Utility
Balanced
250Low
30Very Slow
DTier

Almost nobody uses Spinarak in battle. It exists to evolve into Ariados, which is a completely different story. Get it there and you won't regret it. Only weak to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock. Known as the String Spit Pokemon.

Nothing fancy in Spinarak's spread. It leans mixed with Attack out front. And you'll get 1 Attack EV per KO for it. Follows a fast 800K XP curve.

Base Stats
250Below
HP40
D
Attack60
C
Defense40
D
Sp. Atk40
D
Sp. Def40
D
Speed30
F
Total250
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Spinarak yields +1 Atk
HPAtk+1DefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch255Guaranteed•Fast800,000 XP•0.5m / 1'08"•8.5kg / 18.7 lbs•50Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It sets a trap by spinning a web with thin but strong thread. It waits motionlessly for prey to arrive.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Spinarak Weakness

Avg

Spinarak's Bug/Poison typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock moves. The Bug/Poison typing picks up 5 resistances to work with.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
FireFlyingPsychicRock
½xResisti
PoisonBugFairy
¼xResisti
GrassFighting
0xImmunei
None
STAB (4)i
GrassPsychicDarkFairy
4Weak
5Resist
0Immune
Scorei-1
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesAbsorbs on switch
Abilities
SwarmStrengthens bug moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
InsomniaPrevents sleep.
SniperHAStrengthens critical hits to inflict 3× damage rather than 2×.

Spinarak is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Ariados. Check the evolution method below. No compatible partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolved forms gain up to 150 total stats over Spinarak.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Spinarak
#167Spinarak
22
Level 22
Ariados
#168Ariados
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Spinarak
BugPoison
Ariados
BugPoison
HP
40
70+30
ATK
60
90+30
DEF
40
70+30
SP.ATK
40
60+20
SP.DEF
40
70+30
SPE
30
40+10
BST
250D-Tier
400C-Tier+150
ROLE
Balanced
Trick Room
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed Spinarak easily from the Bug egg group.

Egg Groups
Bug
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
15 cycles·3,855 steps
Quick~4 min with Flame Body

Swarm isn't flashy, but it matters. Combined with Scopelens for extra utility and a spread EV build EVs, Spinarak fills the hazard lead slot reliably. Adamant nature finishes the spread.

Best Build

Hazard Setter
Ability
Swarm
Item
Scopelens
Nature
Adamant+ATK
EVs

Best Spinarak Moveset

  • Sucker Punch
  • Knock Off
  • Toxic SpikesSTAB
  • Leech LifeSTAB

The level-up pool tells the story here. Spinarak learns Psychic and Bug Buzz naturally, plus enough variety that TMs feel like bonuses. Coverage across 7 types extends the reach beyond that.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 1
String Shot
—9540Bug
Lv 5
Absorb
2010025Grass
Lv 8
Infestation
2010020Bug
Lv 12
Shadow Sneak+1
4010030Ghost
Lv 16
X-Scissor
8010015Bug
Lv 21
Screech
—8540Normal
Lv 24
Sticky Web
——20Bug
Lv 27
Pin Missile
259520Bug
Lv 30
Psychic
9010010Psychic
Lv 33
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
Lv 35
Bug Buzz
9010010Bug
Lv 37
Leech Life
8010010Bug
Lv 40
Lunge
8010015Bug
Lv 44
Megahorn
1208510Bug

TM Moves

Src
TM112
Acid Spray
4010020Poison
TM47
Agility
——30Psychic
TM33
Body Slam
8510015Normal
TM28
Dig
8010010Ground
TM101
Electroweb
559515Electric
TM35
Endure+4
——10Normal
TM109
Facade
7010020Normal
TM42
Giga Drain
7510010Grass
TM01
Headbutt
7010015Normal
TM45
Knock Off
6510020Dark
TM77
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM63
Psychic
9010010Psychic
TM53
Sludge Bomb
9010010Poison
TM64
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
TM85
Substitute
——10Normal
TM07
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM89
Toxic Spikes
——20Poison
TM115
Trailblaze
5010020Grass
TM81
X-Scissor
8010015Bug

Egg Moves

Spinarak doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Spinarak can't learn any Tutor moves

Spinarak doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Gold, Crystal, or HeartGold to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.

Spinarak is not available as a wild encounter in this game.

Also found in:

GoldCrystalEmeraldFireRedHeartGold

  • At 250 BST, Spinarak is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Ariados before bringing it to any serious fight.

  • Watch for Arcanine (Fire), Dodrio (Flying), and Starmie (Psychic) when using Spinarak. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Rock-type attackers are also a problem. At base 30 Speed, Spinarak won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.

  • Spinarak evolves into Ariados at level 22. Spinarak is the base form of this evolutionary line.

  • Swarm strengthens bug moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less — that's the one you want on Spinarak. Sniper is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Insomnia works too if your team needs something different.

  • Spinarak is leaning toward the physical side (base 60 Attack). Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 30 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.

  • Spinarak appears in 17 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.

Debuting in Gold & Silver, Spinarak appears in 17 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through catching or hatching as a base form.