Magikarp (Pokémon)

Magikarp コイキング Koiking

Artwork from FR/LG

Type Species  Water  Fish Pokémon Ability Exp. at 100 Swift Swim 1,250,000 Pokédex Kanto #129 Johto #076 Hoenn #052 Sinnoh #023 Browser Fiore R-124 Almia R— Height Weight 2'11" 22.0 lbs. Pokédex color Body style Footprint Catch rate Red 255 Gender ratio   50% male   50% female Egg groups Egg cycles Water 2, Dragon 6 (1530 steps*) EV yield HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 0 Speed 1 Exp. 20 External links On Legendary Pokémon Pokédex: Generation III Generation IV On Pokémon Palace Network Pokédex (Gen. I-III) On Smogon Pokédex: Generation I Generation II Generation III Generation IV On Eevee's Pokédex (Gen. I-IV) On Psypoke Pokédex On Pokecharms Pokédex (Gen. III-IV) On Marriland Pokédex (Gen. IV) On Serebii's Pokédex: Generation I/II Generation III (Spin-Off games) Generation IV (Spin-Off games) On Azure Heights Pokédex (Gen. I) On Pokémon Dungeon Pokédex (Gen. I-II) On Ultimate Pokémon Center Pokédex (Gen. I-IV) Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Magikarp (Japanese: コイキング Koiking) is a Water-type Pokémon.

It evolves into Gyarados starting at level 20.

Due to its low stats (Speed, however, at 80, being the highest) and the fact that it only has the move Splash until level 15, Magikarp is often considered the weakest Pokémon in existence.

Biology

Physiology

Magikarp is a reddish-orange, medium-sized fish. Its notable characteristics include large, heavy scales. Its fins are primarily white, but it has a stiff, three-peaked fins on its back and stomach which are both yellow. It also has long barbels.

Gender differences

A female has white barbels, and a male has tan barbs.

Special abilities

Long-lived Magikarp are able to utilize their immense splashing power to leap high enough to jump mountains. Magikarp also have a strong enough immune system to survive in the most polluted of waters.

Behavior

Although this Pokémon is capable of surviving in even the most polluted ponds, it is usually overlooked by trainers because it is pathetically weak: even in the heat of battle it will do nothing but flop around. It is not a strong swimmer, and currents in the water will sweep it downstream. They are normally seen using Splash, which is unusual, as it makes them easy targets to predators. It is believed that the ancestors of this Pokémon were much stronger than the Magikarp seen today, and this belief has led scientists to research this species.

Water's-edge Pokémon

Habitat

Magikarp is found in many bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. However, due to its weak swimming ability it usually lives downstream of the water's flow.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

In the anime

Magikarp in the anime

Several episodes, the first one being in Battle Aboard the St. Anne, involve a particular salesman trying to sell certain Pokémon to someone. The person he is usually trying to con is James and he usually sells Magikarp, claiming that they're very valuable.

Team Rocket used a Magikarp-shaped submarine during the Orange Islands.

Several Magikarp appeared in Poké Ball Peril swimming along with Team Rocket's Magikarp-shaped submarine.

In The Joy of Pokémon, a Nurse Joy from the Orange Islands befriended a giant Magikarp that saved her as a child. It evolved into an equally large Gyarados, but it remained friendly.

In The Wacky Watcher, Ash, Misty and Tracey help a Pokémon Watcher named Quincy T. Quackenpoker observe the migration and evolution of a school of Magikarp.

In Judgement Day, a shiny Magikarp appeared in a flashback under the ownership of Jimmy and was later traded.

Another, in Ya See We Want an Evolution, was nicknamed the strongest. This Magikarp was unique in that it was in fact able to battle suprisingly well, even giving Pikachu a hard time.

A Magikarp appeared in Arriving in Style!.

In One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team, Jessie used a different Magikarp in the second leg of the Pokémon Triathlon.

It was also seen as part of Lila's famous "Tiger Lily Smile" background in Battling the Generation Gap!.

Pokédex entries

In the manga

Pokémon Special

Magikarp was seen at the Lake of Rage, being forcibly evolved into Gyarados.

In the TCG

Main article: Magikarp (TCG)

Game data

Pokédex entries

Game locations

Gen	Game		Rarity	Area
I	Red	Blue	Common	Fish with Old Rod Buy from Magikarp Salesman for 500
	Yellow		Common	Fish with Old Rod
II	Gold	Silver	Common	Fish with Old or Good Rod
	Crystal		Common	Fish with Old or Good Rod
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Common	Fish with Old or Good Rod
	Emerald		Common	Fish with Old or Good Rod
	FireRed	LeafGreen	Common	Fish with Old Rod Buy from Magikarp Salesman for 500
	Colosseum		None	Trade
	XD		None	Trade
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Common	Fish with Old Rod Trade Finneon on Route 226 (German)
	Platinum		Common	Fish with Old or Good Rod Trade Finneon on Route 226 (German) Fish with Super Rod (Resort Area)
	Pal Park		Pond

In side games

Magikarp will not appear in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team until a rescue mission involving it has been completed, using the following Wonder Mail code:

X ? ? S ? ? X ? 4 6 8 ?

