No. 0042 · Generation I · Bat Pokémon
ゴルバットGorubatto · The same name as in English (trademarked as Golbat): 'bat' joined to a grisly prefix – 'gore' or 'ghoul', or perhaps 'gulp'.
The Bat Pokémon · Poison/Flying type · first seen in Pokémon Red & Green (1996)
01Overview
Meet Golbat
Everything you need to know about the Bat Pokémon — the creature behind the number.
If you have ever trudged through a Pokémon cave with your Repels running low, you have met Golbat – usually several times before you reached daylight. The Bat Pokémon evolves from Zubat at level 22, and where its pre-evolution is small and eyeless, Golbat is a 1.6-metre blue bat with purple wing membranes, little slit-pupilled eyes, tiny triangular ears and a mouth so enormous it seems to take up most of its body.
That mouth is the whole story. Two fangs sit in each jaw – a female's are a little smaller – and they are hollow, like drinking straws, built for a single job: drinking blood. They can punch through the toughest hide, yet they are surprisingly fragile, and every so often you will spot a Golbat with gaps in its grin after a hungry lunge at a Steel type. Occasionally it flashes a long purple tongue, too.
“It clamps down on its prey with needle-sharp fangs and drains over 10 ounces of blood in one gulp.”
Pokédex · Pokémon Red (Japan), Green (Japan) & FireRed · 1996
Golbat is a creature of the night. It flits out of the darkness to strike, sometimes creeping up on sleeping prey, and Pokédex after Pokédex describes its appetite with ghoulish relish: more than 10 ounces (300 mL) of blood in a single gulp, from Pokémon and people alike. It is famously greedy – some Golbat drink so much that they become too heavy to fly, flapping clumsily or tumbling to the ground, where they may end up as someone else's dinner. One old entry even claims its blood type changes to match its victim's.
Yet there is a softer side to this vampire. Sword's Pokédex says a Golbat that finds others of its kind going hungry will sometimes share the blood it has gathered, and Shield points out that, for all its tiny feet, it walks the ground with real skill. Raise one with enough care and it repays you by evolving into Crobat – a reward it only gained in Gold and Silver. In the original Red and Green, Golbat was the end of the line.
Fans have a love-hate relationship with Golbat. For a generation of players it was the cave encounter that would not stop appearing, yet it is also a true Kanto classic: a member of Agatha's Elite Four team, the partner of Koga in the anime and a favourite of villains from Team Rocket to Team Galactic. Its typing is one of a kind, too – no Pokémon outside the Zubat family has ever been Poison and Flying.
How big is Golbat?
At 1.6 m (5′03″) and 55 kg (121.3 lb), Golbat is roughly the height and weight of a small adult – which is a lot of bat to find hanging from a cave ceiling.
02In the Pokédex's words
Golbat's Pokédex entries
27 different entries across 46 games, from 1996 to 2025. Here is how the Pokédex has described Golbat over the years, in the order the games came out.
Generation I
It clamps down on its prey with needle-sharp fangs and drains over 10 ounces of blood in one gulp.
Kanto Pokédex
Once it strikes, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.
Kanto Pokédex
It attacks in a stealthy manner, without warning. Its sharp fangs are used to bite and suck blood.
Kanto Pokédex
Bites its prey and feeds on the victim's energy. Its own blood type changes to that of its victim.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation II
However hard its victim's hide may be, it punctures with sharp fangs and gorges itself with blood.
Johto Pokédex
It can drink more than 10 ounces of blood at once. If it has too much, it gets heavy and flies clumsily.
Johto Pokédex
When it plunges its fangs into its prey, it instantly draws and gulps down more than ten ounces of blood.
Johto Pokédex
Generation III
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.
Hoenn Pokédex
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.
Hoenn Pokédex
Once it bites, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.
FireRed & LeafGreen Pokédex
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.
Hoenn Pokédex
Generation IV
With large wings that can cloak its body, Golbat can whip up gusting winds.
Capture Styler (Pokémon Ranger series)
It loves the blood of humans and Pokémon. It flies around at night in search of neck veins.
Sinnoh Pokédex
Once it starts sucking blood, it does not stop until it is full. It flies at night in search of prey.
Sinnoh Pokédex
It lets loose supersonic waves and spits poison to attack.
Capture Styler (Pokémon Ranger series)
Its sharp fangs puncture the toughest of hides and have small holes for greedily sucking blood.
Sinnoh Pokédex
It attacks by scattering poison gas that makes Pokémon Tired.
Capture Styler (Pokémon Ranger series)
Generation V
Flitting around in the dead of night, it sinks its fangs into its prey and drains a nearly fatal amount of blood.
Unova Pokédex
Generation VII
Its thick fangs are hollow like straws, making them unexpectedly fragile. These fangs are specialized for sucking blood.
Rotom Pokédex
Sometimes they drink so much blood, they can't fly anymore. Then they fall to the ground and become food for other Pokémon.
Rotom Pokédex
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.
Rotom Pokédex
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.
Rotom Pokédex
It attacks in a stealthy manner, without warning. Its sharp fangs are used to bite and to suck blood.
Let's Go Pokédex
Generation VIII
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.
Rotom Phone (Sword & Shield)
Its feet are tiny, but this Pokémon walks skillfully. It sneaks up on sleeping prey before sinking in its fangs and slurping up blood.
Rotom Phone (Sword & Shield)
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.
Hisui Pokédex
Generation IX
Golbat punctures even the hardest of hides with its sharp fangs, then gorges itself on its victims' blood.
Rotom Phone (Legends: Z-A)
03Stats, moves & where to find it
Golbat in the video games
Base stat total 455 · 24 core-series games · 30 spin-offs · every move it learns, generation by generation.
Base stats
In Red, Green, Blue and Yellow Golbat had a single Special stat of 75; when Gold and Silver split Special in two, it was given 65 Sp. Atk and 75 Sp. Def. Its other base stats have stayed the same ever since – 75 HP, 80 Attack, 70 Defense, 65 Sp. Atk, 75 Sp. Def and 90 Speed, a total of 455 – so Speed is its standout stat. Base friendship was 70 in Generations II–VII and has been 50 since Generation VIII; its base experience yield was 171 in Generations I–IV and is 159 today. It gives 2 Speed EVs and reaches level 100 at 1,000,000 Exp. Points (Medium Fast).
Abilities
- Inner Focussince Gen III
Golbat's concentration can't be broken, so it never flinches; since Sword & Shield it also shrugs off Intimidate. - InfiltratorHidden abilitysince Gen V
Lets Golbat's moves slip straight past barriers such as Reflect, Light Screen and Safeguard – and, since X & Y, through a Substitute too.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits a Poison/Flying Pokémon.
In Red, Green, Blue and Yellow, Bug-type moves were super effective against Poison types, so Bug attacks hit Golbat for normal damage rather than a quarter. The Fairy resistance arrived with X & Y, when the Fairy type was introduced. Its Flying type keeps it out of reach of Ground-type moves – but if it is grounded (by Gravity, Smack Down or an Iron Ball, for example), its Poison type makes them super effective.
