Some Pokemon evolve when traded. Others only do so when exposed to a certain stone or similarly special object. There are Pokemon who evolve via a high friendship with their trainer, Pokemon who evolve at certain times of day, and in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, there are even Pokemon who evolve after using a certain move a set number of times. It's wild.

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However, the most common way that many Pokemon evolve involves reaching a certain level. For some early evolutions, the level they have to reach is actually pretty low. In some cases, almost frighteningly so — farewell, Caterpie, we barely knew you. But for every Bug-type "early bird," there's a Pokemon with glacial evolutionary pacing.

Here's our collection of Pokemon whose final evolutions occur at the highest level. Shockingly, there are a few instances of Pokemon evolving from their base form to their middle form even later, but to keep things spicy, let's focus on what Pokemon fully evolves at the highest level.

Updated January 6th, 2023 by Andrew Scariati: Every Pokemon generation brings at least one Pokemon that evolves at an obscenely high level, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are certainly no exception. A new pseudo-legendary joins the fray in addition to intricate new evolutions that shake up the standard methods trainers have become accustomed to. Luckily for us, the highest-level evolution in Pokemon remains unchanged, so at least things haven't gotten out of hand – yet. Game Freak is leaning into experience candy as a standard level-up method, so reaching even the highest evolution level is easier than ever before.

16 Noivern (From Noibat At Level 48)

Noivern extending its wings.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

85

70

80

97

80

123

Noivern is a dual-type Flying/Dragon Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 6. This Pokemon evolves at level 48 from Noibat, another Flying/Dragon. In Pokemon X & Y, where Noibat made its grand debut, it wasn't catchable until nearly level 48.

It was a bit frustrating, but at least you don't have to wait long to get this majestic Noivern in your party once you've finally acquired its pre-evolution. In Scarlet and Violet, you can even come across fully evolved Noivern in the wild, eliminating the frustration of trying to reach a high level for evolution.

15 Dragalge (From Skrelp At Level 48)

Dragalge floating in its Pokedex entry.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

65

75

90

97

123

44

Another Kalos native, Dragalge is unique in that it replaces its pre-evolution typing. The fun-loving Skrelp, who sticks around all the way until level 48, is a Poison/Water sea-dweller. Dragalge ditches the Water bit in favor of Dragon, though yes, you'll still find it splashing about near water in Scarlet and Violet.

In Sword & Shield, the Isle of Armor expansion brought back Dragalge in a big way. You can encounter this toxin-spewing chap in no fewer than five locations, including Honeycalm Island. With these appearances in the wild, you'll no longer have to reach the highest level to evolve this Pokemon.

14 Klinklang (From Klang At Level 49)

Klinklang from the anime looking surprised

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

60

100

115

70

85

90

Generation Five is known for having what many fans consider to be the lion's share of strange Pokemon designs. That's not to say there aren't some really weird ones out there in every regional Pokedex, but Black & White really went deep with it, with Pokemon like the Klink line being prime examples. What begins as a small pair of happy little gears eventually becomes one happy little gear attached to a bigger one, culminating in Klinklang. That lone happy little gear is now strapped to a bigger one with some sort of orbiting circle around it.

Darwin wouldn't know what to say, but at least we do. Klang, the middle form, spends its sweet time ruminating on whether to transform into this rotating monstrosity, only evolving into Klinklang at level 49.

13 Goodra (From Sliggoo At Level 50)

Goodra smiling mischievously.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

90

100

70

110

150

80

Pokemon anime fans likely associate Goodra with its evolutionary line's rather depressing storyline. When perennial hero Ash Ketchum first catches Goomy, it is suffering horrible flashbacks to events we don't learn about in full for quite some time. It's all a bit dark, but then, the X and Y seasons don't shy away from that quite so much as other sagas.

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Through trial after trial, Goomy becomes Sliggoo, and ultimately, his arc is complete with the power gained by evolving into Goodra. "Goo" and "dragon." "Goo dragon." It's not exactly the most threatening-sounding Pokemon name around, but hey, the thing's a beast. However, we have to wonder how it is that Ash manages to get his Goomy all the way to level 50 for this final evolution when he can't so much as evolve his Bulbasaur in the original series.

12 Mienshao (From Mienfoo At Level 50)

Mienshao entering battle in the Pokémon Anime

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

65

125

60

95

60

105

According to its Pokedex entries, Mienshao is so fast that most Pokemon have a difficult time seeing it coming. A 105 Speed stat will do that to an extent, but really, it ought to be higher in order to really seal the deal.

