Is Purrloin Good in Black & White Playthrough?
Dark with AbilityLimber preventing paralysis. Route 2 catch. Fast but fragile. Liepard at level 20 doesn't improve enough. Better Dark-types show up before the midpoint.
Purrloin has the type edge here and should clean up Cilan's team.
Purrloin has the type edge here and should clean up Chili's team.
Purrloin has the type edge here and should clean up Cress's team.
Purrloin trades roughly evenly with Lenora's team.
Liepard has the type edge here and should clean up Burgh's team.
Liepard has the type edge here and should clean up Elesa's team.
Liepard trades roughly evenly with Clay's team.
Liepard has the type edge here and should clean up Skyla's team.
Liepard has the type edge here and should clean up Brycen's team.
Liepard trades roughly evenly with Drayden's team.
Liepard resists most of Shauntal's coverage and hits back hard.
Grimsley's team hits Liepard's weaknesses hard.
Liepard resists most of Caitlin's coverage and hits back hard.
Marshal's team hits Liepard's weaknesses hard.
Liepard trades roughly evenly with Alder's team.
Catch Purrloin on Route 2 (walking, Lv 4-5, uncommon).
Your Purrloin should hit Level 20 before you reach Burgh, at typical leveling pace.
How to Get Purrloin in Black & White
high spawn rates in early-game routes across 8 locations. Purrloin's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Where To Catch Purrloin in BW
Purrloin is your first catch on the way to Purrloin. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 4-47 across 22 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Purrloin ✓Dreamyard - OvergroundLv.8-11GrassRate 40%AnyRoute 2Lv.4-5GrassRate 20%AnyRoute 3Lv.9GrassRate 10%AnyRoute 3Lv.11Dark GrassRate 10%AnyDouble grass
Step 2Catch or Evolve into LiepardRoute 16Lv.20-22GrassRate 20%AnyRoute 5Lv.20-22GrassRate 20%AnyRoute 5Lv.23-25Dark GrassRate 20%AnyDouble grassRoute 16Lv.24-25Dark GrassRate 20%AnyDouble grassRoute 9Lv.33GrassRate 10%AnyRoute 9Lv.38Dark GrassRate 10%AnyDouble grassDreamyard - OvergroundLv.47Dark GrassRate 20%AnyDouble grassor evolve from Purrloin (Step 1)
Purrloin Weakness
Fighting and Bug moves hit Purrloin for super-effective damage. The upside? Psychic-type moves can't touch it at all. Purrloin's Dark typing only leaves 2 gaps to cover.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Bug |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Purrloin Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Purrloin
Sawk Fighting | C | |
 Scraggy DarkFighting | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scraggy builds →High Jump Kick 2x208-245%KO | ||
Throh Fighting | C | |
 Scolipede BugPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scolipede builds →Megahorn 2x238-280%KO Rock Smash 2x55-66% | ||
 Gurdurr Fighting | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Gurdurr builds →Wake-Up Slap 2x124-146%KO | ||
Sawk Fighting | C | |
Scraggy DarkFighting | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scraggy builds →High Jump Kick 2x212-250%KO | ||
Throh Fighting | C | |
Scolipede BugPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scolipede builds →Megahorn 2x245-289%KO Rock Smash 2x56-67% | ||
Leavanny BugGrass | C | |
Scrafty DarkFighting | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scrafty builds →High Jump Kick 2x238-281%KO | ||
 Emboar FireFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Tepig (Nuvema Town Gift) | ||
Sawk Fighting | C | |
Throh Fighting | C | |
Scolipede BugPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scolipede builds →Megahorn 2x241-284%KO Rock Smash 2x55-65% | ||
 Cobalion SteelFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodMistralton Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Cobalion builds →Sacred Sword 2x166-196%KO X-Scissor 2x99-117%KO | ||
Scrafty DarkFighting | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Scrafty builds →High Jump Kick 2x240-282%KO | ||
Emboar FireFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Tepig (Nuvema Town Gift) | ||
Sawk Fighting | C | |
 Armaldo RockBug | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Anorith (Nacrene City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Armaldo builds →X-Scissor 2x196-232%KO Brick Break 2x123-145%KO | ||
Cobalion SteelFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodMistralton Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x229-270%KO X-Scissor 2x102-121%KO | ||
 Terrakion RockFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodVictory Road Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Terrakion builds →Close Combat 2x311-366%KO X-Scissor 2x138-163%KO | ||
Scrafty DarkFighting | C | |
 Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Hitmonchan builds →Focus Punch 2x324-382%KO | ||
Gurdurr Fighting | C | |
In Black & White, Genesect can KO Purrloin with Explosion (182-214%). Lucario threatens a KO with Close Combat (321-378%).
 Genesect BugSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityDownload ItemChoice Scarf NatureNaive Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Genesect builds →U Turn 2x154-181%KO Ice Beam54-63% Explosion182-214%KO | ||
 Lucario FightingSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemLife Orb NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Purrloin View Lucario builds →Close Combat 2x321-378%KO Extreme Speed71-84% | ||
Purrloin Evolutions
Purrloin is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Liepard. Check the evolution method below. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 165 total stats over Purrloin. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
BW Purrloin Best Moveset
Dark pre-evolution with AbilityPrankster as a hidden ability giving status moves +1 priority. 50 Attack and 66 Speed. The moveset disrupts through priority status but can't threaten offensively. Liepard one evolution away.
Best Build
Purrloin best EVs are Attack and Defense
Bulky Support Moveset
- Fake Out
- Sucker Punch
- Protect
- Assist
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without breeding, Purrloin misses out on Charm and Covet. That's 8 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Foul Play and Night Slash, with Normal and Flying coverage and more rounding things out.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
They steal from people for fun, but their victims can’t help but forgive them. Their deceptively cute act is perfect.
Its cute act is a ruse. When victims let down their guard, they find their items taken. It attacks with sharp claws.
Purrloin Black & White Guide
In Black & White, For a casual playthrough, Purrloin works as a placeholder. Dark coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Liepard. That's where the stats start mattering.
Game Availability
Since Black & White, Purrloin has been obtainable in 8 games. A Generation 5 debut means a shorter history, but Purrloin has appeared steadily across every generation since.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BWDebut
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves