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. Air Slash with Leftovers is the standard set.

What is Noctowl weak to?

In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Noctowl's biggest threats include Jolteon (Electric), Cloyster (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.

What is the best ability for Noctowl?

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.

What role does Noctowl play in battle?

Noctowl is leaning toward the special side (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.

What are the best moves for Noctowl?

For Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, the core moveset is Air Slash, Roost, Hypervoice, and Heat Wave. Air Slash leads at 20% usage. This set covers the balanced role with a mix of damage and utility.

Noctowl - Weakness, Evolution, Moveset, EVs & Stats

Utility

Balanced

CTier

70Speed · Below Avg

Stats & Training

Nothing fancy in Noctowl's spread. It leans special with HP out front. And you'll get 2 HP EVs per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats

Above

HP100

Attack50

Defense50

Sp. Atk86

Sp. Def96

Speed70

Total452

Details

Catch Rate

Challenging90 / 255

Growth Rate

Medium Fast1M XP

Height1.6 m

Weight40.8 kg

Base XP158

Abilities

InsomniaNiche

Prevents sleep.

Keen Eye

Prevents accuracy from being lowered.

Tinted LensHATop Pick

Doubles damage inflicted with not-very-effective moves.

EV Yield

HP+2AtkDefSpASpDSpe

HP training target

Pokedex Entries

Its eyes are special. They can pick out objects as long as there is the tiniest amount of light.

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.

Noctowl Weakness and Resistance Chart
Damage	Types
2x (Weak)	Electric, Ice, Rock
0.5x (Resist)	Grass, Bug
0x (Immune)	Ground, Ghost

Type ChartGood

3Weak

2Resist

2Immune

Score+2

4xCritical

None

2xWeak

Electric Ice Rock

½xResist

Grass Bug

¼xResist

None

0xImmune

Ground Ghost

STAB (3)

Grass Fighting Bug

How to Beat Noctowl in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (Best Counters)

Sudowoodo Rock	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 107-127%KO Rock Slide 2x 80-95% Rock Tomb 2x 64-77% Rock Throw 2x 54-64% View Sudowoodo builds →
Graveler RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 16 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 103-121%KO Rock Slide 2x 77-91% Rock Tomb 2x 61-72% Rock Throw 2x 53-62% View Graveler builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 60-70% Rock Slide 2x 44-52% Rock Tomb 2x 36-42% Rock Throw 2x 30-36% View Onix builds →
Magnemite ElectricSteel	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 ThunderboltTM24 DischargeLv. 36 Volt SwitchTM43 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 70-83% Thunderbolt 2x 58-68% Discharge 2x 51-60% Volt Switch 2x 44-52% View Magnemite builds →
Pachirisu Electric	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 ThunderboltTM24 DischargeLv. 41 Volt SwitchTM43 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 41-48% Thunderbolt 2x 34-40% Discharge 2x 30-36% Volt Switch 2x 27-32% View Pachirisu builds →

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Evolution

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

2 Forms

#163Hoothoot

Level 20

#164Noctowl

Stat Comparison 2 Stages

Hoothoot

NormalFlying

Noctowl

NormalFlying

100+40

ATK

50+20

DEF

50+20

SP.ATK

86+50

SP.DEF

96+40

SPE

70+20

BST

262D-Tier

452C-Tier+190

ROLE

Balanced

TYPE

Utility

Special

Breeding

Very Easy

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.

Egg Groups

Flying

Gender

♂50.0%♀50.0%

Hatch Time

15 cycles·3,855 steps

Quick~4 min with Flame Body

Egg Moves

9moves

Breed With (best first)

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Noctowl Best Moveset

Tintedlens helps Noctowl stick around while dealing real damage. Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, max HP and Sp. Atk EVs for the right balance, and Air Slash as the main threat. Not the fastest, but it doesn't need to be.

Best Build

Experimental

Ability

Insomnia

Item

Razor Claw

Best Nature for Noctowl

Modest+SPA

Noctowl best EVs are Sp. Atk and HP

EVs

SpA

SpD

Doubles Special Tank Moveset

HypnosisUtility
Dream Eater
Shadow Ball
Air SlashSTAB

Recommended Teammates

CrobatExcellent

HitmontopExcellent

Moves

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.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1

