Stats & Training
The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Sp. Atk carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Ninja Pokemon on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve, worth 3 Speed EVs per KO.
It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two.
It appears and vanishes with a ninja’s grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water.
Greninja Weakness
Type-wise, Greninja takes extra damage from Electric, Grass, Fighting, Bug, and Fairy. Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Greninja leans offensive (base 95 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass, Fighting, Bug, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Ghost, Dark, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
In X & Y, Amoonguss's Giga Drain hits Greninja for 44-52%. Clefable's Moonblast hits Greninja for 61-72%. Zapdos deals 73-86% with Thunderbolt.
 Amoonguss GrassPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemRocky Helmet NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Amoonguss builds →Giga Drain 2x44-52% | ||
 Clefable Fairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Clefable builds →Moonblast 2x61-72% | ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave13-15% Thunderbolt 2x73-86% | ||
 Hitmontop Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemEjectbutton NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Hitmontop builds →Close Combat 2x168-198%KO Feint14-17% | ||
 Volcarona BugFire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemLum Berry NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Greninja View Volcarona builds →Giga Drain 2x57-68% Flamethrower26-30% | ||
X & Y Evolution
End of the line. Greninja caps a three-stage chain that started at Froakie. Breeding produces the base form, and eggs are average hatch time. Speed grew the most through evolution (+51 over Froakie), and Greninja peaks at 530 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Greninja to get Froakie eggs using 87 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bestow, Camouflage, Mind Reader and 3 more.
X & Y Greninja Best Moveset
Modest nature gives Greninja the special lean it needs to trade hits effectively. Assault Vest adds a special bulk boost with no status moves allowed, max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs split the difference, and Ice coverage punishes anything trying to wall it.
Best Build
Greninja best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Blizzard
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Hard to wall, honestly. Greninja threatens 10 types beyond its own STAB, with Normal and Ghost standing out. Pair that with Hydro Cannon and Hydro Pump and switchins need to think twice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
How to Get Greninja in X & Y
You're catching Froakie first, not Greninja. Froakie appears but it's a rare spawn in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Greninja in X & Y
To get Greninja, start by catching Froakie through gift encounters at Lv. 5+. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch FroakieAquacorde TownYGift from NPC Lv.5 CityLimitedEarlyStarter choiceAquacorde TownXGift from NPC Lv.5 CityLimitedEarlyStarter choiceVaniville TownYIn-game trade Lv.5 CityLimitedEarlyTrade any (post-Elite Four, Chespin starter)Vaniville TownXIn-game trade Lv.5 CityLimitedEarlyTrade any (post-Elite Four, Chespin starter)
Step 2Evolve into Frogadier
Step 3Greninja ✓
Greninja Guide
In X & Y, Protean changes the entire equation for Greninja. The 530 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier as a sweeper. Dark Pulse with Assault Vest is the standard set.
In X & Y, Greninja can Mega Evolve into Mega Greninja. That's 630 BST, up from 530. The stat redistribution often changes its best role. Mega Stone required, one per battle.
In X & Y, Greninja's biggest threats include Manectric (Electric), Roserade (Grass), and Machamp (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Bug and Fairy-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Greninja's base 122 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Protean is what you want on Greninja. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Torrent) work on paper but Protean is what makes Greninja worth using. With base 122 Speed, Protean gives Greninja an edge before opponents can react.
Base 122 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Greninja is a special attacker with base 103 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.
Game Availability
Since debuting in X & Y, Greninja has appeared in 6 titles over 5 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 6, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
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 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XYDebut
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
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