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Pokemon Legends: Arceus introduced many new features upon its release, which surprised veterans of the franchise. Instead of walking through tall grass and encountering your sixteenth Bidoof, the new region of Hisui was open for you to explore at your own pace.
Random encounters were replaced with happily wandering up to a Pokemon, and battles were replaced with hiding in a bush and throwing a Pokeball while praying you don’t get spotted.
But alongside these new mechanics, the idea of noble Pokemon was introduced. Rather than facing a gym leader in each new region, you’re tasked with soothing a Pokemon that has reportedly gone out of control.
Among these fierce Pokemon are some of the most intimidating and powerful species you’ll meet. They’re quick to become enraged and are happy to have you running for your life. But since they threaten the rest of humanity, it’s your job to stick it out and fight. I was skeptical of this new feature at first, but after meeting the beast that is Kleavor, facing off with noble Pokemon became one of my favorite features of Arceus.
Bottom Line Up Front
Kleavor is the first Noble Pokemon you meet in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. In turn, this encounter is also our first experience with Pokemon. The species was introduced into Arceus as its debut, which I find incredibly interesting since the game wasn’t released alongside a new generation.
Interestingly, this Pokemon is quickly introduced as an evolution for Scyther but not explored in more detail. With Pokemon Legends: Arceus being set before Pokemon as we know it, I believe the species became extinct as time passed. Since it’s a noble Pokemon, it’s also safe to assume that there was only one Kleavor in the first place.
However, it’s still a vital addition to anyone’s Pokedex if you’re headed for the coveted 100% completion. So here is everything you need to know about this intimidating,ax-wielding terror:
- Generation: Eight
- Pokedex Number: 900
- Type: Bug/Rock
- Catch Rate: Unknown
- Gender Ratio: 50% Female 50 % Male
- Evolves From: Scyther when using a Black Augrite
- Base Friendship: Unknown
Kleavor’s Appearance
Considering it evolves from Scyther, I expected Kleavor to have a more bug-like appearance. Instead, Kleavor’s appearance mimics the shape and skeleton of a bug-type Pokemon but covers it in sharp rocks. It’s a bipedal, beige, and white Pokemon with incremental, dark brown rocks scattered over its body.
Towards the top of Kleavor’s head, a large dark brown rock sticks out almost like a horn. Paired with the stones covering its eyebrows and mouth, the pattern resembles a helmet. Considering its hands have been replaced with two terrifying rock-based axes, this Pokemon is incredibly knightly.
A ring of sharp rock surrounds both shoulders of Kleavor, which match the sharp claws on the tip of Kleavor’s feet. Both the torso and chest of this Pokemon are smooth, beige segments, though the lower half mimics an arrowhead-type design. White bone-like structures connect the limbs of the Pokemon to the body, and a few similar white bones jut out from the spine of the Pokemon.
Its design is incredibly intimidating, which is why I believe this Pokemon was set to be a noble. Although the axes on its hands are used primarily as a weapon during battle, trainers suggest to the player that Kleavor uses its axes to cut down trees as a way of marking its territory.
Additionally, the chips found across this Pokemon are a sign of its damage taken in battle, which is refenced within the move ‘Stone Axe’ – the signature move of Kleavor.
Abilities and Hidden Abilities
Since we are introduced to Kleavor in a completely different form of battle, we don’t get to explore its abilities until it’s caught and joins your party. Interestingly, all three of Kleavor’s abilities revolve around increasing its base stats and making it generally more robust.
As Arceus’ equivalent of early game legendary Pokemon, I’d expect Noble Pokemon to be mighty. Even without its hidden abilities activated, Kleavor poses a significant threat to any opponent, but if you’re searching for a competitive powerhouse, you need to consider these abilities.
Kleavor’s abilities are as follows:
Swarm (First Ability): If the Pokemon with this ability uses a bug-type move, it’s Attack or Sp. The attack base stat will increase by 50%.
Sheer Force (Second Ability): This ability raises the base power of all contact moves by 30%. However, this only applies if the contact move has additional effects. Therefore, if this ability is activated, the additional effects of moves will be ignored and replaced with increased power.
Steadfast (Hidden Ability): This ability increases the user’s Speed stat by one stage if the Pokemon flinches.
