Gaming Guide

Dragonite Pokémon guide: evolution, stats, weaknesses, and moves

Where to catch the original pseudo-legendary, its base stats and Mega form, plus the type matchups and moves that matter.

Where to catch the original pseudo-legendary, its base stats and Mega form, plus the type matchups and moves that matter.

Dragonite is the final stage of the Dratini line and the dual Dragon/Flying powerhouse that fans have chased since the very first games. It carries National Pokédex number 0149, hits hard with a 134 base Attack, and now has a Mega Evolution that debuts in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Below is the practical rundown you need to evolve one, find one, and battle with it.

Quick answer: Evolve Dratini into Dragonair at level 30, then evolve Dragonair into Dragonite at level 55. Dragonite is weak to Ice (4x), plus Dragon, Fairy, and Rock, and it is immune to Ground.


How to evolve Dragonite

Dragonite sits at the end of a slow evolution chain, so patience is part of the deal. Dratini becomes Dragonair at level 30, and Dragonair becomes Dragonite at level 55. There is no item or trade requirement for the main line, just levels.

For the Mega form, you need a Dragoninite stone, which first appears in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. You can find a Dragoninite in Vert Sector 3 after finishing Main Mission 32, the quest that pits you against a rogue Mega Dragonite.


Where to find Dragonite in each generation

In most games the reliable route is evolving a Dragonair, but several titles let you catch Dragonite directly in specific areas.

GameHow to get Dragonite
Red / Blue / YellowEvolve a Dragonair
Gold / Silver / CrystalEvolve a Dragonair
Ruby / Sapphire / EmeraldTrade (FireRed/LeafGreen evolve a Dragonair)
Diamond / Pearl / PlatinumEvolve a Dragonair
HeartGold / SoulSilverEvolve a Dragonair
Black / WhiteDragonspiral Tower
Black 2 / White 2Route 18 and Dragonspiral Tower
X / YEvolve a Dragonair
Omega Ruby / Alpha SapphireTrade
Sun / Moon / Ultra Sun / Ultra MoonPoni Gauntlet
Let’s Go Pikachu / EeveeWild on Routes 1–25 (most routes)
Sword / ShieldTrade (Expansion Pass: Crown Tundra areas)
Brilliant Diamond / Shining PearlEvolve a Dragonair
Scarlet / VioletCasseroya Lake and North Province: Area Two
Legends: Z-ACentrico Plaza: Wild Zone 20

Note: Dragonite is unobtainable in Legends: Arceus. In Pokémon Pokopia, you summon it by building a waterside dinghy habitat with a canoe and two duckweeds placed in a high-up patch of water.


Dragonite base stats and Mega Dragonite

Standard Dragonite is built around physical Attack with a balanced bulk. Mega Dragonite shifts the focus toward Special Attack and defenses while raising Speed, and its base stat total climbs from 600 to 700.

StatDragoniteMega Dragonite
HP9191
Attack134124
Defense95115
Sp. Atk100145
Sp. Def100125
Speed80100
Total600700

Its standard ability is Inner Focus, with Multiscale as the hidden ability. Multiscale halves damage taken while Dragonite is at full HP, which makes it far harder to knock out on a clean switch-in. Mega Dragonite keeps Multiscale. Dragonite has a 50/50 gender ratio, an EV yield of three Attack, a catch rate around 11.9 percent, and it belongs to the Water 1 and Dragon egg groups.


Dragonite type strengths and weaknesses

As a Dragon/Flying type, Dragonite has a glaring double weakness to Ice and several other soft spots. Keep it away from opposing Dragon attackers like Rayquaza and Garchomp, since Dragon moves hit it for super-effective damage too.

EffectTypes
Weak (4x)Ice
Weak (2x)Dragon, Fairy, Rock
ResistantBug, Fighting, Fire, Grass, Water
ImmuneGround
Normal damageDark, Electric, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Steel

Dragonite moveset in Scarlet and Violet

Dragonite learns a wide spread of coverage moves through leveling, including its signature priority option Extreme Speed at level one. Hurricane comes the moment it evolves.

LevelMoveType
1Extreme SpeedNormal
1Fire PunchFire
1Thunder PunchElectric
1Wing AttackFlying
1RoostFlying
1TwisterDragon
EvolutionHurricaneFlying
15Dragon TailDragon
20AgilityPsychic
25SlamNormal
33Aqua TailWater
39Dragon RushDragon
41OutrageDragon
53Rain DanceWater
62Dragon DanceDragon
80Hyper BeamNormal

On top of these, Dragonite is compatible with a deep TM pool that covers most attacking types, including Ice Beam, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Draco Meteor, and Iron Head. Useful egg moves include Aqua Jet, Dragon Breath, Extreme Speed, Mist, Supersonic, and Water Pulse.


Dragonite moveset in Legends: Z-A

The level-up list is leaner in Legends: Z-A, leaning on physical Dragon and Normal moves. Hurricane is learned on evolution, while Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, and Wing Attack can be picked up through the Remember Moves feature.

LevelMoveType
EvolutionHurricaneFlying
1TackleNormal
1LeerNormal
1Air SlashFlying
5TwisterDragon
10Thunder WaveElectric
15Take DownNormal
20Breaking SwipeDragon
25Brutal SwingDark
30Dragon RushDragon
40SafeguardNormal
50Extreme SpeedNormal
55OutrageDragon
60Hyper BeamNormal

Dragonite in Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, Dragonite reaches a maximum of 4287 CP at level 50 with stats of 263 Attack, 198 Defense, and 209 HP. Its strongest Dragon-type setup is Dragon Tail paired with Draco Meteor, both boosted during Windy weather, which is also when wild encounters and raids are more common. Shiny Dragonite is available.

For raids, the Dragon Tail and Outrage or Draco Meteor combination makes it a dependable Dragon attacker. As a gym defender its high CP helps it lose motivation slowly, but the double Ice weakness and lack of answers to Fairy types limit how long it holds.


Whether you are grinding levels for that long climb to 55 or hunting a Dragoninite in Legends: Z-A, the original pseudo-legendary still earns a slot on plenty of teams thanks to its broad coverage, priority Extreme Speed, and Multiscale bulk.