Stats & Training
Tentacool's spread isn't flashy. Sp. Def leads, Defense trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Sp. Def EV, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Because its body is almost entirely composed of water, it shrivels up if it is washed ashore.
Because its body is almost entirely composed of water, it shrivels up if it is washed ashore.
Tentacool Weakness
Tentacool is weak to Electric, Ground, and Psychic. 7 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Tentacool's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Black 2 & White 2, Garchomp can KO Tentacool with Earthquake (330-388%). Magnezone threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (148-174%). Reuniclus's Psychic also KOs at 107-126%.
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x330-388%KO Outrage198-233%KO | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemAir Balloon NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Magnezone builds →Thunderbolt 2x148-174%KO Flash Cannon33-38% Volt Switch 2x115-136%KO | ||
 Reuniclus Psychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Reuniclus builds →Focus Blast24-28% Psychic 2x107-126%KO | ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPoisonheal ItemToxic Orb NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x209-246%KO | ||
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemFlame Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Jolteon builds →Thunderbolt 2x120-141%KO Shadow Ball35-42% Volt Switch 2x93-110%KO | ||
Black 2 & White 2 Evolution
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 180 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Tentacool easily with 25 breeding partners from the Water3 egg group. Pass egg moves like Acupressure, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam and 8 more to offspring.
Black 2 & White 2 Tentacool Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 5.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Breeding opens up real options for Tentacool. Acupressure and Aqua Ring come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Hydro Pump and Sludge Wave and Normal and Ghost coverage and more.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Tentacool in Black 2 & White 2
Tentacool Guide
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel at level 30. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 335 BST.
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel at level 30. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
In Black 2 & White 2, Tentacool does the job early-game if you need a Water/Poison type on your team. Evolve it into Tentacruel before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Tentacool is catchable in Black 2 & White 2. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 20 other games across the series.
Game Availability
Tentacool has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 21 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
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 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