Mienfoo has a good long time to do just that; the martial arts weasel sticks around until level 50 when at long last, it realizes its base stats are abysmal, and it wants wing-like protrusions on its arms and some kind of beard.

11 Salamence (From Shelgon At Level 50)

Salamence from Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Pokedex Image

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

95

135

80

110

80

100

When Pokemon first skyrocketed onto the scene, there was only one Dragon-type family. Dratini became Dragonair; Dragonair became Dragonite. It was sacred knowledge. Every kid knew it. And every kid wanted another Dragon family because Dragon-types are cool, and kids want to be cool, too.

Johto came and went, and all it did was add Kingdra. Which was cool, but it wasn't what those kids were asking for. The arrival of Hoenn in 2002 finally granted their wishes with the Bagon/Shelgon/Salamence line. But to be considered truly cool, you needed that Salamence. You needed to add this heavy-hitting buddy to your arsenal. You needed to get that Shelgon to level 50, the second-highest Pokemon evolution level at the time. If you were to have any hope whatsoever of being the first (and thus, coolest) kid, this meant sacrificing sleep and hiding under the covers every night with your Game Boy Advance.

10 Kingambit (From Bisharp At Level 53+)

Kingambit stands while sending out a menacing stare.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

100

135

120

60

85

50

Kingambit is a dual-type Dark/Steel Pokemon that evolves from its pre-evolution, Bisharp, after defeating three other Bisharp while holding a Leader's Crest. In the wild, Bisharp lives with large groups of Pawniards, ruling over them. Thus, defeating three Bisharp will cement your own as the king among its peers, hence Kingambit. It's all very chess, yes.

If you've got a Pawniard in your party, and you're looking to evolve it up into Kingambit to take advantage of its high attack and useful moves, then you better get to training it before you assert dominance over three wild Bisharp. In order to evolve Pawniard up to Bisharp, Pawniard has to reach level 52, and you'll need one last level to trigger Bisharp's evolution into Kingambit.

9 Solgaleo & Lunala (From Cosmoem At Level 53)

Necrozma, Lunala, and Solgaleo roaring.

Solgaleo

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

137

137

107

113

89

97

Lunala

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

137

113

89

137

107

97

Solgaleo and Lunala are two of the main three Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 7. They're the mascots of Pokemon Sun and Moon and evolve up from Cosmeom. Sunny trainers will get Solgaleo, while lunar fans will find themselves beholden to Lunala instead. In either case, it's a big story beat and one of the Pokemon series' more impressive ones at that.

But you've got to work for it. Cosmoem, formerly Cosmog of "get in the bag" fame and infamy, won't transform into its magnificent final form until level 53. Thankfully, 53 isn't the highest evolution level, so the reward of an incredibly powerful legendary seems like a bargain.

8 Mandibuzz (From Vullaby At Level 54)

Mandibuzz flying fast in the Pokémon Anime

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

110

65

105

55

95

80

What is it with Unova and high-level evolutions? First, they strap you with nothing but new Pokemon. And then they tell you to work hard to see their final evolutions! It's almost as if they wanted us to experience a whole new adventure for a change.

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In any case, the Dark and Flying-type Vullaby is someone you'll see for a very long time throughout the campaign. The vulture, standing upright but still half-stuck inside its egg, fails to remove said egg until level 54. Most first-time Black & White players will begin to suspect that egg isn't going anywhere before Mandibuzz appears at last. It looks rather angry, too.

Almost like it was stuck inside an eggshell for most of its existence.

7 Braviary (From Rufflet At Level 54)

Braviary flying high in the Pokémon Anime

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

100

123

75

57

75

80

Oh great, a Pokemon from Unova who won't evolve until they're at a very high level. (Said no one ever.) Welcome to Rufflet, a cute, ruffle-feathered little pal who will stay that way all the way until level 54, at which point it turns into something of an American icon.

You'll probably want either Braviary or Mandibuzz on your team in Unova if you've got a thing for Flying-types because the Pidove line (basically, the inevitable generational Pidgey clone) is, unfortunately, pretty weak. And if you're ever in Hisui, courtesy of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, be sure to fly around on Hisuian Braviary. Technically, you won't have a choice; but regardless, it's an incredible time.

6 Baxcalibur (From Arctibax At Level 54)

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Baxcalibur on an empty battle field.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

115

145

92

75

86

87

Baxcalibur stormed onto the scene with its unusual Dragon and Ice dual typing, shared only by Kyurem. This terrifying pseudo-legendary claims its crown as the best Ice-type in Scarlet and Violet due to a superb 145 Attack and respectable defensive stats.

