Stats & Training
Tirtouga's all-in on Defense at the expense of Speed. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 1 Defense EV and follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Based on studies of its skeletal structure, it can apparently dive to ocean depths of over half a mile.
Reputed to be the ancestor of most turtle Pokémon, it lived in warm seas approximately a hundred million years ago.
Tirtouga Weakness
Tirtouga is weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground. Watch out for Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Solid Rock reduces SE moves damage, further improving the defensive spread. Tirtouga's physical bulk (base 103 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 |
 Decidueye GrassGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Iki Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Decidueye builds →Leaf Blade 4x166-195%KO Energy Ball 4x296-349%KO Razor Leaf 4x102-121%KO Leafage 4x79-93% | ||
 Meganium Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Meganium builds →Petal Dance 4x336-395%KO Solar Beam 4x336-395%KO Petal Blizzard 4x134-158%KO Energy Ball 4x253-298%KO | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 4x170-200%KO Energy Ball 4x198-233%KO Giga Drain 4x166-195%KO Magical Leaf 4x134-158%KO | ||
 Lurantis Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Lurantis builds →Solar Blade 4x225-265%KO Petal Blizzard 4x166-195%KO Leaf Blade 4x166-195%KO Energy Ball 4x245-288%KO | ||
 Parasect BugGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Parasect builds →Energy Ball 4x198-233%KO Giga Drain 4x166-195%KO Brick Break 2x42-50% Absorb 4x47-56% | ||
In Sun & Moon, Excadrill can KO Tirtouga with Earthquake (133-157%). Zapdos threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (196-231%). Amoonguss's Giga Drain also KOs at 215-253%.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x133-157%KO Rapid Spin11-13% | ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave17-20% Thunderbolt 2x196-231%KO | ||
 Amoonguss GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemBlack Sludge NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Amoonguss builds →Giga Drain 4x215-253%KO | ||
 Hawlucha Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnburden ItemElectricseed NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Hawlucha builds →Acrobatics15-18% High Jump Kick 2x145-171%KO | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityChlorophyll ItemFocus Sash NatureMild Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Venusaur builds →Sludge Bomb51-59% Giga Drain 4x340-400%KO | ||
Sun & Moon Evolution
Tirtouga evolves into Carracosta. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 140 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Tirtouga with 95 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Bide, Body Slam, Flail and 8 more to offspring.
Sun & Moon Tirtouga Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Tirtouga gets Bide and Body Slam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Normal and Dark coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Hydro Pump and Stone Edge.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Tirtouga in Sun & Moon
No searching required for Tirtouga. You receive it at Route 8 from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.
Best Locations to Catch Tirtouga in Sun & Moon
Tirtouga Guide
In Sun & Moon, Tirtouga isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Carracosta to unlock its full potential. At 355 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
In Sun & Moon, Tirtouga's biggest threats include Venusaur (Grass), Jolteon (Electric), and Machamp (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Venusaur is the most dangerous since Grass moves deal 4x damage. Ground-type attackers are also a problem. At base 22 Speed, Tirtouga won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
In Sun & Moon, Run Swift Swim on Tirtouga. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Tirtouga also gets Solid Rock and Sturdy, but they don't compare.
In Sun & Moon, Swift Swim is the hidden ability. It doubles Speed during rain. Worth hunting for if you want Tirtouga to compete at a higher level.
In Sun & Moon, Tirtouga fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 78 Attack. Base 22 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Game Availability
Introduced in Black & White, Tirtouga has appeared in 7 games across 6 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
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 5BWDebut
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