50 Facts About Zubat, Golbat and Crobat

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Zubat is the most well-known bat Pokémon without a doubt. Although its popularity is mainly all about the fact that it’s a nuisance when wandering through caves, I feel like its later evolution Crobat really redeemed this little guy.

The Zubat trio first appeared in generation I and even back then it evolved into Golbat at level 22. Starting in gen 2 it could evolve again with a high friendship into Crobat.

So maybe you’re here because you just want to know a little more about this evolutionary line. Well read on to pick up some really interesting factoids on these three Pokémon.

1. Zubat has no sight

But even though this is the case it makes it up with a mouth that has 2 really sharp teeth and pointed ears capable of hearing incredibly well.

Some say that Zubat actually have better hearing than its later evolutions.

 
2. There is a difference between male and female Zubat

Males have fangs that are much larger so it’s easier to tell them apart at a glance.

 
3. You can find Zubat mostly in caves

Their natural environment is in dark caves and because of this Zubat have no nostrils or eyes.

They mostly use echolocation to navigate.

Note you might alternatively find Zubat in forests or in old buildings under eaves.

 
4. Zubat hunts in packs

This happens mostly during the night. During the day Zubat typically sleeps in.

 
5. Daylight is dangerous for the Pokémon

Zubat quickly becomes unhealthy when in daylight for too long.

Prolonged exposure will burn the Pokemon’s skin. But when slowly trained and put into sunlight slowly over time, Zubat can have an easier time staying out in daylight.

 
6. Crobat likes to hang on its rear feet

The rear feet that most Crobat have(also wings nearby) act like typical bat feet, so Crobats really enjoy hanging upside down on tree limbs.

 
7. Crobat is capable of flying really long distances

This is possible by alternating between the 2 sets of wings.

Thanks to the extra set set of lower wings, flight speeds can increase much faster than a Golbat while flying even quieter.

 
8. Crobat love and need blood

A Crobat will silently fly and surprise the prey. Then it drains their blood.

When Crobat does not drink blood for a while it loses its ability to fly and becomes lethargic.

 
9. Crobat is seriously large

Crobat’s body is similar in size to an adult person.

However it is actually a bit smaller since wings make up most of its size.

Crobats can have a wingspan that reaches out to at least 20 feet. This is about the same height as an adult giraffe!

 
10. Some Crobat cannot be caught

There are rare reports of Crobats reaching a wingspan of over 25 feet. These are almost impossible to catch and they’re also pretty hard to find in the wild.

 
11. Crobat can fly really fast

Like insanely fast. This may be one of the fastest out of any flying Pokémon in any region.

Excluding the legendaries, just a few fall short of Crobat’s top speeds.

 
12. Golbat is the first to gain eyes

You’ll notice Zubat tend to be blind as a bat(excuse the pun).

However Golbat is the first in the evolutionary line to gain eyesight.

 
13. Crobat may have ears

There is a debate going on in the community but the general consensus is that the horns on its head are ears.

 
14. Crobat has teeth

A Crobat no longer has just the basic fangs of a normal Zubat.

It features full teeth and they are terrifying.

You can easily see this since the Pokémon’s mouth stays open in almost every sprite for every game.

 
15. Crobat uses feet to stop as fast as possible when flying at top speed

Crobat’s feet are different than Zubat’s.

This allows it to stop mid-flight really fast by grabbing onto branches. Although this does not always work, it is effective.

 
16. Crobat has reverse colors when compared to Zubat

As opposed to Golbat and Zubat, most Crobat has blue wing membranes and a purple body.

This is believed to be due to the lack of a need to blend into the sky.

 
17. Crobat can steal blood without pain

This is heavily debated but in the Ultra Sun Pokédex entry it states that Crobat can suck blood so fast that the prey won’t even notice that it’s happened… well, until much later when they notice bite marks.

 
18. Crobat have wings on their legs

You have to look closely at the design but you’ll notice that Crobat actually gain a lower set of wings closer to their legs. Pretty cool!

 
19. Crobat can sometimes never be heard even up close

In the LeafGreen Pokédex entry it’s stated that Crobat’s wings are so quiet that even if they fly right by you, it’s possible you may not even hear them. Talk about a clean assassin!

 
20. Crobat is mostly solitary

Group mentality no longer exists since many wild Crobat are solitary.

Because of this, if two of these Pokémon meet they tend to fight wildly.

 
21. Some Crobat are really old

Some are over 100 years old and keep traveling whenever they are in an area where there might be some threats to them.

 
22. Training Crobat is extremely difficult

In order to ever get a Crobat you need to work with a Zubat to evolve it, then work on building trust and happiness levels.

Even after putting a lot of effort into training it might take longer than you want. Patience is necessary to get your hands on one. This also means a lot of healing up your Zubat and giving it goofy haircuts.

 
23. Crobat only eat what they kill

Also a Crobat never eats anything that is dead.

 
24. Ravenous Crobat do not hunt for fun

If you ever somehow see a wild Crobat don’t panic: they won’t attack just for the heck of it. This Pokémon just hunts for food.

 
25. Crobat wings can beat steel types

This is how powerful they are.

