Pokémon Go players can now evolve Kubfu into Urshifu, but the big fighting bear has two forms: Single Strike and Rapid Strike. Which one should you evolve your Kubfu into? How do you even evolve the Kubfu to begin with?
We’re here with the answers. Since the Kubfu can only Dynamax (not Gigantamax), the choice is pretty clear, based on what’s available in-game right now.
Below we explain how to evolve Kubfu into Urshifu in Pokémon Go and which of the two forms (Single Strike or Rapid Strike) you may want to pick, if you only have one.
How to evolve Kubfu into Urshifu in Pokémon Go
Depending on which version of Urshifu you want, you’ll need to complete a slightly different task. No matter which one you want, you will need to set Kubfu as your buddy.
- For Single Strike Urshifu, you’ll need to defeat 30 dark-type Pokémon in raids or max battles with Kubfu as your buddy.
- For Rapid Strike Urshifu, you’ll need to defeat 30 water-type Pokémon in raids or max battles with Kubfu as your buddy.
Kubfu does not need to be used in these battles, just set as your buddy. (It’s the same kind of thing as Bisharp/Kingambit, though this counts max battles, too.)
Once you meet that requirement, you can use 200 Kubfu Candy to evolve your little bear into a big bear.
Should you pick Single Strike or Rapid Strike Urshifu?
The general consensus is that the Single Strike (dark-type) form is the better of the two forms across the board.
For PvP, Silph Road expert JRE47 gets into the nitty gritty in his own post, but notes that Single Strike is the correct choice among the two.
As for PvE content, the main lens to look at Urshifu through is aimed at Max Battles. Both versions of Dynamax Urshifu have their faults — Single Strike (dark) is technically outclassed by Gengar, and Rapid Strike (water) is outclassed by Inteleon. Both of these are also not great fighting-types when compared to Gigantamax Machamp.
That being said, there’s just not many dark-type Max Battle attackers around right now, so Single Strike is probably the better choice. (For water-types, you have Kingler, Blastoise, and Inteleon, so…)
As of this writing, we don’t know how Gigantamax Urshifu is going to roll out. Will it be another research? A raid day event? But we’ll tackle that bridge when we get there.
You can also totally just pick which one you like better. In the image below, Single Strike Urshifu is on the left and Rapid Strike Urshifu is on the right. They have few differences outside of their stance.
Image: Niantic
How to get more Kubfu in Pokémon Go
As of writing this, there’s only two ways to get Kubfu (so you can technically have two, and thus one of each type of Ushifu).
- Complete the first step of the “Might and Mastery” seasonal Special Research. This research needs to at least be started by June 3 at 10 a.m. in your local time, or you lose the chance to get it (probably forever, based on past seasonal research).
- Buy the “Fuzzy Fighter” Special Research for $7.99. This research is available again until May 27 at 8 p.m. in your local time. Once you buy it, you can take your time completing it. It was previously available at the start of the season for a limited time. If you bought this research at the start of the season, you cannot buy it again.
But, yep. That’s it! Though keep in mind that like we mentioned above, Gigantamax versions of Urshifu will likely debut in the game at some point. We don’t know how or when, but seeing as the Kubfu we got is Dynamax and not Gigantamax, you’ll be able to get both big bears at some point (and a stronger version of them, at that) in the future.