Training & breeding
- Catch rate
- 90
- Base friendship
- 50
- Base experience
- 159
- Growth rate
- Medium Fast
- EV yield
- 2 Speed
- Egg groups
- Flying
- Egg cycles
- 15
- Colour
- Purple
- Gender ratio
- 50% male
- Body shape
- wings
Where to find Golbat
| Game | Year | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Red & Green | 1996 | Wild in the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Zubat (level 22)Elite Four member Agatha uses a Golbat alongside her Gengar, Haunter and Arbok. |
| Blue (Japan) | 1996 | Wild in the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Zubat (level 22) |
| Red & Blue | 1998 | Wild in the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Zubat (level 22)Agatha's level 56 Golbat is the second Pokémon she sends out at the Indigo Plateau. |
| Yellow | 1998 | Wild in the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave, or evolve Zubat (level 22)Agatha's Golbat is back in her Elite Four team. |
| Gold & Silver | 1999 | Wild in Union Cave, Slowpoke Well, Mt. Mortar, the Whirl Islands, Ice Path, Dark Cave (Blackthorn side), Tohjo Falls, Victory Road and Mt. Silver's caveA Team Rocket Executive defends the Goldenrod Radio Tower with a lone Golbat. From these games on, Golbat can evolve into Crobat. |
| Crystal | 2000 | As in Gold & Silver, plus Routes 28 and 42, Rock Tunnel and Mt. Silver |
| Ruby & Sapphire | 2002 | Wild in Meteor Falls, Shoal Cave, Seafloor Cavern, the Cave of Origin, Sky Pillar and Victory RoadIn Sapphire, Team Aqua Leader Archie brings a Golbat to his battle at Mt. Chimney. |
| FireRed & LeafGreen | 2004 | Wild in the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave, plus Icefall Cave and Lost Cave in the Sevii IslandsGolbat can't evolve into Crobat until you have the National Pokédex. Agatha uses one in her first Elite Four battle. |
| Emerald | 2004 | Wild in Meteor Falls, Shoal Cave, Seafloor Cavern, the Cave of Origin, Sky Pillar and Victory Road |
| Diamond & Pearl | 2006 | Wild in Oreburgh Gate, Ravaged Path, Mt. Coronet, Iron Island, Lost Tower, Snowpoint Temple, Turnback Cave, Victory Road, Stark Mountain and Route 227Team Galactic Commander Mars uses a Golbat at Lake Verity, and she and Jupiter both bring one to the Spear Pillar. Golbat can also be migrated through Pal Park's Mountain area. |
| Platinum | 2008 | As in Diamond & Pearl, plus Sendoff SpringMars's Golbat returns at Lake Verity, the Spear Pillar and Stark Mountain. |
| HeartGold & SoulSilver | 2009 | Wild in Union Cave, Slowpoke Well, Mt. Mortar, the Whirl Islands, Ice Path, Dark Cave, Cliff Cave, Tohjo Falls, Victory Road, Mt. Silver's cave, the Seafoam Islands, Cerulean Cave and the Johto Safari ZoneRocket Executive Proton battles with a Zubat in Slowpoke Well and a Golbat at the Radio Tower. Pokéwalker owners can also find Golbat on the Scary Cave and Quiet Cave courses. |
| Black & White | 2010 | Wild on Route 13 and in the Giant Chasm |
| Black 2 & White 2 | 2012 | Wild in the Dreamyard, Celestial Tower and Strange House |
| X & Y | 2013 | Evolve Zubat (level 22) |
| Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 2014 | Wild in Meteor Falls, Shoal Cave, Seafloor Cavern, the Cave of Origin, Scorched Slab, the Sealed Chamber, Sky Pillar and Victory Road |
| Sun & Moon | 2016 | Wild in the abandoned Thrifty Megamart, on Mount Lanakila, in Vast Poni Canyon and in Resolution CaveGladion's Zubat has grown into a Golbat by the time you battle him at the Aether House, and it fights alongside you when he teams up with you at Aether Paradise. |
| Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | 2017 | As in Sun & Moon, plus Lush Jungle's cave, Diglett's Tunnel and SOS Battles on Memorial HillGladion's Golbat is back for his battles at the Aether House and Aether Paradise. |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Wild in Rock Tunnel, Pokémon Tower, the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean CaveCrobat isn't in these games, so Golbat is the end of the line. Koga uses a Golbat in his Fuchsia Gym battle, and Agatha keeps one in her Elite Four team. |
| Sword & Shield | 2019 | The Crown Tundra (Expansion Pass): wandering in the Tunnel to the Top and the Roaring-Sea Caves, and in Max Raid Battles; otherwise trade only |
| Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl | 2021 | As in Diamond & Pearl, plus five Grand Underground caves once you have StrengthMars's Golbat returns at Lake Verity, and Mars and Jupiter both use one at the Spear Pillar. |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Wild across the Obsidian Fieldlands, Crimson Mirelands and Coronet Highlands, and in the Alabaster Icelands' Snowpoint TempleAn Alpha Golbat can be found around Oreburrow Tunnel. |
| Scarlet & Violet | 2022 | Unobtainable |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Trade only (from version 2.0.0); wild in Hyperspace Lumiose with the Mega Dimension expansionIn Hyperspace Lumiose it appears in Poison- and Flying-type wild zones. |
Sprites through the ages
Spin-offs & cameos
Pokémon GO
Golbat has been flapping around Pokémon GO since launch day in July 2016. Evolving a Zubat takes 50 Zubat Candy, and turning Golbat into Crobat costs a hefty 100 more; as a buddy it earns a Candy every kilometre. Its fast attacks are Wing Attack and Bite, backed by Shadow Ball, Air Cutter and Poison Fang – Shadow Ball took over from Ominous Wind in February 2017. It can also be met as a Shadow Pokémon rescued from Team GO Rocket. Shiny Zubat arrived on 25 July 2019, when Team GO Rocket first disrupted PokéStops, so a Shiny Golbat long meant evolving one yourself – shiny Golbat could only be met in the wild from 3 March 2026.
Golbat's Fossil card, Wing Attack and Leech Life included, is part of the game's Laboratory collection.
There's no catching one outright: evolve a Zubat on the table to add Golbat to your Pokédex.
Battle-ready in 3D, with a Pokédex entry claiming its blood type changes to match its victim's – and Agatha fields one in the Gym Leader Castle.
Koga brings a Golbat to his puzzle battles, alongside Venomoth and Voltorb.
Golbat gets its own mini-game, Gutsy Golbat: four players flap through a cave collecting hearts, losing one for every bump into a rival and three for hitting a Magnemite. Koga also uses a Golbat in the Gym Leader Castle.
The Fossil Golbat card flaps back in for the Japan-only sequel, this time in the Sky Flying Pokémon collection.
Once again it's evolution only – power up a Zubat to get one.
Recruit one in Lapis Cave, Buried Relic, Murky Cave or Wish Cave and it moves into Echo Cave, celebrating each level-up with 'I have leveled up! I demand more blood!' A Golbat also belongs to a rescue team that gathers in Pokémon Square before Magma Cavern opens.
Flaps around Panula Cave; once captured it lends a Poison-type Poké Assist and can use Gust in the field.
Golbat can battle on the Wii – and this is the last game to show off its long purple tongue.
Lurks in the depths of Aegis Cave and Labyrinth Cave.
Hangs around Crysta Cave; it lends a Flying-type Poké Assist and can Crush obstacles in the field.
Still waiting to be recruited in Aegis Cave and Labyrinth Cave.
Golbat love the Cavern Zone, and their favourite attraction is Salamence's Air Ace.
Haunts the Old Mansion and the Fire Temple, and can Cut through obstacles once captured.
Found in Viperia and Avia. Here Zubat evolves once its Speed reaches 55, and Golbat becomes Crobat at a link of 65% or more.
Found on Marron Trail's Stage 659; its Power of 4 skill boosts the damage when you match four.
Noivern introduces it once you complete Noivern's Connection Orb mission – and it's always peckish: 'I feel like sinking my teeth into something… You know what I'm talking about?'
On the map since launch day; Shiny Golbat finally appeared in the wild from 3 March 2026.
Found on several seas, including the Charizard, Dragonite, Mimikyu, Rowlet, Lugia and Bulbasaur Seas.
Two sync pairs star Golbat: Rocket Executive Proton & Golbat, scouted from 6 September 2023, and Gladion & Golbat, earned at friendship level 100 in the Trainer Lodge. A Zubat hatched as your own Egg Pokémon can grow into one, too.
In the remake it lives in Lapis Cave, Buried Relic, Wish Cave and Purity Forest.
Golbat has its own Pokopia Pokédex entry (No. 082), borrowing Shield's lines about its tiny but skilful feet.
Moves
Red and Green's Golbat was a cave-dwelling pest with a simple plan: drain with Leech Life, rattle with Screech and Supersonic, scramble heads with Confuse Ray, then swoop in with Wing Attack at 32 and clear the air with a level-43 Haze. Gold and Silver turned Bite Dark-type and added Mean Look, the Generation III games brought Astonish, Air Cutter and Poison Fang, and Diamond and Pearl finally let the big bat learn Fly, along with a new Air Slash finale.
Later games keep rearranging the flight plan. Sun and Moon pumped Leech Life up to 80 power and saved it for level 35; Sword and Shield hand over Mean Look from the start, demote Wing Attack to an egg move and make Leech Life the level-69 finale; and Legends: Arceus slips in Cross Poison. Golbat sits out Scarlet and Violet, but Legends: Z-A teaches it Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind and Hypnosis by level-up, plus TMs such as X-Scissor and Sky Attack.
Signature moves
Golbat's vampire bite. A feeble 20-power starting move from Red and Blue to X and Y, it was beefed up to 80 power in Sun and Moon, and since Sword and Shield it has been the grand finale of every Golbat level-up list (69 in Sword and Shield, 43 in Legends: Arceus, 50 in Legends: Z-A).
The ultrasonic shriek that leaves foes confused: learned at level 10 in Red and Blue, it has been one of Golbat's starting moves in every game since Gold and Silver except Legends: Arceus.
The trusty flap, in every level-up list from Red and Blue to Let's Go (35 power at first, 60 from Gold and Silver). Sword and Shield turned it into an egg move, and Legends: Z-A brings it back at level 12.
An eerie ghost light learned at level 21 in Red and Blue. It has stayed in every level-up list since, Legends: Arceus aside, drifting as late as level 55 in Sword and Shield.
