#0129 · Kanto · Generation 1

Magikarp

Fish Pokémon · Water-type

Magikarp is a Water-type Pokémon, the Fish Pokémon, number 129 (#0129) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.9 m tall and weighs 10 kg.

Magikarp is the Fish Pokémon the Pokédex calls the most weak and pathetic in the world, and in battle it can do little but Splash. Yet it hides one of the biggest glow-ups in the series: at level 20 it becomes Gyarados, a jump of 340 points in base stat total.

How to pronounce Magikarp

Magikarp is pronounced MAJ-ih-karp. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Magikarp said out loud:

In Japanese it is コイキング (Koiking).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Magikarp is a 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in), 10 kg (22.0 lb) fish with heavy reddish-orange scales, white fins, pink lips and a stiff three-peaked yellow fin on its back like a crown. Its barbels are pale yellow on a male and white on a female. The Pokédex says it is nonetheless very hardy and survives in any water, however dirty.

Behaviour

Magikarp flops and splashes for no clear reason, which makes it easy prey for birds such as Pidgeotto, and its weak swimming muscles let currents wash it downstream. The Pokédex says it is incredibly fertile, with such multitudes that you soon tire of seeing them, and that an old Magikarp can leap a mountain with Splash, though the move stays useless.

Habitat

The Pokédex places it in the sea, in lakes and rivers, and even in shallow puddles. In Scarlet and Violet it is found across Paldea's seas and rivers and in Kitakami, and in Legends: Z-A along Saison Canal and in several Lumiose districts, with more in the Mega Dimension DLC.

Powers

Splash does nothing, though Magikarp also learns Tackle at level 15 and Flail at level 25. Its Ability is Swift Swim, which doubles its Speed in rain, and its Hidden Ability is Rattled, which raises Speed when it is hit by a Dark, Ghost or Bug move. Its base stats total just 200, with 10 Attack and 15 Special Attack.

Name origin

Magikarp may combine 'magic', for its power jump on evolving or for magical goldfish, with 'carp'. The Japanese name is Koiking (コイキング), perhaps from koi (carp) and king, with the king possibly borrowed from kingyo (goldfish).

Design inspiration

Magikarp appears to be based on an Asian carp, and its Shiny gold may be a goldfish pun. The Chinese legend of carp leaping the Dragon Gate to become dragons may underlie its evolution. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Magikarp evolves into Gyarados at level 20.

In the games

A salesman on Route 4 sells a Magikarp for 500 Pokémon dollars in Red and Blue, and it is the star of the mobile game Pokémon: Magikarp Jump, where Bulbapedia counts at least 31 patterns in Hoppy Town. It is catchable in Scarlet and Violet and in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

James bought a Magikarp from the Magikarp salesman in 'Battle Aboard the St. Anne!'. In 'Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown!', Kasukarp's Shiny Magikarp, Shinegoldie, wins the Magikarp High Jump Competition.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia counts Magikarp, Gyarados and Regigigas as the only Pokémon wild encounterable at both level 1 and level 100; Magikarp does it with a Super Rod in Platinum and in Black 2 and White 2.
• Internal code names in Scarlet and Violet suggest Magikarp and Gyarados may once have been planned to get 'hill' counterparts, but those names went to Toedscool and Toedscruel.
• Although Pokédex entries call it the weakest Pokémon, Sunkern has a lower base stat total, 180 to Magikarp's 200.

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

Base stats

• HP: 20
• Attack: 10
• Defense: 55
• Sp. Atk: 15
• Sp. Def: 20
• Speed: 80

Magikarp’s base stat total is 200. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Magikarp weak to?

Magikarp takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

How does Magikarp evolve?

Magikarp evolves into Gyarados at level 20.

The whole family: Magikarp, Gyarados.

Abilities

• Swift Swim: Doubles Speed during rain.
• Rattled (hidden ability): Raises Speed one stage upon being hit by a Dark, Ghost, or Bug move.

Moves

Moves Magikarp learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 2, Dragon.
• Egg cycles: 5 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 640).
• Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
• Base experience yield: 40.

Pokédex entries

A feeble, pitiful imbecile of a Pokémon that is nonetheless very hardy. Unperturbed by turbid water, it can be found living in all sorts of places. (Legends: Arceus)

This weak and pathetic Pokémon gets easily pushed along rivers when there are strong currents. (Crystal, Shield)

It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. It is the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world. (FireRed, X, Sword)

Famous for being very unreliable. It can be found swimming in seas, lakes, rivers and shallow puddles. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

Thanks to their strong hold on life, dirty water doesn't bother them at all. They live in waters all over the world! (Ultra Moon)

In the distant past, they were fairly strong, but they have become gradually weaker over time. (Ultra Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lowest base stat total among Water types in Gen 1: 200.
• Taller than 43% of all Pokémon (0.9 m).
• Heavier than 28% of all Pokémon (10 kg).
• Base stat total 200, ranked #1012 of 1,025.
• One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 97 red Pokémon.
• Number 129 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 3 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 18 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: Magikarp (Pokémon), Serebii: Magikarp (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (MAJ-ih-karp): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Water-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Swift Swim ability · Rattled ability · Compare Magikarp · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Water 2 egg group · Dragon egg group · Pokémon that start with M · Fish Pokémon

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