Kingler

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Kingler (original: 大钳蟹)
Alias(es)	Little Crab; Brother Krabby 96 223
Species/Race	Water-type Pokémon 96
Gender	Male 96
Affiliation	Yu Hai's Pokémon team 90 91
Occupation/Role	Heavy close-combat defender and frontline combatant 190
Status	Active; reached the Elite Four tier 967 968
First Appearance	Chapter 90 90

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 7.69%	96	Registered as a male Kingler with 56% potential, Guts, hidden Sheer Force, and an oversized claw that had left its body underdeveloped.
Level 10.66%	101	Learned Dig while training its pincers; its Water Gun and Harden proficiency also rose.
Level 15.76%	110	Reached 57% potential and gained Mud Shot, giving it a ranged Ground-type attack.
Level 18.16%	120	Molted again, restored its missing small claw, and raised potential to 57.5%.
Level 21.16%	130	Received Lugia's gift; potential rose to 59.99% and it learned Rain Dance.
Level 24.96%	190	Claw-lifting training substantially improved Guts, Harden, Hammer Arm, and other core techniques.
Level 26.46%	212	Learned Agility and approached its planned evolution threshold.
Level 29.16%	224	Evolved after consuming a Water Gem; potential jumped from 59.99% to 71%, and it learned Crab Hammer.
Level 34.56%	291	Added Protect, Iron Defense, Instant Amnesia, and Swords Dance to its developing spear-and-shield combat style.
Veteran tier, Level 42.56%	404	Reached veteran tier; its extensive battle training sharply improved Agility, Iron Defense, Crab Hammer, Mud Shot, and Sheer Force.
Level 46.36%	473	Potential reached 72.23%; learned coverage moves including Thousand-Horsepower, Stomp, Ice Beam, Rock Tomb, and Cross Chop.
Level 50.36%	594	Continued developing its core defensive and offensive moves, with Guts at 42.22% and Sheer Force at 36.53%.
Level 59.99%	801	Expanded its movepool with Hydro Pump, Dive, Shell Blade, Icy Wind, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, and Guillotine.
Elite Four tier, Level 60.51%	967 968	Broke through to Elite Four level; both Guts and Sheer Force reached 59.99%, while multiple Water- and Ice-type moves surpassed the threshold.

Background / History

Kingler was born with pincers that grew far faster than its body. Its oversized left claw was larger than its body, while its other usable pincer was broken off. Unable to lift the giant claw or compete for food, it was mocked, beaten, and ostracized by its own clan. 90

After Yu Hai's group captured it, Kingler expected to be eaten. Yu Hai instead fed it, listened to its story, and offered it a Poké Ball. The kindness of Yu Hai, Poliwag, Magikarp, and Wishiwashi gave it its first sense of acceptance. 90

Kingler quickly chose to train after observing Poliwag's morning exercises. Yu Hai refused to amputate the malformed claw and instead built a regimen around gradually lifting and holding it, allowing Kingler's body to catch up through exercise and repeated molts. 91 98 117

Its evolution was triggered after it began emitting evolutionary light. Yu Hai gave it a Water Gem, and the account identifies the evolved result as Gyarados, though subsequent panels and narration continue to call the individual Kingler. The transformation greatly increased its size, strength, and potential. 223 224

Appearance

Kingler began as a severely underdeveloped crab whose huge left pincer outweighed what its body could support. Repeated molting, calcium supplementation, Harden training, and claw-lifting gradually allowed its body to grow into its abnormal weapon. 90 98 120

• Its giant claw was initially larger than its body and had to be dragged rather than wielded. 90
• Its lost small claw regenerated after molting, becoming useful for eating, cutting restraints, and fine movements. 120 404
• Following its Water Gem evolution, it measured 1.4 meters tall and weighed 140 jin, exceeding the stated average Kingler dimensions. 224
• Its shell can be hardened with Harden and Iron Defense until it is described as resembling hard steel. 98 404

Personality

Kingler is sensitive to abandonment due to its past isolation. Shortly after joining Yu Hai, it became anxious when left alone to guard the treehouse, worrying that Yu Hai and the others would not return for it. 97

It is also notably proactive and hardworking. Rather than waiting for instruction, Kingler asked Poliwag how to become stronger and committed itself to claw-lifting training. 91 190 It remains shy around praise, but its evolution strengthened its resolve to protect Yu Hai and the team that accepted it. 223

Abilities & Skills

Guts and Sheer Force

Kingler possesses Guts and the hidden ability Sheer Force. Both reached 59.99% proficiency by its Elite Four breakthrough. 968

• Guts prevents opponents from lowering its Attack and developed alongside its claw-focused training. 97 404
• Sheer Force enhances moves with additional effects; Kingler developed it through repeated use of compatible attacks. 404 473
• Confirmed Sheer Force-compatible moves include Metal Claw, Mud Shot, Water Gun, Bubble Beam, Ice Beam, Rock Tomb, Blizzard, Shell Blade, Scald, and Rock Slide. 968

Giant Pincer Combat

Kingler's core fighting style is built around overwhelming physical force from its malformed, body-sized claw. Yu Hai describes its intended role as a “spear and shield”: devastating pincers backed by an exceptionally durable shell. 190 474

