One-hit knockout move: Difference between revisions

One-hit knockout moves (Japanese: 一撃必殺わざ one-hit knockout move), commonly abbreviated as one-hit KO moves or OHKO moves, are moves that cause the target to immediately faint, regardless of its current HP or its Defense or Special Defense stats. To make up for this, they have particularly low accuracy.

One-hit knockout move

Fissure	Guillotine
Ground	Normal
Horn Drill	Sheer Cold
Normal	Ice

In the core series

	This move effect may be in need of research. Reason: 1. Can Endure, Focus Band, and Affection allow a Pokémon to survive a one-hit knockout move (in each generation)? 2. Interaction with substitute 3. Does the accuracy formula change against the Dynamax barrier? You can discuss this on the talk page.

One-hit KO moves deal damage so that the target faints. If the target faints, the game displays the message "It's a one-hit KO!" (or simply "One-hit KO!" in Generation I).

In Generations I and II, super effective one-hit knockout moves display the super effective message and play the appropriate sound effect. From Generation III onward, type-effectiveness messages no longer appear, but appropriate type-effectiveness sound effects still play.

Pokémon with the Ability Sturdy are immune to one-hit KO moves. Pokémon with Wonder Guard are also immune, unless the one-hit KO move's type is super effective against that Pokémon. A Focus Sash or Disguise can allow a Pokémon to survive a one-hit KO move.

All OHKO moves have a base PP of 5. If an OHKO move becomes a Z-Move, it will have a base power of 180. If it becomes a Max Move, it will have a base power of 130.

One-hit KO moves will always fail against Dynamax Pokémon. However, in Max Raid Battles, one-hit KO moves can deplete two bars of strength from a mysterious barrier.

OHKO moves are not featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Accuracy mechanics

Generation I

All OHKO moves have an accuracy of 30%, but they will automatically fail if the user's Speed stat is lower than the target's. An X Accuracy will guarantee that all OHKO moves hit. The accuracy of OHKO moves in Generation I is affected by the standard accuracy and evasion stats.

Generation II

OHKO moves automatically fail if the target has a higher level than the user. Their accuracy starts at 76/256 (approximately 30%) and increases by 2/256 (approximately 0.8%) for each level the user is above the target. This means that if the user's level is at least 90 levels greater than the target's, the move will have 100% accuracy. An X Accuracy will guarantee that all OHKO moves hit. The accuracy of OHKO moves in Generation II is affected by the standard accuracy and evasion stats.^[1]

Generation III onward

OHKO moves automatically fail if the target has a higher level than the user. Their accuracy starts at 30% and increases by 1% for each level the user is above the target. Accuracy and evasion stats no longer influence the move's accuracy, including modifiers that do not use stages, such as Gravity, Wide Lens, and Compound Eyes. Effects that allow moves to always hit (such as No Guard or Lock-On, but not Telekinesis) still work on OHKO moves.

Since Generation VII, the accuracy of Sheer Cold starts at 20% instead if the user is not Ice-type. In addition, all OHKO moves now display their accuracy as 30% instead of —, although the calculation remains unchanged (except for Sheer Cold used by a non-Ice-type Pokémon).

In spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series of games, OHKO moves can hit regardless of level, although they are very prone to missing as always. When one hits, the game states that the target fainted through "calamitous damage" (changed to the standard "It's a one-hit KO!" in Gates to Infinity). However, they actually do 9999 damage, which can be seen when the attacks are reflected by IQ skills such as Counter Hitter if the Pokémon is revived by a Reviver Seed.

Trivia

• Lapras can learn the most one-hit KO moves of any Pokémon (excluding Smeargle), being able to learn Sheer Cold, Fissure, and Horn Drill.
• Starting in Generation VII, all one-hit KO moves are normally ineffective against one type. Fissure cannot affect Flying-type Pokémon, Guillotine and Horn Drill cannot affect Ghost-type Pokémon, and (starting in Generation VII) Sheer Cold cannot affect Ice-type Pokémon.
  • Immunity to Sheer Cold is the only one not based on a type immunity, and thus cannot be bypassed (e.g. with Gravity, Foresight, or a Ring Target). Sheer Cold is also the only one-hit KO move where this immunity did not exist until after its debut generation.
• Starting in Generation VII, Sheer Cold is the only one-hit KO move with different accuracy mechanics from other one-hit KO moves.
• Sheer Cold is the only one-hit knockout move to be introduced after Generation I.

References

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.