You've probably seen him. That hunched-over, purple-tinted version of the iconic Basic Cat with the menacing, glowing eyes. Evil Cat isn't just a spooky skin; he's one of those weirdly specific units in The Battle Cats that players either ignore or obsess over during the mid-game transition. Most beginners assume that because he looks "evil," he’s going to be some powerhouse damage dealer that wipes the floor with Doges.
He isn't. Not even close.
Honestly, Evil Cat is a specialized niche unit. He’s the evolved form of Axe Cat (and eventually becomes the much more useful Brave Cat), but the "Evil" moniker specifically refers to his presence in the Li'l Cats or Manic hierarchies depending on how you're looking at the game's massive roster. But let's be real: if you're looking for a generalist, you're looking in the wrong place. This cat exists for one reason and one reason only: bullying Red enemies.
The Reality of Evil Cat and the Red Enemy Meta
The Battle Cats is basically a giant game of Rock-Paper-Scissors with cats and dogs. Evil Cat is a specialized scissors meant to cut through Red paper. If you're struggling with "The Face" or those annoying "B.B. Bunnies" in the early chapters of Empire of Cats, he feels like a godsend. He has the "Strong Against" ability, which means he takes less damage and deals more damage to Red types.
But there's a catch. There's always a catch with PONOS.
Evil Cat is expensive. For a meatshield, his cost-to-performance ratio is honestly a bit wonky when compared to the standard Tank Cat or even the Basic Cat. You’re paying a premium for that "Strong" tag. In the early game, that 300¢ (in Chapter 1) feels like a fortune when you’re trying to build a wall. Experienced players usually skip over-relying on him because his attack speed and range are... well, they're mediocre. He has a range of 150. That’s enough to get him killed by almost any boss with a decent splash attack.
Why the Manic and Li'l Versions Change the Conversation
If we’re talking about the "Evil" aesthetic, we have to talk about Manic Dark Cat and Li'l Axe Cat. This is where the community gets confused. The standard Evil Cat (the second form of Axe Cat) eventually hits a wall. You'll stop using him by the time you reach Into the Future Chapter 1.
✨ Don't miss: Minecraft Cool and Easy Houses: Why Most Players Build the Wrong Way
However, the Manic version? That’s a different beast.
Manic Dark Cat is essentially the "Evil Cat" on steroids. To get him, you have to beat the "Dark Souls" Insane stage, which is a total nightmare if you don't have a leveled-up lineup. The Manic version keeps the Red-targeting specialty but gains significantly better stats. Still, even with those buffs, the community consensus on the r/battlecats subreddit and various Discord servers remains the same: he’s the "weakest link" of the Manic units. It's a bit sad, really. He’s got the coolest design but ends up being outclassed by units like Crazed Whale or Island Cat, who also target Red but have way better survivability.
Technical Breakdown: Damage, Health, and Frustration
Let's look at the numbers, but don't expect a spreadsheet. At level 30, a standard Brave Cat (the third form of the Axe/Evil line) has about 8,000 HP and does roughly 1,400 damage per hit.
Against a Red enemy? Those numbers jump.
Because of the "Strong Against" multiplier, he's effectively dealing nearly 2,500 damage and acting like he has over 15,000 HP. That sounds great on paper! But then you realize a Red One-Horn (the rhino) has tens of thousands of health points and hits like a truck. Evil Cat gets pushed back. He gets interrupted. He dies.
The real problem is his Single Target attack.
🔗 Read more: Thinking game streaming: Why watching people solve puzzles is actually taking over Twitch
In The Battle Cats, "Single Target" is often a death sentence for melee units. If a tiny little Snache walks in front of the big Red boss you’re trying to kill, Evil Cat will waste his entire swing on that snake. Meanwhile, the boss is just winding up to pulverize your front line. This is why players eventually swap him out for Crazed Whale Cat. Whale Cat also targets Red, but he has way more health and a high critical hit rate in his later forms.
