#0964 · Paldea · Generation 9

Palafin

Dolphin Pokémon · Water-type

Palafin is a Water-type Pokémon, the Dolphin Pokémon, number 964 (#0964) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 9 and comes from the Paldea region. It is 1.3 m tall and weighs 60.2 kg.

Palafin spends its life looking like a plain Finizen, then transforms into a caped sea hero the moment its allies are in danger. In Hero Form the Pokédex says it can easily hoist a whole cruise ship on a single fin.

How to pronounce Palafin

Palafin is pronounced PAL-uh-fin. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Palafin said out loud:

In Japanese it is イルカマン (Irukaman).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

In Zero Form Palafin is 1.3 m and 60.2 kg and looks almost identical to Finizen, apart from a heart-shaped mark on its chest; the Pokédex says its physical abilities match Finizen's. Hero Form is 1.8 m and 97.4 kg, stands on its tail flukes, and has a bulky, human-like body, lenses over its eyes, gloves, a cape and three water rings. The Pokédex says this form swims at 50 knots (about 93 km/h).

Behaviour

Palafin transforms when allies call out to it for help, and the Pokédex says it will never show anybody the moment of change. In Hero Form it saves drowning people and Pokémon. In the anime it stretches its water rings into flotation devices.

Habitat

The Pokédex gives no habitat. In Scarlet and Violet Palafin is not found in the wild: you evolve it from Finizen or meet it in 5-star Tera Raid Battles.

Powers

Its Ability, Zero to Hero, turns it into Hero Form when it is swapped out of battle without fainting, and it stays that way until the battle ends. Hero Form lifts base Attack from 70 to 160. Palafin starts with Jet Punch, a move no other Pokémon is known to learn, and gets Flip Turn when it evolves. Its base Speed of 100 is the same in both forms.

Name origin

Palafin may combine 'paladin' or 'pal' (a second player is required to evolve it) with 'fin' or delfín. The Japanese name is Irukaman (イルカマン), which may join iruka ('dolphin') with 'man', a common ending for superhero codenames.

Design inspiration

Palafin appears to be a dolphin crossed with a superhero: Zero Form may echo a hero's everyday identity and Hero Form a hero changing out of sight. Bulbapedia also suggests the Pink Boto, a South American river-dolphin legend. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Palafin evolves from Finizen at level 38 in a Union Circle group, and has no further evolution.

In the games

Palafin is not found in the wild in Scarlet and Violet, where it debuted as number 292 in the Paldea Pokédex. It is not in either expansion and is not available in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Both forms debuted in 'Transform! Hero of the Seas, Palafin', where one swapped between forms to act as a hero. Liko was the only person who saw the change, and she kept it secret.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia says its base stat totals of 457 in Zero Form and 650 in Hero Form are each shared with no other Pokémon.
• Hero Form's base Attack ties Mega Feraligatr's as the highest of any Water Pokémon, according to Bulbapedia.
• Bulbapedia mentions a fan theory that the evolution level of 38 nods to 1938, when Superman first appeared.

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

Base stats

• HP: 100
• Attack: 70
• Defense: 72
• Sp. Atk: 53
• Sp. Def: 62
• Speed: 100

Palafin’s base stat total is 457. Its highest stat is HP and Speed.

Type matchups

What is Palafin weak to?

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

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

Evolution

What does Palafin evolve from?

Palafin evolves from Finizen at level 38. It only evolves while you are in a Union Circle with another player (multiplayer).

Palafin is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Finizen, Palafin.

Forms

• Hero Form Palafin (Battle form): Water-type, base stat total 650 (HP 100, Attack 160, Defense 97, Sp. Atk 106, Sp. Def 87, Speed 100). Ability: Zero to Hero.

Abilities

• Zero to Hero: Transforms into its Hero Form when switching out.

Moves

Moves Palafin learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Palafin learns the move the moment it evolves: Flip Turn.

TM moves (51)

Palafin can learn 51 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Agility, Protect, Water Pulse, Acrobatics, Disarming Voice, Chilling Water, Facade, Swift, Icy Wind, Draining Kiss, Fling, Endure, Rain Dance, Zen Headbutt, Bulk Up, Body Slam, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Drain Punch, Waterfall, Grass Knot, Rest, Taunt, Iron Head, Substitute, Liquidation, Aura Sphere, Hyper Voice, Encore, Surf, Helping Hand, Reversal, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Giga Impact, Outrage, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Close Combat, Tera Blast, Haze, Focus Punch, Flip Turn, Psych Up, Endeavor, Whirlpool, Throat Chop, Hard Press.

Egg moves (5), which Finizen can hatch knowing:Boomburst, Bounce, Counter, Haze, Tickle.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field, Water 2.
• Egg cycles: 40 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 5,120).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 HP effort values.
• Base experience yield: 160.

Pokédex entries

Its physical capabilities are no different than a Finizen's, but when its allies are in danger, it transforms and powers itself up. (Violet)

This Pokémon changes its appearance if it hears its allies calling for help. Palafin will never show anybody its moment of transformation. (Scarlet)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 64% of all Pokémon (1.3 m).
• Heavier than 72% of all Pokémon (60.2 kg).
• Base stat total 457, ranked #492 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is HP, ranked #95 of 1,025.
• One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 59 of 120 Pokémon introduced in Generation 9 (Paldea).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 66 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 2 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: Palafin (Pokémon), Serebii: Palafin (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (PAL-uh-fin): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.

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

Explore

Water-type Pokémon · Paldea region guide · Zero to Hero ability · Compare Palafin · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 9 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 9 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Field egg group · Water 2 egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Whale and Dolphin Pokémon

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