Stats & Training
Barbaracle's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Physical bulk with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the medium-fast 1M XP curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 Attack EVs.
When they evolve, two Binacle multiply into seven. They fight with the power of seven Binacle.
Barbaracle’s legs and hands have minds of their own, and they will move independently. But they usually follow the head’s orders.
Barbaracle Weakness
Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground moves hit Barbaracle for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. The Rock/Water typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Barbaracle's physical bulk (base 115 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
In X & Y, Excadrill can KO Barbaracle with Earthquake (86-102%). Amoonguss's Giga Drain hits Barbaracle for 63-74%. Zapdos deals 52-61% with Thunderbolt.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x86-102%KO Rapid Spin7-9% | ||
 Amoonguss GrassPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemRocky Helmet NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Amoonguss builds →Giga Drain 4x63-74% | ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave4-5% Thunderbolt 2x52-61% | ||
 Hitmontop Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemEjectbutton NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Hitmontop builds →Close Combat 2x89-105%KO Feint4-5% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemMiracleseed NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Breloom builds →Bullet Seed 4x44-52% Mach Punch 2x34-41% | ||
X & Y Evolution
Barbaracle is what Binacle becomes. Breed it for Binacle eggs (average hatch time). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Binacle pushed Barbaracle to 500 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +53. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Barbaracle to get Binacle eggs easily using 29 partners from the Water3 egg group. Notable egg moves include Helping Hand, Switcheroo, Tickle and 1 more.
X & Y Barbaracle Best Moveset
Sniper helps Barbaracle stick around while dealing real damage. Assault Vest for a special bulk boost with no status moves allowed, max HP and Attack EVs for the right balance, and Razorshell as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.
Best Build
Barbaracle best EVs are HP and Attack
Doubles Physical Tank Moveset
- Razor Shell
- Cross Chop
- Poison Jab
- Rock Tomb
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Razor Shell
- Hone Claws
- Rock Tomb
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Coverage runs deep. Barbaracle can hit 11 types beyond STAB, including Normal and Ground. The offense anchors on Stone Edge and Surf while TMs handle everything else.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Barbaracle in X & Y
Can't catch Barbaracle directly. Start with Binacle at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 39. The 2-stage line from Binacle to Barbaracle is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Barbaracle in X & Y
To get Barbaracle, start by catching Binacle through rock smash encounters at Lv. 13-25. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch BinacleAmbrette TownXSmashing rocks Lv.13-15 CityCommonEarlyAmbrette TownYSmashing rocks Lv.13-15 CityCommonEarlyCyllage CityYSmashing rocks Lv.13-15 CityCommonEarlyRoute 8YSmashing rocks Lv.13-15 RouteCommonEarlyRoute 8XSmashing rocks Lv.13-15 RouteCommonEarlyAzure BayXSmashing rocks Lv.23-25 WaterCommonMidAzure BayYSmashing rocks Lv.23-25 WaterCommonMidRoute 12YSmashing rocks Lv.23-25 RouteUncommonMidRoute 12XSmashing rocks Lv.23-25 RouteUncommonMid
Step 2Barbaracle ✓
Barbaracle Guide
In X & Y, Barbaracle looks average on paper at 500 BST. But Tough Claws is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. B-Tier attacker on our tier list. Razorshell with Assault Vest is the standard set.
In X & Y, yes. Mega Barbaracle is the evolved form, sitting at 600 BST. Big power spike over base Barbaracle (500). Equip the Mega Stone and it transforms in battle.
Barbaracle gets Tough Claws, Sniper, and Pickpocket. But Tough Claws is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Barbaracle is a physical attacker with base 105 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 68 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the attacker role.
Game Availability
Available since X & Y, Barbaracle appears in 6 games spanning 5 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained a Mega form in Generation 6.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XYDebut
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves