Level 16To Frogadier

Level 36To Greninja

GreninjaLast stage shown

#0658 · GENERATION 6

Greninja Build Guide

WaterDark

Fast special attacker and pivot

Build a Greninja team ↓

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Custom Pokédex collection.

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMHeavy-Duty Boots

ABILITYTorrent

NATURETimid

Surf

Dark Pulse

Ice Beam

U-turn

How to play

Use its Speed to attack a favorable matchup or U-turn into a teammate. Surf gives consistent Water damage; Dark Pulse and Ice Beam provide additional coverage.

Watch out for

Key risk. Low bulk makes direct switches risky. U-turn is physical and is included for switching utility. This example uses Torrent, so it does not change typing through Protean or use Battle Bond.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

Use its Speed to attack a favorable matchup or U-turn into a teammate. Surf gives consistent Water damage; Dark Pulse and Ice Beam provide additional coverage.

A Psychic type attacks into you

The immunity is real, but the move is not the whole set — a Psychic attacker can carry coverage that hits Greninja for 2×, so confirm the move before you spend the switch turn on it.

A Grass or Water type resists your Water move

Surf is half-damaged by both Grass and Water, so Ice Beam is the answer: Ice hits Grass, Ground, Flying and Dragon targets for 2×.

A Fairy type switches in

Fairy hits Greninja for 2× and Dark Pulse hits it back for 2×, so whoever moves first decides the exchange. That is a speed contest, not a safe switch-in for either side.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Greninja in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Psychic moves cannot touch Greninja at all, and that immunity is the free entry the archetype is built around. Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting and Grass each deal 2×, and its bulk does not shrug any of them off; Heavy-Duty Boots stop hazard chip only.

Watch the tradeoff. Low bulk makes direct switches risky. U-turn is physical and is included for switching utility. This example uses Torrent, so it does not change typing through Protean or use Battle Bond.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Greninja or Inteleon?

Inteleon offers a fast Water special attacker without Dark typing or its extra weaknesses.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Greninja	Inteleon
HP	72	70
Attack	95	85
Defense	67	65
Sp. Attack	103	125
Sp. Defense	71	65
Speed	122	120

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Ground teammate covers Electric attacks. A Steel partner resists Grass, Bug and Fairy; cover Fighting separately.

Garchomp

Electric immunity and physical damage complement special attacks.

Read Garchomp guide →Compare teammates →

Corviknight

Resists Grass, Bug and Fairy and offers a sturdier pivot.

Read Corviknight guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Inteleon

Inteleon offers a fast Water special attacker without Dark typing or its extra weaknesses.

Read Inteleon guide →

Try Inteleon →

Type matchups

Weak to

Electric2×Grass2×Fighting2×Bug2×Fairy2×

Resistances and immunities

Fire0.5×Water0.5×Ice0.5×Psychic0×Ghost0.5×Dark0.5×Steel0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP72

Attack95

Defense67

Sp. Attack103

Sp. Defense71

Speed122

Evolution chain

Froakie#656
Level 16
Frogadier#657
Level 36
Greninja#658

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Greninja team

Start with Greninja. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#658

Greninja

WaterDark

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense86

Defense64

Coverage28

Synergy18

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Bug attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Electric attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 5 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Greninja	Weak	Resist
Normal	1×	0	0
Fire	½×	0	1
Water	½×	0	1
Electric	2×	1	0
Grass	2×	1	0
Ice	½×	0	1
Fighting	2×	1	0
Poison	1×	0	0
Ground	1×	0	0
Flying	1×	0	0
Psychic	0×	0	1
Bug	2×	1	0
Rock	1×	0	0
Ghost	½×	0	1
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	½×	0	1
Steel	½×	0	1
Fairy	2×	1	0

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalNeutral

Fire✓ Super effective

WaterNeutral

ElectricNeutral

GrassNeutral

IceNeutral

FightingNeutral

PoisonNeutral

Ground✓ Super effective

FlyingNeutral

Psychic✓ Super effective

BugNeutral

Rock✓ Super effective

Ghost✓ Super effective

DragonNeutral

DarkNeutral

SteelNeutral

FairyNeutral

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.