Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon. It sleeps deep on the ocean floor to build its energy. It is said to cause tornadoes as it wakes. This Pokémon is said to sleep at the bottom of the sea-deeper than any other life-form can descend-building its energy.
Overview
Kingdra has fallen far from the accolades it once possessed in the past, in large part due to power creep and unfavorable mechanics changes. The loss of permanent Rain from Drizzle that enabled brutal Swift Swim offenses makes such strategies less reliable. The introduction of Fairy types is even worse, giving Kingdra a new weakness on a type that was famed for not having weaknesses and heavily punishing Kingdra’s only good physical Dragon STAB in Outrage. Without Outrage, Kingdra is all but pigeonholed into special sets, making it far more predictable and easier to counter as a result. Even if Kingdra could use its physical sets, it does change the fact that power creep has rendered its stats lacking. 95 in both offenses and defenses are usable, but far from excellent, especially in generations of power creep, with Kingdra reliant on boosts to get the most out of its power.
Yet despite all these issues, Kingdra still boasts a viable niche. Kingdra’s prowess on Rain is well documented and is an important attacker on such teams thanks to being a Water type that isn’t weak to Electric and Grass. This, with Kingdra’s decent defenses, greatly alleviates the Water typing stacking prevalent on such teams. Additionally, while Kingdra’s base offenses are low, it makes up the difference with high base powered STABs, and stacking boosts from Rain, allowing Kingdra to hit deceptively hard. Additionally, this has been a good generation for Rain sweepers with how well Terastalization stacks with the boost from Rain and STAB allowing any Swift Swim sweeper to hit for truly incredible damage. Add in powerful neutral STAB in Draco Meteor and coverage for Grass types in Hurricane, and Kingdra’s persistence as a rain staple is all but assured. While Kingdra is certainly lackluster outside of the Rain, that Rain is all it usually needs to wash the competition away.
Positives
Base 85 Speed turns terrifying with Swift Swim allowing Kingdra to outspeed every unboosted target in the game.
Plentiful high power STAB and coverage options offer plenty of power.
Swift Swim Sweeper that isn’t weak to Grass or Electric fills an important niche.
Negatives
Offenses are unimpressive, leaving Kingdra reliant on boosts to make up the difference.
Lack of reliable strong physical Dragon STAB prevents physical sets from being viable.
Unimpressive Speed without boosting or Rain leaves Kingdra exposed to faster attackers.
Best attacks have imperfect accuracy, making Kingdra inconsistent
Movesets
Sovereign Stormrider
-Hydro Pump
-Draco Meteor
-Hurricane
-Scald
Ability: Swift Swim
Item: Life Orb
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
Swift Swim Kingdra brings the full might of the storm down on its opponents, devastating near everything in its path. Hydro Pump is the star of the show here, its insane power in the Rain capable of OHKOing Pokémon as bulky as Hatterene, and Scizor, while still doing at least three fourths to Pokémon as bulky as Corviknight, Zapdos, Clefable, and Zamazenta. Draco Meteor compliments Hydro Pump quite nicely, obliterating many prospective Water resists that are safe from Kingdra's assault, especially opposing Dragons, though its use will force Kingdra out due to the Special Attack Drop. Hurricane is a fantastic reliable option for the Grass and Tera Grass types looking to absorb Kingdra's super charged Water STABs like Wellspring Ogerpon, Chesnaught, Iron Leaves, and Zarude. Scald rounds out the set, being a more reliable Water STAB, when the knockout is assured anyways, while still punishing potential switch-ins with its fantastic burn chance.
Tera Types:
Kingdra gets a lot of mileage out of its base typing, with the lack of resistances its typing provides in comparison to its other Water typed cohorts. However, Kingdra still loves Terastalizing for the extra boost to its attacks, which is quite necessary is securing many knockouts. Tera Water is by far the most popular for the stacking boosts it provides in conjunction with Kingdra's Rain and item to push Hydro Pump to truly ridiculous levels like 2HKOing offensive Primarina and Assault Vest Galarian Slowking as well as OHKOing Iron Crown after chip damage from 1 layer of Spikes. Tera Fairy is a good alternative, allowing Kingdra to flip the matchup on opposing Dragon types, and allow Kingdra to safely slam them with its own Draco Meteor or Ice Beam. Tera Stellar offers the best of both worlds, giving Kingdra important one time boosts on Hydro Pump and Draco Meteor, while keeping the defensive typing that has become its niche.
