Stats & Training
Ninjask's all-in on Speed at the expense of Defense. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 2 Speed EVs and follows a standard growth curve.
Because it moves so quickly, it sometimes becomes unseeable. It congregates around tree sap.
Ninjask Weakness
Ninjask's Bug/Flying typing leaves it vulnerable to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying. Rock hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Ground-type attacks completely. At base 160 Speed, Ninjask outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Ice, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Platinum, Infernape can KO Ninjask with Fire Blast (124-146%). Dragonite threatens a KO with Outrage (172-202%). Zapdos's Thunderbolt also KOs at 132-155%.
 Infernape FireFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Infernape builds →Close Combat25-29% U Turn20-23% Fire Blast 2x124-146%KO | ||
 Dragonite Dragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Dragonite builds →Extreme Speed77-90% Outrage172-202%KO | ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Zapdos builds →Thunderbolt 2x132-155%KO Heat Wave 2x93-109%KO | ||
 Aerodactyl Rock | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Aerodactyl builds →Stone Edge 4x340-400%KO | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Weavile builds →Ice Shard 2x75-88% Pursuit38-44% | ||
Platinum Evolution
Out of 2 evolutions from Nincada, Ninjask comes from the level-up path. The method you use determines which form you end up with. Breed through Nincada to get eggs. Stat-wise, Ninjask comes out 220 points ahead of Shedinja, mostly thanks to a bigger Speed gain. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Ninjask to get Nincada eggs easily using 48 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Bug Bite, Bug Buzz, Endure and 4 more.
Platinum Ninjask Best Moveset
Find one free turn for Swords Dance and Ninjask can run through teams. Adamant nature leans physical, Speed Boost supports the sweep, and the remaining moves stops anything from walling it cleanly.
Best Build
Ninjask best EVs are Attack and HP
Physical Attacker Moveset
- X Scissor
- Swords Dance
- Night Slash
- Aerial Ace
Recommended Teammates
Moves
You'll want to breed for Bug Bite and Bug Buzz on Ninjask. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Bug Buzz and Leech Life, they expand what Ninjask can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Ninjask in Platinum
Ninjask doesn't appear wild. Catch Nincada instead, it shows up at decent rates. Evolve it at level 20 to get Ninjask. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Ninjask in Platinum
Step 1Catch NincadaEterna ForestUsing PokeRadar Lv.12-14 ForestUncommonEarly
Step 2Ninjask ✓
Ninjask Guide
In Platinum, Don't let Ninjask's 456 base stat total fool you. Speed Boost is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it C-Tier as a pivot. Xscissor with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Platinum, watch for Golem (Rock), Charizard (Fire), and Raikou (Electric) when using Ninjask. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Golem is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ice and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Ninjask's base 160 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
In Platinum, Run Speed Boost on Ninjask. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Ninjask also gets Infiltrator, but they don't compare.
In Platinum, Ninjask fills the pivot role. It's a physical attacker with base 90 Attack. Base 160 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
In Platinum, run Xscissor, Swords Dance, Nightslash, and Aerialace on Ninjask. Xscissor is the most common pick at 23% usage. This set covers the pivot role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Ninjask first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and has been available in 14 games across 8 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
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 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
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