Utility
Balanced
318Low
31Very Slow
DTier

Mid-stage Pokemon like Turtwig rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Torterra, which is where the real potential kicks in. 5 type weaknesses to keep in mind. Known as the Tiny Leaf Pokemon.

Turtwig's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Speed trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 1 Attack EV, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.

Base Stats
318Avg
HP55
D
Attack68
C
Defense64
C
Sp. Atk45
D
Sp. Def55
D
Speed31
F
Total318
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Turtwig yields +1 Atk
HPAtk+1DefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch45ChallengingMedium Slow1.06M XP0.4m / 1'04"10.2kg / 22.5 lbs64Base XP
Pokedex Entries

The shell on its back is made of soil. On a very healthy Turtwig, the shell should feel moist.

Black 2 / White 2

Turtwig Weakness

Fragile

Turtwig's Grass typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, and Bug moves. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage.

Gen V Type Chart
  • Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
  • Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
5Weak
4Resist
0Immune
Scorei-6
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
OvergrowStrengthens grass moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Shell ArmorHAProtects against critical hits.

Turtwig is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Grotle first, then eventually reaches Torterra. For breeding, average hatch time with no compatible partners via two egg groups. The evolved forms gain up to 207 total stats over Turtwig.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Turtwig
Grass
Grotle
Grass
Torterra
GrassGround
HP
55
75+20
95+20
ATK
68
89+21
109+20
DEF
64
85+21
105+20
SP.ATK
45
55+10
75+20
SP.DEF
55
65+10
85+20
SPE
31
36+5
56+20
BST
318D-Tier
405D-Tier+87
525B-Tier+120
ROLE
Balanced
Trick Room
Tank
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Physical
Breeding
Easy

Breed Turtwig easily from the Plant and Monster egg groups. Pass egg moves like Amnesia, Body Slam, Double-Edge and 12 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
PlantMonster
Gender
87.5%12.5%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
15moves

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 5.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

You'll want to breed for Amnesia and Body Slam on Turtwig. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Leaf Storm and Solar Beam, they expand what Turtwig can actually threaten in practice.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Tackle
5010035Normal
Lv 5
Withdraw
40Water
Lv 9
Absorb
2010025Grass
Lv 13
Razor Leaf
559525Grass
Lv 17
Curse
10Ghost
Lv 21
Bite
6010025Dark
Lv 25
Mega Drain
4010015Grass
Lv 29
Leech Seed
9010Grass
Lv 33
Synthesis
5Grass
Lv 37
Crunch
8010015Dark
Lv 41
Giga Drain
7510010Grass
Lv 45
Leaf Storm
140905Grass

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
HM01
Cut
509530Normal
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM53
Energy Ball
8010010Grass
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM70
Flash
10020Normal
TM21
Frustration
10020Normal
TM86
Grass Knot
10020Grass
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM16
Light Screen
30Psychic
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM33
Reflect
20Psychic
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM27
Return
10020Normal
TM94
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
TM48
Round
6010015Normal
TM20
Safeguard
25Normal
TM22
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
HM04
Strength
8010015Normal
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
9015Normal
TM75
Swords Dance
30Normal
TM06
Toxic
9010Poison

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Amnesia
20Psychic
Egg
Body Slam
8510015Normal
Egg
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Egg
Earth Power
9010010Ground
Egg
Growth
40Normal
Egg
Sand Tomb
358515Ground
Egg
Seed Bomb
8010015Grass
Egg
Spit Up
10010Normal
Egg
Stockpile
20Normal
Egg
Superpower
1201005Fighting
Egg
Swallow
10Normal
Egg
Thrash
12010010Normal
Egg
Tickle
10020Normal
Egg
Wide Guard+3
10Rock
Egg
Worry Seed
10010Grass

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Earth Power
9010010Ground
Tutor
Giga Drain
7510010Grass
Tutor
Grass Pledge
5010010Grass
Tutor
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
Tutor
Seed Bomb
8010015Grass
Tutor
Sleep Talk
10Normal
Tutor
Snore
4010015Normal
Tutor
Stealth Rock
20Rock
Tutor
Superpower
1201005Fighting
Tutor
Synthesis
5Grass
Tutor
Worry Seed
10010Grass

Transfer Moves

Src
Gen 4
Bullet Seed
2510030Grass
Gen 4
Captivate
10020Normal
Gen 4
Endure+4
10Normal
Gen 4
Headbutt
7010015Normal
Gen 4
Mud-Slap
2010010Ground
Gen 4
Natural Gift
10015Normal
Gen 4
Secret Power
7010020Normal

Turtwig doesn't appear in Black 2 & White 2. Transfer it from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.

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

Also found in:

  • Turtwig isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Grotle to unlock its full potential. At 318 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.

  • Watch for Infernape (Fire), Lapras (Ice), and Nidoking (Poison) when using Turtwig. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Flying and Bug-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 31 Speed, Turtwig won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.

  • Turtwig evolves into Grotle at level 18. Turtwig is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.

  • Overgrow strengthens grass moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less — that's the one you want on Turtwig. Shell Armor is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.

  • Turtwig fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 68 Attack). Base 31 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.

  • Turtwig appears in 12 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.

Turtwig first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 12 games across 6 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.