Sassy boosts Sp. Defense by 10% and drops Speed. For slow walls and Trick Room special tanks, that Speed cut is a bonus. In Red & Blue, Rhydon, Lapras, Chansey, and others all run Sassy in competitive play. Natures weren't in Red & Blue. Competitive players apply Sassy when breeding these Pokemon in Gen 3+ games.
Sassy raises Sp. Defense by 10% and lowers Speed by 10%. Slow special walls, often paired with Trick Room. 23 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
| # | Pokemon | Tier | Role | Ability | +SpD | -Spe | Spe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhydon GROUNDROCK | A | Bulky Support | Lightningrod | 45+9 | 40-6 | 40 |
| 2 | Lapras WATERICE | B | Bulky Support | Waterabsorb | 95+14 | 60-8 | 60 |
| 3 | Chansey NORMAL | B | Bulky Support | Healer | 105+15 | 50-7 | 50 |
| 4 | Vileplume GRASSPOISON | B | Bulky Support | Effect Spore | 90+14 | 50-7 | 50 |
| 5 | Tentacruel WATERPOISON | B | Bulky Support | Raindish | 120+17 | 100-12 | 100 |
| 6 | Hypno PSYCHIC | C | Bulky Support | Innerfocus | 115+16 | 67-9 | 67 |
| 7 | Wartortle WATER | C | Bulky Support | Raindish | 80+13 | 58-8 | 58 |
| 8 | Parasect BUGGRASS | C | Bulky Support | Effect Spore | 80+13 | 30-5 | 30 |
| 9 | Porygon NORMAL | C | Bulky Support | Trace | 75+12 | 40-6 | 40 |
| 10 | Flareon FIRE | C | Physical Tank | Guts | 110+16 | 65-9 | 65 |
| 11 | Jigglypuff NORMALFAIRY | C | Bulky Support | Friendguard | 25+7 | 20-4 | 20 |
| 12 | Slowpoke WATERPSYCHIC | C | Bulky Support | Oblivious | 40+9 | 15-4 | 15 |
| 13 | Tangela GRASS | C | Bulky Support | Regenerator | 40+9 | 60-8 | 60 |
| 14 | Dewgong WATERICE | C | Bulky Support | Thickfat | 95+14 | 70-9 | 70 |
| 15 | Kangaskhan NORMAL | C | Bulky Support | Innerfocus | 80+13 | 90-11 | 90 |
| 16 | Golbat POISON | C | Bulky Support | Infiltrator | 75+12 | 90-11 | 90 |
| 17 | Gastly GHOSTPOISON | C | Bulky Support | Levitate | 35+8 | 80-10 | 80 |
| 18 | Drowzee PSYCHIC | C | Bulky Support | Innerfocus | 90+14 | 42-7 | 42 |
| 19 | Arbok POISON | C | Bulky Support | Intimidate | 79+13 | 80-10 | 80 |
| 20 | Wigglytuff NORMALFAIRY | C | Bulky Support | Competitive | 50+10 | 45-7 | 45 |
| 21 | Onix ROCKGROUND | C | Physical Tank | Sturdy | 45+9 | 70-9 | 70 |
| 22 | Gloom GRASSPOISON | C | Bulky Support | Chlorophyll | 75+12 | 40-6 | 40 |
| 23 | Psyduck WATER | D | Bulky Support | Swiftswim | 50+10 | 55-8 | 55 |
Rhydon
GROUND ROCK
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Lightningrod+SpD
45 +9Spe
40Lapras
WATER ICE
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Waterabsorb+SpD
95 +14Spe
60Chansey
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Healer+SpD
105 +15Spe
50Vileplume
GRASS POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Effect Spore+SpD
90 +14Spe
50Tentacruel
WATER POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Raindish+SpD
120 +17Spe
100Hypno
PSYCHIC
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Innerfocus+SpD
115 +16Spe
67Wartortle
WATER
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Raindish+SpD
80 +13Spe
58Parasect
BUG GRASS
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Effect Spore+SpD
80 +13Spe
30Porygon
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Trace+SpD
75 +12Spe
40Flareon
FIRE
Role
Physical TankAbility
Guts+SpD
110 +16Spe
65Jigglypuff
NORMAL FAIRY
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Friendguard+SpD
25 +7Spe
20Slowpoke
WATER PSYCHIC
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Oblivious+SpD
40 +9Spe
15Tangela
GRASS
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Regenerator+SpD
40 +9Spe
60Dewgong
WATER ICE
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Thickfat+SpD
95 +14Spe
70Kangaskhan
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Innerfocus+SpD
80 +13Spe
90Golbat
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Infiltrator+SpD
75 +12Spe
90Gastly
GHOST POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Levitate+SpD
35 +8Spe
80Drowzee
PSYCHIC
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Innerfocus+SpD
90 +14Spe
42Arbok
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Intimidate+SpD
79 +13Spe
80Wigglytuff
NORMAL FAIRY
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Competitive+SpD
50 +10Spe
45Onix
ROCK GROUND
Role
Physical TankAbility
Sturdy+SpD
45 +9Spe
70Gloom
GRASS POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Chlorophyll+SpD
75 +12Spe
40Psyduck
WATER
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Swiftswim+SpD
50 +10Spe
55+10%Sp. Defense
-10%Speed
Flavor Preference
Likes Bitter, dislikes Sweet
Competitive Role
Slow special walls, often paired with Trick Room.
Sassy vs Calm
Choose Sassy
+Sp. Defense / -Speed
- 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 Calm
+Sp. Defense / -Attack
- Defensive Pokemon that still need attacking power
- Pokemon that run both physical and special moves
How to Get
SynchronizeLead with a Sassy Pokemon that has the Synchronize ability. Wild Pokemon will match its nature. (Gen 3+)
BreedingGive the parent with Sassy nature an Everstone. The offspring will inherit it. (100% since Gen 5)
Nature MintUse a Sassy Mint to change stat effects to Sassy. The original nature name stays but stats change. (Gen 8+)
Other +Sp. Defense Natures
What does the Sassy nature do in Pokemon?
Sassy raises Sp. Defense by 10% and lowers Speed by 10%. At level 100 with full investment, that's roughly a 30-point swing on the boosted stat. Pokemon with Sassy nature prefer Bitter flavor and dislike Sweet.
What are the best Sassy nature Pokemon?
Top Sassy users include Rhydon, Lapras, Chansey, and Vileplume. They benefit from the Sp. Defense boost because their main damage comes from that stat. The Speed drop doesn't hurt them since they don't rely on it.
Is Sassy a good nature for competitive Pokemon?
Sassy is a strong competitive nature. The -Speed drop actually helps under Trick Room, where slower Pokemon move first. The key is matching it to Pokemon that don't need Speed in their moveset.
How do I get a Sassy nature Pokemon?
Synchronize is the fastest method. Lead with a Pokemon that has Synchronize and Sassy nature, and wild encounters match it (Gen 3+). Breeding works too: give the Sassy parent an Everstone and all offspring inherit the nature. Nature Mints (Gen 8+) let you change the stat effect to Sassy without rebreeding.
Should I use Sassy or Calm?
Sassy prioritizes Trick Room special wall, while Calm goes for standard special wall. Pick Sassy when your Pokemon's role depends on the stat it boosts. Go with Calm when standard special wall matters more for your team.