#0689 · Kalos · Generation 6

Barbaracle

Collective Pokémon · Rock/Water-type

Barbaracle is a Rock/Water-type Pokémon, the Collective Pokémon, number 689 (#0689) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 6 and comes from the Kalos region. It is 1.3 m tall and weighs 96 kg.

Barbaracle is the Collective Pokémon: seven Binacle fused into one body, each with a mind of its own. The head gives the orders, but the arms and legs sometimes ignore them.

How to pronounce Barbaracle

Barbaracle is pronounced bar-BAIR-uh-kul. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Barbaracle said out loud:

In Japanese it is ガメノデス (Gamenodes).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Barbaracle is a bipedal Pokémon, 1.3 m tall and 96 kg, built from seven Binacle. The main Binacle forms its waist and head and links two grey rocks, four more Binacle act as arms and two as legs. Each arm finishes in a brown hand with one eye set in the palm, so the Pokédex says it can watch in every direction at once.

Behaviour

Each limb thinks for itself and moves on its own, although they mostly obey the head. The Pokédex says the Binacle serving as the head gives the commands, and in a pinch the limbs may act without waiting for them, driven to defeat the enemy.

Habitat

The Pokédex gives no habitat. In Legends: Z-A it is found in Wild Zones 16 and 20, and in the Mega Dimension DLC it appears in Hyperspace Lumiose. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet.

Powers

Barbaracle has Tough Claws, which strengthens contact moves, Sniper and the hidden Pickpocket. It hits with Stone Edge, Cross Chop and Razor Shell, and its 105 Attack and 115 Defense make it a tough physical attacker. Mega Barbaracle, from Legends: Z-A, becomes Rock and Fighting type with 140 base Attack and Tough Claws. It is 2.2 m tall and 100 kg, made of 11 Binacle with larger cracked rocks, five horns arranged like a hand and a black head. Bulbapedia says it moves very quickly, delivering punches and then a yellow or red beam, while its many arms tease opponents and keep the head busy.

Name origin

Barbaracle may combine barbaric and barnacle. The Japanese name is Gamenodes (ガメノデス), possibly from kame-no-te (a Japanese goose barnacle) and the English word death.

Design inspiration

Barbaracle seems to be based on a goose barnacle, and its seven units fused into one body may echo symbiosis. The eyes in its many palms may recall the hamsa or multi-eyed figures such as Argus and Japan's Hyakume, and limbs with minds of their own may nod to alien hand syndrome. Mega Barbaracle's horns evoke the 'sign of the horns' gesture, and 'rock on' may pun on its type. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Barbaracle evolves from Binacle at level 39. The Pokédex says the two Binacle of the pair become seven when they evolve.

In the games

Barbaracle's Mega Evolution is new in Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon itself first appeared in X and Y, where it is in the Rock-type Friend Safari, and it also appears in Sword and Shield and in the Mega Dimension DLC, but not in Scarlet and Violet.

In the anime

Saizo's Barbaracle debuted in 'A Stealthy Challenge!', taking on Ash's Froakie and Sanpei's Greninja, and it beat Heidayu's Bisharp in 'A Festival of Decisions!'. A Barbaracle also briefly appears in GOTCHA!, owned by Siebold.

Fun facts

• Gordie, the Galar Gym Leader, has Barbaracle as his sync pair in Pokémon Masters EX.
• Barbaracle was used in the manga Pokémon Adventures by a robot copy of Essentia built by Xerosic, in the chapter 'Magearna Moves'.
• Its level-up moves include Skull Bash at level 1, which Binacle never learns by level-up in Sword and Shield.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Barbaracle (Pokémon) · Serebii: Barbaracle (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 72
• Attack: 105
• Defense: 115
• Sp. Atk: 54
• Sp. Def: 86
• Speed: 68

Barbaracle’s base stat total is 500. Its highest stat is Defense.

Type matchups

What is Barbaracle weak to?

Barbaracle takes extra damage from Grass (4×), Electric (2×), Fighting (2×), Ground (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (¼×), Normal (½×), Ice (½×), Poison (½×), Flying (½×).

Evolution

What does Barbaracle evolve from?

Barbaracle evolves from Binacle at level 39.

Barbaracle is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Binacle, Barbaracle.

Forms

• Mega Barbaracle (Mega): Rock/Fighting-type, base stat total 600 (HP 72, Attack 140, Defense 130, Sp. Atk 64, Sp. Def 106, Speed 88). Ability: Tough Claws.

Abilities

• Tough Claws: Strengthens moves that make contact to 1.33× their power.
• Sniper: Strengthens critical hits to inflict 3× damage rather than 2×.
• Pickpocket (hidden ability): Steals attacking Pokémon's held items on contact.

Moves

Moves Barbaracle learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (59)

Barbaracle can learn 59 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Dig, Screech, Safeguard, Rest, Rock Slide, Thief, Snore, Protect, Icy Wind, Attract, Sandstorm, Rain Dance, Whirlpool, Beat Up, Facade, Helping Hand, Brick Break, Dive, Rock Tomb, Mud Shot, Rock Blast, Payback, Assurance, Fling, Shadow Claw, Round, Bulldoze, Razor Shell, False Swipe, Brutal Swing, Swords Dance, Surf, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Low Kick, Earthquake, Substitute, Sludge Bomb, Endure, Sleep Talk, Uproar, Taunt, Superpower, Muddy Water, Iron Defense, Dragon Claw, Bulk Up, Poison Jab, X-Scissor, Focus Blast, Earth Power, Stone Edge, Stealth Rock, Grass Knot, Sludge Wave, Scald, Liquidation.

Egg moves (3), which Binacle can hatch knowing:Night Slash, Sand Attack, Switcheroo.

Move tutor moves (1): Meteor Beam.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 3.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Attack effort values.
• Base experience yield: 175.

Pokédex entries

Having an eye on each palm allows it to keep watch in all directions. In a pinch, its limbs start to act on their own to ensure the enemy's defeat. (Shield)

Seven Binacle come together to form one Barbaracle. The Binacle that serves as the head gives orders to those serving as the limbs. (Sword)

Barbaracle's legs and hands have minds of their own, and they will move independently. But they usually follow the head's orders. (Y, Alpha Sapphire)

When they evolve, two Binacle multiply into seven. They fight with the power of seven Binacle. (X, Omega Ruby)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 64% of all Pokémon (1.3 m).
• Heavier than 82% of all Pokémon (96 kg).
• Base stat total 500, ranked #278 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Defense, ranked #79 of 1,025.
• One of 11 Pokémon that are both Rock and Water.
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 40 of 72 Pokémon introduced in Generation 6 (Kalos).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 76 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 4 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Barbaracle (Pokémon), Serebii: Barbaracle (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (bar-BAIR-uh-kul): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Rock-type Pokémon · Water-type Pokémon · Rock/Water weaknesses and matchups · Kalos region guide · Tough Claws ability · Sniper ability · Pickpocket ability · Compare Barbaracle · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 6 Rock-type Pokémon · Gen 6 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 6 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Water 3 egg group · Pokémon that start with B · Crab and Crustacean Pokémon

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