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#129 · Generation 1

Magikarp

water
Max CP (L40 / L50)
274 / 310
Raid catch CP (L20 / L25)
157 / 196
Research CP (L15)
117
Buddy distance
1 km
2nd charged move
10,000 dust · 25 candy
  • Shiny
  • Shadow
  • Tradable
  • Mega
  • Dynamax
Magikarp
Keep

Keep to evolve

Magikarp will not win battles on its own, but Gyarados is A-tier for Master League. Keep the good-IV copies and the candy to evolve one.

Battle roles

  • –
    Little Cup#167 of 168 · score 7.9

    Ranked #167 of 168; not competitive in Little Cup.

Worth evolving into

  • Gyarados
    A Master League (shadow)B Ultra League (shadow)B Max Battle attacker (dynamax)
  • Mega Gyarados
    A Water raid attacker (mega)B Dark raid attacker (mega)

Collection value

  • Can Dynamax: only copies caught in Max Battles can Dynamax, so keep at least one Max copy.
  • Shadow version exists: Shadows hit 20% harder and are worth a raid slot even with low IVs.

Tiers: S = meta-defining, A = strong, B = playable, C = niche. PvP from PvPoke overall rankings; raids from computed DPS/TDO within each attacking type; Max Battles from GO Hub tier lists.

Base stats

Attack29
Defense85
Stamina85

Base stats. Bars are scaled to the strongest Pokemon in the game.

Weak to

Resists

Evolution line

Check your Pokemon's IVs

Ranks all 4,096 spreads for each league

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PvP rankings (GO Battle League)

LeagueTierRankScoreRecommended movesTypical build
Little Cup–#167 / 1687.9
Splash · Return · Struggle
L50 · 15/15/15
Little CupShadow–#168 / 1686.7
Splash · Struggle · Frustration
L50 · 15/15/15

Source: PvPoke overall rankings. Score is relative to the league meta (100 = best). Typical build is the IV spread PvPoke assumes.

Max Battles (Dynamax & Gigantamax)

Magikarp can Dynamax. Only copies caught in Max Battles (or from Max research) can enter Power Spot battles.

Max Moves

  • waterMax Geyserfrom Splash250 / 300 / 350 power
  • Max Guard+20 / +40 / +60 HP shield
  • Max Spiritheals 8 / 12 / 16% HP

Max Battle roles

Below the tier thresholds as a Max Battle attacker, tank, or healer.

Max Move power is per level 1 / 2 / 3; levels are unlocked with Max Particles and Candy. Tiers are computed from level-3 Max Move damage, Defence × HP and HP at level 40; thresholds on the guide page.

Raid attacker rankings

No raid data (unreleased or no damaging moves).

Moves

Fast moveTypeRaid powerEnergyDurationDPSPvP powerPvP energySpeed
SplashSTAB
water0+171.5s0.00+124 turns
Charged moveTypeRaid powerEnergyDurationDmg/energyPvP powerPvP energyEffects
Struggle
normal35-02.0sInfinity35-100

Questions people ask

Is Magikarp good in Pokemon GO?
Not on its own, but Gyarados is A-tier for Master League, so a good copy is worth evolving.
Should I keep or transfer Magikarp?
Magikarp will not win battles on its own, but Gyarados is A-tier for Master League. Keep the good-IV copies and the candy to evolve one.
Should I evolve Magikarp?
Gyarados is A-tier for Master League; Mega Gyarados is A-tier for Water raid attacker. Evolve the copy with the best IVs for that role and transfer spare Magikarp for candy.
Can Magikarp be shiny in Pokemon GO?
Yes. Shiny Magikarp is available from photobomb, raid, research, wild. A shiny is worth keeping for the collection no matter its IVs.
Is Shadow Magikarp worth keeping?
Shadow Magikarp hits 20% harder and takes 20% more damage. It has no ranked role of its own, so treat it like a normal copy.

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