golbat
Generation I · #0042 — Bat Pokémon
Golbat is a dual-type Poison/Flying Pokémon introduced in Generation I, serving as the evolved form of Zubat when the creature reaches level 22. As the Bat Pokémon, Golbat represents a significant power spike in the early-game experience, boasting improved base stats across the board compared to its pre-evolution. With a base stat total of 455, Golbat demonstrates balanced offensive and defensive capabilities, though its true potential isn't fully realized until it evolves into Crobat through friendship. The species has maintained consistent availability throughout the entire Pokémon franchise, appearing in nearly every generation's regional Pokédex and remaining a staple of caves, dark locations, and night-time encounters across the various regions.
Base Stats
Height
1.6m
Weight
55.0kg
Category
Bat Pokémon
Gender
Male 50% / Female 50%
Color
purple
Shape
wings
Habitat
cave
Abilities
Prevents flinching.
Bypasses light screen, reflect, and safeguard.
Golbat Biology & Physical Characteristics
Golbat is a large, blue chiropteran Pokémon with distinctive purple wing membranes that enable its aerial capabilities. The creature features a massive mouth equipped with four prominent fangs—two in the upper jaw and two in the lower—each containing specialized hollow tubes resembling straws that function as blood-drinking apparatus. Despite having relatively small eyes with slit-like pupils and tiny triangular ears with purple insides, Golbat possesses surprisingly sharp fangs capable of piercing even the hardest of hides, a characteristic that occasionally leads to tragic consequences when hungry individuals attempt to feed on Steel-type Pokémon. The species displays short legs with long, thin feet that belie its remarkable ground mobility, allowing Golbat to move skillfully despite its aerial nature. Standing at 1.6 meters in height and weighing 55.0 kilograms, Golbat is substantially larger than its pre-evolution, with female specimens notable for having smaller fangs than their male counterparts.
Pokedex Numbers
Training
Breeding
Golbat Breeding, Gender Ratio & Egg Groups
Golbat exhibits a perfectly balanced gender ratio of 50% male and 50% female, with sexual dimorphism expressed primarily through fang size, as female specimens possess noticeably smaller fangs than their male counterparts. The species belongs to the Flying egg group, making it compatible for breeding with other Pokémon within that classification. With a base happiness value of 70, Golbat starts with reasonable affection toward trainers who capture it, though the species requires dedicated effort to reach the high friendship thresholds necessary for evolving into Crobat. The species hatches from eggs after 15 cycles, translating to approximately 3,599-3,855 steps of travel, providing a moderate breeding timeframe consistent with Generation I standards. Breeding Golbat allows trainers to obtain young Zubat offspring, making it useful for those seeking to raise the evolutionary line from its earliest stage while passing down desirable moves through breeding mechanics.
Sprites
TMs & HMs
tm01
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm02
yellow
tm02
red blue
tm02
crystal
tm02
gold silver
tm02
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm02
blue japan
tm02
red green japan
tm03
crystal
tm03
gold silver
tm04
yellow
tm04
red blue
tm04
red green japan
tm04
blue japan
tm05
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm06
yellow
tm06
gold silver
tm06
red blue
tm06
crystal
tm06
emerald
+611 more TMs/HMs
Gender Differences
This Pokémon has visible differences between male and female forms.
golbat's Evolution Chain
Golbat Evolution, Mega Evolution & Special Forms
Golbat's evolutionary line represents a fascinating progression of power and refinement. The species evolves from Zubat at level 22, gaining improved stats and a more threatening appearance that reflects its maturation as a predator. However, the true form of this evolution line is Crobat, which Golbat can transform into when leveled up while maintaining high friendship with its trainer. This evolution mechanic introduces an interesting layer of gameplay and narrative depth, as it rewards players for building strong bonds with their Pokémon rather than simply grinding experience points. The friendship requirement for achieving Crobat evolution stands as a distinctive mechanic that sets apart this line from many others in Generation I, encouraging players to utilize items like the Exp. Share and vitamins to strengthen their relationship with the Pokémon. While Golbat itself represents a formidable intermediate stage with respectable Speed (90) and Attack (80) statistics, trainers committed to maximizing potential will find the friendship evolution rewarding.
