Skarmory
Skarmory is a Steel/Flying-type Pokémon, the Armor Bird Pokémon, number 227 (#0227) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 1.7 m tall and weighs 50.5 kg.
Skarmory is the Armor Bird Pokémon, a steel-plated bird with swords for feathers that looks too heavy to fly but is lightweight and hollow-boned. It can fly at up to 300 km/h (185 mph), and in Legends: Z-A it Mega Evolves into a golden bird that outruns sound.
How to pronounce Skarmory
Skarmory is pronounced SKAR-mor-ee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Skarmory said out loud:
In Japanese it is エアームド (Airmd).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Skarmory is a silver-grey bird, 1.7 m tall and 50.5 kg, with a metallic blue neck, legs and tail, yellow eyes, a toothed beak and a triangular crest. Red feathers sit under sheaths of steel on its wings. The Pokédex says its steel wings get battered in fights but grow back completely once a year, restoring edges sharper than a sword. It looks heavy, but the Pokédex says its bones are hollow and light.
Behaviour
Skarmory nests in bramble bushes, and the Pokédex says the thorns scratching its chicks harden their feathers. Its metal body rusts, so it stays home in its nest when it rains. In Galar the Pokédex says it fights Corviknight viciously over territory. People once made swords from its shed feathers, so it is popular in heraldic designs.
Habitat
Bulbapedia lists it among Pokémon of rough, harsh terrain. In Scarlet and Violet it appears in the Indigo Disk's Canyon Biome, and in Legends: Z-A in Wild Zones 17 and 20 and in Hyperspace Lumiose.
Powers
Skarmory has Keen Eye or Sturdy, with Weak Armor hidden, and it learns Steel Wing, Drill Peck, Brave Bird and Spikes. Its base Defense of 140 is the highest of any Flying type, but its Attack is only 80. Mega Skarmory, introduced in Legends: Z-A, turns gold with huge armoured talons and gains the Ability Stalwart, with 140 Attack and 110 Speed. The Pokédex says it flies faster than sound and finishes foes with its talons after shock waves.
Name origin
Skarmory may combine 'sky' and 'armory' or 'armor', and may involve 'scar'. The Japanese name is Airmd (エアームド), which may come from 'air' and 'armed'.
Design inspiration
Bulbapedia compares Skarmory to the Andean condor and to cranes, and says it also resembles metallic mythical birds such as the Stymphalian birds. Its concept could pun on tsuru (crane) and tsurugi (sword). Mega Skarmory's gold may refer to Gold and Silver, and its big talons to a crane and a claw machine. These are fan readings.
In the games
Elita's partner in Pokémon Ranger is a Skarmory, and Blueberry Academy in The Indigo Disk uses Skarmory for its Flying Taxi service. It debuted in Gold and Silver, and in Legends: Z-A it appears in the base game and the Mega Dimension DLC.
In the anime
Miki's Skarmory debuted in 'Hot Matches!' and defeated Brock's Vulpix before losing to Ash's Cyndaquil. In 'Who's Flying Now?' Winona offers rides on her giant Skarmory at the Feather Festival.
Fun facts
- In the Spaceworld '97 demo it looks like an earlier design called Yoroidori, a name that later became its Japanese category.
- Its Gold and Silver sprites showed a second tail above the first, which no artwork shows; Crystal removed it.
- Mega Skarmory weighs 40.4 kg, 10.1 kg lighter than Skarmory.
- Bulbapedia notes it is the only Steel type introduced in Generation II that does not evolve from another Pokémon.
Base stats
- HP: 65
- Attack: 80
- Defense: 140
- Sp. Atk: 40
- Sp. Def: 70
- Speed: 70
Skarmory’s base stat total is 465. Its highest stat is Defense.
Type matchups
What is Skarmory weak to?
Skarmory takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Electric (2×) moves.
It resists Grass (¼×), Bug (¼×), Normal (½×), Flying (½×), Psychic (½×), Dragon (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Poison, Ground moves.
Evolution
Skarmory does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.
