Ninjask Best Moveset
Crashed from S-tier as 160 Speed and AbilitySpeed Boost stacking even more Speed each turn couldn't compensate for 90 Attack on Bug/Flying typing. The moveset outspeeds literally everything but E-tier because the offensive stats behind that Speed can't break through dedicated answers. Raw pace without power.
Speed Boost raised Speed every turn in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Swords Dance plus Baton Pass sent Attack and Speed boosts to a sweeper. The original chain starter.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Silver Wind
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power Rock
- Aerial Ace
Recommended Teammates
Baton Pass chains reached peak effectiveness in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Ninjask passed Speed, teammates passed other stats. Unstoppable when the chain connected.
Best Moves
Best Build
Ninjask best EVs are Attack and HP
Physical Attacker Moveset
- X Scissor
- Swords Dance
- Night Slash
- Aerial Ace
Recommended Teammates
Baton Pass chains faced more counterplay in Gen V (Black & White). Forcing switches with Roar and Whirlwind broke the chain, and teams came prepared for the strategy.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Swords Dance
- X Scissor
- Protect
- Aerial Ace
Recommended Teammates
Baton Pass clauses appeared in Gen VI (X & Y). Rules limited how many stats could be passed at once, directly targeting Ninjask's entire competitive purpose.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- X Scissor
- Aerial Ace
- Protect
- Night Slash
Recommended Teammates
Baton Pass was banned entirely from standard play in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Ninjask lost the one move that made it competitively relevant.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Swords Dance
- Leech Life
- Aerial Ace
- Night Slash
Recommended Teammates
Without Baton Pass, Ninjask was just a fast Bug with terrible offenses in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). 90 Attack couldn't threaten anything meaningful.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Swords Dance
- Protect
- Leech Life
- U Turn
Recommended Teammates
Ninjask Weakness
Ninjask's Bug/Flying typing leaves it vulnerable to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying. Rock hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Ground-type attacks completely. At base 160 Speed, Ninjask outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Ice, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
What is Ninjask Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Ninjask
Tyranitar can KO Ninjask with Stone Edge (780-918%). Arcanine threatens a KO with Flare Blitz (248-292%). Regieleki's Volt Switch also KOs at 127-149%.
 Tyranitar RockDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Tyranitar builds →Knock Off127-149%KO Stone Edge 4x780-918%KO | ||
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Arcanine builds →Extreme Speed55-65% Flare Blitz 2x248-292%KO | ||
 Regieleki Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTransistor ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Regieleki builds →Volt Switch 2x127-149%KO Rapid Spin23-27% Rapid Spin23-27% Volt Switch 2x127-149%KO | ||
 Baxcalibur DragonIce | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityThermalexchange ItemLoaded Dice NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Baxcalibur builds →Icicle Spear 2x70-83% | ||
 Salamence Dragon | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureAdamant Moves View Salamence builds →
| ||
Evolution
Out of 2 evolutions from Nincada, Ninjask comes from the level-up path. The method you use determines which form you end up with. Breed through Nincada to get eggs. Stat-wise, Ninjask comes out 220 points ahead of Shedinja, mostly thanks to a bigger Speed gain. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Ninjask to get Nincada eggs easily using 91 partners from the Bug egg group.
How to Get Ninjask
Ninjask doesn't appear wild. Catch Nincada instead, it shows up at decent rates. Evolve it at level 20 to get Ninjask. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Ninjask in BDSP
To get Ninjask, start by catching Nincada through walking and special encounters at Lv. 10-63. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch NincadaEterna ForestLv.10-12Using PokeRadarRate 22%Grassland CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CavePost-game
Step 2Ninjask ✓
high spawn rates for Ninjask across 8 locations in mid-game routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Where To Catch Ninjask in SwSh
The path to Ninjask starts with Nincada at Lv. 7-30 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch NincadaSouth Lake MilochLv.11-13GrassRate 40%SandstormWest Lake AxewellLv.7-11CaveRate 30%SandstormSouth Lake MilochLv.11-13GrassRate 10%Intense SunRoute 5Lv.16-18GrassRate 5%All Weather
Step 2Ninjask ✓Stony WildernessLv.28-30OverworldRate 35%RainingStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldRate 35%Normal WeatherStony WildernessLv.28-30OverworldRate 30%Normal WeatherStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldRate 15%Rainingor evolve from Nincada (Step 1)
Ninjask isn't available in the wild in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Start by transferring Nincada from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The evolution path from Nincada to Ninjask is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Ninjask in USUM
Step 1Obtain NincadaLATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Walking · National Park · Post-National Dex - Thursday, Saturday. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Walking · Route 6 · Tall grass only. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.- Step 2Ninjask ✓
Ninjask isn't available in the wild in Sun & Moon. Start by transferring Nincada from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The evolution path from Nincada to Ninjask is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Ninjask in SM
- Step 1Obtain NincadaBREEDINGAvailableLeave Ninjask with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Nincada egg.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Walking · National Park · Post-National Dex - Thursday, Saturday. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Walking · Route 6 · Tall grass only. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
- Step 2Ninjask ✓
Base Stats
Ninjask's all-in on Speed at the expense of Defense. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 2 Speed EVs and follows a standard growth curve.
Because they move so quickly, they sometimes become unseeable. They congregate around tree sap.
Ninjask Guide
Don't let Ninjask's 456 base stat total fool you. Speed Boost is what makes it tick. It punches way above its weight class. We rate it B-Tier as a pivot.
Watch for Golem (Rock), Charizard (Fire), and Raikou (Electric) when using Ninjask. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Golem is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ice and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. Ninjask's base 160 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Run Speed Boost on Ninjask. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Ninjask also gets Infiltrator, but they don't compare.
Ninjask fills the pivot role. It's a physical attacker with base 90 Attack. Base 160 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
Run Swords Dance, Leechlife, Protect, and Acrobatics on Ninjask. Swords Dance is the most common pick at 0% usage. Acrobatics provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Ninjask first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and has been available in 14 games across 8 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves