#0232 · Johto · Generation 2

Donphan

Armor Pokémon · Ground-type

Donphan is a Ground-type Pokémon, the Armor Pokémon, number 232 (#0232) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 1.1 m tall and weighs 120 kg.

Donphan is the Armor Pokémon, an elephant that curls into a ball and rolls like a tyre, hard enough to knock down a house. Its hide is so tough that, the Pokédex says, an ordinary attack will not leave a scratch.

How to pronounce Donphan

Donphan is pronounced DON-fan. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Donphan said out loud:

In Japanese it is ドンファン (Donfan).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Donphan is a grey elephant, 1.1 m tall and 120 kg, with a heavy black band of hide running down its back and along its trunk, which looks like a car tyre when it curls up. White tusks grow from the corners of its mouth and are smaller on females. Each of its short legs wears a broken black band.

Behaviour

Donphan travels in herds, and the Pokédex says the bigger and longer its tusks, the higher its rank. Normally calm, it can rampage if angered. Bulbapedia says males hold rolling contests to show their toughness to females, as in the anime episode 'Date Expectations'. The Sapphire Pokédex says it helps clear rock and mud slides from mountain trails.

Habitat

Bulbapedia says it lives in mountainous, rough terrain. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in Asado Desert, South Province Area Six and West Province Area Two, and it is unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Donphan has Sturdy, with Sand Veil hidden, and rolls with Rollout and Rapid Spin before using Earthquake and Knock Off. With base stats of 120 Attack and 120 Defense it is a durable physical attacker. The Pokédex says an ordinary Donphan can haul a dump truck.

Name origin

Donphan may combine 'don', a Spanish honorific, or '-don', a suffix in names of prehistoric animals, with 'elephant'. The Japanese name is Donfan (ドンファン), which Bulbapedia gives the same possible origins.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia says Donphan seems based on an adult elephant, perhaps a pygmy or extinct dwarf one, and its tough hide and category may hint at an armoured war elephant. The ridged back resembles tyre treads on heavy vehicles. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Donphan evolves from Phanpy at level 25.

In the games

Donphan first appeared in Gold and Silver. Bulbapedia sees a likeness to Donphan in Scarlet and Violet's Great Tusk and Iron Treads, a pair of Paradox Pokémon.

In the anime

Raymond's Donphan appeared in 'Mewtwo Strikes Back', landing two Rollouts on Ash's Bulbasaur before losing. Ash's Phanpy evolved into Donphan in 'Reversing the Charges' and became a strong team member.

Fun facts

• CoroCoro first revealed it in May 1997, alongside Slowking and Ampharos.
• In the Spaceworld '97 demo its Japanese name already appears to have been Donfan, and the design looked like an elephant close to its final one.
• Bulbapedia says only three Pokémon have both a past and a future Paradox counterpart: Donphan, Volcarona and Cyclizar.
• Its 120 base Attack is the highest of any Ground type introduced in Generation II, according to poke.si game data.

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

Base stats

• HP: 90
• Attack: 120
• Defense: 120
• Sp. Atk: 60
• Sp. Def: 60
• Speed: 50

Donphan’s base stat total is 500. Its highest stat is Attack and Defense.

Type matchups

What is Donphan weak to?

Donphan takes extra damage from Water (2×), Grass (2×), Ice (2×) moves.

It resists Poison (½×), Rock (½×).

It is immune to Electric moves.

Evolution

What does Donphan evolve from?

Donphan evolves from Phanpy at level 25.

Donphan is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Phanpy, Donphan.

Abilities

• Sturdy: Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
• Sand Veil (hidden ability): Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.

Moves

Moves Donphan learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Donphan learns the move the moment it evolves: Fury Attack.

TM moves (55)

Donphan can learn 55 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Thief, Trailblaze, Facade, Bulldoze, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Smart Strike, Dig, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Poison Jab, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Body Press, Iron Head, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Iron Defense, Stealth Rock, Hyper Voice, Heavy Slam, Encore, Ice Spinner, Play Rough, Helping Hand, Earth Power, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Roar, Sand Tomb, Smack Down, Gyro Ball, Knock Off, High Horsepower, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Throat Chop, Curse.

Egg moves (12), which Phanpy can hatch knowing:Ancient Power, Body Slam, Counter, Endeavor, Fissure, Focus Energy, Head Smash, Heavy Slam, High Horsepower, Ice Shard, Play Rough, Snore.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Attack and 1 Defense effort values.
• Base experience yield: 175.

Pokédex entries

If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed. Using its massive strength, the Pokémon helps clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails. (Sapphire, Alpha Sapphire)

Donphan's favorite attack is curling its body into a ball, then charging at its foe while rolling at high speed. Once it starts rolling, this Pokémon can't stop very easily. (Ruby, Omega Ruby)

The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take long to grow. (Silver, SoulSilver, Y)

It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its Tackle is strong enough to knock down a house. (Gold, LeafGreen, HeartGold, X)

It attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe. It can blow apart a house in one hit. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take a long time to grow. (FireRed)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Attack among Ground types in Gen 2: 120.
• Taller than 54% of all Pokémon (1.1 m).
• Heavier than 86% of all Pokémon (120 kg).
• Base stat total 500, ranked #278 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Defense, ranked #63 of 1,025.
• One of 75 Ground-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 107 gray Pokémon.
• Number 81 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 70 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 8 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: Donphan (Pokémon), Serebii: Donphan (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (DON-fan): 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

Ground-type Pokémon · Donphan vs Great Tusk · Donphan vs Iron Treads · Johto region guide · Sturdy ability · Sand Veil ability · Compare Donphan · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 2 Ground-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Gray Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with D · Elephant and Mammoth Pokémon

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