Zubat
Zubat is a Poison/Flying-type Pokémon, the Bat Pokémon, number 41 (#0041) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.8 m tall and weighs 7.5 kg.
Zubat has no eyes at all, yet it threads through pitch-black caves by listening to the echoes of its own ultrasonic cries. It is the first stage of a three-bat line that ends with Crobat.
How to pronounce Zubat
Zubat is pronounced ZOO-bat. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Zubat said out loud:
In Japanese it is ズバット.
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Zubat is a blue bat with purple wing membranes, pointed ears lined with purple and two sharp teeth on each jaw; males have larger fangs than females. It is 0.8 m tall and weighs 7.5 kg. Bulbapedia notes it has neither eyes nor nostrils, and the Pokédex says it senses its surroundings with ultrasonic waves from its mouth.
Behaviour
Zubat sleeps upside down by day and avoids sunlight, which the Pokédex says can burn its thin skin. At night it leaves its cave in a big flock to hunt, and in cold weather the colony huddles together for warmth. Bulbapedia adds that Zubat owned by Trainers cope with daylight far better than wild ones.
Habitat
The Pokédex habitat is caves, and Bulbapedia adds forests and the eaves of old buildings. It cannot be caught in Scarlet and Violet, but Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC places it in Hyperspace Lumiose.
Powers
Its Ability Inner Focus stops it flinching, and the hidden Ability Infiltrator lets its moves slip past Reflect, Light Screen and Safeguard. Supersonic confuses foes, while Leech Life, Air Slash and Poison Fang do the damage. With a base stat total of only 245 and a Speed of 55, it is a stepping stone rather than a fighter.
Name origin
Zubat blends 'bat' with zubatto (ずばっと), a Japanese word for 'piercingly'. The Japanese name is Zubat (ズバット), written the same way as in English.
Design inspiration
Zubat appears to be based on a bat, especially a vampire bat. Its Poison type may come from the blood-thinning properties of vampire bat saliva or from bats' reputation for spreading disease, and its missing eyes may nod to cave animals or to the myth that bats are blind. The idea that sunlight burns it may come from vampire legends. These are fan readings, not official statements.
Evolution notes
Zubat evolves into Golbat at level 22.
In the games
Zubat is a Kanto original that lives in Mt. Moon, Rock Tunnel, the Seafoam Islands and Victory Road in Red and Blue. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness it is the first boss, as a member of Team Skull.
In the anime
Zubat debuted in 'Clefairy and the Moon Stone', where a swarm attacked a scientist at Mt. Moon. Brock caught one that later became Golbat and then Crobat.
Fun facts
- Having no eyes, it is the only Alpha Pokémon in Legends: Arceus without glowing red eyes.
- It shares its name with Kaiketsu Zubat, a 1977 Japanese live-action superhero series.
- Noibat, a Dragon and Flying bat from Kalos, has the same base stat total of 245 as Zubat, with its Attack and Special Attack swapped.
Base stats
- HP: 40
- Attack: 45
- Defense: 35
- Sp. Atk: 30
- Sp. Def: 40
- Speed: 55
Zubat’s base stat total is 245. Its highest stat is Speed.
Type matchups
What is Zubat weak to?
Zubat takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Ice (2×), Psychic (2×), Rock (2×) moves.
It resists Grass (¼×), Fighting (¼×), Bug (¼×), Poison (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Ground moves.
Evolution
How does Zubat evolve?
Zubat evolves into Golbat at level 22.
The whole family: Zubat, Golbat, Crobat.
Abilities
- Inner Focus: Prevents flinching.
- Infiltrator (hidden ability): Bypasses Light Screen, Reflect, and Safeguard.
Moves
Moves Zubat learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 |
| 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — |
| 5 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 |
| 10 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — |
| 15 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 |
| 20 | Quick Guard | Fighting | Status | — |
| 25 | Air Cutter | Flying | Special | 60 |
| 30 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 |
| 35 | Haze | Ice | Status | — |
| 40 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 |
| 45 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — |
| 50 | Air Slash | Flying | Special | 75 |
| 55 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 |
TM moves (34)
Zubat can learn 34 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Fly, Rest, Thief, Snore, Protect, Giga Drain, Steel Wing, Attract, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Facade, Swift, U-turn, Payback, Assurance, Venoshock, Round, Acrobatics, Air Slash, Agility, Leech Life, Substitute, Sludge Bomb, Endure, Sleep Talk, Crunch, Shadow Ball, Uproar, Heat Wave, Taunt, Brave Bird, Nasty Plot, Zen Headbutt, Venom Drench.
Egg moves (7):Curse, Defog, Gust, Hypnosis, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack.
Move tutor moves (1): Dual Wingbeat.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Flying.
- Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
- Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
- Base experience yield: 49.
Pokédex entries
Makes its home in gloomy caves. Atrophied eyes have left this Pokémon blind, so it scans its surroundings via sound waves that it emits from its mouth as it flies. (Legends: Arceus)
Zubat live in caves, down where the sun's light won't reach. In the morning, they gather together to keep each other warm as they sleep. (Shield)
It emits ultrasonic waves from its mouth to check its surroundings. Even in tight caves, Zubat flies around with skill. (Sword)
Emits ultrasonic cries while it flies. They act as a sonar used to check for objects in its way. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)
Their skin is so thin that they'll be burned if sunlight hits them. When it gets cold out, they gather together to warm one another's bodies. (Ultra Moon)
It has no eyeballs, so it can't see. It checks its surroundings via the ultrasonic waves it emits from its mouth. (Ultra Sun)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ズバット |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Zubat |
| French | Nosferapti |
| German | Zubat |
| Spanish | Zubat |
| Italian | Zubat |
| Korean | 주뱃 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 超音蝠 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 超音蝠 |
Trivia
- Slowest Flying type in Gen 1: 55 Speed.
- Lowest base stat total among Flying types in Gen 1: 245.
- Taller than 39% of all Pokémon (0.8 m).
- Heavier than 22% of all Pokémon (7.5 kg).
- Base stat total 245, ranked #976 of 1,025.
- One of 3 Pokémon that are both Poison and Flying.
- One of 87 purple Pokémon.
- Number 41 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
- Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
- Can learn 52 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 21 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: Zubat (Pokémon), Serebii: Zubat (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (ZOO-bat): 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
Poison-type Pokémon · Flying-type Pokémon · Poison/Flying weaknesses and matchups · Kanto region guide · Inner Focus ability · Infiltrator ability · Compare Zubat · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Flying-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Purple Pokémon list · Flying egg group · Pokémon that start with Z · Bat Pokémon
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