The unblinking stare that stops a foe from escaping arrived at level 42 in Gold and Silver; Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl hand it over from the very start.
The slicing new finale of Diamond and Pearl at level 51, and part of every Golbat level-up list since, including Let's Go and both Legends games.
Surprisingly, Golbat could not learn Fly at all in Red, Blue, Gold, Silver, Ruby or Sapphire. Diamond and Pearl finally gave it HM02, and it has been a TM since Sun and Moon, right up to TM043 in Legends: Z-A.
Complete learnsets
Generation I · Red, Green, Blue & Yellow8 level-up · 14 TM/HM
In Red, Green, Blue and Yellow, Golbat lurks in the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave. It starts with Leech Life, Screech and Bite, then learns Supersonic at 10, Bite again at 15, Confuse Ray at 21, Wing Attack at 32 and Haze at 43. Its 14 TMs run from Razor Wind and Whirlwind to Hyper Beam, Mega Drain and Swift, but there is no Fly: Golbat would not learn it until Diamond and Pearl. Before the physical/special split a move's category followed its type, so Bite, still a Normal-type move here, is physical. Gust and Quick Attack, egg moves in Gold and Silver, can be brought back through the Time Capsule, and in these games Gust is a Normal-type move.
By level-up
| RGBY | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | Bite | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 10 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 15 | Bite | Normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 21 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 32 | Wing Attack | Physical | 35 | 100 | 35 | |
| 43 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM02 | Razor Wind | Normal | Physical | 80 | 75 | 10 |
| TM04 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 20 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM09 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| TM10 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 100 | 100 | 15 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM20 | Rage | Normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| TM21 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM31 | Mimic | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Bide | Normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| TM39 | Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM50 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Gust | Gen II (breeding) |
| Quick Attack | Gen II (breeding) |
Generation II · Gold, Silver & Crystal9 level-up · 20 TM/HM · 5 egg
Gold, Silver and Crystal have Golbat in almost every cave in Johto and Kanto: Union Cave, Slowpoke Well, Dark Cave, Mt. Mortar, Ice Path, Whirl Islands, Tohjo Falls, Victory Road and Mt. Silver, with Crystal adding Routes 28 and 42 and Rock Tunnel. Bite becomes a Dark-type move (and so a special one, as categories still follow type), Wing Attack jumps from 35 to 60 power, Mean Look arrives at 42 and Haze moves to 55. Its 20 TMs include Giga Drain, Steel Wing, Detect and Curse, the mysterious ???-type move, but still no Fly. Breeding brings five egg moves borrowed from other fliers: Faint Attack from Murkrow, Gust, Quick Attack and Whirlwind from the Pidgey family, and Pursuit from Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio or Murkrow. A Zubat handed out at the New York City Pokémon Center knew Flail and keeps it after evolving. Eight old Red and Blue TM moves, among them Double-Edge, Mega Drain, Razor Wind and Take Down, can come over through the Time Capsule.
By level-up
| GSC | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 6 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 12 | Bite | Dark | Special | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 19 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 30 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 42 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 55 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM03 | Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM13 | Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
| TM20 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM34 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM35 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM39 | Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| TM43 | Detect | Fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faint Attack | Dark | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Gust | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot | |
| Pursuit | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | Zubat · event |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM) |
| Mega Drain | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Razor Wind | Gen I (TM) |
| Substitute | Gen I (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
Generation III · Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen (plus XD: Gale of Darkness)13 level-up · 22 TM/HM · 6 egg · 8 tutor
Golbat roosts all over Hoenn's caves in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, from Meteor Falls and Shoal Cave to the Cave of Origin, Seafloor Cavern, Sky Pillar and Victory Road. FireRed and LeafGreen have it in Cerulean Cave, the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and the Sevii Islands' Icefall Cave and Lost Cave, while Pokémon XD only offers it by evolving a Zubat (Colosseum has none). Astonish, Air Cutter (35) and Poison Fang (49) join the level-up list, and Haze becomes the level-56 finale. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald teach Supersonic at 6 and Astonish at 11; FireRed and LeafGreen swap them round. New TMs include Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Aerial Ace, Taunt, Torment and Snatch, and Curse becomes an egg move through chain breeding with Farfetch'd. Of the eight tutor moves, Double-Edge, Mimic and Substitute are taught in FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald and XD, Swagger in Emerald and XD, and Endure, Sleep Talk, Snore and Swift only in Emerald.
By level-up
| RSE | FRLG | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 6 | 11 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 11 | 6 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 16 | 16 | Bite | Dark | Special | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 21 | 21 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 28 | 28 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 35 | 35 | Air Cutter | Physical | 55 | 95 | 25 | |
| 42 | 42 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 49 | 49 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 56 | 56 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Varies | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Physical | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| TM49 | Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 | Farfetch'd (chain breeding needed) |
| Faint Attack | Dark | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Gust | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot | |
| Pursuit | Dark | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Wingull |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Taillow, Swellow, Wingull |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Mimic | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | Emerald |
| Snore | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 | Emerald |
| Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | FRLG, Emerald, XD |
| Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | Emerald, XD |
| Swift | Normal | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Emerald |
Generation IV · Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver14 level-up · 35 TM/HM · 10 egg · 10 tutor
Diamond, Pearl and Platinum have Golbat in Oreburgh Gate, Ravaged Path, Mt. Coronet, Iron Island, the Lost Tower, Snowpoint Temple, Stark Mountain, Turnback Cave, Victory Road and on Route 227, with Platinum adding Sendoff Spring. HeartGold and SoulSilver bring back the Johto and Kanto caves, plus Cliff Cave and the Safari Zone, and it also turns up in the Pokéwalker's Scary Cave and Quiet Cave and in Pal Park's Mountain area. Air Slash becomes the new level-51 finale. Every move now has its own category, so Bite and Poison Fang are physical while Air Cutter is special. At long last Golbat can learn Fly (HM02), and Defog is HM05 in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. Roost, U-turn, Pluck and Giga Impact are among the new TMs, Brave Bird, Hypnosis, Nasty Plot and Zen Headbutt join the egg moves, and the tutors of Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver teach ten moves, with Super Fang and Tailwind in HeartGold and SoulSilver only. Double-Edge and Mimic can only come from a Generation III tutor.
By level-up
| DPPt/HGSS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 5 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 9 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 13 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 17 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 21 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 27 | Air Cutter | Special | 55 | 95 | 25 | |
| 33 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 39 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 45 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 51 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 85 | 10 | |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 | |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 60 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | ||
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM43 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | |
| TM49 | Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM51 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | ||
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 | |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 | |
| TM78 | Captivate | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM83 | Natural Gift | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 | |
| TM88 | Pluck | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | ||
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | ||
| HM05 | Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | DPPt |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Starly, Staravia, Staraptor | |
| Curse | ??? | Status | — | — | 10 | Farfetch'd, Aerodactyl, Skarmory (chain breeding needed) |
| Faint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow, Honchkrow |
| Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot | |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | Honchkrow |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull, Pelipper |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Doduo, Dodrio, Taillow, Swellow, Wingull and 4 more |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Cutter | Special | 55 | 95 | 25 | Pt, HGSS | |
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 100 | 90 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Ominous Wind | Ghost | Special | 60 | 100 | 5 | Pt, HGSS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| Super Fang | Normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 | HGSS |
| Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 30 | HGSS | |
| Twister | Dragon | Special | 40 | 100 | 20 | Pt, HGSS |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 10 | Pt, HGSS |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
Generation V · Black, White, Black 2 & White 216 level-up · 28 TM/HM · 13 egg · 10 tutor
Black and White have Golbat on Route 13 and in the Giant Chasm; Black 2 and White 2 move it to the Dreamyard, Celestial Tower and the Strange House. Acrobatics joins the level-up list at 39 in Black and White, and Black 2 and White 2 add Swift at 24 and reshuffle the rest, so Acrobatics (33) now comes before Mean Look (38) and Air Slash arrives at 52 instead of 57. Venoshock, Round and Acrobatics are new TMs. Only Black 2 and White 2 have tutors for Golbat, ten of them, from Giga Drain and Heat Wave to Super Fang and Zen Headbutt. Defog, Steel Wing and Giga Drain become egg moves, and a Zubat from the Pokémon Dream World could arrive knowing Super Fang. Eight moves, including Captivate, Ominous Wind and Twister, can only come from earlier games.