EVs and Items:
Max Speed and Special Attack are recommended. Kingdra is a Rain sweeper and its job is to pick up knockouts. Modest is advised over Timid. Kingdra needs all the power it can get, and even with a Modest Nature, Kingdra still outruns Speed Booster Energy Iron Moth as well as Scarf Latios in the rain, only missing out on Scarf Meowscarada and Speed Booster Energy Iron Valiant. Life Orb is recommended as the item for the burst of power it provides while retaining move flexibility, making it that much harder to pivot around Kingdra. Choice Specs is also a viable option for the sheer stopping power it provides and limiting the number of safe switch ins for Kingdra.
Partners:
:
Rain setters are mandatory for Kingdra, given how woeful an attacker it is out of the Rain. Pelipper stands heads and shoulders above the rest thanks to its access to U-Turn, able to get Kingdra in quickly while being a threat to Hydro Pump resistant Grass types.
Kingdra doesn't have the best matchup against opposing Water types outside of its one shot Draco Meteor, so having allies that can threaten them help Kingdra out a lot. Raging Bolt is a standout option as it pivots into most Water types and threatens them out with Thunderclap or Thunderbolt. Zapdos and Jolteon lack the direct defensive utility but work similarly well. All of these Pokémon appreciate Kingdra being a reliable answer to the Ground types that block their STABs.
Other Options:
Weather Ball is a stronger reliable Water STAB in comparison to Scald, though it does lose out on the Burn utility.
Ice Beam handles opposing Dragons well, giving Kingdra a reason to not use Draco Meteor against them.
Flip Turn is good after the use of Draco Meteor, allowing Kingdra to chip and opponent on the way out and can do some respectable damage in the process given the boost from Rain and Kingdra's own viable Attack.
Critical Calypso
-Focus Energy
-Draco Meteor
-Hydro Pump
-Flash Cannon
Ability: Swift Swim
Item: Scope Lens
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Kingdra is one of the few Pokémon that can attempt sweeping with critical hits. This is largely possible thanks to Kingdra’s access to Sniper, pushing its crits up to 2 times damage, effectively the same as if Kingdra got a +2 boost. The benefits don’t stop there, as since Kingdra will be critting, it avoids all sorts of damage mitigation, from Special Attack drops to screens and Special Defense boosts, making Kingdra rather hard to resist. Focus Energy is key to Kingdra always critting, granting +2 stages in critical hit chance. Add in the +1 to critical hits from Scope Lens, and Kingdra is guaranteed to get a critical hit. Draco Meteor is the main payoff for this setup, becoming a move that can be used repeatedly with its downside completely negated by the fact Kingdra always crits, ignoring the Special Attack drops. This greatly constrains counter play as just switching in a Steel or Fairy type to absorb the blow won’t make Kingdra less threatening unlike other Draco Meteor users. Hydro Pump is secondary Water STAB, obliterating Steel types that think they can absorb Kingdra’s Draco Meteor and a strong option against Fairy types. Flash Cannon is a more reliable option against Fairy types, especially the specially bulky Florges that isn’t as prone to missing or being PP stalled as Hydro Pump.
Tera Types:
Kingdra can be said to be Tera hungry, albeit for the extra damage Terastalization provides, given the solid merits of its base typing defensively. As Focus Energy Kingdra’s gameplan is to spam Draco Meteor, Tera Dragon is the natural choice. With Tera Dragon, Draco Meteor can pull off incredible stunts, OHKOing targets as bulky as Wo-Chien and Uxie, with even Hisuian Goodra being threatened with an OHKO if lacking defensive investment or Shell Armor. Tera Water is good for boosting up Hydro Pump or if running a weaker Water STAB, pushing it closer to Draco Meteor in power and punishing common Fairy and Steel switch ins/Teras expecting the Draco Meteor. Tera Steel is a more defensive option, giving Kingdra vital Dragon, Fairy and Freeze-Dry resistances, making it easier to setup or help survive against the bulky Steel and Fairy types that can stomach a blow from Kingdra. It also boosts up Flash Cannon, being the only way Focus Energy Kingdra can OHKO Florges.