Kleavor’s Base Stats
Alongside its abilities and hidden abilities, Kleavor’s base stats play into what makes it such a strong Pokemon. Considering its abilities boost its stats in one way or another, knowing its base stats before the battle will only encourage a stronger playstyle.
In addition, Kleavor is a hard hitter when it comes to fighting, so if your party is focused mainly on status conditions and minor incremental damage, then adding Kleavor to the lineup may give you the boost toward a win.
My parties tend to focus most of the status effects, but having a powerhouse like Kleavor to switch out and provide instant damage to my opponents has always been beneficial in those tedious, repetitive gym battles. Since most of its base stats are substantial, I’d say Kleavor could be a valuable addition to anyone’s party.
Kleavor’s Base Stats are as follows:
- HP: 70
- Attack: 135
- Defense: 95
- Sp. Attack: 45
- Sp. Defense: 70
- Speed: 85
With a total of 500, this places Kleavor among some of the strongest Pokemon. Paired with its abilities, these base stats will only get stronger during battle. Its attack stat is the strongest by a landslide, reinforcing the idea that Kleavor’s approach to battle is a lot of hard-hitting contact moves.
Even when you first encounter Kleavor, it will approach you with stab-like aggression. I certainly wouldn’t want to be caught between those two massive axes.
Kleavor’s Move Set and Moves to Learn
Though if you revisit the area and add Kleavor to your Dex and party, you’ll open up the opportunity to master its moveset. As any Pokemon can, Kleavor will learn a few moves as it levels up, but there is still an opportunity to change these moves, should you want to take this Pokemon into battle.
Though Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes a different approach to teach your Pokemon. Rather than filling your pockets with TMs and TRs, you have to visit a Pokemon tutor. This is a feature we have seen in previous games, but it’s nowhere near as heavily encouraged as it is in Arceus.
- Quick Attack – Level One
- Silver Wind – Level Six
- Aerial Ace – Level Eleven
- Double Hit – Level Fourteen
- Stealth Rock – Level Fourteen
- Air Slash – Level Eighteen
- Swords Dance – Level Twenty-Five
- Stone Axe – Level Twenty-Nine
- X-Scissor – Level Thirty-Four
- Close Combat – Level Forty-Three
However, if you want to utilize the strengths of this Pokemon, then you may need a little more help. These moves are fine if you aren’t engaging in many battles, but should a challenge arise; you won’t have such a significant success.
The move tutor, aka your one-stop shop for changing the moveset of your Pokemon, can be found at the dojo in Jubilife VIllage. At the beginning of Arceus, you’re introduced to Zisu, who will teach your Pokemon a move for a price.
It’s important to remember that once the move is learned, you will have to add it to your Pokemons set manually. I gave up counting the times I thought my Pokemon had learned a move to find out that it was just sitting waiting to be added.
Here are the moves Kleavor can learn through tutoring:
- False Swipe
- Rock Smash
- Aerial Ace
- Stealth Rock
- Swift
- Ominous Wind
- Focus Energy
- Calm Mind
- Rest
- Psycho Cut
- X-Scissor
- Rock Slide
- Giga Impact
- Stone Edge
- Hyper Beam
Best Moves to Take to Battle
So you’re probably wondering which moves would make Kleavor fit for battle. As much as this Pokemon packs intimidation in its appearance, ensuring your moves will give you an advantage is more of a priority! If Pokemon battles were as simple as which Pokemon is scarier, I wouldn’t have spent hours trying to defeat Cynthia in Pokemon Shining Pearl.
However, unlike setting up Pokemon in other games, Arceus doesn’t have such a battle-driven focus, so once you find a suitable moveset for your Pokemon, it’s best to just stick with it. Luckily, Kleavor hits incredibly hard and fast since its attack and speed stat are high – so a specific focus on its stab moves is almost an instant win.
The Close Combat approach:
Moves: X-Scissor, Stone Edge, Stone Axe, and Close Combat
Setting up Kleavor with this contact-heavy set of moves will ensure you are causing consistent damage to your opponent.
Starting with X-Scissor, a bug-type move that will activate Kleavor’s first ability, increasing either the attack or special attack stat by 50% and causing a dash of extra damage. Kleavor’s substantial defense stat will then give the space to take a hit before leading up to the next move in the sequence.
