Mid-stage Pokemon like Poliwhirl rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Poliwrath, which is where the real potential kicks in. An original Gen 1 pick. Sits at a decent but contested Speed tier.
Speed and HP carry most of Poliwhirl's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 2 Speed EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
The spiral pattern on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it gradually causes drowsiness.
Poliwhirl Weakness
GoodElectric and Grass-type moves hit Poliwhirl for super-effective damage. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
From here, Poliwhirl's line branches into Poliwrath and Politoed. That's 2 possible evolutions, each with its own method. So far, HP got the biggest boost (+25 from Poliwag). The final form adds another 125 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Breed with Poliwhirl to get Poliwag eggs easily from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Encore, Endeavor and 10 more.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 5.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Without breeding, Poliwhirl misses out on Bubble Beam and Encore. That's 13 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Surf, with Normal and Ground coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
high spawn rates for Poliwhirl across 34 locations in late-game fishing spots. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Where To Catch Poliwhirl in Black 2 & White 2
The path to Poliwhirl starts with Poliwag at Lv. 40-70 via fishing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagEASYFloccesy RanchWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateFacilityAnyEASYFloccesy RanchBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateFacilityAnyEASYGiant Chasm - CaveWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyEASYGiant Chasm - CaveBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyEASYGiant Chasm - Inner CaveWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyEASYGiant Chasm - Inner CaveBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyEASYLostlorn ForestWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateForestAnyEASYLostlorn ForestBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateForestAnyEASYRelic Passage - Room 2Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYRelic Passage - Room 2White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYRoute 19Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 19White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 20Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 20White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 23Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 23White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 6Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 6White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyEASYVictory Road - 1FBlack 2Super RodLv.40-55CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - 1FWhite 2Super RodLv.40-55CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - 3FWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - 3FBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - 4FWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - 4FBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - OutsideWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYVictory Road - OutsideBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyEASYClay Tunnel - Room 2Black 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYClay Tunnel - Room 2White 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYClay Tunnel - Room 3Black 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYClay Tunnel - Room 3White 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYWellspring Cave - 1FWhite 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYWellspring Cave - 1FBlack 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYWellspring Cave - B1FWhite 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAnyEASYWellspring Cave - B1FBlack 2Super RodLv.50-70CommonPostCaveAny
Step 2Poliwhirl ✓EASYFloccesy RanchWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateFacilityAnyShaking spotEASYFloccesy RanchBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateFacilityAnyShaking spotEASYGiant Chasm - CaveWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyShaking spotEASYGiant Chasm - CaveBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyShaking spotEASYGiant Chasm - Inner CaveWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyShaking spotEASYGiant Chasm - Inner CaveBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateIceAnyShaking spotEASYLostlorn ForestWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateForestAnyShaking spotEASYLostlorn ForestBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateForestAnyShaking spotEASYRelic Passage - Room 2Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYRelic Passage - Room 2White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 19Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 19White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 20Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 20White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 23Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 23White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 6Black 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYRoute 6White 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateRouteAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - 1FBlack 2Super RodLv.40-60CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - 1FWhite 2Super RodLv.40-60CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - 3FWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - 3FBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - 4FWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - 4FBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - OutsideWhite 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYVictory Road - OutsideBlack 2Super RodLv.40-70CommonLateCaveAnyShaking spotEASYClay Tunnel - Room 2Black 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYClay Tunnel - Room 2White 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYClay Tunnel - Room 3Black 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYClay Tunnel - Room 3White 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYWellspring Cave - 1FWhite 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYWellspring Cave - 1FBlack 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYWellspring Cave - B1FWhite 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotEASYWellspring Cave - B1FBlack 2Super RodLv.50-60CommonPostCaveAnyShaking spotor evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Poliwhirl is meant to evolve into Poliwrath. At 385 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Swift Swim is what you want on Poliwhirl. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Water Absorb, Damp) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Poliwhirl worth using.
Base 90 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Poliwhirl is a mixed attacker — base 65 Attack and 50 Sp. Atk.
Poliwhirl appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
One of the original 151, Poliwhirl has appeared in 20 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A