Echoed Voice

D4010015Normal

Lv 1

Growl

——10040Normal

Lv 1

Peck

—3510035Flying

Lv 1

Sky Attack

C140905Flying

Lv 1

Tackle

D4010035Normal

Lv 9

Confusion

—5010025Psychic

Lv 12

Reflect

C——20Psychic

Lv 15

Psycho Shift

D—10010Psychic

Lv 18

Air Slash

S759515Flying

Lv 23

Extrasensory

C8010020Psychic

Lv 28

Take Down

D908520Normal

Lv 33

Uproar

C9010010Normal

Lv 38

Roost

C——10Flying

Lv 43

Moonblast

C9510015Fairy

Lv 48

Hypnosis

S—6020Psychic

Lv 53

Dream Eater

S10010015Psychic

TM Moves

TM40

Aerial Ace

D60—20Flying

TM45

Attract

C—10015Normal

TM04

Calm Mind

C——20Psychic

TM97

Defog

C——15Flying

TM32

Double Team

———15Normal

TM85

Dream Eater

S10010015Psychic

TM58

Endure+4

C——10Normal

TM42

Facade

D7010020Normal

TM94

Fly

C909515Flying

TM68

Giga Impact

C150905Normal

TM15

Hyper Beam

B150905Normal

TM63

Nasty Plot

S——20Dark

TM88

Pluck

—6010020Flying

TM17

Protect+4

C——10Normal

TM77

Psych Up

C——10Normal

TM29

Psychic

C9010010Psychic

TM18

Rain Dance

C——5Water

TM67

Recycle

S——10Normal

TM33

Reflect

C——20Psychic

TM44

Rest

C——10Psychic

TM51

Roost

C——10Flying

TM30

Shadow Ball

S8010015Ghost

TM82

Sleep Talk

C——10Normal

TM47

Steel Wing

D709025Steel

TM90

Substitute

C——10Normal

TM11

Sunny Day

C——5Fire

TM87

Swagger

D—8515Normal

TM46

Thief

D6010025Dark

TM10

Work Up

D——30Normal

Egg Moves

Egg

Agility

S——30Psychic

Egg

Feather Dance

D—10015Flying

Egg

Hurricane

C1107010Flying

Egg

Mean Look

D——5Normal

Egg

Night Shade

D—10015Ghost

Egg

Sky Attack

C140905Flying

Egg

Supersonic

D—5520Normal

Egg

Whirlwind-6

D——20Normal

Egg

Wing Attack

—6010035Flying

Tutor Moves

Noctowl can't learn any Tutor moves

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 Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

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 Hoothoot
Route 211 - West
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.14 Route
10%Early
Night
Route 211 - West
Shining PearlGrass Lv.14 Route
10%Early
Night
Great Marsh - Area 5
Shining PearlGrass Lv.20-22 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 5
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.20-22 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 6
Shining PearlGrass Lv.20-22 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 6
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.20-22 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 3
Shining PearlGrass Lv.22-24 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 3
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.22-24 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 4
Shining PearlGrass Lv.22-24 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 4
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.22-24 Facility
20%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 1
Shining PearlGrass Lv.24 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 1
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.24 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 2
Shining PearlGrass Lv.24 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 2
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.24 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Route 210 - North
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.24 Route
10%Mid
Night
Route 210 - North
Shining PearlGrass Lv.24 Route
10%Mid
Night
Fountainspring Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Fountainspring Cave
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Grassland Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Grassland Cave
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Riverbank Cave
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Riverbank Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Spacious Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Spacious Cave
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Still-Water Cavern
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Still-Water Cavern
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Sunlit Cavern
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Sunlit Cavern
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25-29 Cave
Mid
Requires Strength
Train until Level 20
Step 2Noctowl ✓
Route 210 - North
Shining PearlGrass Lv.25 Route
10%Mid
Night
Route 210 - North
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.25 Route
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 1
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.26 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 1
Shining PearlGrass Lv.26 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 2
Shining PearlGrass Lv.26 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Great Marsh - Area 2
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.26 Facility
10%Mid
Night
Route 211 - East
Shining PearlGrass Lv.28 Route
10%Mid
Night
Route 211 - East
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.28 Route
10%Mid
Night
Lake Acuity
Shining PearlGrass Lv.34-36 Water
20%Late
Night
Lake Acuity
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.34-36 Water
20%Late
Night
Lake Valor
Shining PearlGrass Lv.34-36 Water
20%Late
Night
Lake Valor
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.34-36 Water
20%Late
Night
Route 216
Shining PearlGrass Lv.33 Route
10%Late
Night
Route 216
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.33 Route
10%Late
Night
Acuity Lakefront
Shining PearlGrass Lv.35 Water
10%Late
Night
Acuity Lakefront
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.35 Water
10%Late
Night
Route 217
Shining PearlGrass Lv.35 Route
10%Late
Night
Route 217
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.35 Route
10%Late
Night
Mt. Coronet - Summit
Shining PearlGrass Lv.39 Cave
10%Late
Night
Mt. Coronet - Summit
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.39 Cave
10%Late
Night
Sendoff Spring
Shining PearlGrass Lv.53-54
20%Post
Night
Sendoff Spring
Brilliant DiamondGrass Lv.53-54
20%Post
Night
or evolve from Hoothoot (Step 1)

Noctowl 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. Air Slash with Leftovers 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 leaning toward the special side (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 Air Slash, Roost, Hypervoice, and Heat Wave. Air Slash leads at 20% usage. This set covers the balanced role with a mix of damage and utility.

