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.
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 5 more.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
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Without breeding, Poliwhirl misses out on Bubble Beam and Encore. That's 8 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Surf, with Ground and Normal coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
high spawn rates across 18 locations for Poliwhirl in mid-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Where To Catch Poliwhirl in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
The path to Poliwhirl starts with Poliwag at Lv. 10-63 via walking, surfing, and more encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PoliwagEASYRoute 225Shining PearlGood RodLv.10-2535%EarlyRouteEASYRoute 225Brilliant DiamondGood RodLv.10-2535%EarlyRouteEASYRoute 227Brilliant DiamondSurfing on waterLv.20-3030%MidRouteEASYRoute 227Shining PearlSurfing on waterLv.20-3030%MidRouteEASYRoute 228Brilliant DiamondSurfing on waterLv.20-3030%MidRouteEASYRoute 228Shining PearlSurfing on waterLv.20-3030%MidRouteFountainspring CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameFountainspring CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameGrassland CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameGrassland CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Step 2Poliwhirl ✓EASYRoute 225Brilliant DiamondSuper RodLv.30-5535%MidRouteEASYRoute 225Shining PearlSuper RodLv.30-5535%MidRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 227Brilliant DiamondSurfing on waterLv.40-5570%LateRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 227Shining PearlSurfing on waterLv.40-5570%LateRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 228Brilliant DiamondSurfing on waterLv.40-5570%LateRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 228Shining PearlSurfing on waterLv.40-5570%LateRouteEASYRoute 225Brilliant DiamondSurfing on waterLv.40-5030%LateRouteEASYRoute 225Shining PearlSurfing on waterLv.40-5030%LateRouteFountainspring CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameFountainspring CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameGrassland CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameGrassland CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameRiverbank CaveBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameStill-Water CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernBrilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameSunlit CavernShining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-gameor 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