By level-up
| BW | B2W2 | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 5 | 4 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 9 | 8 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 13 | 12 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 17 | 15 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 21 | 19 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| N/A | 24 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 27 | 28 | Air Cutter | Special | 55 | 95 | 25 | |
| 39 | 33 | Acrobatics | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 | |
| 33 | 38 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 45 | 42 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 51 | 47 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 57 | 52 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM09 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 10 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM62 | Acrobatics | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM88 | Pluck | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | Farfetch'd, Aerodactyl, Skarmory (chain breeding needed) |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Faint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Natu, Xatu (the parent must have learnt it in an earlier generation) |
| Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat, Swoobat and 1 more | |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Hoothoot, Noctowl, Sigilyph |
| Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | Honchkrow |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Doduo, Dodrio, Taillow, Swellow, Wingull and 9 more |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Sigilyph, Rufflet and 1 more |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 100 | 90 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 | |
| Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | B2W2 |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Super Fang | Normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 30 | B2W2 | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | B2W2 |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | B2W2 |
From its pre-evolution
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Learnt as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Fang | Normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 | Zubat · Dream World · BW |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM) |
| Twister | Gen IV (tutor) |
Generation VI · X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire19 level-up · 32 TM/HM · 14 egg · 8 tutor
X and Y have no wild Golbat, so the only way to get one there is to evolve a Zubat. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire bring it back to Hoenn's caves, from Meteor Falls and the Scorched Slab to the Sealed Chamber and Sky Pillar. X and Y keep Black 2 and White 2's level-up order, while Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire add Bite to the starting moves, bring Air Cutter forward to 19 and Poison Fang to 27, and tack on Venoshock (43) and Quick Guard (51). Air Cutter rises to 60 power. Confide is a new TM, Secret Power returns as TM94 in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire only, and Venom Drench joins the egg moves through chain breeding with Woobat. Only Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have tutor moves for Golbat, eight of them.
By level-up
| XY | ORAS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | 1 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 20 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| N/A | 1 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 4 | 5 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 8 | 7 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 12 | 11 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 15 | 13 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 19 | 17 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 28 | 19 | Air Cutter | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 | |
| 24 | 24 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 42 | 27 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 38 | 32 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 33 | 35 | Acrobatics | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 | |
| 47 | 40 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| N/A | 43 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| 52 | 48 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| N/A | 51 | Quick Guard | Fighting | Status | — | — | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM09 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM19 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM51 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| TM62 | Acrobatics | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 90 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM94 | Secret Power | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| HM02 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary and 1 more | |
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | Farfetch'd (chain breeding needed) |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Natu, Xatu, Woobat, Swoobat (the parent must have learnt it in an earlier generation) |
| Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat, Swoobat and 3 more | |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Hoothoot, Noctowl, Sigilyph |
| Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | Honchkrow |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Doduo, Dodrio, Taillow, Swellow, Wingull and 12 more |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory, Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame |
| Venom Drench | Poison | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Woobat (chain breeding needed) |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Sigilyph, Rufflet and 3 more |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | 90 | 10 | ORAS |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | ORAS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
| Super Fang | Normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 | ORAS |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | ORAS | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | ORAS |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | ORAS |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen III (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Pluck | Gen IV–V (TM) |
| Twister | Gen IV (tutor) |
Generation VII · Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon19 level-up · 32 TM/HM · 14 egg · 9 tutor
Sun and Moon have Golbat in the Thrifty Megamart's Abandoned Site, on Mount Lanakila, in Vast Poni Canyon and in Resolution Cave, and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon add the Lush Jungle's cave, Diglett's Tunnel and Memorial Hill through SOS Battles. Leech Life is reborn as an 80-power attack, so Absorb takes its place among the starting moves and Leech Life arrives at level 35 instead (it is also TM28). Acrobatics leaves the level-up list but stays a TM, Fly becomes TM76 and Swagger drops to 85% accuracy. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's tutors teach nine moves, Defog among them; Sun and Moon have none. Fifteen moves, from Bide and Rage to Secret Power and Twister, can only be brought in from earlier games.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 5 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 7 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 11 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 13 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 17 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 19 | Air Cutter | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 | |
| 24 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 27 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 32 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 35 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| 40 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 43 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| 48 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| 51 | Quick Guard | Fighting | Status | — | — | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM09 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| TM10 | Hidden Power | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| TM19 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM21 | Frustration | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Return | Normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM28 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| TM48 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| TM51 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 |
| TM62 | Acrobatics | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 | |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM76 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM100 | Confide | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | Farfetch'd, Taillow, Swellow, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Ducklett, Swanna and 6 more | |
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | Farfetch'd, Aerodactyl, Skarmory, Rowlet (chain breeding needed) |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | Ducklett, Swanna, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Feint Attack | Dark | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | Murkrow |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Natu, Xatu, Woobat, Swoobat (the parent must have learnt it in an earlier generation) |
| Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat, Swoobat and 3 more | |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | Hoothoot, Noctowl, Sigilyph |
| Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | Honchkrow, Rowlet, Dartrix, Decidueye |
| Pursuit | Dark | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 | Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Murkrow, Honchkrow, Wingull |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Doduo, Dodrio, Taillow, Swellow, Wingull and 11 more |
| Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | Skarmory, Fletchling, Fletchinder, Talonflame |
| Venom Drench | Poison | Status | — | 100 | 20 | Woobat (chain breeding needed) |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor, Sigilyph, Rufflet and 3 more |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | USUM | |
| Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | 90 | 10 | USUM |
| Snatch | Dark | Status | — | — | 10 | USUM |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
| Super Fang | Normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 | USUM |
| Tailwind | Status | — | — | 15 | USUM | |
| Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | USUM |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | USUM |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Endure | Gen II (TM), Gen III (tutor), Gen IV (TM) |
| Mega Drain | Gen I (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Pluck | Gen IV–V (TM) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Razor Wind | Gen I (TM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Twister | Gen IV (tutor) |
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!16 level-up · 14 TM/HM
In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Golbat flutters through Rock Tunnel, the Pokémon Tower, the Seafoam Islands, Victory Road and Cerulean Cave. Its list is rebuilt from scratch: Crunch is learned on evolving, Whirlwind and Quick Attack join the starting moves, and Swift (12), Haze (20), Leech Life (31), Toxic (40) and Air Slash (51) follow. It can use 14 TMs, including Fly, U-turn, Roost and Sludge Bomb. Values are as in these games, so Absorb has 40 power and Mega Drain 75. There is no breeding here, and no move tutor.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 1 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 1 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| Evo. | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| 4 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | |
| 8 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 12 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 17 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 20 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 31 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| 40 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| 51 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM01 | Headbutt | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| TM02 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| TM05 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM07 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM08 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| TM12 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM14 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | |
| TM18 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| TM27 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| TM43 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| TM48 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| TM50 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | |
| TM52 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| TM53 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 |
Generation VIII · Sword & Shield (Version 1.3.0+ and Expansion Pass), Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl14 level-up · 65 TM/HM · 16 egg · 1 tutor
In Sword and Shield, Golbat can be traded in from Version 1.3.0, and The Crown Tundra has it wandering the Tunnel to the Top and the Roaring-Sea Caves and in Max Raid Battles at Frostpoint Field, Dyna Tree Hill, Giant's Bed, the Frigid Sea and Ballimere Lake. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl return it to Sinnoh's caves and add the Grand Underground. One level-up list covers both pairs: Mean Look joins the starting moves, Poison Fang arrives at 15 and Quick Guard at 20, Bite slides to 34 and Confuse Ray to 55, and Leech Life becomes the level-69 finale, while Wing Attack and Swift drop out (Wing Attack is now an egg move). Sword and Shield teach 37 TMs and TRs, among them Brave Bird, Nasty Plot, Venom Drench and Crunch; Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have 28 TMs. The Expansion Pass move tutor teaches Dual Wingbeat. Thirty moves, including Hidden Power, Return and Pursuit, can only come from earlier games, and 13 of them cannot be used in Sword and Shield.
