Pokémon Go Slowbro vs Slowking: Which one should you pick?

I was recently able to capture the perfect Gen IV Slowpoke while playing Pokémon Go on my phone. While I was excited about it, I was faced with the dilemma of which evolution to pick between Slowbro and Slowking. Based on their base stats the two evolutions are equally strong, and depending on who you ask, they each have their fan base.

But I was curious to see which of the two was better. So, instead of choosing one evolution, I held out until Community Day to get enough candy so I could get both evolutions. Now that I have experience playing with both, I have better insight into which Pokémon is worth spending your precious candy on. In this article, we’ll look through some of the key differences that might help you make your choice.

Pokémon Slowbro vs Slowking – How They Compare.

First, here is a table summary of the comparison between the two Pokémon and the differences we will discuss later in the article:

Features	Slowbro	Slowking
Appearance	Sleeker design Upright posture Royal-like appearance A crown structure on its head.	Slouching posture Appears slow/sluggish Shellder attached to its tail.
Evolution method	Needs 50 Candies only	Needs 50 candies and a King’s rock
Movesets	Charge moves (lower cost energy): Psychic Ice Beam Water Pulse	Charge moves (higher cost energy): Psychic Fire Blast Blizzard
Stats and Typing	Water/Psychic type with better physical defenses (very useful for its typing)	Water/Psychic type with better special defenses (not as useful for its typing)

What are the differences between Pokémon Slowbro vs Slowking?

Picking one of two evolutions for a Pokémon can be a task, especially since they share many similarities. But that’s not to say that they don’t have some distinct differences, regardless of how slight, that set them apart. The same is true for the evolutions of Slowbro and Slowking. The following are the differences I noted between them:

Appearance

Let’s start by ticking the most obvious difference off the list. While their design doesn’t really affect their stats, it’s worth noting if aesthetics are something you take seriously. Plus, for new trainers, it’s always easier to go with the cooler or cuter Pokémon before you can understand the value of their stats and how to make use of their types and move sets.

I’ve always thought Slowpoke was one of the cutest mons in Pokémon, hence my excitement about capturing it. But when it comes to its evolutions, I can’t say I’m a fan of Slowbro’s design. The Shellder attached to its tail looks off in my opinion and gives it a hunched posture. It also makes it appear slower since it has to drag that thing around.

I prefer Slowking’s appearance, on the other hand, especially the royal theme it follows. Unlike its counterpart, instead of a Shellder, Slowking has a crown on its head and a more upright posture. This makes it appear faster (although that’s not really the case, the two have the same speed stats).

Therefore, in terms of appearance, I would have to go with Slowking. It has a much sleeker design and looks much cuter than Slowbro in my opinion. But then again beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so this will depend on your preference.

Evolution Method

Another key and obvious difference between the two Pokémon is what it takes to evolve them. I found that I needed 50 candies to evolve Slowpoke into Slowbro. With Slowking however, I needed the 50 candies plus an additional King’s Rock. In my experience, the candies are easier to come by, but the king’s rock can be a tad bit difficult to acquire.

So, evolving Slowbro was the easier option for me. Additionally, I was impressed by the fact that Slowbro can mega-evolve, which is something Slowking can’t do. Even though I didn’t find the Mega-evolved Slowbro as useful in raids, it gave me a great advantage in PvP (Player vs Player) battles.

Therefore, in terms of evolution, Slowbro wins over Slowking. Not only is it easier to evolve but it can also mega evolve, which is not an option for the latter.

Movesets

Being that they evolve from the same Pokémon and share the same typing (water/psychic), the two evolutions share some moves. For example, both of them can use Confusion and Psychic. However, some moves are exclusive to either one. For example, Slowking can use Fire Blast and Blizzard, whereas Slowbro has an Ice beam and Water pulse.

The first difference is in their movesets. For both of them, Confusion is the best option for a fast move, however, Slowking’s best charge move options are psychic blizzard and fire blast, for the most effective damage despite the low attack stats. Slowbro’s best charge moves on the other hand are psychic, ice beam, and water pulse.

While their fast moves won’t generate enough EPS (energy per second), I realized that Slowbro’s charge moves had lower energy costs compared to Slowking’s. For example, in Pokémon Go, while Fire Blast and Blizzard will cause more damage, they each have an energy cost of 100. On the other hand, while Ice Beam and Water Pulse won’t do as much damage, they each cost half the energy required by Slowking’s charge moves.

Seeing as the Confusion only generates 15 energy for a damage of 20, you’ll at least be able to use Slowbro’s best charge moves more times in an average match compare to Slowking’s.

With that said, Slowbro is the clear winner here, with better charge moves that cost less energy and therefore can be used multiple times in a battle.

Stats and Typing

Slowbro and Slowking share the same stats. So, if you are checking values then there won’t be much difference. This is expected considering they are both Water/Psychic types and evolve from the same Pokémon.

While both of them are more defensive than offensive, I noted, Slowbro was better at defending against physical attacks compared to its counterpart. Although Slowking was also better at defending against special attacks, I didn’t find its defenses as effective.

The reason behind this is Water/Psychic types are generally better suited for physical defense than special defense. That makes Slowbro the better Water/Psychic choice. Additionally, I found that using Scald, improved Slowbro’s already great defenses since there was a small possibility of being able to burn anything or anyone that tried to get past its defenses.

So overall, despite having the best stats and typing, Slowbro is the better Water/Psychic since it has better physical defenses, which is something its type combo is naturally good at.

Final Verdict: So, Which is better? – Pokémon Slowbro vs Slowking

Considering their stats, I wouldn’t say either Slowbro or Slowking is among the most powerful Pokémon out there. Even so, they do have their perks. Slowking’s sleek design, for example, makes it a great choice for adding to your collection even if it’s just for bragging rights.

But if you compare the two Slowbro is the clear winner. Not only is it easier to evolve, but it can also Mega evolve which can be great for PvP. Additionally, its charge moves have lower energy costs and it is great at physical defenses, which is an advantage for its typing.

Still, if you don’t want to miss out on having both, you should probably know that Pokémon Go also has the Galarian forms of Slowbro and Slowking. According to trainers who’ve used the Galarian forms, Galarian Slowking has better stats compared to the normal Slowbro. Therefore, if you must have both, I would suggest getting the normal Slowbro and the Galarian Slowking.

FAQ Section

Which is more popular Pokémon Go Slowbro or Slowking?

Slowbro is a more popular choice among trainers in Pokémon Go because, it’s easier to evolve, has a mega evolution, and overall better movesets and defense against physical attacks.

Which one is more useful between Slowking and Slowbro in Pokémon Go?

Slowbro is considered more useful than Slowking because its Charge moves have lower energy costs meaning they can be used multiple times in battle, unlike Slowking’s charge moves. Also, Slowbro’s mega evolution can be a great advantage in Player vs Player battles.

Why is Slowbro used more than Slowking in Pokémon Go?

Slowbro is used more than Slowking because it offers more advantages. It is easier to evolve, can mega evolve, the charge moves have lower energy costs, and being a water/psychic only makes it better at defending against physical attackers.