Primeape
Fighting
Best attacking moveset: Counter and Close Combat, worth 11.1 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Primeape can learn 18 combinations. Counter with Close Combat 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter | Fighting | 13 | 1.0s | +9 |
| Low Kick | Fighting | 5 | 0.5s | +5 |
| Karate Chop Legacy | Fighting | 10 | 1.0s | +13 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close Combat | Fighting | 105 | 2.5s | -100 |
| Ice Punch | Ice | 50 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Low Sweep | Fighting | 40 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Night Slash | Dark | 45 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Cross Chop Legacy | Fighting | 50 | 1.5s | -50 |
| Rage Fist Legacy | Ghost | 100 | 3.0s | -50 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Primeape has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, evolution, photobomb.
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 2,586 at level 50, 2,288 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,307 CP at level 20, or 1,634 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,239 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 207 attack · 138 defense · 163 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 50,000 Stardust and 50 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 3 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy |
| Size | 1 m and 32 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Primeape does not have one best moveset, it has 4. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Normal, Rock, Steel.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Counter + Close Combat | 17.9 |
| Rock | Counter + Close Combat | 17.9 |
| Steel | Counter + Close Combat | 17.9 |
| Ice | Counter + Close Combat | 17.9 |
| Dark | Counter + Close Combat | 17.9 |
| Psychic | Karate Chop + Rage Fist | 13.6 |
| Ghost | Karate Chop + Rage Fist | 13.1 |
| Ground | Counter + Ice Punch | 12.1 |
| Grass | Counter + Ice Punch | 12.1 |
| Dragon | Counter + Ice Punch | 12.1 |
| Fighting | Counter + Close Combat | 11.1 |
| Fire | Counter + Close Combat | 11.1 |
| Water | Counter + Close Combat | 11.1 |
| Electric | Counter + Close Combat | 11.1 |
| Karate Chop + Ice Punch | 10.8 | |
| Poison | Karate Chop + Rage Fist | 9.4 |
| Bug | Karate Chop + Rage Fist | 9.4 |
| Fairy | Karate Chop + Rage Fist | 9.4 |
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 Primeape is actually for.
Counters: what beats Primeape
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Mewtwo | Psychic | Confusion + Psystrike Legacy | 41.0 |
 Enamorus | Fairy | Fairy Wind + Fly | 39.6 |
 Tapu Lele | PsychicFairy | Confusion + Natures Madness Legacy | 36.9 |
 Yveltal | Dark | Gust + Oblivion Wing Legacy | 35.0 |
 Alakazam | Psychic | Confusion + Psychic Legacy | 35.0 |
 Toucannon | Normal | Peck + Beak Blast Legacy | 34.7 |
 Moltres | Fire | Wing Attack + Fly | 34.5 |
 Staraptor | Normal | Gust + Fly Legacy | 34.0 |
 Azelf | Psychic | Confusion + Futuresight | 33.9 |
 Hoopa | PsychicGhost | Confusion + Psychic | 33.8 |
Ranked by damage per second against Primeape's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.