Following on from X-Scissor with Stone Edge will increase the critical hit ratio. In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Stone Edge has a consistent accuracy of 80% and base damage of 100. With the new Stong/Agile style moves being implemented, you can shift how much damage you can do. Once again, with Kleavor’s hefty defense stat, I’d recommend using strong style, which will increase the base damage of Stone Edge from 100 to 120. If you opt for agile style for the benefit of moving first, the damage caused will drop to 80.
By this point, your opponent will have taken a significant amount of damage from Kleavor. Therefore, following with Stone Axe will only continue this pattern. Stone Axe is a move exclusively featured in Arceus, and Kleavor is the only Pokemon who can use it, which is why it’s integral that this signature move is featured in this setup.
The accuracy of this move varies from 90%-100%, so it’s guaranteed to hit. An added benefit of the move is the status effect it will leave behind to cause continuous damage. Stone Axe is known to ‘splinter’ and leaves behind sharp shards, which will cause damage to the opponent for several turns.
Finally, Close Combat is just a filler move in the set. With the damage caused by Kleavor, it’s unlikely your opponent will stand a chance to win.
However, if you are still in a sticky situation, this move should seal the deal. Close Combat is one of the most aggressive fighting-type moves introduced to the franchise and has one of the most consistent damage patterns. This move is essential for any Pokemon with a stab-based setup, especially with its accuracy of 100% and matching base power.
Considering base stats and abilities, these moves are the optimal choice for this Pokemon. When I first became a fan of the franchise, I didn’t put much thought into which moves would benefit my party most. Still, after facing numerous defeats and feeling like I never wanted to pick up the game again, learning which moves will help your playstyle is one of my favorite parts of Pokemon.
Kleavor’s Type and Weaknesses Explored
However, even if your Pokemon is built for battle, you will still need to consider the weaknesses it faces due to its type. You could have a perfect battle-ready build and still meet the consequences of facing off against a weakening type. I’ve fallen victim to this too many times, so I have to ensure you don’t!
Kleavor is a bug/rock dual-type Pokemon, a robust build from the get-go. Although it isn’t immune to any type, it can resist the moves of normal and poison moves. In addition, its strong defense and sp. Defense base stat allows it to take a few hits before any alarms need to sound, and its long list of standard damage means it’s an ideal Pokemon to add to the first few slots of your party.
Here are the types that damage Kleavor usually:
- Fighting
- Flying
- Ground
- Bug
- Ghost
- Fire
- Grass
- Electric
- Psychic
- Ice
- Dragon
- Dark
- Fairy
But of course, as most Pokemon tend to face, Kleavor has a handful of particular weaknesses. For example, its bug/rock type, although strong, still has a few types that will make it keel over.
Luckily, with expert knowledge of Pokemon typing, it’s easy to swap out party members if you know a Pokemon of the following type is coming into battle. Keeping Kleavor in the front few slots of your party will allow you the chance to save its decisive moveset for a fair fight rather than risking it fainting.
Kleavor is particularly weak in the following types:
- Rock
- Steel
- Water
Where to Find Kleavor in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
After encountering Kleavor for the first time during the frenzied noble quest, there are a few opportunities to catch this Pokemon and add it to your party.
After seeing the brute force of this Pokemon, I was reasonably desperate to learn more about its capabilities and needed to catch it immediately. However, it’s not as easy as walking into the Obsidian Fields and seeing a herd of Kleavor doing what they do best. Because of this Pokemon’s esteemed status, particular conditions need to be met for players to have a shot at catching this beast.
Players can only catch Kleavor in the Obsidian Fieldlands during a mass outbreak of the species. Once again referencing the status of the Pokemon, this outbreak of Kleavor’s is considered a rarity. Additionally, if you are fortunate enough to encounter a mass outbreak, the odds of you finding Kleavor’s shiny counterpart are also heightened.
But, these Pokemon are enraged easily, so be prepared to bring out your strongest competitors and face off with four at a time if you want a shot at bringing one home. The easiest way to acquire a Kleavor is through evolving a Scyther, a species much easier to come across. To evolve a Scyther, you’ll need to obtain a Black Augurite, frequently referenced as a ‘Jet Black Rock’ by salespeople.
