The Thorn Pod Pokemon. Ferrothorn has Iron Barbs punishing every contact move. Grass/Steel with Stealth Rock, Spikes, Leech Seed, and Power Whip. One of the best walls in the game.
Ability 1Iron BarbsAbility 1Damages attacking Pokémon for 1/8 their max HP on contact.
489HP74Attack94Defense131Speed20Sp.Def116Sp.Atk54
Ferroseed
Ferrothorn
Weak to
Immune to
Physical
Hazard Setter
20Speed · Very Slow

Ferrothorn Best Moveset

Premier defensive moveset in the format. AbilityIron Barbs deals chip to anything making physical contact, Grass/Steel typing resists 9 types including Water, and 131/116 defenses on 74 HP give incredible bulk. MoveStealth Rock, MoveSpikes, and MoveLeech Seed add relentless field control. S-tier through pure defensive dominance.

Evolution family tier history
SABCDEFSSSSBlack & White / B2W2VBW/B2W2PEAKX & Y / ORASVIXY/ORASSun & Moon / USUMVIISM/USUMSword & Shield / BDSPVIIISS/BDSPCURRENT
Consistently S-Tier across all generations
★Gen V — Black & White / B2W2S

Grass/Steel with Iron Barbs and Leech Seed in Gen V (Black & White). Contact attackers took chip damage every hit. Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Leech Seed from a wall that punished everything.

Hidden Abilities became available

Best Moves

SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Egg
Spikes
Ground—COMMONHazard
Lv 40
Power Whip
Grass120COMMONSTAB
Egg
Stealth Rock
Rock—COMMONUtility
Lv 21
Gyro Ball
Steel—COMMONSTAB
Egg
Leech Seed
Grass—COMMONSTAB
Tutor
Knock Off
Dark65RARECoverage
TM17
Protect
Normal—RAREPriority

Best Build

Experimental
Hazard Setter
Ability
Iron Barbs
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Ferrothorn

Ferrothorn best EVs are HP and Sp. Def

EVs

Hazard Setter Moveset

  • SpikesHazard
  • Power WhipSTAB
  • Stealth Rock
  • Gyro BallSTAB
→Gen VI — X & Y / ORASS

Fairy-types couldn't touch Ferrothorn thanks to Steel resistance in Gen VI (X & Y). Grass/Steel had only two weaknesses: Fire and Fighting. Two gens at the top.

Gained Anticipation as hidden abilityFairy type added to the gameMega Evolution became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Egg
Leech Seed
Grass—COMMONSTAB
Lv 21
Gyro Ball
Steel—COMMONSTAB
Egg
Spikes
Ground—COMMONHazard
Lv 40
Power Whip
Grass120COMMONSTAB
Egg
Stealth Rock
Rock—RAREUtility
TM17
Protect
Normal—RAREPriority
Tutor
Knock Off
Dark65RARECoverage
Experimental
Wall
Ability
Iron Barbs
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Ferrothorn
EVs

Wall Moveset

  • Leech SeedSTAB
  • Gyro BallSTAB
  • SpikesHazard
  • Power WhipSTAB
→Gen VII — Sun & Moon / USUMS

Iron Barbs plus Rocky Helmet punished contact moves with stacking chip in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Physical attackers lost a third of their HP just touching it.

Z-Moves became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Egg
Leech Seed
Grass—COMMONSTAB
Lv 1
Power Whip
Grass120COMMONSTAB
Lv 21
Gyro Ball
Steel—COMMONSTAB
Egg
Stealth Rock
Rock—COMMONUtility
Egg
Spikes
Ground—COMMONHazard
TM17
Protect
Normal—RAREPriority
Tutor
Knock Off
Dark65RARECoverage
Experimental
Wall
Ability
Iron Barbs
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Ferrothorn
Sassy+SPD
EVs

Wall Moveset

  • Leech SeedSTAB
  • Power WhipSTAB
  • Gyro BallSTAB
  • Stealth Rock
→Gen VIII — Sword & Shield / BDSPS

Four straight gens at the top in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). The most consistent defensive Steel-type across four generations. Leech Seed, hazards, Iron Barbs. The formula never needed to change.

Gigantamax became availableDynamax became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Egg
Leech Seed
Grass—COMMONSTAB
Egg
Knock Off
Dark65COMMONCoverage
TR23
Spikes
Ground—COMMONHazard
Lv 49
Gyro Ball
Steel—COMMONSTAB
TR76
Stealth Rock
Rock—COMMONUtility
TR99
Body Press
Fighting80RARECoverage
Lv 1
Power Whip
Grass120RARESTAB
Experimental
Wall
Ability
Iron Barbs
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Ferrothorn
Impish+DEF
EVs

Wall Moveset

  • Leech SeedSTAB
  • Knock Off
  • SpikesHazard
  • Gyro BallSTAB

Ferrothorn Weakness

Type-wise, Ferrothorn takes extra damage from Fire and Fighting. Watch out for Fire attacks, those deal 4x damage. Poison moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 9 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Ferrothorn's overall bulk (74/131/116) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.