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

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Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 77-91% Rock Slide 2x 58-70% Rock Tomb 2x 47-56% Rock Throw 2x 40-49% View Onix builds →
Geodude RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 RolloutLv. 10 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 105-126%KO Rock Slide 2x 81-98% Rock Tomb 2x 65-77% Rollout 2x 35-42% View Geodude builds →
Shinx Electric	D
Available Moves Moves Volt SwitchTM43 Shock WaveTM34 Charge BeamTM57 Thunder ShockLv. 4 Damage vs Noctowl Volt Switch 2x 35-42% Shock Wave 2x 35-42% Charge Beam 2x 28-35% Thunder Shock 2x 23-28% View Shinx builds →

Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 67-80% Rock Slide 2x 51-61% Rock Tomb 2x 41-49% Rock Throw 2x 35-43% View Onix builds →
Geodude RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 RolloutLv. 10 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 92-110%KO Rock Slide 2x 71-86% Rock Tomb 2x 57-67% Rollout 2x 31-37% View Geodude builds →
Pachirisu Electric	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 Shock WaveTM34 Charge BeamTM57 Damage vs Noctowl Thunderbolt 2x 41-49% Volt Switch 2x 35-43% Shock Wave 2x 31-37% Charge Beam 2x 24-31% View Pachirisu builds →
Electrike Electric	D
Available Moves Moves ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 Shock WaveTM34 Charge BeamTM57 Damage vs Noctowl Thunderbolt 2x 51-61% Volt Switch 2x 41-49% Shock Wave 2x 35-43% Charge Beam 2x 31-37% View Electrike builds →
Shinx Electric	D
Available Moves Moves ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 Shock WaveTM34 Charge BeamTM57 Damage vs Noctowl Thunderbolt 2x 41-49% Volt Switch 2x 31-37% Shock Wave 2x 31-37% Charge Beam 2x 24-31% View Shinx builds →

Graveler RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 16 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 109-129%KO Rock Slide 2x 82-96% Rock Tomb 2x 67-80% Rock Throw 2x 56-66% View Graveler builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 65-77% Rock Slide 2x 49-58% Rock Tomb 2x 39-47% Rock Throw 2x 35-41% View Onix builds →
Pachirisu Electric	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 SparkLv. 13 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 44-52% Thunderbolt 2x 37-44% Volt Switch 2x 30-36% Spark 2x 41-50% View Pachirisu builds →
Nosepass Rock	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 Stone EdgeTM71 ThunderboltTM24 Power GemLv. 25 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 29-35% Stone Edge 2x 65-77% Thunderbolt 2x 25-29% Power Gem 2x 32-39% View Nosepass builds →
Electrike Electric	D
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 Thunder FangLv. 24 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 56-66% Thunderbolt 2x 47-55% Volt Switch 2x 37-44% Thunder Fang 2x 41-50% View Electrike builds →

Sudowoodo Rock	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 114-135%KO Rock Slide 2x 86-102%KO Rock Tomb 2x 70-83% Rock Throw 2x 58-69% View Sudowoodo builds →
Graveler RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 16 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 109-129%KO Rock Slide 2x 82-96% Rock Tomb 2x 67-80% Rock Throw 2x 56-66% View Graveler builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 65-77% Rock Slide 2x 49-58% Rock Tomb 2x 39-47% Rock Throw 2x 35-41% View Onix builds →
Pachirisu Electric	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 SparkLv. 13 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 44-52% Thunderbolt 2x 37-44% Volt Switch 2x 30-36% Spark 2x 41-50% View Pachirisu builds →
Nosepass Rock	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 Stone EdgeTM71 ThunderboltTM24 Power GemLv. 25 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 29-35% Stone Edge 2x 65-77% Thunderbolt 2x 25-29% Power Gem 2x 32-39% View Nosepass builds →

Sudowoodo Rock	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 110-130%KO Rock Slide 2x 83-98% Rock Tomb 2x 67-79% Rock Throw 2x 57-67% View Sudowoodo builds →
Graveler RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 16 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 105-123%KO Rock Slide 2x 79-93% Rock Tomb 2x 65-77% Rock Throw 2x 53-63% View Graveler builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves Stone EdgeTM71 Rock SlideTM80 Rock TombTM39 Rock ThrowLv. 1 Damage vs Noctowl Stone Edge 2x 61-72% Rock Slide 2x 47-56% Rock Tomb 2x 37-44% Rock Throw 2x 31-37% View Onix builds →
Pachirisu Electric	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 ThunderboltTM24 Volt SwitchTM43 SparkLv. 13 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 41-49% Thunderbolt 2x 35-42% Volt Switch 2x 27-33% Spark 2x 41-49% View Pachirisu builds →
Nosepass Rock	C
Available Moves Moves ThunderTM25 Stone EdgeTM71 ThunderboltTM24 Power GemLv. 25 Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 27-33% Stone Edge 2x 61-72% Thunderbolt 2x 23-28% Power Gem 2x 31-37% View Nosepass builds →

Weavile DarkIce	A
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves Knock Off Ice Shard Triple Axel Swords Dance Damage vs Noctowl Knock Off 43-51% Ice Shard 2x 53-63% View Weavile builds →
Jolteon Electric	B
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves ThunderSTAB Weather Ball WishRecovery SubstituteUtility Damage vs Noctowl Thunder 2x 122-144%KO View Jolteon builds →
Lapras WaterIce	C
Recommended Build AbilityHydration ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves SurfSTAB Freeze Dry ProtectPriority Future Sight Damage vs Noctowl Surf 31-37% View Lapras builds →