Stats & Training
The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Sp. Atk carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Ninja Pokemon on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve, worth 3 Speed EVs per KO.
It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two.
It appears and vanishes with a ninja’s grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water.
Greninja Weakness
Type-wise, Greninja takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Fighting, Bug, and Fairy. Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Greninja leans offensive (base 95 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Fighting, Bug, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Ghost, Dark, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
 Wo-Chien DarkGrass | B | |
Obtain MethodSouth Province Area One Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Wo-Chien builds →Power Whip 2x112-133%KO Solar Beam 2x118-139%KO Pollen Puff 2x60-71% Seed Bomb 2x76-90% | ||
 Meowscarada GrassDark | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Sprigatito (Cabo Poco Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Meowscarada builds →Leaf Storm 2x112-133%KO Solar Beam 2x104-122%KO Energy Ball 2x78-92% Play Rough 2x70-83% | ||
 Quaquaval WaterFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Quaquaval builds →Close Combat 2x149-176%KO Brick Break 2x95-112%KO U-turn 2x59-69% Low Sweep 2x83-98% | ||
 Cacturne GrassDark | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Cacturne builds →Solar Beam 2x139-163%KO Energy Ball 2x104-122%KO Seed Bomb 2x97-114%KO Giga Drain 2x86-102%KO | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Breloom builds →Focus Punch 2x199-235%KO Solar Beam 2x83-98% Dynamic Punch 2x133-157%KO Seed Bomb 2x107-127%KO | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Glimmora's Power Gem hits Greninja for 51-59%. Golurk's Earthquake also KOs at 127-149%.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityToxicdebris ItemRed Card NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Glimmora builds →Power Gem51-59% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAftermath ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Drifblim builds →Hex19-23% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNoguard ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Golurk builds →Earthquake127-149%KO Poltergeist69-82% Stone Edge85-100%KO | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Moltres builds →Flamethrower27-32% U Turn 2x45-53% | ||
 | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityPrankster ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Sableye builds →Knock Off13-16% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
End of the line. Greninja caps a three-stage chain that started at Froakie. Breeding produces the base form, and eggs are average hatch time. Speed grew the most through evolution (+51 over Froakie), and Greninja peaks at 530 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Greninja to get Froakie eggs using 87 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Counter, Retaliate, Spikes and 2 more.
Scarlet & Violet Greninja Best Moveset
Click U-turn, bring in a teammate, repeat. Greninja's pivot game is backed by Life Orb for extra damage on every hit for a health trade and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs. Battlebond works in the background while the remaining moves covers bad matchups.
Best Build
Greninja best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Doubles Special Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Water Shuriken
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Hard to wall, honestly. Greninja threatens 11 types beyond its own STAB, with Normal and Ghost standing out. Pair that with Hydro Cannon and Hydro Pump and switchins need to think twice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Greninja in Scarlet & Violet
Greninja isn't available in the wild in Scarlet & Violet. Start by transferring Froakie from X. The evolution path from Froakie to Greninja is covered in the steps below.
Greninja Guide
In Scarlet & Violet, Protean changes the entire equation for Greninja. The 530 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked S-Tier as a sweeper. Dark Pulse with Life Orb is the standard set.
Mega Evolution isn't available in Scarlet & Violet, but Greninja does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Greninja hits 630 BST.
In Scarlet & Violet, Greninja's biggest threats include Manectric (Electric), Roserade (Grass), and Machamp (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Bug and Fairy-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Greninja's base 122 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Protean is what you want on Greninja. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Torrent) work on paper but Protean is what makes Greninja worth using. With base 122 Speed, Protean gives Greninja an edge before opponents can react.
Base 122 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Greninja is a mixed attacker with base 95 Attack and 103 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.
Game Availability
Since debuting in X & Y, Greninja has appeared in 6 titles over 5 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 6, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
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