By level-up
| SwSh/BDSP | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 100 | 25 |
| 1 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55 | 20 |
| 1 | Astonish | Ghost | Physical | 30 | 100 | 15 |
| 1 | Mean Look | Normal | Status | — | — | 5 |
| 15 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| 20 | Quick Guard | Fighting | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 27 | Air Cutter | Special | 60 | 95 | 25 | |
| 34 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| 41 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 48 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| 55 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| 62 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | |
| 69 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM06 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | SwSh | |
| TM08 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 | SwSh |
| TM09 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 | SwSh |
| TM16 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 | SwSh |
| TM21 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM23 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | SwSh |
| TM24 | Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM25 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TM28 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM30 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | SwSh |
| TM31 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM33 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | SwSh |
| TM34 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | SwSh |
| TM39 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM40 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 | SwSh |
| TM56 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM57 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM58 | Assurance | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM74 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TM76 | Round | Normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TM78 | Acrobatics | Physical | 55 | 100 | 15 | SwSh | |
| TM95 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 | SwSh | |
| TR12 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 | SwSh |
| TR18 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR20 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR22 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR26 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR27 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh |
| TR32 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR33 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR35 | Uproar | Normal | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR36 | Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | 90 | 10 | SwSh |
| TR37 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TR66 | Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | SwSh | |
| TR68 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | SwSh |
| TR69 | Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | SwSh |
| TR91 | Venom Drench | Poison | Status | — | 100 | 20 | SwSh |
| TM11 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — | — | 5 | BDSP |
| TM12 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 | BDSP |
| TM17 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM18 | Rain Dance | Water | Status | — | — | 5 | BDSP |
| TM19 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM32 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 | BDSP |
| TM36 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM40 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | — | 20 | BDSP | |
| TM41 | Torment | Dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM42 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM44 | Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM45 | Attract | Normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM46 | Thief | Dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 | BDSP |
| TM47 | Steel Wing | Steel | Physical | 70 | 90 | 25 | BDSP |
| TM51 | Roost | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP | |
| TM58 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM63 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | — | 20 | BDSP |
| TM66 | Payback | Dark | Physical | 50 | 100 | 10 | BDSP |
| TM68 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 | BDSP |
| TM82 | Sleep Talk | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM87 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 | BDSP |
| TM88 | Pluck | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | BDSP | |
| TM89 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 | BDSP |
| TM90 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP |
| TM94 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 95 | 15 | BDSP | |
| TM97 | Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | BDSP |
By breeding (egg moves)
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | SwSh | Farfetch'd, Galarian Farfetch'd, Sirfetch'd (chain breeding needed) |
| Defog | Status | — | — | 15 | SwSh | Farfetch'd, Sirfetch'd, Rufflet, Braviary | |
| Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | SwSh | Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Woobat, Swoobat, Sigilyph, Noibat, Noivern | |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | SwSh | Hoothoot, Noctowl, Sigilyph |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | SwSh | Wingull, Pelipper, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Archen, Archeops, Fletchling and 2 more |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | SwSh | Sigilyph, Rufflet, Braviary, Noibat, Noivern |
| Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | SwSh | Aerodactyl, Skarmory, Wingull, Pelipper, Archen, Archeops, Rufflet, Braviary and 3 more | |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 | BDSP | Farfetch'd, Skarmory, Taillow, Swellow, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor | |
| Curse | Ghost | Status | — | — | 10 | BDSP | Farfetch'd (chain breeding needed) |
| Gust | Special | 40 | 100 | 35 | BDSP | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Murkrow, Honchkrow | |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 60 | 20 | BDSP | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
| Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 30 | BDSP | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Doduo, Dodrio, Taillow, Swellow, Wingull and 4 more |
| Venom Drench | Poison | Status | — | 100 | 20 | BDSP | Zubat, Golbat, Crobat (a parent found in the Grand Underground already knowing it) |
| Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 | BDSP | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Starly, Staravia, Staraptor |
| Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 100 | 35 | BDSP | Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Spearow, Fearow, Doduo, Dodrio, Aerodactyl and 10 more | |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 90 | 15 | BDSP | Hoothoot, Noctowl |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Wingbeat | Physical | 40 | 90 | 10 | Expansion Pass |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Bide | Gen I (TM) |
| Captivate | Gen IV (TM) |
| Confide | Gen VI–VII (TM) |
| Detect | Gen II (TM) |
| Double-Edge | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Feint Attack | Gen II–VII (breeding) |
| Frustration | Gen II–VII (TM) |
| Headbutt | Gen VII (TM) |
| Hidden Power | Gen II–VII (TM) |
| Mega Drain | Gen I (TM), Gen VII (TM) |
| Mimic | Gen I (TM), Gen III (tutor) |
| Natural Gift | Gen IV (TM) |
| Ominous Wind | Gen IV (tutor) |
| Pursuit | Gen II–VII (breeding) |
| Rage | Gen I (TM) |
| Razor Wind | Gen I (TM) |
| Return | Gen II–VII (TM) |
| Secret Power | Gen III–IV (TM), Gen VI (TM) |
| Snatch | Gen III–IV (TM), Gen V–VII (tutor) |
| Super Fang | Gen IV (tutor), Gen V (tutor, or a Dream World Zubat), Gen VI–VII (tutor) |
| Tailwind | Gen IV–VII (tutor) |
| Take Down | Gen I (TM) |
| Toxic | Gen I–VI (TM), Gen VII (TM; level-up in Let's Go) |
| Twister | Gen IV (tutor) |
Pokémon Legends: Arceus7 level-up · 10 tutor
In Legends: Arceus, Golbat lives right across the Obsidian Fieldlands, from Deertrack Heights and Nature's Pantry to the Tidewater Dam and The Heartwood; Alphas appear around the Oreburrow Tunnel, and it joins massive mass outbreaks too. It also flies over the Crimson Mirelands, through the Coronet Highlands' Wayward Wood and Wayward Cave, and inside Snowpoint Temple in the Alabaster Icelands. Moves work differently here: each has a level at which it is learned and a higher level at which it is mastered, after which it can be used in strong or agile style. Power is given for normal, strong and agile style, and accuracy for normal and strong style. The level-up list is just seven moves, among them Gust, Hypnosis and Cross Poison, with Leech Life closing at 43. There are no TMs or breeding; the move tutor teaches ten moves.
By level-up
| Learn | Master | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. normal / strong / agile |
Acc. normal / strong |
PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Gust | Special | 40 / 50 / 30 | 100 | 25 | |
| 6 | 15 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 70 / 90 | 20 |
| 11 | 20 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 / 75 / 45 | 100 | 20 |
| 18 | 28 | Air Cutter | Special | 60 / 75 / 45 | 95 / 100 | 15 | |
| 25 | 35 | Cross Poison | Poison | Physical | 70 / 85 / 55 | 100 | 15 |
| 34 | 45 | Air Slash | Special | 75 / 90 / 60 | 95 / 100 | 10 | |
| 43 | 54 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 75 / 90 / 60 | 100 | 10 |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. normal / strong / agile |
Acc. normal / strong |
PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 / 75 / 45 | — | 20 | Legends: Arceus | |
| Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 120 / 150 / 100 | 90 / 95 | 5 | Legends: Arceus |
| Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 120 / 150 / 100 | 90 / 95 | 5 | Legends: Arceus |
| Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 75 / 90 / 60 | 100 | 10 | Legends: Arceus |
| Ominous Wind | Ghost | Special | 60 / 75 / 45 | 100 | 15 | Legends: Arceus |
| Rest | Psychic | Status | — | — | 10 | Legends: Arceus |
| Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 | Legends: Arceus |
| Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 80 / 100 / 60 | 100 | 10 | Legends: Arceus |
| Swift | Normal | Special | 60 / 75 / 45 | — | 20 | Legends: Arceus |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 / 100 / 60 | 90 / 100 | 10 | Legends: Arceus |
Generation IX · Scarlet & Violet
Golbat cannot be obtained in Scarlet and Violet, so it has no learnset there. Its Generation IX home is Legends: Z-A.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Version 2.0.0+ and Mega Dimension)14 level-up · 30 TM/HM
Golbat joined Legends: Z-A with Version 2.0.0: it can be traded in, and the Mega Dimension expansion adds it to Hyperspace Lumiose's 4★ Poison-type and 3★ Flying-type wild zones. Moves here have a learning level, a Plus level (when the move can become a Plus Move) and a cooldown instead of accuracy and PP. Old egg moves come home: Gust (5), Quick Attack (15), Whirlwind (18) and Hypnosis (22) are learned by level-up, Wing Attack is back at 12 and Leech Life closes the list at 50. Its 30 TMs include X-Scissor, Dual Wingbeat, Sky Attack and Razor Wind. Values are as in this game, so Quick Attack has 30 power, Dual Wingbeat 45 and Razor Wind 40. There is no breeding or tutoring.