Where to Find
kanto victory road 2
kanto
+11 more
seafoam islands
kanto
+52 more
cerulean cave
kanto
+26 more
whirl islands
johto
+23 more
dark cave
johto
+9 more
ice path
johto
+71 more
kanto victory road 1
kanto
+17 more
mt mortar
johto
+22 more
tohjo falls
johto
+2 more
mt silver
johto
+34 more
slowpoke well
johto
union cave
johto
+2 more
johto route 42
johto
rock tunnel
kanto
kanto route 28
kanto
+1 more
meteor falls
hoenn
+81 more
seafloor cavern
hoenn
+15 more
hoenn victory road
hoenn
+36 more
sky pillar
hoenn
+15 more
cave of origin
hoenn
+57 more
+15 more locations in other games
Golbat Behaviour and Natural Habitat
Golbat is a nocturnal predator that exhibits heightened activity during the pitch-black nights and particularly during moonless evenings, actively seeking fresh blood from both Pokémon and humans. The species is characterized by an insatiable appetite and gluttonous nature, capable of consuming more than ten ounces (approximately 300 milliliters) of blood in a single feeding, though this voracious consumption often results in the creature becoming so heavy that it loses aerial grace and maneuverability. Its hunting tactics are notably stealthy and surprising, attacking without warning and demonstrating a relentless persistence once it has struck its prey—continuing to drain energy from victims even when the Pokémon becomes too heavy to fly effectively. Golbat inhabits caves, caverns, and other dark environments throughout various regions, preferring locations where it can avoid the daylight while hunting cover of darkness.
Pokedex Entries
Once it strikes, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.
It attacks in a stealthy manner, without warning. Its sharp fangs are used to bite and suck blood.
However hard its victim's hide may be, it punctures with sharp fangs and gorges itself with blood.
It can drink more than 10 ounces of blood at once. If it has too much, it gets heavy and flies clumsily.
When it plunges its fangs into its prey, it instantly draws and gulps down more than ten ounces of blood.
GOLBAT loves to drink the blood of living things. It is particularly active in the pitch black of night. This POKéMON flits around in the night skies, seeking fresh blood.
GOLBAT bites down on prey with its four fangs and drinks the victim’s blood. It becomes active on inky dark moonless nights, flying around to attack people and POKéMON.
Its fangs easily puncture even thick animal hide. It loves to feast on the blood of people and POKéMON. It flits about in darkness and strikes from behind.
It clamps down on its prey with needle- sharp fangs and drains over 10 ounces of blood in one gulp.
Once it bites, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.
It loves the blood of humans and Pokémon. It flies around at night in search of neck veins.
Once it starts sucking blood, it does not stop until it is full. It flies at night in search of prey.
Its sharp fangs puncture the toughest of hides and have small holes for greedily sucking blood.
However hard its victim’s hide may be, it punctures with sharp fangs and gorges itself with blood.
It can drink more than 10 ounces of blood at once. If it has too much, it gets heavy and flies clumsily.
Its sharp fangs puncture the toughest of hides and have small holes for greedily sucking blood.
Flitting around in the dead of night, it sinks its fangs into its prey and drains a nearly fatal amount of blood.
Once it bites, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.
Once it starts sucking blood, it does not stop until it is full. It flies at night in search of prey.
Golbat loves to drink the blood of living things. It is particularly active in the pitch black of night. This Pokémon flits around in the night skies, seeking fresh blood.
Golbat bites down on prey with its four fangs and drinks the victim’s blood. It becomes active on inky dark moonless nights, flying around to attack people and Pokémon.
Its thick fangs are hollow like straws, making them unexpectedly fragile. These fangs are specialized for sucking blood.
Every once in a while, you’ll see a Golbat that’s missing some fangs. This happens when hunger drives it to try biting a Steel-type Pokémon.
Sometimes they drink so much blood, they can’t fly anymore. Then they fall to the ground and become food for other Pokémon.
They can suck down over 10 ounces of blood in one go. They have been known to drink so much blood that they can no longer fly.
It attacks in a stealthy manner, without warning. Its sharp fangs are used to bite and to suck blood.
It loves to drink other creatures’ blood. It’s said that if it finds others of its kind going hungry, it sometimes shares the blood it’s gathered.
Its feet are tiny, but this Pokémon walks skillfully. It sneaks up on sleeping prey before sinking in its fangs and slurping up blood.
It sinks its sharp fangs into other creatures and slurps up their blood. A closer look at the fangs reveals that they are hollow and akin to straws.
Golbat Name Origin & Design Inspiration
The name Golbat is derived from 'goal' and 'bat,' reflecting the creature's flying nature and aggressive hunting behavior as it pursues its goal of feeding. The Japanese name ゴルバット (Golbat) shares the same etymological roots. Visually, Golbat's design emphasizes its nature as an evolved bat with exaggerated features—the oversized mouth with prominent fangs immediately communicates its blood-feeding nature, while the purple and blue coloration scheme creates an aesthetically distinct appearance from other flying-types. The design philosophy borrows heavily from real-world vampire bats and other nocturnal predatory species, translating these biological realities into a menacing yet believable Pokémon form. The four-fanged mouth structure is particularly noteworthy as a design choice, distinguishing Golbat from its pre-evolution and communicating increased predatory capability.
