Pokemon Sword and Shield: Where to Find Axew

In Pokemon Sword and Shield, trainers will encounter many different Pokemon as they journey through the Galar region. As always, they can have up to six Pokemon with them at once to battle both wild Pokemon and other trainers. For maximum effectiveness, a trainer's Pokemon should be able to cover or mitigate the weaknesses of other Pokemon on the team. For example, a Dragon-type is always a good choice for being able to mitigate damage from electric, fire, water, and grass-types. To that end, the returning Pokemon Axew is a perfect addition to any aspiring trainer's team in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Axew first made its debut in Generation 5, as part of the Unova Region. As one of several new Dragon-type Pokemon appearing back then, Axew's claim to fame was being relatively easy to obtain and raise compared to its competition. In contrast to the few other Generation 5 dragons, Axew was not a legendary or pseudo-legendary and had access to many powerful moves and increased stats through its evolutions: Fraxure and Haxorus. Finally, its preferred ability, Mold Breaker guarantees that moves can be used regardless of the opponent's abilities. Even with many innovations and quality-of-life changes in Generation 8, this Dragon-type still retains its lasting reputation as a great investment for being easily found and evolving later on into a powerhouse. This guide will detail the best place to find Axew as well as several alternative locations.

Updated January 5th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Axew is one of the most adorable (and deadly) Pokemon present in Pokemon Sword & Shield but many players skip over the Tusk Pokemon without knowing exactly how powerful the little dino can become. Axew in Pokemon Sword can be a deadly teammate and round out a squad with its heavy-hitting physical attacks and solid speed stat once it evolves into Haxorus. Players looking for a hard-hitter with a lot of style and some deadly Dragon-type attacks should consider picking up a Pokemon Sword Axew as quickly as possible and evolving it into Haxorus to gain access to Draco Meteor. To better showcase Axew's evolutions and its stats, the following list has been updated.

Where to Find Axew

pokemon sword and shield axew's eye wild area encounter

In-game Axew is located in the eponymous Axew's Eye section of the Wild Area. This island is located in the center of the southern part of the overall area, surrounded on all sides by North, South, East, and West Lake Axewell. To reach Axew's Eye, trainers need to have obtained the water upgrade for their Rotom bike. Once there, Axew can be found visible in the tall grass during normal, overcast, rainy, and foggy weather. Note that Axew has a 10-percent chance to spawn and ranges from Level 36-40 so trainers should have Pokemon with the right moves to help capture Axew once it appears.

Alternatively, Axew can be encountered during a sandstorm at the Hammerlocke Hills in the Overworld but only for Pokemon Sword trainers ranging from Level 29-31. However, it will take much longer to find the Dragon-type Pokemon here since it has a two-percent spawn chance compared to the Wild Area. A third option exists on Route 6 for both versions where Level 29-33 Axew can be found in the Overworld. But trainers should be aware that spawn rates in the area will be 5-percent and 1-percent for Pokemon Sword and Shield respectively.

Information On Axew And Its Evolutions

Axew

The first stage of the Tusk Pokemon's evolutionary line has a 320 stat total and comes equipped with two possible abilities (Rivalry, Mold Breaker) as well as a hidden ability (Unnerve). Here's a glimpse at Axew's stats and what it has to offer:

Base Stats

HP: 46
Attack: 87
Special Attack: 30
Defense: 60
Special Defense: 40
Speed: 57

Abilities

Rivalry: "Becomes competitive and deals more damage to Pokémon of the same gender, but deals less to Pokémon of the opposite gender."
Mold Breaker: "Moves can be used on the target regardless of its Abilities."
Unnerve: "Unnerves opposing Pokémon and makes them unable to eat Berries."

Fraxure

During its mid-stage evolution, it becomes the Axe Jaw Pokemon, gaining stats to equal a base total of 410 and retains the same abilities as Axew. Its attack stat raises a bit and it gains a little more defense, making it much better in battle than its smaller counterpart.

Base Stats

HP: 66
Attack: 117
Special Attack: 40
Defense: 70
Special Defense: 50
Speed: 67

Abilities

The same as Axew, with either Rivalry or Mold Breaker and Unnerve.

Haxorus

At its final stage, it retains the Axe Jaw Pokemon moniker but beefs its stats up to 540, turning it into a hard-hitting physical attacker that is capable of out-pacing some opponents thanks to a solid speed stat.