By level-up
| Learn | Plus | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 6 |
| 1 | 10 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 | 7 |
| 1 | 10 | Screech | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| 5 | 8 | Gust | Special | 40 | 6 | |
| 8 | 11 | Bite | Dark | Physical | 60 | 6 |
| 12 | 15 | Wing Attack | Physical | 60 | 6 | |
| 15 | 18 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 30 | 3 |
| 18 | 21 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 7 |
| 22 | 25 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — | 10 |
| 26 | 29 | Haze | Ice | Status | — | 15 |
| 30 | 33 | Confuse Ray | Ghost | Status | — | 6 |
| 34 | 37 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 6 |
| 42 | 45 | Air Slash | Special | 75 | 7 | |
| 50 | 53 | Leech Life | Bug | Physical | 80 | 9 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM007 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — | 10 |
| TM017 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM022 | Aerial Ace | Physical | 60 | 9 | |
| TM025 | Crunch | Dark | Physical | 80 | 8 |
| TM027 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | 5 |
| TM032 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — | 15 |
| TM035 | Endure | Normal | Status | — | 12 |
| TM042 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 | 9 |
| TM043 | Fly | Physical | 90 | 12 | |
| TM044 | Hyper Beam | Normal | Special | 150 | 20 |
| TM047 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | 12 |
| TM053 | Sludge Bomb | Poison | Special | 90 | 7 |
| TM055 | Giga Impact | Normal | Physical | 150 | 20 |
| TM059 | Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | 80 | 8 |
| TM068 | Heat Wave | Fire | Special | 95 | 9 |
| TM074 | Shadow Ball | Ghost | Special | 80 | 8 |
| TM081 | X-Scissor | Bug | Physical | 80 | 8 |
| TM082 | U-turn | Bug | Physical | 70 | 12 |
| TM083 | Nasty Plot | Dark | Status | — | 15 |
| TM085 | Substitute | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| TM091 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — | 15 |
| TM094 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — | 7 |
| TM095 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — | 12 |
| TM109 | Facade | Normal | Physical | 70 | 7 |
| TM119 | Ominous Wind | Ghost | Special | 60 | 6 |
| TM123 | Poison Fang | Poison | Physical | 50 | 6 |
| TM134 | Dual Wingbeat | Physical | 45 | 6 | |
| TM139 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — | 10 |
| TM145 | Razor Wind | Normal | Special | 40 | 12 |
| TM153 | Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | 10 |
04On screen
Golbat in the anime
Debut EP032The Ninja Poké-Showdown · Its appearances on screen, and 8 other trainers who raised one.
Golbat swooped into the anime as a ninja's secret weapon. Koga's lightning-quick Golbat, armed with an ear-splitting Screech, stood between Ash and the Soul Badge until Charmander burned straight through it (EP032) – and from then on the Bat Pokémon became one of the show's most familiar faces in the dark. Ash's Kingler downed one at the Indigo Plateau, Brock's Zubat stirred up a colony while hunting for Ledyba, and a quarter of a century later a swarm tried to gatecrash a Clefairy moonlight ritual in Pokémon Journeys.
Its biggest role belongs to Brock. His faithful Zubat finally evolved in a castle maze in Johto (EP165) and spent the rest of the journey as the group's radar, nurse and Team Rocket deterrent before becoming Crobat in Control Freak! (EP196). Golbat has also been a firm favourite of villains – Team Galactic handed them out to its Grunts, Pokémon Hunter J's henchmen flew them aboard her airship, and Team Magma, Team Plasma, Team Skull and the Explorers all kept a few – while Agatha's Golbat saved Pikachu from Team Rocket and Goh added one to his collection in the Seafoam Islands.
Other trainers’ Golbat
First seen: EP006Clefairy and the Moon Stone
Evolved: EP165Hassle in the Castle
Caught off screen at Mt. Moon early in Ash's journey (EP006), Brock's Zubat spent the whole Kanto journey as a trusty scout before finally evolving in a castle labyrinth in Johto, right in the middle of a scrap with Team Rocket (EP165) – the first of Brock's Pokémon to evolve on screen. As Golbat it became the group's radar, using Supersonic to track down Murkrow thieves (EP184) and Team Rocket (EP190), and it even pinned a feverish Brock to his sick bed with a gentle burst of Supersonic (EP193). In Control Freak! it shook off the power of Jessie's mind-controlling staff, and Brock's encouragement during the chase that followed turned it into Crobat (EP196). Brock later left it with his brother Forrest at the Pewter Gym.
- EP165Hassle in the Castle · vs Jessie's Arbok and James's Weezing Won
- EP193Sick Daze · vs Jessie's Arbok and James's Weezing Won
- EP196Control Freak! · vs Jessie (with the masked queen's staff) and the Dig-a-Tron Won
First seen: EP032The Ninja Poké-Showdown
The very first Golbat in the anime belonged to a ninja. Koga sent it out to settle his Fuchsia Gym battle with Ash after Team Rocket had wrecked the first round, and it was a handful: too quick for Charmander to follow, it struck with Wing Attack and unleashed a Screech that left everyone in the room wincing – except Koga himself. Charmander simply powered through the noise, singed Golbat's wing with Flamethrower and finished it off with Fire Spin to win Ash the Soul Badge (EP032). The battle came back in a flashback, redrawn in Black & White style, when Charizard returned to Ash (BW116).
- EP032The Ninja Poké-Showdown · vs Charmander Lost
First seen: AG132The Scheme Team
When Ash came home to Kanto, he found Elite Four member Agatha minding the Viridian Gym. She battled him with her Gengar, but it was her Golbat that became Pikachu's hero when Team Rocket struck (AG132). It cut the rope of Team Rocket's mechanical grabber with Air Cutter, turned James's Cacnea's Pin Missile back on the trio with Supersonic, and then fired another Air Cutter alongside Pikachu's Thunderbolt to send Team Rocket blasting off.
- AG132The Scheme Team · vs James's Cacnea Won
First seen: EP075Round One – Begin!
Golbat was Mandi's last hope in Ash's opening match at the Indigo Plateau, after Krabby had evolved into Kingler and beaten both Exeggutor and Seadra on the Water Field. It gave Kingler a real fight, dodging Vise Grip with Double Team and battering it with Razor Wind – but before it could land the finishing Mega Drain, Kingler hit it with a direct Hyper Beam and knocked it out. Ash won the match with just one Pokémon (EP075), and Golbat returns in a flashback (EP080).
- EP075Round One – Begin! · vs Kingler Lost
First seen: JN102Battling in the Freezing Raid!
While searching the Seafoam Islands for Articuno, Ash and Goh were ambushed by a wild Golbat on a stone bridge – and Goh, true to form, had it caught in no time (JN102). It joined his ever-growing collection and appears again in This Could be the Start of Something Big! (JN136).
First seen: AG119The Ribbon Cup Caper
Brodie, the master of disguise, spent The Ribbon Cup Caper hopping between disguises on a cruise ship. When Officer Jenny finally caught up with him, he threw off his disguise and called out Golbat, whose Haze blinded Ash, his friends and Jenny long enough for him to escape with a golden Poké Ball (AG119).
First seen: DP069Enter Galactic!
Golbat were standard issue for Team Galactic – each Grunt seemed to carry one or two, for battle or for scouting from the air. Ash's first run-in with the team in Veilstone City saw Commander Saturn send a whole swarm of them to hold off the heroes until Pikachu and Paul's Electabuzz, brought by Reggie, blasted through them (DP069). On Iron Island the Grunts' Golbat overwhelmed Barry's Heracross, Roserade and Staraptor with Air Cutter and Sludge Bomb (DP110), and later flocks had to be cleared out of the sky by Pikachu and Pachirisu riding on Staraptor and Gliscor (DP150).
- DP069Enter Galactic! · vs Pikachu and Paul's Electabuzz Lost
- DP110Steeling Peace of Mind! · vs Heracross, Roserade and Staraptor Won
- DP150Unlocking the Red Chain of Events! · vs Pikachu (on Staraptor) and Pachirisu (on Gliscor) Lost
First seen: DP020Mutiny in the Bounty!
J's henchmen also counted on Golbat. When Ash and Pikachu were cornered aboard J's airship, a henchman sent out Golbat, but Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit so hard it blew out the airlock (DP020). Near Mt. Coronet another Golbat dodged a Thunderbolt and struck Pikachu with Wing Attack during the hunt for a Shieldon that Gary was moving to safety – until its Air Cutter missed Gary's Umbreon, smashed into a tree and unleashed a swarm of furious Beedrill on the henchmen (DP045).
- DP020Mutiny in the Bounty! · vs Pikachu Interrupted
- DP045Ill-Will Hunting! · vs Pikachu and Umbreon Interrupted
Ash & Golbat
Ash has never caught a Golbat, but the Bat Pokémon keeps turning up at big moments in his journey. Charmander outfought Koga's Golbat to win him the Soul Badge (EP032), and Kingler's Hyper Beam floored Mandi's Golbat in his very first Indigo Plateau match (EP075). He spent much of Johto travelling beside Brock's Golbat, and back in Kanto, Agatha's Golbat swooped in to rescue Pikachu from Team Rocket (AG132).
Featured episodes
- EP128The Whistle StopWhile Brock's Zubat uses Supersonic to hunt for Arielle's runaway Ledyba, it disturbs a group of wild Golbat instead. Brock quickly calls Zubat back, and the Golbat leave the group alone.
- AG054Fight for the Meteorite!On Mt. Chimney, a Team Magma member's Golbat swoops down and snatches the precious meteorite right out of Professor Cozmo's hands.