• Crab Hammer is its principal Water-type physical attack and signature close-range strike. 224 967
• Hammer Arm, Metal Claw, Cross Chop, Superpower, Thousand-Horsepower, and Guillotine provide heavy physical coverage. 968
• It broke the pincer joints of a giant evolved Kingler and then knocked it unconscious, causing the surrounding crab swarm to retreat. 141
• It cracked Cloyster's shell through repeated Hammer Arm impacts and defeated a Heracross after breaking its horn. 474 360
• Hammer Arm lowers its Speed, requiring Kingler to use Agility again after employing it. 404

Defensive Shell and Self-Enhancement

Kingler pairs its offense with layered defensive reinforcement and stat-boosting techniques. 291 292

• Harden assists shell recovery after molting and was one of its earliest defensive skills. 98 130
• Iron Defense can be repeatedly stacked; it blocked Meganium's Razor Leaf and made normal attacks ineffective. 404
• Protect provides immediate protection against direct attacks, including Heracross's Megahorn. 590
• Instant Amnesia strengthens its special resilience, though Kingler dislikes the move because it causes it to forget events. 404
• Swords Dance increases its offensive output and was incorporated into its running routine to reduce setup time during battle. 404

Mobility and Field Control

Despite its heavy build, Kingler developed speed and battlefield control to prevent opponents from kiting it. 190 404

• Agility is integrated into its daily running and lets it evade attacks such as Solar Beam while closing into pincer range. 404
• Dig enables ambushes, tunneling, escape from status techniques, and battlefield trap construction. 101 140 590
• Mud Shot slows opponents, deals Ground-type damage, and can activate Sheer Force; Kingler used it to defeat an Electabuzz despite the opponent's attempts to maintain distance. 405
• Rock Tomb, Stomp, and Body Slam provide additional control against mobile or underground opponents. 590 968

Ranged and Elemental Coverage

Kingler's later training gave it a broad elemental movepool beyond its initial Water Gun and Mud Shot. 473 801 968

• Water-type options include Water Gun, Rain Dance, Bubble Beam, Hydro Pump, Dive, Shell Blade, Scald, Whirlpool, and Surf. 968
• Ice-type options include Ice Beam, Blizzard, Icy Wind, and Hail. 968
• Rock-type options include Rock Tomb and Rock Slide. 968
• Its training specifically sought coverage against Grass- and Electric-type opponents, which had previously been difficult matchups. 404

Relationships

• Yu Hai — Trainer and rescuer. Yu Hai fed Kingler when it expected death, recruited it into the team, tailored its claw-lifting regimen, and provided calcium supplements and Water Gems for its growth. 90 91 98 223
• Poliwag / Poliwhirl / Poliwrath — Early training partner and source of encouragement. Poliwag's exercise routine inspired Kingler to seek strength, and Poliwhirl later praised its evolution. 91 223
• Butterfree — Battle partner during the giant Kingler confrontation; Butterfree trapped the enemy in an Electric Web before Kingler delivered the decisive pincer assault. 141
• Magikarp and Wishiwashi — Listened quietly when Kingler shared its history and were among the first Pokémon to accept it into Yu Hai's group. 90
• Gyarados — Kingler was ordered to keep watch over Gyarados after its Elite Four breakthrough, leading to conflict when Gyarados became arrogant and dismissive. 967

Story Role / Major Arcs

Deserted Island Recruitment

Kingler's recruitment transforms it from an ostracized, starving outcast into one of Yu Hai's earliest trained Pokémon. It initially guards the treehouse and cares for Magikarp and Wishiwashi while Yu Hai's group is away. 90 97

Crab Clan Conflict

Kingler faces the same crab population that once rejected it. During the swarm attack, it digs a pit with Butterfree's support, disables the giant Kingler leader by targeting its pincer joints, and decisively defeats it in front of the other crabs. 140 141

Evolution and Competitive Growth

After its Water Gem evolution, Kingler becomes a major frontline battler. It defeats Jolteon with Sheer Force-boosted Mud Shot despite the type disadvantage and later develops an eleven-battle winning streak through attrition, defense, and close-range strikes. 228 299

Gym Battles

As Yu Hai's acting Gym Leader Pokémon, Kingler defeats Meganium, Electabuzz, and Exeggutor in succession. Its use of stacked Iron Defense, Agility, Mud Shot, and overwhelming pincers establishes it as a versatile veteran-tier battler. 404 405

Elite Four Breakthrough

Kingler reaches Elite Four tier alongside Yu Hai's other major Pokémon. It retains a high potential of 73.53% and develops a deep, multi-type skill set centered on Crab Hammer, Iron Defense, Agility, and Sheer Force-compatible attacks. 967 968

Trivia

• Kingler's repeated molting is treated as a unique racial growth trait: each molt makes it larger and stronger while gradually increasing its potential. 418
• Yu Hai initially considered amputating Kingler's oversized claw but chose rehabilitation and strength training instead. 91
• Its giant pincer once made it incapable of lifting its own weapon; later, that same claw allowed it to overpower other Kingler and even compete with much stronger physical Pokémon. 90 474