Attack leads and HP gets almost nothing. That's Shedinja's stat line in a nutshell. 1 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 2 HP EVs.
It is a discarded bug shell that came to life. Peering into the crack on its back is said to steal one’s spirit.
It is a discarded bug shell that came to life. Peering into the crack on its back is said to steal one’s spirit.
Shedinja is weak to Fire, Flying, Rock, Ghost, and Dark. On the flip side, it's immune to Normal and Fighting-type moves entirely. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Wonder Guard makes Shedinja immune to all non-super-effective damage.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Flying, Rock, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Poison, Ground, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
Volcarona can KO Shedinja with Heat Wave (515-606%). Lokix's Sucker Punch also KOs at 278-327%.
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemGrassyseed NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Shedinja View Volcarona builds →Heat Wave 2x515-606%KO | ||
 Annihilape FightingGhost | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDefiant ItemSitrus Berry NatureJolly Moves View Annihilape builds →
| ||
 Lokix BugDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTintedlens ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Shedinja View Lokix builds →Knock Off 2x258-304%KO U Turn69-82% Sucker Punch 2x278-327%KO | ||
 Glimmora RockPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityToxicdebris ItemRed Card NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Shedinja View Glimmora builds →Power Gem 2x372-438%KO | ||
 Pelipper Water | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Shedinja View Pelipper builds →Hurricane 2x499-587%KO | ||
Nincada's line splits into 2 evolutions, and Shedinja is a unique condition. Each sibling form needs a different method to obtain. Breed through Nincada to get eggs. Ninjask has 220 more total stats, but Shedinja makes up for it with a stronger Attack gain (+45 from Nincada). View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Shedinja is genderless — breed with Ditto to produce Nincada eggs. Part of the Mineral egg group.
Ditto onlyBulk and offense in one package. Shedinja runs Heavy-Duty Boots for hazard immunity on every switch-in with a Jolly nature, so it survives long enough to threaten with Protect. Max Attack and Speed EVs and utility options make it hard to safely switch into.
Best Build
Shedinja best EVs are Attack and Speed
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Protect
- Mimic
- Ally Switch
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Toxic
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Claw
Recommended Teammates
Special Attacker Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Protect
- Shadow Sneak
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Protect
- Mimic
- Ally Switch
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Toxic
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Claw
Recommended Teammates
Special Attacker Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Protect
- Shadow Sneak
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Protect
- Toxic
- Swords Dance
- Mimic
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Unknown
- Double Edge
- Agility
- Shadow Claw
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Sneak
- Protect
- Will O Wisp
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Protect
- Toxic
- Swords Dance
- Mimic
Recommended Teammates
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Unknown
- Double Edge
- Agility
- Shadow Claw
Recommended Teammates
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Sneak
- Protect
- Will O Wisp
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Leveling does the heavy lifting. Shedinja picks up Phantom Force and Bug Buzz along the way, building toward a complete offensive set. TMs add coverage across 7 types, but the foundation's already strong by then.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Shedinja gets Bug Bite and Final Gambit exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Poltergeist and Phantom Force.
Egg moves make a real difference. Shedinja gets Bug Bite and Bug Buzz exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 8 types rounds out the picture alongside Phantom Force and Bug Buzz.
Egg moves make a real difference. Shedinja gets Bug Bite and Bug Buzz exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 8 types rounds out the picture alongside Phantom Force and Bug Buzz.
You're catching Nincada first, not Shedinja. Nincada appears at decent rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Shedinja in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Nincada is your first catch on the way to Shedinja. You'll find walking and special encounters from Lv. 10-63 across 10 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch NincadaEterna ForestBrilliant DiamondUsing PokeRadar Lv.10-12 Forest22%EarlyEterna ForestShining PearlUsing PokeRadar Lv.10-12 Forest22%EarlyGrassland CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameGrassland CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameRiverbank CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameRiverbank CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStill-Water CavernShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStill-Water CavernBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameSunlit CavernShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameSunlit CavernBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-game
Step 2Shedinja ✓
Shedinja doesn't appear wild. Catch Nincada instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it through a special method to get Shedinja. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Shedinja in Sword & Shield
The path to Shedinja starts with Nincada at Lv. 7-18 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch NincadaSouth Lake MilochShieldGrass Lv.11-13 Water40%EarlySandstormSouth Lake MilochSwordGrass Lv.11-13 Water40%EarlySandstormWest Lake AxewellSwordGrass Lv.7-11 Cave30%EarlySandstormWest Lake AxewellShieldGrass Lv.7-11 Cave30%EarlySandstormSouth Lake MilochShieldGrass Lv.11-13 Water10%EarlyIntense SunSouth Lake MilochSwordGrass Lv.11-13 Water10%EarlyIntense SunRoute 5SwordGrass Lv.16-18 Route5%MidAll WeatherRoute 5ShieldGrass Lv.16-18 Route5%MidAll Weather
Step 2Shedinja ✓
Shedinja isn't available in the wild in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Start by transferring Nincada from Ruby, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond. The evolution path from Nincada to Shedinja is covered in the steps below.
Shedinja isn't available in the wild in Sun & Moon. Start by transferring Nincada from Ruby, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond. The evolution path from Nincada to Shedinja is covered in the steps below.
Shedinja's biggest threats include Arcanine (Fire), Salamence (Flying), and Golem (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 40 Speed, Shedinja won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Honestly, Shedinja is a tough sell at 236 BST. Plenty of stronger Bug/Ghost options exist. Fun pick, not a practical one.
Wonder Guard changes the entire equation for Shedinja. The 236 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a trick room.
Wonder Guard is what you want on Shedinja. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind.
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Shedinja spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
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