#0106 · Kanto · Generation 1

Hitmonlee

Kicking Pokémon · Fighting-type

Hitmonlee is a Fighting-type Pokémon, the Kicking Pokémon, number 106 (#0106) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.5 m tall and weighs 49.8 kg.

Hitmonlee is the Kicking Pokémon, a Fighting type whose legs stretch like springs and whose feet harden like diamonds the instant they land a kick. It is one of three fighters Tyrogue can become, and the Pokédex nicknames it the Kick Master.

How to pronounce Hitmonlee

Hitmonlee is pronounced HIT-mon-lee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Hitmonlee said out loud:

In Japanese it is サワムラー (Sawamular).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Hitmonlee is a humanoid Pokémon with an ovoid brown body, 1.5 m tall and 49.8 kg. It has no real neck, almond-shaped eyes ringed with black space, and cream, segmented arms and legs with round yellow pads on its ankles and soles. Its legs contract and stretch like coiled springs, which the Pokédex says can double their reach, and after a battle it rubs them down to ease tired muscles. It is a male-only species.

Behaviour

Hitmonlee has an excellent sense of balance and can kick repeatedly from any position, and foes meeting it for the first time are startled by its reach. Bulbapedia says it is rarely found in the wild and is often seen competing with Hitmonchan or Hitmontop.

Habitat

Its Pokédex habitat is Urban, and Bulbapedia says it is found mostly in urban areas. In Scarlet and Violet it arrives by trade or transfer, then appears in the Indigo Disk's Terarium, including 5-star Tera Raid Battles. It is not available in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Limber prevents paralysis, Reckless strengthens recoil moves and the hidden Unburden doubles its Speed once it uses up a held item. Its kicks include Blaze Kick, Mega Kick, High Jump Kick and Axe Kick, and it also learns Close Combat and Sucker Punch. With 120 base Attack and 110 Special Defense it hits hard, but its low HP and Defense make it fragile.

Name origin

Hitmonlee may combine 'hit' and 'monster'; Bulbapedia says Bill Giese, who helped name many Generation I Pokémon, suggested the English name. The Japanese name is Sawamular (サワムラー), which may refer to Tadashi Sawamura, a famous kickboxer.

Evolution notes

At level 20, Tyrogue becomes Hitmonlee when its Attack stat beats its Defense.

In the games

In Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen and the Let's Go games, the master of Saffron City's Fighting Dojo lets you choose between Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. In Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, a Hitmonlee is one of the statues that comes to life to fight you in Aegis Cave.

In the anime

Hitmonlee debuted in 'The Punchy Pokémon', where Team Rocket stole it to enter the P1 Grand Prix. It beat Brock's Geodude before losing to Ash's Primeape.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia counts four former signature moves for Hitmonlee, more than any other Pokémon: High Jump Kick, Jump Kick, Rolling Kick and Mega Kick.
• Both Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan had a Special stat of 35 in Generation I; the Generation II split gave them 110 Special Defense, a rise of 75.
• Its eyes changed over time: small and white with black marks beneath in the games before Generation IV and in the anime until Pokémon Journeys, then black with white irises.

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

Base stats

• HP: 50
• Attack: 120
• Defense: 53
• Sp. Atk: 35
• Sp. Def: 110
• Speed: 87

Hitmonlee’s base stat total is 455. Its highest stat is Attack.

Type matchups

What is Hitmonlee weak to?

Hitmonlee takes extra damage from Flying (2×), Psychic (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Bug (½×), Rock (½×), Dark (½×).

Evolution

What does Hitmonlee evolve from?

Hitmonlee evolves from Tyrogue at level 20 (Attack higher than Defense).

Hitmonlee is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Tyrogue, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Hitmontop.

• Tyrogue evolves into Hitmonchan at level 20 (Defense higher than Attack).
• Tyrogue evolves into Hitmontop at level 20 (Attack equals Defense).

Abilities

• Limber: Prevents paralysis.
• Reckless: Strengthens recoil moves to 1.2× their power.
• Unburden (hidden ability): Doubles Speed upon using or losing a held item.

Moves

Moves Hitmonlee learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Hitmonlee learns the move the moment it evolves: Brick Break.

TM moves (46)

Hitmonlee can learn 46 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Low Kick, Thief, Facade, Bulldoze, Swift, Rock Tomb, Low Sweep, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Brick Break, Bulk Up, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Metronome, Poison Jab, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Swords Dance, Substitute, Aura Sphere, Helping Hand, Baton Pass, Reversal, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Close Combat, Tera Blast, Knock Off, Vacuum Wave, Lunge, Uproar, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Coaching, Throat Chop, Upper Hand.

Egg moves (7):Bullet Punch, Counter, Feint, High Jump Kick, Mach Punch, Rapid Spin, Vacuum Wave.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 100% male, 0% female.
• Egg groups: Human-Like.
• Egg cycles: 25 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 3,200).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Attack effort values.
• Base experience yield: 159.

Pokédex entries

The legs freely contract and stretch. The stretchy legs allow it to hit a distant foe with a rising kick. (FireRed, X, Shield)

This amazing Pokémon has an awesome sense of balance. It can kick in succession from any position. (Gold, HeartGold, Sword)

When kicking, the sole of its foot turns as hard as a diamond on impact and destroys its enemy. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

Hitmonlee's legs freely contract and stretch. Using these springlike legs, it bowls over foes with devastating kicks. After battle, it rubs down its legs and loosens the muscles to overcome fatigue. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

If it starts kicking repeatedly, both legs will stretch even longer to strike a fleeing foe. (Silver, SoulSilver, Y)

Its legs can stretch double. First-time foes are startled by its extensible reach. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Sp. Def among Fighting types in Gen 1: 110, shared with 1 other.
• Taller than 72% of all Pokémon (1.5 m).
• Heavier than 66% of all Pokémon (49.8 kg).
• Base stat total 455, ranked #494 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Def, ranked #71 of 1,025.
• One of 73 Fighting-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 106 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 4 Pokémon.
• Can learn 61 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 9 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: Hitmonlee (Pokémon), Serebii: Hitmonlee (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (HIT-mon-lee): 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

Fighting-type Pokémon · Hitmonlee vs Hitmonchan · Hitmonlee vs Hitmontop · Hitmonlee vs Machamp · Kanto region guide · Limber ability · Reckless ability · Unburden ability · Compare Hitmonlee · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 1 Fighting-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Human-Like egg group · Pokémon that start with H

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