Utility
Balanced
360Low
47Slow
DTier

Whirlipede sits in the middle of its evolution line — stronger than Venipede but not yet at full power. Most trainers push through to Scolipede as fast as possible. Known as the Curlipede Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.

Bulk defines Whirlipede's stat line. Defense and Sp. Def anchor the defensive side, but HP can't keep up offensively. Common in the wild and worth 2 Defense EVs.

Base Stats
360Avg
HP40
D
Attack55
D
Defense99
B
Sp. Atk40
D
Sp. Def79
C
Speed47
D
Total360
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Whirlipede yields +2 Def
HPAtkDef+2SpASpDSpe
Details
Catch120Moderate•Medium Slow1.06M XP•1.2m / 3'11"•58.5kg / 129 lbs•126Base XP
Pokedex Entries

Protected by a hard shell, it spins its body like a wheel and crashes furiously into its enemies.

Black

It is usually motionless, but when attacked, it rotates at high speed and then crashes into its opponent.

White

Whirlipede Weakness

Avg

Whirlipede is weak to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock-type moves. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Standard number of weaknesses for the Bug/Poison typing.

Gen V Type Chart
  • Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
  • Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
FireFlyingPsychicRock
½xResisti
PoisonBug
¼xResisti
GrassFighting
0xImmunei
None
STAB (3)i
GrassPsychicDark
4Weak
4Resist
0Immune
Scorei-2
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesAbsorbs on switch
Abilities
Poison PointHas a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.
SwarmStrengthens bug moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Speed BoostHARaises Speed one stage after each turn.

Partway through Venipede's chain. Whirlipede still has another evolution ahead before reaching Scolipede. For breeding, quick to hatch with plenty of partners via one egg group. Defense has grown the most so far (+40), but there's still another 125 stats to gain in the final evolution.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Venipede
#543Venipede
22
Level 22
Whirlipede
#544Whirlipede
30
Level 30
Scolipede
#545Scolipede
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Venipede
BugPoison
Whirlipede
BugPoison
Scolipede
BugPoison
HP
30
40+10
60+20
ATK
45
55+10
100+45
DEF
59
99+40
89-10
SP.ATK
30
40+10
55+15
SP.DEF
39
79+40
69-10
SPE
57
47-10
112+65
BST
260D-Tier
360D-Tier+100
485B-Tier+125
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Sweeper
TYPE
Utility
Utility
Physical
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Whirlipede to get Venipede eggs easily using 64 partners from the Bug egg group. Notable egg moves include Pin Missile, Rock Climb, Spikes and 3 more.

Egg Groups
Bug
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
15 cycles·3,855 steps
Quick~4 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
6moves
Breed With (best first)
flygondrapionmasquerainvolbeatillumiseparasectvibravaskorupiparastrapinchsurskitshuckle
12 of 64·

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 5.

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

Breeding opens up real options for Whirlipede. Pin Missile and Rock Climb come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Sludge Bomb and Poison Jab and Rock and Dark coverage and more.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Defense Curl
——40Normal
Lv 1
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 1
Rollout
309020Rock
Lv 1
Screech
—8540Normal
Lv 5
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 8
Screech
—8540Normal
Lv 12
Pursuit
4010020Dark
Lv 15
Protect+4
——10Normal
Lv 19
Poison Tail
5010025Poison
Lv 22
Iron Defense
——15Steel
Lv 23
Bug Bite
6010020Bug
Lv 28
Venoshock
6510010Poison
Lv 32
Agility
——30Psychic
Lv 37
Steamroller
6510020Bug
Lv 41
Toxic
—9010Poison
Lv 46
Rock Climb
908520Normal
Lv 50
Double-Edge
12010015Normal

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
—10015Normal
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM21
Frustration
—10020Normal
TM74
Gyro Ball
—1005Steel
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM66
Payback
5010010Dark
TM84
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM27
Return
—10020Normal
TM94
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
TM48
Round
6010015Normal
TM36
Sludge Bomb
9010010Poison
TM22
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
TM76
Struggle Bug
3010020Bug
TM90
Substitute
——10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
——5Fire
TM87
Swagger
—9015Normal
TM06
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM09
Venoshock
6510010Poison

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Pin Missile
149520Bug
Egg
Rock Climb
908520Normal
Egg
Spikes
——20Ground
Egg
Take Down
908520Normal
Egg
Toxic Spikes
——20Poison
Egg
Twineedle
2510020Bug

Tutor Moves

Whirlipede can't learn any Tutor moves

2 encounter spots for Whirlipede at decent spawn rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.

Where To Catch Whirlipede in Black & White

To get Whirlipede, start by catching Venipede through walking encounters at Lv. 15-24. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Venipede
    Step 1Catch Venipede
    Pinwheel Forest - inside
    WhiteGrassLv.15-16UncommonEarlyForestAny
    EASY
    Pinwheel Forest - inside
    BlackGrassLv.15-16UncommonEarlyForestAny
    EASY
    Lostlorn Forest
    BlackGrassLv.20-21UncommonMidForestAnyDouble grass
    EASY
    Lostlorn Forest
    BlackGrassLv.20-21UncommonMidForestAny
    EASY
    Lostlorn Forest
    WhiteGrassLv.20-21UncommonMidForestAnyDouble grass
    EASY
    Lostlorn Forest
    WhiteGrassLv.20-21UncommonMidForestAny
    EASY
  2. Whirlipede
    Step 2Whirlipede ✓
    Pinwheel Forest - inside
    WhiteGrassLv.23-24UncommonMidForestAnyDouble grass
    EASY
    Pinwheel Forest - inside
    BlackGrassLv.23-24UncommonMidForestAnyDouble grass
    EASY
    or evolve from Venipede (Step 1)

  • Whirlipede is meant to evolve into Scolipede. At 360 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Whirlipede's biggest threats include Volcarona (Fire), Dodrio (Flying), and Starmie (Psychic), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Rock-type attackers are also a problem.

  • Venipede evolves into Whirlipede at level 22. Whirlipede evolves into Scolipede at level 30. Whirlipede is a middle-stage evolution in the Venipede line.

  • Speed Boost is what you want on Whirlipede. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Poison Point, Swarm) work on paper but Speed Boost is what makes Whirlipede worth using.

  • Base 47 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Whirlipede is leaning toward the physical side (base 55 Attack). Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two.

  • Whirlipede appears in 8 games, including Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, and X & Y.

Whirlipede joined the series in Black & White and has been available in 8 titles so far. With 5 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.