
Is Ninjask Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Nincada evolves at level 20. Bug/Flying with AbilitySpeed Boost raising Speed every turn. The fastest Pokemon available if given a turn to set up. Frail, but the Speed snowball can run through late-game fights.
Nincada trades roughly evenly with Falkner's team.
Nincada trades roughly evenly with Bugsy's team.
Nincada trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Morty's Pokemon outpace and outclass Nincada here.
Chuck's team hits Ninjask's weaknesses hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Chuck:
Ninjask trades roughly evenly with Jasmine's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Jasmine:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Pryce:
Ninjask trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Clair:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Brock:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Misty:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lt. Surge:
Ninjask resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Erika:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Janine:
Ninjask resists most of Sabrina's coverage and hits back hard.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Sabrina:
Ninjask trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blaine:
Ninjask trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Blue:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Will:
Ninjask trades roughly evenly with Koga's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Koga:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Bruno:
Ninjask has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Karen:
Ninjask trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Your evolution path matters here. Pick a branch to see how it fares against Lance:
Catch Nincada
Catch Nincada in the National Park (walking, Lv 26-36, uncommon). Post-National Dex - Thursday, Saturday.
Recommended Moves
- After Falkner
- HM01NormalCutPower 50Accuracy 95%PP 30From charcoal maker after returning Farfetch'd
- After Bugsy
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- After Morty
- TM30GhostShadow BallPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Morty
- After Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Lake of Rage
- LV 38SteelMetal ClawPower 50Accuracy 95%PP 35
- After Clair
- TM40FlyingAerial AcePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Mt. Mortar
- LV 45GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10
Evolve Nincada to Ninjask
Nincada evolves into Ninjask at Level 20. You get it at Level 26 or higher, past Level 20, so it evolves into Ninjask the next time it levels up.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 20)
- LV 20BugBug BitePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM89BugU-turnPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- LV 25NormalSwords DancePower —Accuracy 100%PP 30
- After Clair
- TM40FlyingAerial AcePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20Mt. Mortar
- LV 52BugX-ScissorPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Nincada to Shedinja
Nincada evolves into Shedinja at Level 20. Your Nincada should hit Level 20 before you reach Chuck, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Whitney
- TM65GhostShadow ClawPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 15Route 42
- After Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- LV 38GhostShadow SneakPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 30
- After Clair
- TM40FlyingAerial AcePower 60Accuracy 100%PP 20Mt. Mortar
- LV 59GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Ninjask in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Level a National Park Nincada to 20 and it becomes Ninjask. Keep a spare slot and a Poke Ball in your bag at that moment and a Shedinja quietly slips in alongside it.
Catch Nincada at any of these 1 spot to eventually evolve into Ninjask.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
- 1Catch Nincada
- 2Evolve Ninjaskat Lv.20
How to Obtain Ninjask in HGSS
Step 2Ninjask ✓
How to Get Shiny Ninjask in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Ninjask evolves from Nincada, so breed that National Park base form Masuda-style and raise it once it shines. Compare Shiny Ninjask odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Ninjask Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver with Ninjask preloaded.
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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Ninjask Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Ninjask
Glaceon Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Lapras builds →Ice Beam 2x122-144%KO Thunderbolt 2x81-96% | ||
Ninetales Fire | C | |
Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Arcanine builds →Fire Blast 2x174-205%KO Thunder Fang 2x71-85% | ||
Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Obtain MethodRoute 36 Interact Encounter | ||
Magmar Fire | C | |
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninjask View Graveler builds →Rock Tomb 4x153-181%KO Fire Blast 2x67-79% | ||
Magnemite ElectricSteel | C | |
Scyther Bug | C | |
Plusle Electric | B | |
Flaaffy Electric | C | |
Quilava Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cyndaquil (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
Noctowl Normal | C | |
Minun Electric | C | |
Ninjask Evolutions
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 48 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Bug Bite, Bug Buzz, Endure and 4 more.
HGSS Ninjask Best Moveset
Fastest non-legendary at 160 Speed with AbilitySpeed Boost adding one Speed stage every turn automatically. The moveset passes Speed boosts to teammates with MoveBaton Pass or attacks physically at 90 Attack. 61 HP and 45 Defense fold fast.
Best Build
Ninjask best EVs are Attack and HP
Physical Attacker Moveset
- X Scissor
- Swords Dance
- Night Slash
- Aerial Ace
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
You'll want to breed for Bug Bite and Bug Buzz on Ninjask. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Bug Buzz and Leech Life, they expand what Ninjask can actually threaten in practice.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 25 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
Its cry leaves a lasting headache if heard for too long. It moves so quickly that it is almost invisible.
Ninjask HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Ninjask as a pivot. Physical side carries the damage. It outspeeds most threats,
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Adamant on Ninjask. +Attack is what matters, and the -Sp. Atk cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the pivot role.
Game Availability
Ninjask first appeared in Ruby & Sapphire and has been available in 14 games across 7 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 7Let's Go

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
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