EVs and Items:
Max Special Attack and Speed are highly recommended. Kingdra is lacking in both power and speed and needs as much as possible in both to make up the difference. Timid Nature is recommended for the extra speed, as without that speed Kingdra finds itself outran by Timid Florges, Tatsugiri, and Goodra, all of whom can OHKO Kingdra back with their own STABs. Scope Lens or Razor Claw are mandatory for this set, as without the boost from them, Kingdra cannot guarantee critical hits, drastically reducing its effectiveness.
Partners:
:
Focus Energy Kingdra’s biggest issue is its speed, since it cannot passively boost its speed with Swift Swim or Choice Scarf and lacks the direct bulk to muscle through faster attackers. Sticky Web users do a lot to make up the difference. Vikavolt is by far the most prominent, its Electric STAB deterring any would be defoggers, and Sticky Web ignoring Flying types while being a special attacker that shares checks with Kingdra and can chip them down for Kingdra to clean up easier. Additionally, it can draw in Fire types that Kingdra can use as a free switch in. Other methods of speed control, like Paralysis from Thunder Wave Drifblim can pay dividends in enabling Kingdra.
Other Options:
Agility does allow Kingdra to address its Speed, since this set can’t use Swift Swim to make up for it, though Kingdra does struggle to find the time to do so.
Scald and Surf are far more accurate Water STAB options, though the power drop off is severe.
Doubles and VGC Options
Kingdra’s attributes as Swift Swim sweeper extend to Doubles as well. While Kingdra’s power is insufficient for higher power formats, in lower strength ones like the recent Regulation H, it can truly shine. Being a Swift Swim user not weak to Grass is invaluable in the face of Rillaboom, enabling it to keep acting without being forced to switch or Terastalize. Draco Meteor’s wide neutral coverage makes itself known, allowing Kingdra to rip chunks out of anything that isn’t a Fairy or Steel type. However, Kingdra’s strength is completely reliant on Rain and is a rather underwhelming Pokémon out of it. Stiff competition in the Swift Swim user slot in Basculegion does not help matters, as Kingdra outright lacks the game ending power of Last Respects and immunity to Fake Out that Basculegion boasts. Weather being stronger in Doubles is both a blessing and curse, as while Rain is stronger and goes farther in enabling Kingdra, so are other weathers that can slow it down. Even in Rain, Kingdra is not peerless, with Unburden Sneasler, Tailwind and Trick Room all capable of turning the tables on Kingdra.
Sea Wolfe Dragon
-Draco Meteor
-Weather Ball
-Muddy Water
-Protect
Ability: Swift Swim
Item: Life Orb
Tera Type: Stellar/Water
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
Inspired by Wolfe's 2025 Toronto team, Kingdra is an amazing source of pressure. Tera Stellar Life Orb Draco Meteor is a weapon of destruction doing obscene damage if not KOing anything it hits. Even targets as bulky as Assault Vest Archaludon, and Amoonguss barely survive, while Assault Vest Rillaboom still loses over half its health to the blow. Weather Ball is the preferred STAB in Rain, being the strongest reliable single target Water attack Kingdra has. While this does mean Kingdra is without a reliable STAB in other weathers, Kingdra can make the most of them, using Fire Weather Balls to obliterate the common Grass types on such teams as well as exploit the wide coverage Rock and Ice Weather Balls offer in their respective weathers. Muddy Water is the best spread STAB Kingdra has, with good damage while not invoking friendly fire and can be more than enough to clean up weakened teams (or push them to a point where they can be cleaned up). Protect is the best move in Doubles, stalling for Rain, preventing Kingdra from being focused down with Fake Out, stalling out opposing Tailwind or Trick Room, the utility of Protect cannot be understated. Standard arrangement of Max Speed and Special Attack EVs are recommended as Kingdra's primary duty is to deal damage. Modest is preferred over Timid for the extra power it provides, with Kingdra relying on Swift Swim to address its Speed. Even going down to Modest, Kingdra still outspeeds Dragapult and Scarf Annihilape, leaving the means to outspeed it relagated to Unburden Sneasler and opposing speed control. Tera Stellar is strongly recommended, the one time boosts it gives to both STABs is more than enough for Kingdra to get surprise KOs out of nowhere and gain a lead that is hard to come back from. Tera Water is more reliable, giving a persistent and terrifying boost to Kingdra's STABs, though at the cost of now being weak to Electric and Grass.
