How to beat Malamar

Q: How much HP does Malamar have?

Up to 120 HP in Standard (120 on the Pitch Black version, 120 on the Shrouded Fable version).

Malamar has 2 versions in the 2026–27 Standard format, with up to 120 HP as a Darkness Pokémon. Here's the maths for Knocking it Out — worked out from every Standard-legal card.

HP: 120

Weakness: Grass

Resistance: None

Prizes: 1

One-hit KOs: 467

Fastest KO: 0 Energy

Game plan

Hit its Weakness. Malamar is weak to Grass, so those attacks do double damage. 93 Standard cards can Knock it Out in one hit that way — the fastest needs just 1 Energy.
Don't over-invest. It only gives up 1 Prize card, so avoid spending a big two-Prize attacker on it if a cheaper Pokémon can do the job.
Plan for its big hit. Its strongest printed attack is Brain Crush for 130 (1 Energy). 411 Standard cards have enough HP to survive one hit — before any Weakness, + or × effects.
Watch the Retreat Cost. It costs 2 Energy to retreat. If it gets stuck in the Active Spot, that's your chance.

One-hit Knock Outs using Weakness

These Grass attacks do at least 120 after Weakness. Fastest (fewest Energy) first.

Pokémon	Type	Attack	Damage	Damage to Malamar	HP	Prizes
Decidueye Shrouded Fable	Grass	Power Shot G	170	340	150	1
Lurantis Destined Rivals	Grass	Petal Blade Dance G	130	260	120	1
Beedrill ex Chaos Rising	Grass	Rumbling Bees G	110×	220	310	2
Cradily Stellar Crown	Grass	Miasma Wind G	100×	200	150	1
Vivillon Surging Sparks	Grass	Cutting Wind G	90	180	120	1
Beautifly Ascended Heroes	Grass	Energy Straw G	80×	160	130	1
Sinistcha Twilight Masquerade	Grass	Spill the Tea G	70×	140	70	1
Butterfree Journey Together	Grass	Scale Hurricane G	60×	120	120	1
Exeggutor Surging Sparks	Grass	Barrage O'Clock G	60×	120	130	1
Rillaboom Twilight Masquerade	Grass	Drum Beating G	60	120	180	1
Sunflora Twilight Masquerade	Grass	Redirected Sunlight G	60×	120	100	1
Vileplume Phantasmal Flames	Grass	Lively Flower G	60+	120	150	1

One-hit Knock Outs without Weakness

Attacks with a printed 120+ damage.

Pokémon	Type	Attack	Damage	Damage to Malamar	HP	Prizes
Alolan Dugtrio Surging Sparks	Metal	Trio-Cheehoo Free	120	120	110	1
Palafin ex Prismatic Evolutions	Water	Giga Impact W	250	250	340	2
Tinkaton Mega Evolution	Metal	Windup Swing M	240-	240	160	1
Ceruledge Phantasmal Flames	Fire	Infernal Slash R	220	220	140	1
Greninja ex Twilight Masquerade	Fighting	Shinobi Blade W	170	170	310	2
Medicham Ascended Heroes	Fighting	Seventh Kick F	150	150	120	1
Diggersby Perfect Order	Colorless	Earthquake C	140	140	150	1
Annihilape Surging Sparks	Fighting	Tantrum F	130	130	140	1
Centiskorch Surging Sparks	Fire	Billowing Heat Wave R	130	130	130	1
Palafin Temporal Forces	Water	Vanguard Punch W	130	130	150	1

Pokémon that survive its biggest attack

These can take a printed 130 from Brain Crush and stay in play (Weakness included). Single-Prize Pokémon first.

Pokémon	Type	Stage	HP	Weakness	Retreat	Prizes
Wailord Journey Together	Water	Stage 1	240	Lightning ×2	4	1
Copperajah Shrouded Fable	Metal	Stage 1	200	Fire ×2	4	1
Rhyperior Stellar Crown	Fighting	Stage 2	200	Grass ×2	4	1
Steelix Mega Evolution	Metal	Stage 1	200	Fire ×2	4	1
Copperajah Journey Together	Metal	Stage 1	190	Fire ×2	4	1
Tyranitar Journey Together	Darkness	Stage 2	190	Grass ×2	3	1
Aggron Twilight Masquerade	Metal	Stage 2	180	Fire ×2	3	1
Alolan Golem Journey Together	Lightning	Stage 2	180	Fighting ×2	4	1

Every Standard Malamar card

Card	Set	HP	Stage	Attacks (cost · damage)	Retreat	Weakness
Malamar 52/84	Pitch Black J	120	Stage 1	Perplex D — Brain Crush D 130	2	Grass ×2
Malamar 34/64	Shrouded Fable H	120	Stage 1	Colluding Tentacles D — Spinning Attack DCC 90	3	Grass ×2

Damage is the number printed on the card. Attacks marked + or × can do more, and Abilities, Tools and Stadiums can change the maths — always read the card. Energy letters: G Grass, R Fire, W Water, L Lightning, P Psychic, F Fighting, D Darkness, M Metal, N Dragon, C Colorless (any Energy).

Questions people ask

What is Malamar weak to?

Malamar is weak to Grass, so those attacks do double damage (×2).

How much HP does Malamar have?

Up to 120 HP in Standard (120 on the Pitch Black version, 120 on the Shrouded Fable version).

How many Prize cards does Malamar give up?

1 — it's a regular Pokémon.

What can one-hit KO Malamar?

467 Standard cards can, going by printed damage. The fastest: Alolan Dugtrio's Trio-Cheehoo (0 Energy, 120 damage); Decidueye's Power Shot (1 Energy, 340 damage); Lurantis's Petal Blade Dance (1 Energy, 260 damage).

What is Malamar's strongest attack?

Brain Crush, which prints 130 damage for 1 Energy.

Pully Play is an independent fan guide. It isn't run by The Pokémon Company. Format facts are checked against official announcements; always confirm card legality with the official rules before a tournament.

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