#0004 · Kanto · Generation 1 · starter

Charmander

Lizard Pokémon · Fire-type

Charmander is a Fire-type Pokémon, the Lizard Pokémon, number 4 (#0004) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 8.5 kg.

Charmander is the Lizard Pokémon, a small orange Fire type with a flame burning on the tip of its tail. That flame is a living gauge of its health and mood, and the Pokédex says Charmander's life would end if it ever went out.

How to pronounce Charmander

Charmander is pronounced CHAR-man-der. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Charmander said out loud:

In Japanese it is ヒトカゲ (Hitokage).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Charmander is a bipedal orange reptile with blue eyes, a cream belly and small fangs. The flame on its slim tail has burned since birth: it blazes when Charmander is angry, wavers when it is happy and gutters when it is tired. A healthy flame survives a splash of water and steams in the rain. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 8.5 kg.

Behaviour

Charmander prefers hot places. In the Pokémon Snap games it behaves like a pack animal, calling others when it finds food, and pack members watch each other's flames to make sure none go out. It sleeps curled up, and one Pokédex entry says that in a quiet room you can hear its flame crackle.

Habitat

Mountains, according to the Pokédex habitat list, but it is far more often found with a Trainer. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in the Savanna Biome of the Blueberry Academy Terarium.

Powers

Charmander scratches with sharp claws and spits Ember, picking up stronger fire attacks as it grows. Blaze boosts Fire moves when it is low on health, and Hidden Ability Solar Power raises Special Attack in sunshine at a cost to health each turn. With base Speed 65 and Special Attack 60 it is a quick, fragile early attacker.

Name origin

Charmander blends 'char' (to burn) and 'salamander', according to a January 1999 note on Game Freak's official site; in a 2016 interview Tsunekazu Ishihara gave it as 'charcoal' plus Salamandra, the fire salamander genus. The Japanese name Hitokage (ヒトカゲ) is the word for a mythical fire salamander: hi ('fire') plus tokage ('lizard').

Design inspiration

Atsuko Nishida designed the whole line, drawing Charmander to look like a surprising starting point for Charizard. It is a lizard with a salamander theme: in old folklore, salamanders were fire spirits that could live in flames. Its upright stance also recalls a baby theropod dinosaur.

Evolution notes

Evolves into Charmeleon at level 16, then Charizard at level 36.

In the games

Charmander is a Kanto starter, and Professor Sycamore opens X and Y with one. In Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), where it first appeared, the rival Blue takes it if you choose Bulbasaur. In Scarlet and Violet it arrives via Pokémon HOME or The Indigo Disk, and in Legends: Z-A it appears in Wild Zone 20.

In the anime

Ash's Charmander debuted in 'Charmander: The Stray Pokémon', abandoned by a cruel Trainer named Damian and waiting on a rock in the rain until Ash and his friends rescued it. It grew into his famously disobedient Charizard.

Fun facts

• Charmander, Cyndaquil and their evolutions share exactly the same base stats, number for number.
• Early Generation I sprites and artwork gave it a short row of spikes down its back.
• It has three fingers in the anime but four in game artwork, and card artists cannot agree either.
• At 8.5 kg it is the lightest Fire type of the original 151.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Charmander (Pokémon) · Serebii: Charmander (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 39
• Attack: 52
• Defense: 43
• Sp. Atk: 60
• Sp. Def: 50
• Speed: 65

Charmander’s base stat total is 309. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Charmander weak to?

Charmander takes extra damage from Water (2×), Ground (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Grass (½×), Ice (½×), Bug (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).

Evolution

How does Charmander evolve?

Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16.

The whole family: Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard.

• Charmeleon evolves into Charizard at level 36.

Abilities

• Blaze: Strengthens Fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
• Solar Power (hidden ability): Increases Special Attack to 1.5× but costs 1/8 max HP after each turn during strong sunlight.

Moves

Moves Charmander learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (46)

Charmander can learn 46 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Scary Face, Protect, Fire Fang, Fire Spin, Facade, Metal Claw, Swift, Rock Tomb, Flame Charge, Fling, Dragon Tail, Endure, Sunny Day, Dig, False Swipe, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, Body Slam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Sleep Talk, Dragon Claw, Rest, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Dragon Dance, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Crunch, Dragon Pulse, Heat Wave, Flamethrower, Helping Hand, Fire Blast, Fire Pledge, Outrage, Overheat, Focus Blast, Flare Blitz, Tera Blast, Roar, Focus Punch, Weather Ball, Temper Flare, Breaking Swipe.

Egg moves (8):Ancient Power, Belly Drum, Bite, Counter, Dragon Rush, Dragon Tail, Iron Tail, Metal Claw.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 87.5% male, 12.5% female.
• Egg groups: Monster, Dragon.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
• Base experience yield: 62.

Pokédex entries

From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out. (FireRed, Y, Shield)

It has a preference for hot things. When it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail. (LeafGreen, Sword)

The flame at the tip of its tail makes a sound as it burns. You can only hear it in quiet places. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

The flame on its tail indicates Charmander's life force. If it is healthy, the flame burns brightly. (Silver, SoulSilver, X)

The fire on the tip of its tail is a measure of its life. If healthy, its tail burns intensely. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Fire type in Gen 1: 8.5 kg.
• Shortest Fire type in Gen 1: 0.6 m, shared with 1 other.
• Taller than 25% of all Pokémon (0.6 m).
• Heavier than 24% of all Pokémon (8.5 kg).
• Base stat total 309, ranked #821 of 1,025.
• One of 81 Fire-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 97 red Pokémon.
• Number 4 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 59 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 10 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Charmander (Pokémon), Serebii: Charmander (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (CHAR-man-der): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Fire-type Pokémon · Charmander vs Bulbasaur · Charmander vs Squirtle · Charmander vs Charizard · Kanto region guide · Blaze ability · Solar Power ability · Compare Charmander · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Fire-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Monster egg group · Dragon egg group · Pokémon that start with C · Lizard Pokémon

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