Is Tentacruel Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Strong special bulk with AbilityLiquid Ooze damaging anything that tries to drain Tentacruel's HP. Water/Poison handles Gardenia if you evolve early enough. Contributes through Candice with Poison coverage. One of the better Surf encounter outcomes.
Tentacool resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Maylene's team.
Crasher Wake's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Jupiter's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catch Tentacool
Catch Tentacool on Route 205 (Surf, Lv 20-30, common).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 20)
- LV 20WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Gardenia
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Route 212
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- TM55WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Crasher Wake
- LV 33PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- LV 40WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Galactic HQ B2F in Veilstone City
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Tentacool to Tentacruel
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel at Level 30. Your Tentacool should hit Level 30 before you reach Fantina, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- TM55WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Crasher Wake
- LV 36PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Galactic HQ B2F in Veilstone City
- LV 49WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Tentacruel in Diamond & Pearl
Tentacruel surfs an even wider 18 spots than Tentacool, stretching from level 20 well into the 50s. It is common in most, so the evolved form is just as easy to find off the water.
Wild Tentacruel may be holding when caught:
Poison Barb (5% chance) An item to be held by a Pokemon. It is a small, poisonous barb that ups the power of Poison-type moves.18 locations to catch Tentacruel12 locations to catch Tentacool
Encountered via Surfing
Encountered via Surfing
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Catch Tentacool at any of the 12 locations below, then level it up to 30 — it evolves into Tentacruel.
Badge 1 Badge 2 Badge 3 Badge 4 Badge 5 Badge 6 Badge 7Where To Catch Tentacruel in DP
To get Tentacruel, start by catching Tentacool through surfing encounters at Lv. 20-30. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch TentacoolCanalave CityLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Fuego IronworksLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Iron Island - OutsideLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Pastoria CityLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 205 - SouthLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 213Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 218Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 219Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 220Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 221Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 222Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Valley WindworksLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%
- Step 2Tentacruel ✓Canalave CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Fuego IronworksLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Iron Island - OutsideLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Pastoria CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 205 - SouthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 213Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 218Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 219Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 220Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 221Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 222Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Valley WindworksLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 223Lv.35-45Surfing on waterRate 60%Sunyshore CityLv.35-45Surfing on waterRate 60%Pokémon LeagueLv.35-45Surfing on waterRate 35%Route 224Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 35%Route 226Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 230Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 5%or evolve from Tentacool (Step 1)
Not landing the catch? Calculate Tentacruel catch rates for Diamond & Pearl by ball, status, and HP.
How to Get Shiny Tentacruel in Diamond & Pearl
Tentacruel comes from Masuda breeding as well, hatching a shiny Tentacool and raising it into its evolved form. Compare Shiny Tentacruel odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Tentacruel Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in Diamond & Pearl with Tentacruel preloaded.
Tentacruel Weakness
Electric, Ground, and Psychic moves hit Tentacruel for super-effective damage. With 7 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Tentacruel's special bulk (base 120 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Tentacruel Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Tentacruel
 Marowak Ground | C | |
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
 Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
 Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacruel View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x99-116%KO Thunder Fang 2x43-51% | ||
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Hearthome City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacruel View Jolteon builds →Thunderbolt 2x63-75% Dig 2x39-46% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacruel View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x87-103%KO Shock Wave 2x30-36% | ||
 Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodGreat Marsh Surfing | ||
 Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
 Sandslash Ground | B | |
 Grumpig Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacruel View Grumpig builds →Dream Eater 2x59-69% Shock Wave 2x23-28% | ||
 Mr. Mime Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacruel View Mr. Mime builds →Dream Eater 2x63-75% Thunderbolt 2x40-47% | ||
Tentacruel Evolutions
Evolved from Tentacool. Tentacruel is the final form in this two-stage line. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs take an average time to hatch. HP grew the most through evolution (+40 over Tentacool), and Tentacruel peaks at 515 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Tentacruel to get Tentacool eggs easily using 21 partners from the Water 3 egg group. Notable egg moves include Acupressure, Aurora Beam, Confuse Ray and 5 more.
DP Tentacruel Best Moveset
Hazard clearing at high speed: MoveRapid Spin clears the opponent's side while MoveToxic Spikes poisons theirs, and 120 Sp. Def lets Tentacruel soak special attacks between turns. Water/Poison typing resists Fighting, Fire, and Water, and 100 Speed outruns most of the field.
Best Build
Tentacruel best EVs are HP and Sp. Def
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Surf
- Toxic Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Don't skip the egg moves. Tentacruel picks up Acupressure and Aurora Beam only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Hydro Pump and Sludge Bomb while Normal and Ice coverage and more adds range.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
32 of 33 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
With 80 tentacles for ensnaring victims, it prevents escape until the prey is weakened by poison.
It alerts others to danger by stridently flashing the red orbs on its head.
Tentacruel Diamond & Pearl Guide
Yes. Wild Tentacruel in Diamond & Pearl can hold Poison Barb (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Poison Barb.
In Diamond & Pearl, use Tentacruel as a pivot. Splits damage between physical and special. It outspeeds most threats, Surf is the primary attack.
For Diamond & Pearl, run Calm on Tentacruel. +Sp. Def is what matters, and the -Attack cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the pivot role.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Tentacruel has appeared in 21 games: nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Tentacruel.
Keep playing · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List