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: Z-A, Dondozo, Skarmory, Zygarde, and others all run Impish in competitive play. Defensive Tera types pair well with Impish. Dropping a weakness and gaining Defense makes walls much harder to break.

Impish raises Defense by 10% and lowers Sp. Attack by 10%. Physical walls that rely on physical or status moves. 75 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
#PokemonTierRoleAbility+Def-SpASpe
1
Dondozo
Dondozo
WATER
ABulky SupportUnaware
115+16
65-9
35
2
Skarmory
Skarmory
STEELFLYING
ABulky SupportSturdy
140+19
40-6
70
3
Zygarde
Zygarde
DRAGONGROUND
ABulky SupportPowerconstruct
121+17
81-11
95
4
Groudon
Groudon
GROUND
ABulky SupportDrought
140+19
100-12
90
5
Metagross
Metagross
STEELPSYCHIC
APhysical TankClearbody
130+18
95-12
70
6
Goodra
Goodra
DRAGON
ABulky SupportSapsipper
70+12
110-13
80
7
Diancie
Diancie
ROCKFAIRY
ABulky SupportClearbody
150+20
100-12
50
Dondozo
Dondozo
WATER
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Unaware
+Def
115 +16
Spe
35
Skarmory
Skarmory
STEEL FLYING
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Sturdy
+Def
140 +19
Spe
70
Zygarde
Zygarde
DRAGON GROUND
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Powerconstruct
+Def
121 +17
Spe
95
Groudon
Groudon
GROUND
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Drought
+Def
140 +19
Spe
90
Metagross
Metagross
STEEL PSYCHIC
A
Role
Physical Tank
Ability
Clearbody
+Def
130 +18
Spe
70
Goodra
Goodra
DRAGON
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Sapsipper
+Def
70 +12
Spe
80
Diancie
Diancie
ROCK FAIRY
A
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Clearbody
+Def
150 +20
Spe
50
+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?
Dondozo, Skarmory, Zygarde, and Groudon 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.