Preferred Partners:
Kingdra is a Swift Swim Sweeper through and through and thus any ally that can setup rain is an instant partner for Kingdra. Politoed, and Pelipper, both of them enable Kingdra to terrifying degrees and all of them love the sheer offense Kingdra can bring to the table and remove troublesome targets.
Kingdra is also a good inclusion on Rain based Grass Fire Water cores, since between Swift Swim and its STAB Draco Meteor’s it is fantastic at threatening opposing Dragon types that usually give such cores trouble. Volcarona is a good Rain based Fire type, between its access to Hurricane and Bug Buzz so it is threatening even in the Rain as well as access to Rage Powder and Will-O-Wisp to keep a lot of pressure of Kingdra.
Hurricane is a great option into the many Grass types running around VGC, giving Kingdra a powerful coverage option that does not mandate Draco Meteor and its targets are unlikely to have a defensive Tera type for.
Hydro Pump is slightly stronger than Weather Ball in the Rain, and persists as a Water STAB even outside of it, but the imperfect accuracy can and will cost you games.
Countering Kingdra
Kingdra can be terrifying if it gets going but is very reliant on those situations to be right.
Near invariably, Kingdra is going to be a special attacker, so bulky sponges can work well against it. Primarina, and Azumarill are especially apt for resisting both of Kingdra’s STABs and not being weak to any coverage while threatening with STAB of their own. Empoleon to similarly resists both STABs, and can outlast the Rain turns with Roost. Otherwise, sponges like Blissey and Hisuian Goodra too can stomach even Kingdra’s strongest blows and stall out the Rain. Florges struggles against boosted Hydro Pumps and Weather Balls, as well as the rare Flash Cannon, but freely switches into Draco Meteor and can stall out Rain and PP with Protect and Wish. Sylveon cannot switch in freely to Kingdra, but can survive any one blow save a Rain + Specs Hydro Pump and OHKO back with Hyper Voice. Specially bulky Steel types are especially important, given they can best take Kingdra’s Draco Meteors, whose resulting Special Attack drop is all but guaranteed to force Kingdra out and waste a turn of Rain.
Other answers are more set specific. Swift Swim Kingdra is wholly reliant on the Rain, so any Pokémon that can change the Weather on it, like Torkoal, Tyranitar, Ninetales, and Abomasnow can do well, as well as methods of wasting Kingdra’s Rain turns. Note that any of them bar Abomasnow still abhor Water attacks and Torkoal and Ninetales do struggle to hurt Kingdra given its quadruple Fire resistance. Even in the Rain, Kingdra’s Speed isn’t peerless, with Barraskewda completely outdoing it in the rain and threatening severe damage with banded Close Combat. Otherwise it takes an already absurdly fast Base 115 Speed Choice Scarf user to outrun even Modest Kingdra in the Rain.
Critical Hit Kingdra is quite a bit easier given it does not possess anywhere near the same speed, forcing Kingdra to rely on its unimpressive bulk to compensate. Specs Whimsicott, Scarf Tatsugiri and Scarf Florges all naturally outspeed and OHKO, while basically every offensive threat with a neutral STAB can reliably 2HKO Kingdra, to the point that there is too many to list.
Regardless of set, Kingdra is quite vulnerable to item removal as Kingdra is very reliant on items for power. Losing out on that multiplier from Specs or Life Orb and Swift Swim Kingdra starts missing Kos left and right while Focus Energy Kingdra cannot guarantee critical hits without the Scope Lens.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game.
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Evolve Seadra.
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Evolve Seadra.
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Seadra
Colosseum/XD:
Trade from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/FireRed/LeafGreen.
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Seadra.
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Seadra.
Black/White:
Route 17, 18, P2 Lab.
Black 2/White 2:
Route 17, 18, P2 Lab.
X/Y:
Evolve Seadra
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Seadra.
Sun/Moon:
Evolve Seadra.
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Seadra
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game.
Sword/Shield:
Honeycalm Sea
Max Raid Battles: Loop Lagoon, Workout Sea, Honeycalm Sea
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve SSeadraneasel
Legends: Arceus:
Not in Game
Scarlet/Violet:
Evolve Seadra
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles, 6 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