Once you complete request sixty-eight, ‘A Nosepass to Guide the Way,’ you will be rewarded a piece of Black Augurite. There are no levels to meet with Scyther to evolve, so as soon as you get the rock, it’s a case of finding the perfect Scyther.
Outside of request sixty-eight, Black Augurite is also sold by Ginter as a jet-black rock (I didn’t realise this meant Black Augurite and I sacrificed a lot of potential Kleavor’s because of this) but finding it for sale is a rarity. Additionally, a wild Graveler can hold a piece of Black Augrite, but the odds are slim at less than 5% of encounters.
I suggest finding the Alpha Scyther in the Grandtree Arena within the Obsidian Fieldlands after finishing request sixty-eight. Not only will you have an incredibly strong and aggressive Kleavor once Scyther has evolved, but its alpha status will make it tower over other Pokemon. Honestly, after doing this, my party feels unbeatable and untouchable.
Kleavor in TCG
Kleavor is fortunate enough to debut in the Pokemon Card Game despite being one of the newest additions to the franchise. Its noble status is reflected through its trading cards since most of its appearances in the collection have an attractive holographic card. Kleavor also has a VStar Premium Collection box for any mega fans of this ax-swinging Pokemon.
The Kleavor VStar Premium Collection contains the following items and costs around $34.00:
- 1x Full Art Promo Kleavor V
- 1x Full Art Promo Kleavor VStar
- 1x Collectors Kleavor Enamel Pin
- 5x Pokemon TCG Booster Packs from various sets
- 1x Jumbo Kleavor VStar
- 1x Acrylic VStar Counter
However, Kleavor has four different trading cards between the Sword and Shield: Astral Radiance set and Sword & Shield Promo packs, which I find incredibly interesting since the Pokemon didn’t appear in either game.
I’d imagine that Kleavor will also make several appearances in the Pokemon Legends: Arceus TCG and, eventually, in the release of Gen Nine trading cards. Furthermore, once the Pokemon debuts in Pokemon Go, it will have an accompanying Pokemon Go trading card. But these four appearances will do for now.
Here are the other Kleavor trading cards, followed by their number in the set:
- Astral Radiance – 86/189
- Astral Radiance Star H – TG08/TG30
- Astral Radiance V – 87/189
- Sword & Shield Promo V Star – SWSH249
My favorite Kleavor card has to be the Sword and Shield Promo VStar card since it perfectly captures the aggression and speed of the Pokemon in its art. As much as I find this Pokemon intimidating, its cards perfectly represent what makes it so unique.
FAQs
Question: Is Kleavor in the Pokemon Anime?
Answer: Unfortunately, Kleavor is yet to make an appearance in the Pokemon Anime due to being relatively new to the series. Although with the significance this Pokemon holds in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, as soon as the anime based on the game is released, I find it hard to believe that there won’t be a special appearance from this ax-wielding beast. The same can be said for the Pokemon Manga, in which Kleavor is also yet to appear.
Question: What are the other Noble Pokemon?
Answer: Alongside Kleavor, there are four Pokemon that have received the blessing from Arceus and become Noble; Liligant, Arcanine, Electrode, and Avalugg. Out of these, I’d say that Avalugg, Arcanine, and Kleavor are the hardest ones to face.
Question: Is Kleavor a legendary Pokemon?
Answer: Although Kleavor is highly praised among trainers in Arceus, that doesn’t make it a legendary Pokemon. Despite its strength and high status, Kleavor is as legendary as a Rapidash or an Arcainine. Once you defeat the Frenzied Noble Kleavor, you can obtain the species as you would any other Pokemon, which can’t be said for legendaries.
Kleavor Pokemon Guide: Summary
Although you may not give Kleavor a second thought once you’ve taken down the Frenzied Noble, I’d suggest that it could be a treasured addition to your party. It’s got the stats and the moves to be a fantastic competitor in battle, plus once you’re far enough through Arceus, it’s relatively easy to obtain.
Out of the five noble Pokemon, Kleavor is one of the best. Even though it poses a significant threat to you the moment you meet it, I think if you try hard enough, you could create an unbreakable bond. I can’t wait to reencounter this Pokemon in the franchise’s future!