♀ + ? ? 9 7 5 6 S Y ? ?

Objective: Rescue Magikarp on floor 12 of Stormy Sea.

Base stats

Type effectiveness

Learnset

Magikarp is capable of learning the following moves in Generation IV.

• Moves in bold are damaging moves to which STAB applies.

By leveling up

By TM/HM

None.

By breeding

None.

By tutoring

TCG-only Moves

• Dragon Rage
• Rage

Side game data

Pokémon Pinball
	Acquisition: Catch
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
	Acquisition: Catch
Pokémon Trozei!
	Rarity: Common
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: 9.2%	Friend Area: Waterfall Lake
Phrases
51%-100% HP	I'm the world's weakest Pokémon. You knew that, yes?
26%-50% HP	Huh? Look, my health is down by half already.
1%-25% HP	I'm not much good now. I have almost no HP left.
Level Up	Look, my level went up! But I'm probably still weak...
Pokémon Ranger
Group:  Water	Loops: 3	Minimum Experience: 5
Poké Assist: ( Water )	Field Move: None	Maximum Experience: 5
"Magikarp appears to be only capable of flopping about helplessly."
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: 8.2%	IQ Group: C

Evolution

	Unevolved	→ Level 20	First evolution
	Magikarp  Water		Gyarados  Water  Flying

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow	Red (Ja)	Green	Back
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal			Back
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald	FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
			File:Spr 3e 129 s.gif
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum	HeartGold	SoulSilver	Back
				NO SPRITES AVAILABLE

For other sprites and images, please see Magikarp images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

• As of Pokémon Platinum, Magikarp is the lowest, and ironically, also the highest level non-glitch Pokémon available for capture at level 1 and 100, beating out even the level 80 Arceus for highest. It is only available in a pond in the Resort Area with a Super Rod in Platinum, where only Magikarp can be caught and range in level anywhere from level 1 to 100.
• Magikarp, as well as Gyarados, has been in all four regional Pokédexes.
• A glitch in the early Japanese games, Red, Green, and Blue, allowed players to transform their Magikarp into a Mew. However, this Mew was not registered in the Pokédex, did not have the same stats nor moves, and caused some major glitches to the player's items pack.
• Even though Magikarp is said to be the weakest Pokémon in existence, there are seven Pokémon weaker than it in terms of base stat average.
• Magikarp is one of three Water-types that cannot learn Surf, as well as the only Water-type that cannot learn any Ice-type moves.
• Magikarp is one of fourteen Pokémon that one could collect foreign Pokédex entries in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
• Magikarp shares the same species name with Feebas. They are both known as Fish Pokémon.
• Magikarp's Platinum sprite is the only sprite which shows it with its mouth closed.
• Even though it's listed as a freshwater Pokémon, it's abundant in oceans as well. How it can survive in both saltwater and freshwater is unknown.
• Magikarp takes the shortest time to hatch out of all Pokémon.
• Every one of Magikarp's Pokédex entries talks about either its lack of strength, its tendency to Splash, or both.
• Magikarp's FireRed Pokédex entry remarks on its lack of power and speed. While the power part is true, Magikarp in fact sports a base 80 speed stat, making it actually quite fast.

Origin

Magikarp is based on a legend about how carp that leapt over the Dragon Gate would become dragons. Several waterfalls and cataracts in China are believed to be the location of the Dragon Gate. This legend is an allegory of the drive and efforts needed to overcome obstacles.

Name origin

Magikarp's name is a combination of magic and carp (this may be mocking the Magikarp as a species, as someone with 'magic' powers is generally thought to be quite powerful, which Magikarp is not). It may also the combination of Magi, the three kings from the story of the Nativity, and carp. Its Japanese name is a combination of 鯉 koi, carp, and the English word king, given its name an ironic slant similar to its English name.

In other languages

• German: Karpador
• French: Magicarpe
• Korean: 잉어킹 Ingeoking
• Brazilian Portuguese (animé only): Magicarpa

Related articles

• Jessie's Magikarp
• James's Magikarp
• Magikarp salesman
• Magikarp salesman's Magikarp

External links

Notes

This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.