Introduced in the original generation one, with the Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Krabby is a monotype water Pokemon. It is the first evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves into Kingler when it reaches the level threshold. Krabby is classified by the Pokedex as the “River Crab Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Krabby’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Krabby.
About Krabby
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, Krabby first appeared in the Original Series of the anime in the episode Mystery at the Lighthouse. In this episode, Krabby is caught by Ash and transferred to Professor Oak. The Pokedex mentions that Krabby’s claws break off easily but regrow quickly.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: Mystery at the Lighthouse |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Red/Green (Japan) Pokemon Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Evolves into Kingler, not known to evolve from another Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 28 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | The pincers break off easily. If it loses a pincer, it somehow becomes incapable of walking sideways. If it is unable to find food, it will absorb nutrients by swallowing a mouthful of sand. |
Krabby Base Stats
| HP | 30 |
| ATTACK | 105 |
| DEFENCE | 90 |
| SP. ATTACK | 25 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 25 |
| SPEED | 50 |
| TOTAL | 325 |
Appearance
Krabby is a small orange and white Pokemon that resembles a large crab. Most of its body is orange, but its legs and underneath its shell are white or cream colored. Krabby has two large claws that it holds above its head. It has two pairs of small legs that it uses to walk. There are two small eyes on top of its head with two small black pupils. Krabby is a small Pokemon at only 1 foot and 4 inches, or 0.4 meters, tall.
Behavior
In the Pokemon universe, Krabby can be commonly found near the edges of water. It is particularly common near ocean shores. Krabby can struggle to find good food sources and is even known to eat sand in the worst of times. It is very territorial and will aggressively defend its home. The main way it defends itself is to create a large shell of foam to intimidate foes with its size.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Krabby has phenomenal physical stats, but weak stats overall. While its physical attack and defense is powerful, its special stats are below average and it has a tiny health pool. On top of this, Krabby has a slow speed and this makes it difficult for Krabby to successfully fill any particular role on a team. As a monotype water Pokemon, Krabby takes 2x damage from grass and electric type moves. It has no immunities but will resist steel, fire, water, and ice type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Krabby is typically reserved for the LC (Little Cup) format. While its base stats can be impressive, it is too slow to function as an aggressive Pokemon. Nevertheless, you can build Krabby to subvert some of its weaknesses. With the Hyper Cutter ability ensuring its physical attack remains high, Krabby can function as an offensive Pokemon.
Consider running Agility, Crabhammer, Swords Dance, Knock Off/Return. This set is aimed at setting up Krabby with Agility for speed and Swords Dance for scaling. Its other moves are simply to cover opposing types of Pokemon during battle. Krabby’s attack is already quite high, so you can run Knock Off over Return if you prefer.
| Agility | Crabhammer |
| Swords Dance | Knock Off/Return |
How to Catch Krabby in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Krabby in Pokemon Go, there are a few different ways of doing so. As the base evolution of its evolution line, it is more common to encounter than Kingler. You can find Krabby spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near rivers, oceans, docks, harbors, canals, lakes, and other watery areas. Krabby can also be hatched from 2 and 5 km eggs, and both Krabby and Kingler have been featured as tier one raid bosses at Pokemon Gyms. To evolve Krabby into a Kingler you will need 50 candies.
Trivia
- Krabby and Scizor share a Pokedex classification as the “Pincer Pokemon”.
- The inspiration for Krabby’s design comes from crabs. Specifically the fiddler crab.
- The name Krabby is a combination of the words king and fiddler.
FAQ
What does a Krabby evolve into?
Krabby is the first stage evolution in its line and evolves into Kingler once it reaches level 28. There are no special conditions to fulfill with this evolution and Krabby will begin to evolve once it reaches the level threshold. After your Krabby evolves into Kingler you have finished the Pokemon’s evolution line and can move on to collecting other Pokemon.
Is Krabby a good pokemon?
Krabby is a good Pokemon against other physical attacking Pokemon. It has a weak line up of special stats and moves slower than most other offensive Pokemon. For Krabby to succeed as an offensive Pokemon, it requires time to set up its abilities and scale to high potentials. Without this time, Krabby will often appear a mediocre Pokemon.
What kind of crab is Krabby?
The closest real-life crab to Krabby is a fiddler crab or a terrestrial crab in general. It also bears a resemblance to king crabs which its spiked crown lends some credibility to. However, its color scheme and general biology most closely resemble a fiddler crab. Its gigantamax form could be referencing Japanese spider crabs, which are known to blow bubbles from their mouths.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “River Crab Pokemon”. While Krabby is not as powerful as other offensive Pokemon in competitive play, it can still be a formidable Pokemon. Krabby functions best as an aggressive Pokemon. With the right kind of build and enough time to scale, Krabby can sweep opposing teams. Reserve a slot on your team for Krabby if you want an aggressive water type Pokemon.
