Butterfree
Bug
Best attacking moveset: Bug Bite and Bug Buzz, worth 9.3 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Butterfree can learn 9 combinations. Bug Bite with Bug Buzz does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Bug Bite is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Butterfree you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Struggle Bug and Bug Buzz, worth 8.5 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confusion | Psychic | 19 | 1.5s | +14 |
| Struggle Bug | Bug | 15 | 1.5s | +15 |
| Bug Bite Legacy | Bug | 5 | 0.5s | +6 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Buzz | Bug | 95 | 3.5s | -50 |
| Psychic | Psychic | 95 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Signal Beam | Bug | 75 | 3.0s | -50 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Butterfree has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, evolution, photobomb.
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 2,065 at level 50, 1,827 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,044 CP at level 20, or 1,305 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 983 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 167 attack · 137 defense · 155 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 10,000 Stardust and 25 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 1 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 1,000 Stardust and 1 Candy |
| Size | 1.1 m and 32 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Butterfree does not have one best moveset, it has 2. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Grass, Psychic, Dark.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Grass | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 13.9 |
| Psychic | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 13.9 |
| Dark | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 13.9 |
| Fighting | Confusion + Psychic | 12.9 |
| Poison | Confusion + Psychic | 12.9 |
| Normal | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Ground | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Rock | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Bug | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Water | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Electric | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Ice | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Dragon | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 9.3 |
| Confusion + Psychic | 8.0 | |
| Ghost | Confusion + Psychic | 8.0 |
| Fire | Confusion + Psychic | 8.0 |
| Fairy | Confusion + Psychic | 8.0 |
| Steel | Bug Bite + Bug Buzz | 6.0 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Butterfree is actually for.
Counters: what beats Butterfree
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Glimmora | RockPoison | Rock Throw + Meteor Beam | 55.0 |
 Rampardos | Rock | Smack Down + Rock Slide | 54.5 |
 Tyrantrum | RockDragon | Rock Throw + Meteor Beam | 51.0 |
 Gigalith | Rock | Lock On + Meteor Beam Legacy | 51.0 |
 Rhyperior | GroundRock | Smack Down + Rock Wrecker Legacy | 49.3 |
 Terrakion | RockFighting | Smack Down + Rock Slide | 48.4 |
 Blacephalon | FireGhost | Incinerate + Mind Blown Legacy | 47.9 |
 Tyranitar | RockDark | Smack Down + Stone Edge Legacy | 46.5 |
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock On + Thunder Cage Legacy | 45.4 |
 Lycanroc | Rock | Rock Throw + Stone Edge | 44.3 |
Ranked by damage per second against Butterfree's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.