Ferrothorn Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
4x (Critical)Fire
2x (Weak)Fighting
0.5x (Resist)Normal, Water, Electric, Psychic, Rock, Dragon, Steel, Fairy
0.25x (Resist)Grass
0x (Immune)Poison

What is Ferrothorn Weak Against

Excellent
2Weak
9Resist
1Immune
Score+7

What is Ferrothorn Strong Against

5Strong
2Resisted
0Immune
Score+3
½xResisted
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Ferrothorn

A
A
B
B
B

Evolution

Evolved from Ferroseed. Ferrothorn is the final form in this two-stage line. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs take an average time to hatch. Attack grew the most through evolution (+44 over Ferroseed), and Ferrothorn peaks at 489 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Ferroseed
GrassSteel
Ferrothorn
GrassSteel
HP
44
74+30
ATK
50
94+44
DEF
91
131+40
SP.ATK
24
54+30
SP.DEF
86
116+30
SPE
10
20+10
BST
305C-Tier
489B-Tier+184
ROLE
Balanced
Trick Room
TYPE
Physical
Physical

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed with Ferrothorn to get Ferroseed eggs easily using 89 partners from the Grass and Mineral egg groups.

Egg Groups
GrassMineral
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
venusaurmeganiumtorterraroseradeserperiorludicoloshiftryabomasnowwhimsicottglaliefroslasscrustle

Shiny Ferrothorn

Golden-bronze Ferrothorn looks like it was forged in a different foundry entirely. Every vine, spike, and plate catches that warm metallic tone, and the result is one of the most satisfying steel-type shinies out there. S tier, and it's earned.

Normal vs Shiny
Normal FerrothornNormal
Shiny Ferrothorn Shiny
Color ShiftGraytoRed
Shiny TierS Tier Shiny

Shiny Ferrothorn Evolution

2 Forms
Showing shiny artworkView Full Evolution Chart

Shiny Ferrothorn Odds & Hunting Methods

7 of 7 Verified
GameBest MethodOddsDifficulty
More dots = harder hunt1/200 Green = best verified rate
How do we research these odds?

We check every game where a shiny is possible, then rank each one by the best method available in that game, so the row at the top is the fastest route overall.

Odds marked verified are cross-checked against multiple independent sources before we publish them. Where a rate is not yet confirmed we mark the row pending rather than guess a number.

Read our full methodology

How to Get Ferrothorn

All 7 games

1 encounter spot for Ferrothorn at moderate rates starting from late-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.

Where To Catch Ferrothorn in SwSh

To get Ferrothorn, start by catching Ferroseed through walking encounters at Lv. 13-65. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Ferroseed
    Step 1Catch Ferroseed
    Route 4
    Lv.13-15Grass
    Rate 1%
    All Weather
    Motostoke Riverbank
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 10%
    Snowstorm
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Snowstorm
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Normal Weather
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Overcast
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Heavy Fog
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Raining
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Sandstorm
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Snowing
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Intense Sun
    Bridge Field
    Lv.26-28Grass
    Rate 5%
    Thunderstorm
    Stony Wilderness
    Lv.28-30Overworld
    Rate 5%
    Snowstorm
    Stony Wilderness - 2
    Lv.28-30Overworld
    Rate 5%
    Snowstorm
    Stony Wilderness - 3
    Lv.28-30Overworld
    Rate 5%
    Snowstorm
    Lakeside Cave
    Lv.60-65Overworld
    Rate 10%
    All Weather
  2. Ferrothorn
    Step 2Ferrothorn ✓
    Dusty Bowl
    Lv.40-45Grass
    Rate 10%
    Snowstorm
    or evolve from Ferroseed (Step 1)

Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in Sword & Shield for Ferrothorn.

Base Stats

Defense leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Ferrothorn's stat line in a nutshell. 3 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Defense EVs.

Base Stats
Above
HP74
C
Attack94
B
Defense131
A
Sp. Atk54
D
Sp. Def116
B
Speed20
F
Total489
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging90 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height1.0 m
Weight110.0 kg
Base XP171
Abilities
Iron Barbs
Damages attacking Pokémon for 1/8 their max HP on contact.
AnticipationHidden Ability
Notifies all trainers upon entering battle if an opponent has a super-effective move, self destruct, explosion, or a one-hit KO move.
EV Yield
HPAtkDef+2SpASpDSpe
Defense training target
Pokedex Entry

Its spikes are harder than steel. This Pokémon crawls across rock walls by stabbing the spikes on its feelers into the stone.

Pokemon Shield

Ferrothorn Guide

  • Ferrothorn plays as a hazard setter. It's slow, so Trick Room or priority moves are key. so pick your spots carefully.

  • Ferrothorn pairs best with Ho Oh, Alomomola, and Giratina Origin. Ho Oh has Decent synergy and covers what Ferrothorn can't handle on its own.

  • Ferrothorn's hidden ability is Anticipation. It notifies all trainers upon entering battle if an opponent has a super-effective move, self destruct, explosion, or a one-hit KO move. Situational compared to Iron Barbs.

  • Relaxed is the go-to nature for Ferrothorn. That's +Defense / -Speed. Pair it with 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def EVs. Fits the hazard setter role.

Game Availability

Ferrothorn joined the series in Black & White and has been available in 7 titles so far. With 5 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.

Explore

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