- AG074Hokey Poké Balls!A Golbat bursts out of one of the Poké Balls Team Rocket stole through a rigged Pokémon Center transporter and attacks Ash alongside a Primeape, until Brock returns both to their Poké Balls.
- XY052A Stealthy Challenge!A group of Golbat ambushes Ash, his friends and the young ninja Sanpei in a mountain tunnel. Sanpei's Greninja covers them with Smokescreen, but only Ash and Sanpei make it out – Serena, Clemont and Bonnie have vanished, taken by Sanpei's master Saizo.
- SM065Turning Heads and Training Hard!A Team Skull Grunt's Golbat is part of the gang that challenges Ilima – and goes down with the rest when Ilima's Eevee dazzles them with Baby-Doll Eyes and finishes them with Swift.
- SM106Evolving Research!Deep in a cave in Vast Poni Canyon, Sophocles' Charjabug wraps a swarm of Golbat in String Shot and zaps them with Discharge to clear the way – and the fleeing Golbat give Ash and Kiawe a fright at the cave entrance.
- JN120Infinite Possibilities!On a family camping trip, Chloe watches a group of Clefairy perform a moonlit Evolution ritual around a cluster of Moon Stones – until a swarm of Golbat swoops in to spoil it. A Clefable drives off the first wave with Psychic, and Chloe's Eevee copies the move with Copycat to rout the rest.
More appearances
- EP080Friends to the End Mandi's Golbat appears in a flashback.
- BW112Team Plasma's Pokémon Power Plot! Aldith's Team Plasma Grunts send out a Golbat and a Magnemite outside the observatory, and Pikachu and Axew take them on.
- BW116The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion! Charmander's win over Koga's Golbat returns in a flashback, redrawn in Black & White style, as Charizard rejoins Ash.
Beyond the main series
Anime gallery
Anime trivia
- Golbat's anime debut came in a Gym battle: Koga's Golbat in The Ninja Poké-Showdown (EP032) – and it lost to Ash's Charmander, handing him the Soul Badge.
- Brock's Zubat stayed a Zubat until the Johto journey before evolving into Golbat in Hassle in the Castle (EP165), making it the first of Brock's Pokémon to evolve on screen.
- When Brock's Golbat became Crobat in Control Freak! (EP196), it was the first time a main character's Pokémon evolved through friendship in the anime.
- Control Freak! puts Golbat in its Japanese title – 'Golbat VS the Masked Queen Musashi! The Battle in the Ruins!!' – and Golbat was that episode's Japanese Who's That Pokémon? too.
- Brock's brand-new Golbat proved too loud for its own good: its Supersonic scrambled Dr. Anna's laptop, ending Brock's hopes of staying on as her assistant (EP165).
- In Japanese, Golbat is usually voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki – better known as Team Rocket's James – while in the English dub of EP032 Koga's Golbat was voiced by Eric Stuart, the dub's Brock and James at the time.
- The Brazilian Portuguese dub of EP032 claimed Golbat can drain five litres of blood per bite – more than sixteen times the 300 cubic centimetres given in English.
- Golbat's wings regularly trip up the colourists: miscoloured wings are listed as animation errors in EP032, EP075, EP128, EP165, EP173 and EP180, with Brock's Golbat sometimes getting blue wings instead of purple ones.
“Golbat. Attacking with its sharp fangs, this Pokémon can drain three hundred cubic centimeters of blood per bite.”
Ash's Pokédex (Dexter) · EP032
05On the big screen
Golbat in the movies
1 Pikachu short and 3 specials featuring Golbat.
Golbat has never had a film of its own: on the big screen it is usually one of the wild Pokémon flapping about in the background. Its best part is in a Pikachu short. In Pikachu's Ghost Carnival (2005) it is the haunted house's lookout, bursting out of the fireplace to frighten Cubone and spying on Pikachu and friends' picnic. On TV, Brock's Golbat helps keep Mewtwo out of Team Rocket's hands in Mewtwo Returns, and swarms of wild Golbat haunt the caves in both Pokémon Mystery Dungeon specials, which is just where you'd expect to find them. It nearly reached Hollywood too: the writers of Pokémon Detective Pikachu had a Golbat sequence that was cut before the film was finished.
Pikachu shorts
- PK15Pikachu's Ghost Carnival (2005) · A Golbat living in the haunted house
Golbat's biggest screen role so far is as the lookout of a haunted house: it bursts out of the fireplace to give an exploring Cubone a fright, spies on the picnic held by Pikachu, Squirtle, Munchlax and friends, then flies home to tip off the house's spooky residents. During the big scare it swoops around with Sableye riding on its back, until Squirtle bursts into tears and the two of them sink to the floor in shame. Later it's Golbat that rushes back in to warn everyone that Team Rocket are bringing a crane to wreck the house. Watch closely as it flies back in: its lower half clips straight through the wall.
TV specials
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns (2000)
Brock sends his Golbat out with the rest of his and Misty's Pokémon to stop Team Rocket from recapturing Mewtwo. It's the only film or special in which Brock's Pokémon appears as a Golbat: it was still a Zubat in Spell of the Unown, and by Celebi: Voice of the Forest it had become a Crobat. - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate! (2006)
Deep in Sinister Cave, Charmander smashes a boulder with Metal Claw to reveal a small tunnel, and out pours a swarm of Golbat, followed by a Pichu who is terrified of the dark. In a special where almost every Pokémon chats away, the Golbat and a Shroomish are the only ones who never say a word. - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness (2007)
Team Poképals head into Labyrinth Cave to retrieve a Gabite Scale, and it isn't long before Chimchar is set upon by a swarm of wild Golbat.
06Trading Card Game · every card
Golbat in the Pokémon TCG
36 cards since 1999, oldest first. Tap any card to see it full size.
Golbat swooped into the card game in Japan's Mystery of the Fossils expansion in June 1997 and reached English players in Fossil in October 1999, with Kagemaru Himeno's bat draining health back through Leech Life. It has flapped through almost every era since, always as the middle step between Zubat and Crobat and never with an ex, EX, GX or V card of its own. Its type has changed with the times: Grass until 2005, Psychic from Mysterious Treasures in 2007, and Darkness since Battle Styles in 2021. Along the way it has belonged to Brock and Koga, turned 'Dark' twice in Team Rocket sets, and finally joined a Team Rocket Grunt in Destined Rivals. Skyridge's e-Reader Golbat even hid a mini-game, Night Flight, in its dot code.
Its signature move is the sneaky bite. Dark Golbat's Sneak Attack let it nip any opposing Pokémon the moment it hit the table, and the idea came back as the Sneaky Bite Ability on the Phantom Forces card. That card became a key part of the Crobat decks of the 2014–15 season and sits in two 2015 World Championship-winning decks, and Sneaky Bite returned once more on Team Rocket's Golbat. The artwork has travelled from the 1990s classics by Kagemaru Himeno, Mitsuhiro Arita and Ken Sugimori to full scenes: Shin Nagasawa sets his Golbat on the ground floor of Silph Co., Teeziro's slots into a nine-card panorama, and AKIRA EGAWA's shares the frame with its Grunt. In Pokémon TCG Pocket, Tomokazu Komiya drew a full-art Golbat and Taiga Kasai gave it Shiny colours.
Cards to know
- Fossil 34/62 — Golbat's English debut: Kagemaru Himeno's bat drains health back with Leech Life, and it went on to star in both Game Boy card games.
- Team Rocket 7/82 (Dark Golbat) — The original sneaky biter. Its Sneak Attack Pokémon Power nips any opposing Pokémon the moment it is played, and the English card is missing a space in its text.
- Gym Heroes 39/132 (Brock's Golbat) — Brock's bat, the toughest Golbat of its day at 70 HP, hits every one of your opponent's Pokémon at once with Spiral Dive.
- Phantom Forces 32/119 — Sneaky Bite turned it into a tournament regular: three copies sit in each of two 2015 World Championship-winning decks.
- Shrouded Fable 028/064 — Teeziro's Golbat is one piece of a nine-card picture that only comes together when all the cards sit side by side.
- Destined Rivals 121/182 (Team Rocket's Golbat) — A Team Rocket Grunt's bat, bridging Team Rocket's Zubat and Team Rocket's Crobat ex, with Sneaky Bite back for another round.
Every English-language card
Promo cards
Japan-exclusive cards
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Digital card games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Kagemaru Himeno's Fossil Golbat, card D04, in the Laboratory booster pack; it also flies in five of the game's ready-made decks (Ghost, Jungle, Flyin' Pokémon, Science Corps and Dream Eater Haunter).