Even if their wings cannot finish off a target, its teeth can. This is particularly true if coated with poisonous attacks.

 
26. Brock’s Zubat might be the most famous

In the main Pokémon anime in the episode “Clefairy and the Moon Stone”, Zubat made its first appearance.

One of them was caught by Brock in Mt. Moon and this carried through into many later episodes. Eventually Brock’s Zubat evolved into Crobat in Johto episodes.

 
27. Xerosic’s Crobat eventually lost

A Crobat was used by Xerosic in “The Right Hero For The Right Job”.

However he eventually lost when fighting the Pokemon under Clemont’s ownership.

 
28. Crobat appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee

However, it only appears as a trophy.

Sorry to all the smash fans that want to see Crobat as a playable character!

 
29. Zubat’s ultrasonic waves are used for navigation

Zubat emits an ultrasonic cry while flying. This is used for navigation purposes and works just like sonar.

 
30. Zubat’s highest stat is Speed

Zubat’s base Speed is 55. The second highest stat is Attack at 45.

Neither are amazing until it evolves though.

 
31. Zubat’s most accurate level-up move is “Leech Life”

This is interesting as it is learned at level 25.

At level 33 it learns another strong move, Air Slash. But that only has a power of 75 and an accuracy of 95%, while Leech Life is 100%.

This is true specifically in gen 1 and in the newest games “Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!” and in “Let’s Go, Eevee!”

 
32. Zubat’s type combo is unique

The evolutionary family of the Zubat has a unique type combination that you don’t find in any other Pokémon in any game.

 
33. Zubat is connected to Woobat

The evolutionary line is connected with Woobat. All family members are bats (with the exception of Swoobat) and they all live in dark places and do not have eyes.

 
34. Zubat and Golbat appeared in all regional Pokedexes

This is common among a handful of monsters but all of the Zubat evolutionary line has been attainable in every game starting with gen 2.

And of course in gen 1 you could get Zubat+Golbat, but Crobat didn’t exist yet.

 
35. Villains love Zubat and Golbat

These two Pokémon are the only ones that appear in lineups for all villainous teams in the games. I wonder why they like Zubats so damn much…

 
36. The origin of Zubat’s name might be a pun

This one is pretty obvious but what you might not know is that it is based on bat and zubatto, which is an onomatopoeia specifically from Japanese culture.

It refers to when edged tools pierce something in a forceful way.

 
37. Vibrava and Crobat share one trait

They are both the only ones of their particular body type that are not Bug type.

 
38. Crobat’s name origin is controversial

There are 2 theories here.

The first one states that the name is a combination of bat and cross.

The second states that it refers to the word “acrobat” and that it describes the high air maneuverability that you gain when evolving into a Crobat.

 
39. Crobat’s name is Nostenfer in French

This is a clear reference to Nosferatu. Vampires all around!

 
40. Crobat was a milestone for Brock

It was the first Pokémon he trained that evolved and the first fully evolved one that reached its final evolution.

 
41. Zubat sometimes hunts Stantler

This happens when a proper meal is needed and the blood they get from other Pokémon is not enough.

 
42. A colony of Zubat is really dangerous

One Zubat alone is nothing to worry about.

However, you will rarely find a Zubat that is alone since they prefer living in colonies. When hunting in colonies they can take down really large prey very fast.

 
43. Stray Zubat usually evolve to Golbat

Zubat that stay in a colony rarely evolve.

It is the stray ones that frequently do, in the event that they manage to survive since being alone makes them easy prey.

 
44. Zubat spends its days on the ceiling

According to the Pokémon Crystal Pokédex entry, most Zubats prefer to spend their days inside caves hanging around the ceiling with other Zubats. These guys really don’t like sunlight too much.

 
45. Golbat do not try to escape if cornered

Although Golbat still prefers to fly away from danger, when cornered it harshly and quickly attacks.

This happens because their vision is changing and they find it really difficult to recognize threats.

 
46. Golbat are clumsy after evolving

They need to get used to their new vision and larger wingspan.

During this time, a Golbat might receive help from other Golbat so they can learn how to fly properly.

 
47. Golbat is a glutton

Golbat usually drink much more blood than what is needed, which is different than Zubat.

Because of this, their blood type temporarily changes and it is hard for them to get off the ground as they tend to weigh more.

 
48. Golbat is based on vampires

The entire design of Golbat’s mouth and teeth are meant to represent the large mouth of vampires who use their teeth to suck blood.

 
49. Golbat likes to live in larger, thick forests

This is preferable so that it’s easier to spot larger creatures that may be a threat.

When living in caves, Golbat stay much closer to the entrance than Zubat. Although you wouldn’t know that by playing some of the games!

 
50. The controversy surrounding Cyrus’ Crobat

Cyrus claims he does not make friends with Pokémon but he did have a Golbat that evolved into Crobat.

This is only possible once a Crobat’s happiness levels are high enough. This discovery led to Pokémon fans being divided between the belief that Cyrus actually loves some of his Pokémon, or is really good at manipulating Pokémon, making Golbat just believe it is loved.

I’m just going to believe that deep down Cyrus does truly consider his monsters as friends. I like my villains to be at least a little redeemable.

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