#0023 · Kanto · Generation 1

Ekans

Snake Pokémon · Poison-type

Ekans is a Poison-type Pokémon, the Snake Pokémon, number 23 (#0023) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 2 m tall and weighs 6.9 kg.

Ekans is the Snake Pokémon, a silent purple serpent that keeps getting longer as it ages. It creeps through grass and, the Pokédex says, can dislocate its jaw to swallow prey bigger than itself.

How to pronounce Ekans

Ekans is pronounced EK-unz. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Ekans said out loud:

In Japanese it is アーボ (Arbo).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Ekans is 2 m long and weighs 6.9 kg. It is purple with a yellow underbelly, a single yellow band around its neck, a yellow tail rattle and slit-pupilled eyes, and Bulbapedia notes that its large mouth shows no visible teeth. A newborn Ekans has no poison, so the Pokédex says its bite is painful but harmless.

Behaviour

Ekans moves silently and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind, flicking its tongue to sense danger and scent. At night it wraps itself around a tree branch to rest; on the ground it coils into a spiral so it can face a threat from any direction.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat is Grassland, and Bulbapedia adds that it also turns up in forests and desolate wastelands.

Diet

Bird eggs from Pidgey and Spearow nests go down whole, and one that sticks in its throat can make it faint.

Powers

Its Ability is Intimidate or Shed Skin, with Unnerve hidden. It bites with Bite, poisons with Acid, Sludge Bomb and Gunk Shot, constricts with Wrap and Coil, and frightens with Glare. Its best base stat is only Attack 60, so it is mainly a stepping stone to Arbok.

Name origin

The name Ekans is simply 'snake' spelled in reverse. The Japanese name is Arbo (アーボ), which may come from 'cobra' or 'boa' spelled backwards.

Design inspiration

Ekans seems to be based on several snakes: a rattlesnake for its rattle, an egg-eating snake for its lack of visible teeth and its diet, a ring-necked snake for the single neck band, and an Indian cobra for the line between its eyes. Its Dragon Egg Group and the move Glare may nod to the basilisk, a legendary serpent said to kill with a stare. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Ekans evolves into Arbok at level 22.

In the games

In Yellow, Jessie and James use an Ekans at Mt. Moon and again in the Team Rocket Hideout. It first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan). Scarlet and Violet offer it by trade or transfer, plus Kitakami in The Teal Mask; Legends: Z-A has it in the base game (Wild Zone 4 and several districts) and in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose.

In the anime

Jessie's Ekans debuted in 'Pokémon Emergency!', a gift from her before the series began, and it evolved into Arbok to please her in 'Dig Those Diglett!'. Another Ekans belonged to Team Meanies in a Mystery Dungeon special.

Fun facts

• Before Generation II, no known Pokémon besides Ekans and Arbok could learn Glare.
• Early official art gave Ekans yellow bands all the way down its body, not just one at the neck.
• Bulbapedia counts Ekans as the Pokémon with the most anime episodes aired after its debut without ever getting a Pokédex entry.

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

Base stats

• HP: 35
• Attack: 60
• Defense: 44
• Sp. Atk: 40
• Sp. Def: 54
• Speed: 55

Ekans’s base stat total is 288. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Ekans weak to?

Ekans takes extra damage from Ground (2×), Psychic (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (½×), Fighting (½×), Poison (½×), Bug (½×), Fairy (½×).

Evolution

How does Ekans evolve?

Ekans evolves into Arbok at level 22.

The whole family: Ekans, Arbok.

Abilities

• Intimidate: Lowers opponents' Attack one stage upon entering battle.
• Shed Skin: Has a 33% chance of curing any major status ailment after each turn.
• Unnerve (hidden ability): Prevents opposing Pokémon from eating held Berries.

Moves

Moves Ekans learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (43)

Ekans can learn 43 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Fire Fang, Acid Spray, Thief, Trailblaze, Facade, Poison Tail, Snarl, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Venoshock, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Dig, Psychic Fangs, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Poison Jab, Rest, Rock Slide, Toxic Spikes, Dark Pulse, Leech Life, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Crunch, Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Tera Blast, Haze, Toxic, Spite, Knock Off, Lash Out, Scale Shot, Double-Edge, Sludge Wave, Skitter Smack.

Egg moves (6):Poison Fang, Poison Tail, Scary Face, Spite, Sucker Punch, Switcheroo.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field, Dragon.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 255 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 effort value.
• Base experience yield: 58.

Pokédex entries

The older it gets, the longer it grows. At night, it wraps its long body around tree branches to rest. (Yellow, X, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

The eggs of bird Pokémon are its favorite food. It swallows eggs whole, so sometimes an egg gets stuck, and Ekans faints. (Ultra Moon)

By dislocating its jaw, it can swallow prey larger than itself. After a meal, it curls up and rests. (Ultra Sun)

Ekans curls itself up in a spiral while it rests. Assuming this position allows it to quickly respond to a threat from any direction with a glare from its upraised head. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

Moving silently and stealthily, it eats the eggs of birds, such as Pidgey and Spearow, whole. (LeafGreen, Y)

It sneaks through grass without making a sound and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 87% of all Pokémon (2 m).
• Heavier than 21% of all Pokémon (6.9 kg).
• Base stat total 288, ranked #903 of 1,025.
• One of 83 Poison-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 87 purple Pokémon.
• Number 23 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 59 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 12 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: Ekans (Pokémon), Serebii: Ekans (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (EK-unz): 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

Poison-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Intimidate ability · Shed Skin ability · Unnerve ability · Compare Ekans · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Purple Pokémon list · Field egg group · Dragon egg group · Pokémon that start with E · Snake Pokémon

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