Primeape

Primeape in the games: Mankey's evolution and Annihilape's precursor

Primeape is a pure Fighting type from the original Kanto games that evolves from Mankey at level 28. It stands 1.0 meter tall and weighs 32.0 kilograms. Vital Spirit keeps it from falling asleep, Anger Point maximizes its Attack when it takes a critical hit, and its hidden ability, Defiant, sharply raises its Attack whenever an opponent lowers one of its stats. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet gave it an evolution, Annihilape, which it becomes by leveling up after using the move Rage Fist 20 times.

Ash's Primeape: from a stolen hat to the P1 Grand Prix

In Primeape Goes Bananas, a wild Mankey steals Ash's hat, then gets so furious after James kicks it that it evolves into Primeape on the spot. Ash's Charmander finally beats it and Ash catches it. A few episodes later, in The Punchy Pokémon, Ash enters Primeape in the P1 Grand Prix, a tournament for Fighting-type Pokémon, and it wins. Afterward Ash leaves it with Anthony, a P1 hopeful who offers to train it into a champion, and it has not been seen with Ash since.

Primeape on cards: Jungle, Dark Primeape and Brock's Primeape

Primeape's first card is Jungle #43 (June 1999), an Uncommon illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno, whose art Legendary Collection reprinted in 2002. Team Rocket (2000) printed Dark Primeape by Mitsuhiro Arita, and Gym Challenge (2000) added Brock's Primeape by Ken Sugimori. Aquapolis (2003) and FireRed & LeafGreen (2004) gave it Rares by Tomokazu Komiya and Miki Tanaka.

Holon Phantoms (2006) printed Primeape δ by Hajime Kusajima, a Delta Species card that makes it a Fire type. Paldean Fates (2024) added a Shiny rare drawn by Scav, and Pitch Black (2026), a Mega Evolution era set, printed a Common by GOSSAN.

Cards to know

• Primeape (Jungle #43)

  Primeape's first card, a 1999 Uncommon illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno.

• Dark Primeape (Team Rocket #43)

  Primeape's Dark Pokémon card, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita.

• Brock's Primeape (Gym Challenge #35)

  A Gym Challenge Uncommon tying Primeape to Pewter Gym Leader Brock, drawn by Ken Sugimori.

• Primeape δ (Holon Phantoms #50)

  A Delta Species Primeape printed as a Fire type.

• Primeape (Paldean Fates #170)

  A Shiny rare illustrated by Scav.