#0057 · Kanto · Generation 1

Primeape

Pig Monkey Pokémon · Fighting-type

Primeape is a Fighting-type Pokémon, the Pig Monkey Pokémon, number 57 (#0057) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1 m tall and weighs 32 kg.

Primeape is the Pig Monkey Pokémon, a furious Fighting type that gets angrier when you meet its eye, angrier still when you run, and angrier again when you beat it. Its fury is so complete that it never forgives an opponent, even a beaten one.

How to pronounce Primeape

Primeape is pronounced PRIME-ayp. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Primeape said out loud:

In Japanese it is オコリザル (Okorizaru).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Primeape is a bipedal ape, 1 m tall and 32 kg, with shaggy beige fur and a throbbing vein on its forehead. Metal shackles circle its wrists and ankles, which Bulbapedia thinks are for weight training, and its mitten-like hands look like boxing gloves. When it is furious its blood flows faster, boosting its muscles but dulling its mind, and its brain's blood vessels are sturdy enough to cope.

Behaviour

Primeape will chase whoever angered it to the ends of the earth, even in a groggy half-sleep if it was woken. Some researchers think it is angry even inside a Poké Ball, and the Pokédex says it calms down only when no one is looking. The Sun Pokédex says its rage can even be fatal, and its face looks peaceful afterwards.

Habitat

Bulbapedia lists it as a mountain Pokémon. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in Paldea's Provinces and, in The Teal Mask, Kitakami's wilds and woods.

Diet

Berries, which Bulbapedia says it competes for with Ursaring, and bananas in the anime.

Powers

Its Abilities are Vital Spirit, Anger Point and the hidden Defiant. Rage Fist, a Ghost-type move that Bulbapedia says only Primeape and Annihilape are known to learn, comes at level 35, alongside Close Combat and Cross Chop. With base Attack 105 and Speed 95 it is a fast, fierce attacker with soft defences.

Name origin

Primeape combines 'prime', 'primate' and 'ape'. The Japanese name is Okorizaru (オコリザル), from the phrase for 'angry monkey'.

Design inspiration

Like Mankey, Primeape may take cues from the Southern pig-tailed macaque, baboons and snub-nosed monkeys, and some primates really do treat eye contact as a threat. Its boxing-glove hands and metal weights suggest a trained fighter. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Primeape evolves from Mankey at level 28. It evolves into Annihilape if it levels up after using Rage Fist 20 times.

In the games

In Scarlet and Violet, Primeape appears in 4-star Tera Raid Battles. In Legends: Z-A it comes by trade in the base game and is wild only in the Mega Dimension DLC. It dates from Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan).

In the anime

Ash's Primeape debuted in 'Primeape Goes Bananas', where a Mankey that stole his hat evolved into it, and Ash caught it after it battled his Charmander.

Fun facts

• Primeape and Annihilape are the furthest-apart evolutionary pair in the National Pokédex: 922 numbers separate them.
• In 'Chikorita's Big Upset' a Primeape led a gang of wild Fighting Pokémon until Chikorita beat it and it handed over leadership.
• In the novelisation Pocket Monsters: The Animation, written by the anime's chief writer, Primeape is the reason Poké Balls were developed, though the books' canon status is unclear.

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

Base stats

• HP: 65
• Attack: 105
• Defense: 60
• Sp. Atk: 60
• Sp. Def: 70
• Speed: 95

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

Type matchups

What is Primeape weak to?

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

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

Evolution

What does Primeape evolve from?

Primeape evolves from Mankey at level 28.

How does Primeape evolve?

Primeape evolves into Annihilape (Use Rage Fist 20 times). After the 20 uses, Primeape also has to level up.

The whole family: Mankey, Primeape, Annihilape.

Abilities

• Vital Spirit: Prevents sleep.
• Anger Point: Raises Attack to the maximum of six stages upon receiving a critical hit.
• Defiant (hidden ability): Raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered.

Moves

Moves Primeape learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (60)

Primeape can learn 60 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Scary Face, Protect, Low Kick, Acrobatics, Thief, Facade, Bulldoze, Swift, Rock Tomb, Low Sweep, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Dig, Brick Break, U-turn, Shadow Claw, Bulk Up, Body Slam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Metronome, Poison Jab, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Stealth Rock, Encore, Thunderbolt, Helping Hand, Reversal, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Outrage, Overheat, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Close Combat, Tera Blast, Spite, Smack Down, Vacuum Wave, Uproar, Focus Punch, Lash Out, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Throat Chop, Curse.

Egg moves (6), which Mankey can hatch knowing:Beat Up, Counter, Curse, Encore, Night Slash, Spite.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 75 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

It stops being angry only when nobody else is around. To view this moment is very difficult. (Yellow, X, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

The blood vessels in its brain are sturdier than those of other Pokémon, so it can stay healthy despite its constant raging. (Ultra Moon)

It will never forgive opponents who have angered it. Even after it has beaten them down until they can't move, it never ever forgives. (Ultra Sun)

Some researchers theorize that Primeape remains angry even when inside a Poké Ball. (Moon)

It has been known to become so angry that it dies as a result. Its face looks peaceful in death, however. (Sun)

When Primeape becomes furious, its blood circulation is boosted. In turn, its muscles are made even stronger. However, it also becomes much less intelligent at the same time. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Fastest Fighting type in Gen 1: 95 Speed.
• Taller than 47% of all Pokémon (1 m).
• Heavier than 54% of all Pokémon (32 kg).
• Base stat total 455, ranked #494 of 1,025.
• One of 73 Fighting-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 57 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 75 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 75: about 9.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 14 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: Primeape (Pokémon), Serebii: Primeape (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (PRIME-ayp): 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 · Kanto region guide · Vital Spirit ability · Anger Point ability · Defiant ability · Compare Primeape · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Fighting-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Monkey and Ape Pokémon

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