Forms
- Mega Skarmory (Mega): Steel/Flying-type, base stat total 565 (HP 65, Attack 140, Defense 110, Sp. Atk 40, Sp. Def 100, Speed 110). Ability: Stalwart.
Abilities
- Keen Eye: Prevents accuracy from being lowered.
- Sturdy: Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
- Weak Armor (hidden ability): Raises Speed and lowers Defense by one stage each upon being hit by a physical move.
Moves
Moves Skarmory learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leer | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Peck | Flying | Physical | 35 |
| 4 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — |
| 8 | Fury Attack | Normal | Physical | 15 |
| 12 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 |
| 16 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — |
| 20 | Wing Attack | Flying | Physical | 60 |
| 24 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 |
| 28 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 |
| 32 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 |
| 36 | Drill Peck | Flying | Physical | 80 |
| 40 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — |
| 44 | Spikes | Ground | Status | — |
| 48 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — |
| 52 | Brave Bird | Flying | Physical | 120 |
TM moves (44)
Skarmory can learn 44 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Protect, Thief, Facade, Aerial Ace, Metal Claw, Swift, Icy Wind, Rock Tomb, Air Cutter, Endure, Sunny Day, Sandstorm, Air Slash, Sleep Talk, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Swords Dance, Body Press, Spikes, Flash Cannon, Dark Pulse, Fly, Iron Head, Substitute, Iron Defense, X-Scissor, Drill Run, Tailwind, Stealth Rock, Reversal, Giga Impact, Hurricane, Hyper Beam, Brave Bird, Steel Beam, Tera Blast, Roar, Sand Tomb, Dual Wingbeat, Metal Sound, Curse.
Egg moves (7):Air Cutter, Curse, Feint, Night Slash, Roost, Sky Attack, Whirlwind.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Flying.
- Egg cycles: 25 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 3,200).
- Catch rate: 25 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 Defense effort values.
- Base experience yield: 163.
Pokédex entries
People fashion swords from Skarmory's shed feathers, so this Pokémon is a popular element in heraldic designs. (Shield)
The pointed feathers of these Pokémon are sharper than swords. Skarmory and Corviknight fight viciously over territory. (Sword)
Its body is draped in steel armor. It looks heavy, but it can fly at speeds of up to 185 miles an hour! (Ultra Moon)
The wing feathers it sheds can be processed and made into knives whose sharpness is recognized by the finest chefs. (Ultra Sun)
Its metal body is sturdy, but it does rust rather easily. So on rainy days, this Pokémon prefers to stay put in its nest. (Moon)
Its feathers, which fall off as it grows, are thin and sharp. In times long past, warriors used them as swords. (Sun)
Names around the world
| Japanese | エアームド |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Airmd |
| French | Airmure |
| German | Panzaeron |
| Spanish | Skarmory |
| Italian | Skarmory |
| Korean | 무장조 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 盔甲鸟 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 盔甲鳥 |
Trivia
- Highest Defense among Flying types: 140.
- Highest Defense among Flying types in Gen 2: 140.
- Lightest Steel type in Gen 2: 50.5 kg.
- Fastest Steel type in Gen 2: 70 Speed.
- Lowest base stat total among Steel types in Gen 2: 465, shared with 1 other.
- Taller than 80% of all Pokémon (1.7 m).
- Heavier than 67% of all Pokémon (50.5 kg).
- Base stat total 465, ranked #466 of 1,025.
- Its best stat is Defense, ranked #21 of 1,025.
- One of 3 Pokémon that are both Steel and Flying.
- One of 107 gray Pokémon.
- Number 76 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
- Can learn 58 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 25: about 3.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Has 1 alternate form.
- Appears in 15 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: Skarmory (Pokémon), Serebii: Skarmory (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (SKAR-mor-ee): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Steel-type Pokémon · Flying-type Pokémon · Steel/Flying weaknesses and matchups · Skarmory vs Corviknight · Johto region guide · Keen Eye ability · Sturdy ability · Weak Armor ability · Compare Skarmory · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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