Impish gives 10% Defense at the cost of Sp. Attack. Physical walls that rely on Body Slam, Knock Off, or U-turn over special coverage will want this. In Legends: Arceus, Giratina, Rhydon, Uxie, and others all run Impish in competitive play. Legends: Arceus assigns natures randomly. No breeding, no Synchronize, no mints. Getting Impish is pure luck.

Impish raises Defense by 10% and lowers Sp. Attack by 10%. Physical walls that rely on physical or status moves. 56 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
#PokemonTierRoleAbility+Def-SpASpe
1
Giratina
Giratina
GHOSTDRAGON
SBulky SupportPressure
120+17
100-12
90
2
Rhydon
Rhydon
GROUNDROCK
ABulky SupportReckless
120+17
45-7
40
3
Uxie
Uxie
PSYCHIC
ABulky SupportLevitate
130+18
75-10
95
4
Snorlax
Snorlax
NORMAL
ABulky SupportGluttony
65+11
65-9
30
5
Goodra
Goodra
DRAGON
ABulky SupportSapsipper
70+12
110-13
80
6
Rhyperior
Rhyperior
GROUNDROCK
ABulky SupportSolidrock
130+18
55-8
40
Giratina
Giratina
GHOST DRAGON
S
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Pressure
+Def
120 +17
Spe
90
Rhydon
Rhydon
GROUND ROCK
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Reckless
+Def
120 +17
Spe
40
Uxie
Uxie
PSYCHIC
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Levitate
+Def
130 +18
Spe
95
Snorlax
Snorlax
NORMAL
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Gluttony
+Def
65 +11
Spe
30
Goodra
Goodra
DRAGON
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Sapsipper
+Def
70 +12
Spe
80
Rhyperior
Rhyperior
GROUND ROCK
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Solidrock
+Def
130 +18
Spe
40
+10%Defense
-10%Sp. Attack
Flavor Preference
Likes Sour, dislikes Dry
Competitive Role
Physical walls that rely on physical or status moves.
Impish vs Bold
Choose Impish
+Defense / -Sp. Attack
  • Pokemon that need to check physical threats (use +Def)
  • Pokemon that need to check special threats (use +SpD)
  • Walls and tanks that rarely attack
Choose Bold
+Defense / -Attack
  • Defensive Pokemon that still need attacking power
  • Pokemon that run both physical and special moves
How to Get
SynchronizeLead with a Impish Pokemon that has the Synchronize ability. Wild Pokemon will match its nature. (Gen 3+)
BreedingGive the parent with Impish nature an Everstone. The offspring will inherit it. (100% since Gen 5)
Nature MintUse an Impish Mint to change stat effects to Impish. The original nature name stays but stats change. (Gen 8+)
Other +Defense Natures
Bold (-Attack)Lax (-Sp. Defense)Relaxed (-Speed)
What does the Impish nature do in Pokemon?
It's a +10% Defense, -10% Sp. Attack nature. The 10% multiplier applies after base stats and EVs, so the actual point difference grows as stats get higher. Pokemon with Impish nature prefer Sour flavor and dislike Dry.
What are the best Impish nature Pokemon?
Giratina, Rhydon, Uxie, and Snorlax are among the strongest Impish picks. What they share is a reliance on Defense and little need for Sp. Attack. Check the tier list for current rankings.
Is Impish a good nature for competitive Pokemon?
Yes. It fills a solid niche for defensive builds. You'll see Impish on dedicated Defense-focused builds across most tiers and formats.
How do I get an Impish nature Pokemon?
Three options: (1) Synchronize lead forces wild Pokemon to match your lead's nature. (2) Everstone breeding passes the nature 100% of the time since Gen 5. (3) an Impish Mint changes the stat effects after the fact. Mints don't change the nature name, just the stat modifiers.
Should I use Impish or Bold?
It depends on what your team needs. Impish is the physical defense utility option. Bold is the special defense utility option. Most of the time, your Pokemon's moveset and role make the decision obvious.