face of adversity. |
Hitmonchan Base Stats
| HP | 50 |
| ATTACK | 105 |
| DEFENCE | 79 |
| SP. ATTACK | 35 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 110 |
| SPEED | 76 |
| TOTAL | 455 |
Appearance
A bipedal humanoid-like Pokemon, Hitmonchan appears to be a tan-skinned boxer and its resemblance to humans is almost uncanny. The red fists it has resembles boxing gloves, the gray feet resemble shoes and its gray body appears to be either a tunic or kilt. Its legs, arms, and shoulders match its tanned appearance. Hitmonchan has some blunt spikes on its head and it is also strictly a male Pokemon.
Behavior
The Pokedex states that Hitmonchan may possess the spirit of a boxer who had been training to fight in a world championship series. It is known to have an indomitable spirit and it is depicted to be constantly training. The punches from Hitmonchan are quick and while it may appear to be standing still, it can throw punches that are too quick to be seen by the naked eye. Not only that, Hitmonchan’s punches are even capable of breaking through concrete.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Hitmonchan’s stat distribution is a little odd. Its physical attack stat is quite admirable but it lacks a decent speed stat to make up for it. On top of this, its special defense stat is respectable but it has an absolutely abysmal health stat to back it up. It can be difficult to utilize Hitmonchan and often you will have to sacrifice one of its great statlines for another. As a monotype fighting Pokemon, it is weak to flying, psychic, and fairy types but it will resist rock, bug, and dark types.
Shiny Hitmonchan
The most distinctive feature of Shiny Hitmonchan is the color of its gloves as Shiny Hitmonchan trades its red gloves for blue ones. However, its tunic/kilt also slightly changes colour as it to a more pinkish shade while the color of its body becomes a lighter tan. Shiny Hitmonchan is not the most striking shiny Pokemon available, it is almost immediately recognizable as a shiny thanks to the color swap of its gloves. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Hitmonchan gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
It can be difficult to utilize Hitmonchan as its stat lines are geared for two different things. Hitmonchan is also historically near the bottom of tier lists of competitive play throughout all the generations. Nevertheless, in order to see success with Hitmonchan consider running the ability Iron Fist and a Life Orb, as a held item, to have the best chance to One Hit KO your opponent’s Pokemon. For a moveset, consider Drain Punch/Close Combat, Mach Punch, Ice Punch/Stone Edge and Rapid Spin. Drain Punch will deal less damage than Close Combat but it will heal Hitmonchan while Close Combat can be utilized as a finisher. Both will benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) but Drain Punch will benefit from Iron Fist. Mach Punch can give you the chance to hit first, Ice Punch/Stone Edge are interchangeable as type coverage options and Rapid Spin can remove hazards from your side of the field.
| Drain Punch/Close Combat | Ice Punch/Stone Edge |
| Mach Punch | Rapid Spin |
How to Catch Hitmonchan in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain Hitmonchan in Pokemon Go, your best bet would be to capture a Tyrogue and evolve it into Hitmonchan. Both of these Pokemon are fairly rare in the wild but you will have a better chance at finding them near stadiums, sport arenas, and gym areas. Hitmonchan has also appeared as a tier three raid boss in the past, so you can skip the candy grind if you manage to find this particular raid battle near you. In order to evolve your Tyrogue, you will want to check its highest stat through the appraisal feature first. If its highest stat is attack, it will evolve into Hitmonlee, if defense then it will evolve into Hitmonchan and if HP it will evolve into Hitmontop.
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Trivia
- Hitmonchan is capable of learning the most priority moves of all Pokemon, up to six priority moves naturally.
- Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are the only Pokemon in the franchise that were not previously related that gained a shared evolution line through a pre-evolved form.
- The name Hitmonchan is a combination of the words hit, monster, and Chan (referencing movie star Jackie Chan)
FAQ
Is Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee better?
They are very comparable in terms of their base stats. Hitmonchan’s Iron Fist ability gets to make use of moves that do not have recoil damage so Hitmonchan can technically enjoy the benefits of bonus attack while not having to trade off health. Hitmonlee’s Unburden ability increases its speed which can help Hitmonlee sweep easier, but it requires more set up. All in all, they are both fairly mediocre Pokemon in terms of competitive battling.
Who does Hitmonchan evolve into?
Hitmonchan does not evolve. It evolves from Tyrogue when Tyrogue’s defense stat is higher than its attack stat. There is no evolution beyond Hitmonchan and it even used to be a standalone Pokemon, which meant that it did not evolve from or into another Pokemon. This changed with the introduction of Tyrogue, tying Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to the same evolution line.
How does Hitmonchan evolve?
Hitmonchan has no other evolution beyond it. It is one of the three final evolutions of Tyrogue, the other two being Hitmonlee and Hitmontop. Hitmonchan comes to be if Tyrogue’s defense stat is higher than its attack stat. Tyrogue will evolve into Hitmontop if its HP stat is higher and it will evolve into Hitmonlee if its attack stat is higher.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this punching Pokemon. Hitmonchan has been around since the franchise’s introduction via the original Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games. It is fairly unique as it used to be a standalone Pokemon alongside Hitmonlee, but their evolution lines were tied in generation two with the Pokemon Tyrogue. Hitmonchan has had many appearances in Pokemon media since its inclusion and its distinctively human appearance sets it apart from many of the other original 151 Pokemon. Hitmonchan is a memorable Pokemon of the original games and its roles as a fighting Pokemon will likely remain throughout the franchise’s history.