The level 54 requirement is somewhat high, but if you've dabbled in Tera Raids, then you likely have several experience candies on hand to make the once-daunting level grind a breeze. Game Freak decided not to break the highest evolution level record with Baxcalibur, though it would have made little difference now that we no longer need to endlessly grind the Elite Four to reach the highest Pokemon evolution levels.

5 Tyranitar (From Pupitar At Level 55)

Tyranitar stands in a forest with a bit of a glimmer to it.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

100

134

110

95

100

61

Back to that kid from the days of Red & Blue who wanted to be cool and catch another Dragon-type come Gold & Silver. It wasn't going to happen, Kingdra notwithstanding, because Game Freak was still keeping Dragon-types close to their chest. But then, hey, what was this? It was the second-ever "pseudo-Legendary" line after Dragonite's, the Tyranitar line. It was all about Rock meshed with the shiny new Dark, and it was a monster.

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Surely, this had to count for something. Tyranitar won't even appear until Pupitar hits level 55, making its debut an achievement, an experience, something to shake your Game Boy Color uncontrollably over in glee until it falls to the floor and the screen cracks.

4 Dragonite (From Dragonair At Level 55)

 Dragonite posing angrily, preparing to strike.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

91

134

95

100

100

80

The OG pseudo-legendary, the original Dragon, the goofy-looking bud. In the first-generation games, owning one was like a rite of passage rivaled only by catching the three Legendary Birds and Mewtwo himself. You could only obtain Dratini through the Game Corner for 2800 coins — super-pro Pokemon Masters knew you could do the same thing at the Safari Zone with the Super Rod, but shh, it's a secret — and even then, you had to endure cutie Dratini to level 30, then deal with Dragonair to 55.

In fairness, Dragonair is awesome. Lots of players at the time, and some even today, have held the opinion that elegant Dragonair looks cooler than the complete design that is Dragonite. If only they could swap stats, right? No offense to diehard Dragonite fans, of course. Except for Lance, because his Dragonite team is at an impossibly low level in Gold & Silver, which means he's a no-good cheater.

3 Volcarona (From Larvesta At Level 59)

Volcarona flying above water

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

85

60

65

135

105

100

Volcarona is a dual-type Bug/Fire Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 5. You know, the generation with all the high-leveled evolutions; as if the notion was going out of style or something. This moth-like Pokemon is unique because it is the only Pokemon that is able to learn the Fiery Dance move. Even without context, that's enough to make folks jealous.

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For trainers that want this powerful and unique Pokemon in their party, you're going to have to work pretty hard. Larvesta won't make the important life change until level 59. Compound this with the fact that in the original Black & White, the only available Larvesta is handed to you in the form of an egg on Route 18; yeah, good luck with that.

2 Dragapult (From Drakloak At Level 60)

Dragapult about to battle

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

88

120

75

100

75

142

What's this? Suddenly, Sword and Shield burst onto the scene, making a late play for the Pokemon with the highest evolution level. Dragapult, a Ghost/Dragon pseudo-legendary with a ton of competitive online staying power, has just about everything going for it. It starts off as a little jet plane, and then it's a little jet plane chilling atop a little dragon thing, and at long last, it becomes a gigantic undead dragon capable of launching two little jet plane things at its enemies.

Level 60 is a steep climb, though Sword & Shield makes leveling easier than ever before. The mandatory EXP Share, a wealth of leveling candies, ability to challenge much higher-leveled Pokemon in the wild; everything makes sense, but still, 60 is a mountain to climb.

1 Hydreigon (From Zweilous At Level 64)

Hydreigon roaring in a field.

HP

Attack

Defense

Special Attack

Special Defense

Speed

92

105

90

125

90

98

Hydreigon claims the crown for the highest-level Pokemon evolution, and it just so happens to be from Unova. Who would have thought? In this case, the effort to acquire this incredible Pokemon is well worth the time, as Hydreigon honestly deserves to be the highest-level Pokemon evolution due to its immense power.

Hydreigon evolves from Zweilous at level 64, though many players will complete most main campaigns quite a few levels beneath that mark. But look at it. It's a three-headed Dark/Dragon-type and another pseudo-legendary at that. It wants you to work for it. It wants a trainer who is willing to put blood, sweat, and tears into its arrival. Well, maybe not blood. Don't physically harm yourself over it. But definitely sweat and cry a lot.

NEXT: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Best Pokemon For Tera Raids