Nihilego Best Moveset
AbilityBeast Boost raises the highest stat after each KO, and 127 Sp. Atk at 103 Speed means the Sp. Atk keeps climbing with every knockout. Rock/Poison TermStab with 131 Sp. Def provides special bulk alongside the snowballing offense. A-tier because the auto-boost mechanic makes it harder to stop with each KO.
Rock/Poison with Beast Boost raising Sp. Def after each KO in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). 127 Sp. Atk and 131 Sp. Def. The specially defensive Ultra Beast.
Best Moves
Best Build
Nihilego best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk
Utility Moveset
- Power Gem
- Sludge Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic Spikes
Recommended Teammates
Two gens of consistency in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Meteor Beam with Power Herb gave a +1 Sp. Atk Rock move in one turn. Toxic Spikes set hazards.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Power Gem
- Meteor Beam
- Grass Knot
- Sludge Wave
Recommended Teammates
Nihilego Weakness
Ground, Water, Psychic, and Steel moves hit Nihilego for super-effective damage. Ground hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Nihilego's special bulk (base 131 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Ground |
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Psychic, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Flying, Bug, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
What is Nihilego Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Nihilego
Excadrill can KO Nihilego with Earthquake (374-440%). Greninja's Surf hits Nihilego for 73-86%. Gardevoir deals 64-75% with Psychic.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | B | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Nihilego View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 4x374-440%KO Rapid Spin16-18% | ||
 Greninja WaterDark | B | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Nihilego View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse32-38% Ice Beam24-28% Surf 2x73-86% | ||
 Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Nihilego View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast17-20% Psychic 2x64-75% | ||
 Metagross SteelPsychic | B | |
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Nihilego View Metagross builds →Earthquake 4x249-293%KO Bullet Punch 2x75-89% Psychic Fangs 2x159-187%KO | ||
Evolution
At 570 base stat total, Nihilego hits hard for a Rock/Poison type. No evolution chain and no egg group, just a straight pickup. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Shiny Nihilego
Blue-tinted Nihilego gains an oceanic quality across its jellyfish body. On a translucent glass organism, even small color shifts read well. It's a soft change, but the Ultra Beast's alien design carries it further than the palette alone would suggest.
Shiny Nihilego Evolution
Does Not EvolveShiny Nihilego Odds & Hunting Methods
3 of 3 VerifiedHow 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 methodologyNihilego Locations
Nihilego appears across 1 spot in endgame routes. The list below shows where it turns up, so pick the one you can reach first in your playthrough.
Best Locations to Catch Nihilego in Sword & Shield
Nihilego is one of the Ultra Beasts, hunted down inside Ultra Space over the course of the Ultra Beast side quest and battled there at level 60.
How to Get Nihilego in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
As an Ultra Beast, Nihilego is hunted during the post-game mission, drifting through Digletts Tunnel and Wela Volcano Park as a level 55 target.
Best Locations to Catch Nihilego in Sun & Moon
Base Stats
Sp. Def leads and Defense gets almost nothing. That's Nihilego's stat line in a nutshell. 4 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 3 Sp. Def EVs.
It appeared in this world from an Ultra Wormhole. Nihilego appears to be a parasite that lives by feeding on people and Pokémon.
Nihilego Guide
Use Nihilego as a sweeper. Special attacks are the main output. It outspeeds most threats,
Run Timid on Nihilego. +Speed is what matters, and the -Attack cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the sweeper role.
Game Availability
Nihilego joined the series in Sun & Moon and has been available in 3 titles so far. With 3 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
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 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SMDebut
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
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
Explore
Where to go next after Nihilego.
Next stepPokedexBrowse the full Pokedex for every gameSee Pokedex