Why does it take 400 candies to evolve Magikarp?

The answer boils down to one key factor: the massive statistical transformation that takes place when evolving from Magikarp to Gyarados.

Let‘s first examine the actual stat changes:

Magikarp Stats:

• Attack: 10
• Defense: 55
• Stamina: 40
• Max CP: 233

Gyarados Stats:

• Attack: 125 (+1,150% Increase)
• Defense: 79 (+44% Increase)
• Stamina: 190 (+375% Increase)
• Max CP: 2,430

As the numbers illustrate, Gyarados gets enormously powered up compared to Magikarp. Its attack makes a more than tenfold jump. And stamina nearly quadruples from a paltry 40 to a beefy 190.

In contrast, most Pokémon see attack and stamina grow by 150% at best when evolving. Gyarados shatters this with over 1,000% improvement to attack and nearly 400% to stamina.

No other Pokémon Comes Close to This Degree of Growth

To demonstrate just how extreme Magikarp‘s transformation is, let‘s compare it to some other Pokémon with high candy requirements:

As you can see, no other Pokémon comes anywhere close to the quadruple digit attack gain and triple digit stamina gain that Magikarp experiences.

Niantic Carefully Balanced Candy Cost With Gyarados’ Power

So what does this all mean? Essentially, Magikarp transforms from one of the weakest Pokémon into one of the strongest with Gyarados. This is an unparalleled leap in power.

To balance this out, Niantic made the candy requirement appropriately high at 400 to evolve. This helps ensure Gyarados remains a rare and coveted Pokémon. Players have to heavily invest in catching and transferring Magikarp before unlocking a mighty Gyarados.

While the 400 candy requirement may seem frustrating at first, it exists to properly balance the immense power you are gaining. And the payoff of owning such a strong Pokémon makes the long grind worthwhile.

Strategies to Obtain 400 Magikarp Candies

Now that we understand why we need 400 candies, what are the fastest ways to achieve this lofty goal? Here are the top methods:

• Catch Lots of Magikarp. The most direct strategy – catch wild Magikarp which reward 3 candies per catch.
• Transfer Them. You gain 1 extra candy per transfer, so transfer all except your best ones.
• Use Pinap Berries. Pinap berries double the catch candy from 3 to 6.
• Walk a Magikarp Buddy. You earn 1 candy for every 1 km walked with a Magikarp buddy.
• Raid Battle Rewards. Use any rare candies earned through raids on your Magikarp.

I employed a combination of these strategies during my personal Magikarp candy grind.

My Magikarp Evolution Journey

As a day one Pokémon Go player, I‘ve lived through the full Magikarp struggle firsthand. In the early months of the game, I was overjoyed just to encounter this floppy fish. Magikarp sightings were very rare in my area.

I‘ll never forget the excitement of catching my first one – a miniscule 12 CP prize. Despite its feeble combat abilities, I treasured this Magikarp simply because sightings were so infrequent. Little did I know the arduous candy collecting journey that awaited me.

Over time, Magikarp gradually became more common. But 400 candies still felt unattainable. By consistently catching, transferring, walking and rare candying nearly every Magikarp I encountered, my stash slowly grew.

417 days after I started playing, I finally amassed the full 400 candies and tapped that evolve button with gleeful anticipation…

Closing Thoughts

While requiring 400 Magikarp candies initially seems daunting, appreciating the immense power you unlock makes the long effort worthwhile. Clever use of catching, transferring, pinaps, walking and raids will get you to 400 before you know it.

I encourage you to embrace the journey and not focus solely on the end goal. Because when you finally behold that glorious red Gyarados, you’ll savor that moment all the more knowing the blood, sweat, tears and 400 Magikarp sacrifices endured along the way.