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

This Pokémon spins itself rapidly and charges into its opponents. Its top speed is just over 60 mph.

Sword

Whirlipede protects itself with a sturdy shell and poisonous spikes while it stores up the energy it’ll need for evolution.

Shield

Whirlipede Weakness

Avg

Whirlipede is weak to Fire, Flying, Psychic, and Rock-type moves. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Standard number of weaknesses for the Bug/Poison typing.

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
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 no compatible 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 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

Focus Sash guarantees Whirlipede survives one hit from full HP. That's enough to deal early damage and fire off Toxic before going down. Poison Point and max HP and Defense EVs maximize first-turn impact.

Best Build

Wall
Ability
Poison Point
Item
Focus SashSURVIVAL
Nature
Relaxed+DEF
EVs

Best Whirlipede Moveset

  • ToxicUtility
  • ProtectFAST +4
  • Bug BiteSTAB
  • Gyro Ball

Recommended Teammates

Froakie
FroakieGood
Grapploct
GrapploctGood
Trubbish
TrubbishGood

Leveling does the heavy lifting. Whirlipede picks up Take Down and Double-Edge along the way, building toward a complete offensive set. TMs add Rock and Normal coverage, but the foundation's already strong by then.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
—10030Normal
Lv 1
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 4
Rollout
309020Rock
Lv 8
Protect+4
——10Normal
Lv 12
Infestation
2010020Bug
Lv 16
Screech
—8540Normal
Lv 20
Pin Missile
259520Bug
Lv 24
Take Down
908520Normal
Lv 28
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
Lv 36
Toxic
—9010Poison
Lv 48
Agility
——30Psychic
Lv 52
Double-Edge
12010015Normal

TM Moves

Src
TM47
Agility
——30Psychic
TM56
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
TM35
Endure+4
——10Normal
TM109
Facade
7010020Normal
TM80
Iron Defense
——15Steel
TM77
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM36
Rock Tomb
609515Rock
TM53
Sludge Bomb
9010010Poison
TM64
Solar Beam
12010010Grass
TM88
Spikes
——20Ground
TM85
Substitute
——10Normal
TM07
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM89
Toxic Spikes
——20Poison

Egg Moves

Whirlipede doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Whirlipede can't learn any Tutor moves

Whirlipede can't be caught in Legends: Z-A. Transfer Venipede from Black, Black 2, or Sword and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.

How to Obtain Whirlipede in Legends: Z-A

  1. Venipede
    Step 1Obtain Venipede

    Also found in:

    BlackBlack 2XSunSword
  2. Whirlipede
    Step 2Whirlipede ✓

  • 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.