Learnable Moves
Golbat can learn 84 moves:
Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absorb | grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| acrobatics | flying | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 |
| aerial ace | flying | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| agility | psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| air cutter | flying | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 |
| air slash | flying | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 |
| assurance | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| astonish | ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| attract | normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| bide | normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| bite | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| brave bird | flying | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| captivate | normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| confide | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| confuse ray | ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| cross poison | poison | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| crunch | dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| curse | ghost | Status | — | — | 10 |
| defog | flying | Status | — | — | 15 |
| detect | fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| double team | normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| double edge | normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| dual wingbeat | flying | Physical | 40 | 90 | 10 |
| endure | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| facade | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| fly | flying | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 |
| frustration | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| giga drain | grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| giga impact | normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| gust | flying | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| haze | ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| headbutt | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| heat wave | fire | Special | 95 | 90 | 10 |
| hidden power | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| hyper beam | normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| hypnosis | psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 |
| leech life | bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| mean look | normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| mega drain | grass | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| mimic | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| nasty plot | dark | Status | — | — | 20 |
| natural gift | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 |
| ominous wind | ghost | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
| payback | dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| pluck | flying | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| poison fang | poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| protect | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| quick attack | normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| quick guard | fighting | Status | — | — | 15 |
| rage | normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| rain dance | water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| razor wind | normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| rest | psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| return | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| roost | flying | Status | — | — | 5 |
| round | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| screech | normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| secret power | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| shadow ball | ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| sleep talk | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| sludge bomb | poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| snatch | dark | Status | — | — | 10 |
| snore | normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| steel wing | steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| substitute | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| sunny day | fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| super fang | normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 |
| supersonic | normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| swagger | normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| swift | normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| tailwind | flying | Status | — | — | 15 |
| take down | normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| taunt | dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| thief | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| torment | dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| toxic | poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| twister | dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| u turn | bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| uproar | normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| venom drench | poison | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| venoshock | poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| whirlwind | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| wing attack | flying | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 |
| zen headbutt | psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 |
Golbat Competitive Battle Guide
Golbat's competitive viability has evolved throughout Pokémon gaming generations, though it generally occupies a niche role due to its base stat total of 455. The species' Speed stat of 90 is its most significant asset, allowing it to outspeed many common threats in casual play, while its Attack stat of 75 and Special Attack of 65 provide offensive capability without excelling in either direction. The ability Inner Focus prevents Golbat from flinching, providing protection against priority moves like Aqua Jet and Bullet Punch, while its hidden ability Infiltrator offers strategic utility by bypassing Light Screen, Reflect, and Safeguard—abilities that can disrupt stall strategies. Golbat's movepool includes access to priority moves and status-inducing techniques, though its limited special attack stat restricts coverage options. Most competitive players view Golbat as a stepping stone to its superior evolution Crobat, which boasts significantly higher Speed and better offensive capabilities, making the intermediate form less viable for serious competitive battling despite possessing respectable defensive investment potential.
Commonly Asked Questions About Golbat
What type is Golbat?
Golbat is a poison and flying type Pokemon.
What does Golbat evolve into?
Golbat evolves into crobat.
What are Golbat's weaknesses?
Golbat is weak to ground, rock, electric, psychic and ice type moves.
Where can I find Golbat?
Golbat can be found in kanto victory road 2 (kanto), seafoam islands (kanto) and cerulean cave (kanto) and 32 other locations.
Golbat Cultural Impact & Franchise History
Golbat has achieved significant cultural prominence through its appearances in the Pokémon anime, most notably as the signature Pokémon of Gym Leader Koga of Fuchsia City and later as a core member of his son Janine's team. Brock also famously utilized a Golbat throughout his journey with Ash, with the Pokémon evolving from his Zubat and serving as a reliable team member across multiple regions and seasons. These memorable trainer partnerships elevated Golbat from being merely a common cave encounter to an iconic species with demonstrated competitive viability and character depth. The species has inspired numerous fan artworks and discussions regarding its evolution mechanics, particularly the friendship requirement for achieving Crobat form, which has resonated with players seeking meaningful gameplay systems that reward player-Pokémon bonding. Additionally, Golbat's distinctive design has made it recognizable to casual audiences despite not achieving the cultural prominence of other Generation I creatures.
Where to Find Golbat in Every Pokémon Game
Golbat enjoys extensive availability across the Pokémon gaming franchise, appearing in the regional Pokédexes of nearly every generation since its introduction in Generation I. In the original Red, Blue, and Yellow versions, Golbat can be encountered in caves such as Mt. Moon and Cerulean Cave as an evolution of wild Zubat. Subsequent generations have maintained its presence in cave systems and dark locations, with regional variations in specific locations—Gold/Silver/Crystal features Golbat in Union Cave and Dark Cave, while Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald places it in Meteor Falls and various caves. The species appears consistently in later generations including Diamond/Pearl, Black 2/White 2, X/Y, Sun/Moon, Sword/Shield, and Scarlet/Violet. Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee continue the tradition of featuring Golbat in cave encounters, and competitive players have access to the species through breeding Zubat in nearly all modern titles. Its consistently high catch rate of 90 ensures that trainers can reliably obtain Golbat specimens when encountered, making it an accessible choice for team building.