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 Red & Blue, Rhydon, Sandslash, Snorlax, and others all run Impish in competitive play. Red & Blue has no nature system. Transfer your Pokemon forward and breed for Impish in a modern title.
Impish raises Defense by 10% and lowers Sp. Attack by 10%. Physical walls that rely on physical or status moves. 30 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
| # | Pokemon | Tier | Role | Ability | +Def | -SpA | Spe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rhydon GROUNDROCK | A | Bulky Support | Reckless | 120+17 | 45-7 | 40 |
| 2 |  Sandslash GROUND | A | Bulky Support | Sandrush | 110+16 | 45-7 | 65 |
| 3 |  Snorlax NORMAL | A | Bulky Support | Gluttony | 65+11 | 65-9 | 30 |
| 4 |  Tentacruel WATERPOISON | B | Bulky Support | Liquidooze | 65+11 | 80-10 | 100 |
| 5 |  Weezing POISON | B | Bulky Support | Levitate | 120+17 | 85-11 | 60 |
| 6 |  Lapras WATERICE | B | Bulky Support | Waterabsorb | 80+13 | 85-11 | 60 |
| 7 |  Primeape FIGHTING | B | Bulky Support | Defiant | 60+11 | 60-8 | 95 |
| 8 |  Ninetales FIRE | B | Bulky Support | Drought | 75+12 | 81-11 | 100 |
| 9 |  Muk POISON | B | Bulky Support | Poisontouch | 75+12 | 65-9 | 50 |
| 10 |  Hitmonlee FIGHTING | B | Utility | Limber | 53+10 | 35-6 | 87 |
| 11 |  Ditto NORMAL | C | Bulky Support | Imposter | 48+10 | 48-7 | 48 |
| 12 |  Dewgong WATERICE | C | Bulky Support | Thickfat | 80+13 | 70-9 | 70 |
| 13 |  Dragonair DRAGON | C | Bulky Support | Shedskin | 65+11 | 70-9 | 70 |
| 14 |  Golbat POISON | C | Bulky Support | Infiltrator | 70+12 | 65-9 | 90 |
| 15 |  Arbok POISON | C | Bulky Support | Intimidate | 69+12 | 65-9 | 80 |
| 16 |  Poliwrath WATERFIGHTING | C | Bulky Support | Waterabsorb | 95+14 | 70-9 | 70 |
| 17 |  Kangaskhan NORMAL | C | Bulky Support | Scrappy | 80+13 | 40-6 | 90 |
| 18 |  Pikachu ELECTRIC | C | Bulky Support | Lightningrod | 40+9 | 50-7 | 90 |
| 19 |  Kingler WATER | C | Bulky Support | Shellarmor | 115+16 | 50-7 | 75 |
| 20 |  Pinsir BUG | C | Physical Attacker | Hypercutter | 100+15 | 55-8 | 85 |
| 21 |  Parasect BUGGRASS | C | Bulky Support | Effect Spore | 80+13 | 60-8 | 30 |
| 22 |  Slowpoke WATERPSYCHIC | C | Bulky Support | Oblivious | 65+11 | 40-6 | 15 |
| 23 |  Weepinbell GRASSPOISON | C | Bulky Support | Chlorophyll | 50+10 | 85-11 | 55 |
| 24 |  Bulbasaur GRASSPOISON | C | Bulky Support | Overgrow | 49+10 | 65-9 | 45 |
| 25 |  Wartortle WATER | C | Bulky Support | Torrent | 80+13 | 65-9 | 58 |
| 26 |  Clefairy FAIRY | C | Bulky Support | Magic Guard | 48+10 | 60-8 | 35 |
| 27 |  Grimer POISON | C | Bulky Support | Poisontouch | 50+10 | 40-6 | 25 |
| 28 |  Ivysaur GRASSPOISON | D | Bulky Support | Chlorophyll | 63+11 | 80-10 | 60 |
| 29 |  Eevee NORMAL | D | Bulky Support | Adaptability | 50+10 | 45-7 | 55 |
| 30 |  Venonat BUGPOISON | D | Bulky Support | Compoundeyes | 50+10 | 40-6 | 45 |
Rhydon
GROUND ROCK
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Reckless+Def
120 +17Spe
40Sandslash
GROUND
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Sandrush+Def
110 +16Spe
65Snorlax
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Gluttony+Def
65 +11Spe
30Tentacruel
WATER POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Liquidooze+Def
65 +11Spe
100Weezing
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Levitate+Def
120 +17Spe
60Lapras
WATER ICE
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Waterabsorb+Def
80 +13Spe
60Primeape
FIGHTING
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Defiant+Def
60 +11Spe
95Ninetales
FIRE
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Drought+Def
75 +12Spe
100Muk
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Poisontouch+Def
75 +12Spe
50Hitmonlee
FIGHTING
Role
UtilityAbility
Limber+Def
53 +10Spe
87Ditto
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Imposter+Def
48 +10Spe
48Dewgong
WATER ICE
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Thickfat+Def
80 +13Spe
70Dragonair
DRAGON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Shedskin+Def
65 +11Spe
70Golbat
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Infiltrator+Def
70 +12Spe
90Arbok
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Intimidate+Def
69 +12Spe
80Poliwrath
WATER FIGHTING
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Waterabsorb+Def
95 +14Spe
70Kangaskhan
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Scrappy+Def
80 +13Spe
90Pikachu
ELECTRIC
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Lightningrod+Def
40 +9Spe
90Kingler
WATER
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Shellarmor+Def
115 +16Spe
75Pinsir
BUG
Role
Physical AttackerAbility
Hypercutter+Def
100 +15Spe
85Parasect
BUG GRASS
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Effect Spore+Def
80 +13Spe
30Slowpoke
WATER PSYCHIC
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Oblivious+Def
65 +11Spe
15Weepinbell
GRASS POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Chlorophyll+Def
50 +10Spe
55Bulbasaur
GRASS POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Overgrow+Def
49 +10Spe
45Wartortle
WATER
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Torrent+Def
80 +13Spe
58Clefairy
FAIRY
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Magic Guard+Def
48 +10Spe
35Grimer
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Poisontouch+Def
50 +10Spe
25Ivysaur
GRASS POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Chlorophyll+Def
63 +11Spe
60Eevee
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Adaptability+Def
50 +10Spe
55Venonat
BUG POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Compoundeyes+Def
50 +10Spe
45+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
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?
Rhydon, Sandslash, Snorlax, and Tentacruel 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.