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): the same Fossil Golbat, card F03, in the Sky Flying Pokémon pack.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Mitsuhiro Arita's vending-machine Golbat from Expansion Sheet 1, card C05, Uncommon, in the Island of Fossil pack; it is in the Natural Science Deck.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Mitsuhiro Arita's Dark Golbat from Team Rocket, card H05, in the Team Rocket's Ambition pack; it appears in the Demonic Forest, Cave Exploration and Ronald's GRX decks.
- Pokémon TCG Online / Pokémon TCG Live: no digital-exclusive Golbat cards.
The artists behind the cards
- Mitsuhiro Arita — 2 (the Expansion Sheet 1 vending card, Dark Golbat in Team Rocket)
- Ken Sugimori — 2 (Brock's Golbat in Gym Heroes, Koga's Golbat in Gym Challenge)
- Masakazu Fukuda — 2 (Dark Golbat in EX Team Rocket Returns, Sun & Moon), plus the Sun & Moon art reused in TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex
- Tomokazu Komiya — 1 (Skyridge), plus a full-art Illustration Rare in TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex
- Kyoko Umemoto — 1 (Plasma Storm), reused in TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light and Deluxe Pack: ex
- kawayoo — 1 (Unleashed), reused in TCG Pocket's Wisdom of Sea and Sky
- Eri Yamaki — 1 (Paradox Rift), reused in TCG Pocket's Pulsing Aura
- Kanako Eo — 1 (Phantom Forces), reprinted in Generations
- One each: Kagemaru Himeno (Fossil), Masako Yamashita (Neo Revelation), Midori Harada (EX Hidden Legends), Sachiko Adachi (EX Deoxys), Yukiko Baba (EX Delta Species), Kazuyuki Kano (Mysterious Treasures), Shin Nagasawa (Unbroken Bonds), sui (Battle Styles), Anesaki Dynamic (Silver Tempest), Scav (151), Teeziro (Shrouded Fable), AKIRA EGAWA (Destined Rivals), Mousho (Chaos Rising), and Taiga Kasai (the Shiny Golbat in TCG Pocket's Pulsing Aura)
07On the page & beyond
Golbat in manga, books & other media
From the earliest manga to story books and songs.
Golbat's manga career includes a fight over a fish. In Kosaku Anakubo's Pocket Monsters, a Zubat steals Clefairy's supper, evolves in the scuffle and chases him around threatening to drink his blood, until Green catches it. In Pokémon Adventures, Koga's Golbat is the ninja's spy, transport and weapon all at once, and in other series Golbat usually works for the villains: Team Galactic's Commanders make their getaway on theirs in Diamond and Pearl Adventure!. Kagemaru Himeno even wrote a whole chapter, 'Golbat's Cave', around her Fossil card art. In books, Brock's Golbat goes looking for Articuno in Let It Snow!, and Scholastic's Pokémon Hall of Fame spelt its name 'Goldbat' all the way through. It is in the English Pokérap and in Japan's Pokémon Ondo and Can You Name All the Pokémon?
Manga
Books
Other media
More from the page
08Did you know?
Golbat trivia
Name origins, design secrets and the facts that make Golbat such a fan favourite.
What’s in a name?
Golbat's name is the same in English and Japanese (ゴルバット, Gorubatto): 'bat' with a grisly prefix – 'gore' or 'ghoul', or perhaps 'gulp' – all of which suit a Pokémon whose whole life revolves around blood. Most of Europe kept the name, but France went full horror film with Nosferalto, blending Nosferatu, cinema's most famous early vampire, with alto, Italian for 'high'. The Chinese name 大嘴蝠 (Dàzuǐfú) is wonderfully blunt: it simply means 'big-mouth bat', while older Cantonese-language media called it 大口蝠 (Daaihháufūk), from 大口, a gaping mouth or a big mouthful.
Design origins
Golbat is a vampire bat with the volume turned all the way up. Real vampire bats are the only mammals that live entirely on blood, and they share a surprising amount with Golbat: they feed at night, often on sleeping animals, scurry about nimbly on the ground and even regurgitate meals to feed hungry roost-mates – just like the generous Golbat of Sword's Pokédex. Its Poison typing may nod to the anticoagulant in vampire bat saliva, which keeps the blood flowing, or to bats' unfortunate reputation for spreading diseases such as rabies. And that huge, gaping mouth reads like a cartoon exaggeration of the fanged vampires of legend – Golbat is less a bat with a mouth than a mouth with wings.
Names around the world
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ゴルバット Gorubatto | From gore, ghoul and bat – the same name as in English |
| French | Nosferalto | From Nosferatu and alto (Italian for 'high') |
| Spanish | Golbat | Same as the English name |
| German | Golbat | Same as the English name |
| Italian | Golbat | Same as the English name |
| Korean | 골뱃 Golbat | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 大嘴蝠 Dàzuǐfú | From 大嘴 dà zuǐ (big mouth) and 蝠 fú (bat) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 大嘴蝠 Daaihjéuifūk | From 大嘴 daaih jéui (big mouth) and 蝠 fūk (bat); older Cantonese media used 大口蝠 Daaihháufūk, from 大口 (open mouth, big mouthful) |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Golbat | Same as the English name |
| Hindi | गोलबैट Golbat | Transcription of the English name |
| Lithuanian | Golbatas | From the English name |
| Russian | Голбат Golbat | Transcription of the English name |
| Thai | โกลแบท Konbaet | Transcription of the Japanese name |
Did you know?
- Golbat shares its Bat Pokémon category with Zubat, Crobat and Unova's Woobat.
- No Pokémon outside the Zubat family has ever been Poison and Flying.
- Zubat, Golbat and Crobat are the only Poison-type Pokémon in the Flying Egg Group.
- Golbat was a final evolution in Red and Green – Crobat, and evolution by friendship, only arrived with Gold and Silver.
- In FireRed and LeafGreen, Golbat can't evolve into Crobat until you have the National Pokédex.
- Crobat isn't in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, so Golbat is once again the end of the line there.
- Golbat's long purple tongue has been shown only sporadically: Red and Blue were the only core-series games to depict it, and Pokémon Battle Revolution was the last game of any kind to do so.
- Golbat's Pokédex entries are some of the darkest in the series: Diamond's has it hunting for neck veins, and Black 2 & White 2's says it drains a nearly fatal amount of blood.
- Sapphire's Pokédex is precise about its weaponry: Golbat bites down with exactly four fangs.
- Golbat made its anime debut in The Ninja Poké-Showdown as Koga's Pokémon, taking on Ash's Charmander at the Fuchsia Gym.
- Brock's Zubat evolved into Golbat in Hassle in the Castle, and became a Crobat in Control Freak!
- In The Scheme Team, Agatha's Golbat rescued Ash's Pikachu from Team Rocket and helped blast them off.
- Goh caught a Golbat while exploring the Seafoam Islands in Battling in the Freezing Raid!
- Pokémon Stadium 2 gave Golbat a mini-game of its own, Gutsy Golbat – in Japanese, 'Golbat's Cave Exploration'.
- In Pokémon Adventures, Koga's Golbat can use Supersonic to turn its open mouth into a screen that shows where others are.
- In Pokémon Conquest, Zubat evolves into Golbat once its Speed stat reaches 55.
- Pokémon Masters EX has two Golbat sync pairs: Team Rocket Executive Proton's and Gladion's.
09Quizzes, archive & further reading
More Golbat
Test yourself
Professor Oak's Kanto Quiz: BeginnerProfessor Oak has a few questions before you set foot in the tall grass. How well do you know the region where it all began?Take the quiz →
Who's That Pokémon? Kanto: BeginnerIt's the classic challenge! Can you name these original 151 Pokémon from their silhouettes alone?Take the quiz →
Indigo League Anime: IntermediateGrab your cap and set off on Ash's very first adventure. How much do you remember from the Indigo League days?Take the quiz →
Pokémon Horizons Anime: BeginnerAll aboard for a brand-new adventure! See how well you know Liko, Roy and the crew of Pokémon Horizons: The Series.Take the quiz →
Pokémon TCG: IntermediateShuffle up and draw! From the very first booster packs to the digital age, how well do you know the Pokémon Trading Card Game?Take the quiz →
Pokémon General Knowledge: IntermediateReady to dig deeper? Test what you know about where Pokémon came from, the people behind it and its many spin-offs.Take the quiz →From the archive: Gengar’s Online Pokédex
Before this page, Pokémon Dungeon was home to Gengar’s Online Pokédex, the classic fan Pokédex for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver & Crystal by Curtis Alumbaugh (Gengar) with Ian Alumbaugh (Haunter). Its Golbat entry is preserved in full, with its original art, moves and locations.
Further reading
Pokémon and all related names, artwork, sprites, screenshots and card images are © Nintendo, Creatures Inc., GAME FREAK inc. and The Pokémon Company, used here for fan commentary. Images via the Bulbagarden Archives. Page updated 28 October 2026.