Is Noctowl Good in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Playthrough?
Noctowl has AbilityInsomnia and decent bulk, but it can't hit hard enough to contribute against gym leaders. Normal/Flying without strong Attack or Sp. Atk is a dead-end.
Hoothoot trades roughly evenly with Roark's team.
Hoothoot resists most of Gardenia's coverage and hits back hard.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Byron's team hits Noctowl's weaknesses hard.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Volkner's team hits Noctowl's weaknesses hard.
Noctowl has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Bertha's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Flint's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Noctowl trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catch Noctowl on Route 211 (walking, Lv 28, uncommon).
Catch Hoothoot on Route 211 (walking, Lv 14, uncommon).
How to Get Noctowl in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
A solid number of locations for Noctowl with decent spawn rates across mid-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Where To Catch Noctowl in BDSP
To get Noctowl, start by catching Hoothoot through walking encounters at Lv. 14-54. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch HoothootRoute 211 - WestLv.14GrassRate 10%NightGreat Marsh - Area 5Lv.20-22FloorRate 20%NightGreat Marsh - Area 6Lv.20-22FloorRate 20%NightGreat Marsh - Area 3Lv.22-24FloorRate 20%NightGreat Marsh - Area 4Lv.22-24FloorRate 20%NightGreat Marsh - Area 1Lv.24FloorRate 10%NightGreat Marsh - Area 2Lv.24FloorRate 10%NightRoute 210 - NorthLv.24GrassRate 10%NightFountainspring CaveLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthGrassland CaveLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthRiverbank CaveLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthSpacious CaveLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthStill-Water CavernLv.25-29CaveRequires StrengthSunlit CavernLv.25-29CaveRequires Strength
Step 2Noctowl ✓Route 210 - NorthLv.25GrassRate 10%NightGreat Marsh - Area 1Lv.26FloorRate 10%NightGreat Marsh - Area 2Lv.26FloorRate 10%NightRoute 211 - EastLv.28GrassRate 10%NightLake AcuityLv.34-36GrassRate 20%NightLake ValorLv.34-36GrassRate 20%NightRoute 216Lv.33GrassRate 10%NightAcuity LakefrontLv.35GrassRate 10%NightRoute 217Lv.35GrassRate 10%NightMt. Coronet - SummitLv.39CaveRate 10%NightSendoff SpringLv.53-54GrassRate 20%Nightor evolve from Hoothoot (Step 1)
Noctowl Weakness
Noctowl is weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground and Ghost-type moves entirely. Noctowl's special bulk (base 96 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground, Ghost |
What is Noctowl Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Noctowl
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
 Pikachu Electric | C | |
 Abomasnow GrassIce | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Abomasnow builds →Ice Beam 2x56-66% Rock Slide 2x50-59% | ||
 Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x42-50% Thunderbolt 2x32-38% | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
 Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Pikachu Electric | C | |
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x42-50% Thunderbolt 2x32-38% | ||
Abomasnow GrassIce | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Abomasnow builds →Ice Beam 2x56-66% Rock Slide 2x50-59% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Rhydon builds →Stone Edge 2x137-162%KO Avalanche 2x55-65% Thunderbolt 2x21-25% | ||
Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Probopass RockSteel | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Probopass builds →Power Gem 2x42-50% Thunderbolt 2x32-38% | ||
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Jolteon can KO Noctowl with Thunderbolt (101-119%). Lapras's Avalanche hits Noctowl for 44-52%.
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Jolteon builds →Thunderbolt 2x101-119%KO Volt Switch 2x79-93% | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Noctowl View Lapras builds →Avalanche 2x44-52% Thunderbolt 2x26-31% Waterfall29-34% | ||
Noctowl Evolutions
Noctowl is what Hoothoot becomes. Breed it for Hoothoot eggs (quick to hatch). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolution from Hoothoot pushed Noctowl to 452 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Noctowl to get Hoothoot eggs easily using 31 partners from the Flying egg group. Notable egg moves include Agility, Feather Dance, Hurricane and 6 more.
BDSP Noctowl Best Moveset
Hidden AbilityTinted Lens halves resistance, meaning nothing truly walls the moveset. 100 HP and 96 Sp. Def give it special bulk, and 86 Sp. Atk behind Normal/Flying TermStab provides modest offense. E-tier because 70 Speed is middling and 50 Defense crumbles to physical attacks.
Best Build
Noctowl best EVs are HP and Defense
Bulky Support Moveset
- Nasty Plot
- Agility
- Recycle
- Air Slash
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Egg moves make a real difference. Noctowl gets Agility and Feather Dance exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Psychic and Fairy coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Giga Impact and Hyper Beam.
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
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Its eyes are special. They can pick out objects as long as there is the tiniest amount of light.
If it flips its head upside down, it’s a sign that it is engaged in very complex thinking.
Noctowl Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Guide
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Noctowl looks average on paper at 452 BST. But Tinted Lens is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list. Nasty Plot with Sitrus Berry is the standard set.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Noctowl's biggest threats include Jolteon (Electric), Cloyster (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.
Noctowl gets Tinted Lens, Insomnia, and Keen Eye. But Tinted Lens is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Noctowl is a special attacker with base 86 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 70 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many.
For Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, the core moveset is Nasty Plot, Agility, Recycle, and Air Slash. Nasty Plot leads at 0% usage. Agility lets it set up before sweeping.
Game Availability
Debuting in Gold & Silver, Noctowl appears in 17 games across 9 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
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