The "Li'l" Variant: A Different Kind of Evil
Then there's Li'l Evil Cat. You get these from the Lucky Gacha. They are tiny, they are cute, and for a long time, they were completely useless.
Until True Forms came out.
Once you get Li'l Dark Cat (the True Form of Li'l Evil), he gains a very specific ability: Freeze. But only against Red enemies. This suddenly gives the "Evil" line a reason to exist again. In 4-star stages—where you can only use Special and Rare cats—Li'l Dark Cat becomes a cornerstone. He’s no longer just a bad attacker; he’s a crowd control unit.
Strategy: How to Actually Use Him
If you're stuck in the early game and you really want to make Evil Cat work, you have to change your mindset. Don't think of him as a defender.
- Pair him with slowing units: Use him alongside Witch Cat. Witch slows Red enemies down, and Evil Cat can actually get his swings in without dying instantly.
- The Meatshield Sandwich: Never send Evil Cat out alone. He needs to be sandwiched between a Gold Cat or a Gato Amigo. He’s your "heavy" infantry, not your front-line wall.
- Treasures Matter: If you haven't collected all the "Blood Relics" treasures from the Empire of Cats stages, Evil Cat is basically useless. Those treasures are what actually activate his "Strong Against" multipliers. Without them, he’s just a regular cat with a bad attitude.
Most people get frustrated because they see the "Evil" design and expect a carry. In reality, he's a scalpel. You bring him out when there's a specific Red threat that your Whale Cat can't handle alone, or when you're playing a stage with strict deployment limits.
💡 You might also like: Why 4 in a row online 2 player Games Still Hook Us After 50 Years
The Evolution of the Niche
Is Evil Cat the worst unit in the game? No. That honor probably goes to some of the more obscure monthly drop cats. But he is definitely the most "disappointing" for new players. You see the cool purple aura, you see the sword, and you think you’ve won the game.
The complexity of The Battle Cats lies in the fact that even "bad" units have a moment to shine. For Evil Cat, that moment is usually during the middle of Chapter 2 when "The Face" is wrecking your base. After that, he’s mostly a memory—or a piece of a Cat Combo.
Speaking of Cat Combos, that’s actually a huge reason to keep him leveled. Combos like "Cool Japan" (which requires Ninja Cat, Sumo Cat, Samurai Cat, and Sushi Cat) are meta-defining, and while Evil Cat isn't always the star, his family tree (the Axe line) is involved in several niche combos that boost your overall attack power or starting money.
Real-World Advice for the Battle Cats Grind
If you're currently staring at your upgrade screen wondering if you should dump your hard-earned XP into Evil Cat, ask yourself one question: Have I beaten the Red enemies in my current stage?
If the answer is yes, save your XP.
Invest it in Paris Cat (Cyborg) or Tank Cat. The "Evil" line is a luxury. It’s a specialized tool for a very specific problem. It's okay to let him sit at level 10 or 20 for a while. You’ll know when you need him—usually when a stage titled "Red Alert" or "Vulcanizer" starts kicking your teeth in.
The game is a marathon, not a sprint. Every unit has a purpose, even the edgy, purple one with the sword. Just don't expect him to be your savior in every fight. He's a specialist, and in the world of Cat Empire conquest, being a specialist means you spend a lot of time on the bench until the perfect Red target appears.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
- Check your Treasures: Before blaming Evil Cat for failing, ensure you have 100% gold treasures in the "Red" buff categories for Chapters 1-3.
- Focus on the Manic Stage: If you’re mid-game, stop focusing on the standard Evil Cat and start prepping your team for the Manic Dark stage. You'll need high-level long-range attackers like Aphrodite or even the basic Crazed Dragon.
- Look at Cat Combos: Open the Cat Combo menu and see which "Axe Cat" family combos you can unlock. Sometimes having him in your lineup just for the passive buff is better than actually spawning him on the field.
- Prioritize Whale Cat: If you have limited XP, always prioritize the Whale/Island Cat line over the Axe/Evil Cat line for Red enemy coverage. The survivability difference is night and day.