Stats & Training
HP and Attack carry most of Nuzleaf's stat budget. Defense's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 2 Attack EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It lives deep in forests. With the leaf on its head, it makes a flute whose song makes listeners uneasy.
It lives deep in forests. With the leaf on its head, it makes a flute whose song makes listeners uneasy.
Nuzleaf Weakness
Type-wise, Nuzleaf takes extra damage from Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, and Flying. Watch out for Bug attacks, those deal 4x damage. Psychic moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Bug |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Gliscor's Ice Fang hits Nuzleaf for 65-77%. Forretress's Explosion also KOs at 119-140%.
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves View Roserade builds →
| ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityHypercutter ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Nuzleaf View Gliscor builds →Earthquake37-44% Ice Fang 2x65-77% | ||
 Forretress BugSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Nuzleaf View Forretress builds →Rapid Spin24-28% Explosion119-140%KO Payback12-14% | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Nuzleaf View Weavile builds →Ice Shard 2x91-107%KO Pursuit22-27% | ||
 Charizard Fire | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Nuzleaf View Charizard builds →Air Slash 2x205-241%KO Flamethrower 2x245-289%KO | ||
HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution
Sitting between Seedot and Shiftry, Nuzleaf is part of a chain that requires an evolution item. Not your typical level-up setup. HP has grown the most so far (+30), but there's still another 140 stats to gain in the final evolution. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Nuzleaf to get Seedot eggs easily using 131 partners from the Ground and Plant egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, False Swipe, Leech Seed and 6 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Nuzleaf Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 4.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
The egg pool carries weight here. Amnesia and False Swipe aren't available any other way for Nuzleaf, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Solar Beam and Energy Ball for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Nuzleaf in HeartGold & SoulSilver
You're catching Seedot first, not Nuzleaf. Seedot appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Nuzleaf in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Step 1Catch SeedotViridian ForestSoulSilverHeadbutting trees Lv.3-7 Forest30%EarlyPost-gameViridian ForestHeartGoldHeadbutting trees Lv.3-7 Forest30%EarlyPost-game
Step 2Nuzleaf ✓
Nuzleaf Guide
Nuzleaf evolves into Shiftry using a Leaf Stone. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 340 BST.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, you can run Nuzleaf through the first few routes without issues. 340 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Shiftry as fast as you can.
Nuzleaf is catchable in HeartGold & SoulSilver. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 14 other games across the series.
Nuzleaf is available in HeartGold & SoulSilver. Across the full series, it appears in 15 games total.
Game Availability
Obtainable through an item-based evolution, Nuzleaf appears in 15 titles across 8 generations since Ruby & Sapphire. The evolution method adds a barrier that wild-catchable Pokemon don't have.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves