Excadrill
Excadrill is a Ground/Steel-type Pokémon, the Subterrene Pokémon, number 530 (#0530) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.7 m tall and weighs 40.4 kg.
Excadrill is the Drill King, a Ground and Steel mole whose steel claws and head form a drill that, the Pokédex says, goes through steel plate whatever its thickness. In Legends: Z-A it gained a Mega Evolution with an Ability that no other known Pokémon can have.
How to pronounce Excadrill
Excadrill is pronounced EKS-kuh-dril. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Excadrill said out loud:
In Japanese it is ドリュウズ (Doryuzu).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Excadrill is 0.7 m tall and 40.4 kg, a heavy-set dark brown mole with red splotches, a white face and a large blade on its forehead. Each arm ends in three big blades instead of fingers. It can straighten its whole body into a drill, and the Pokédex says it tunnels at speeds of over 150 km/h (90 mph) and cuts through iron plating.
Behaviour
Excadrill builds mazelike nests more than 100 m (300 ft) below the surface. Its digging helps tunnel builders but can be destructive to subway tunnels, and the Pokédex says it is not uncommon for tunnels that look natural to be the result of its rampant digging.
Habitat
It nests deep underground. In Unova it is found in Challenger's Cave, Victory Road and the Giant Chasm in Black and White.
Powers
Its Abilities are Sand Rush and Sand Force, with Mold Breaker hidden. It learns Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Drill Run and Earthquake, and its base Attack of 135 and HP of 110 make it a hard-hitting attacker. Mega Excadrill, added in Legends: Z-A, is Ground and Steel with 165 Attack and 100 Defense, and its drill blades grow huge enough to join into one giant drill. Bulbapedia says it is the one known Pokémon that can have the Ability Piercing Drill.
Name origin
Excadrill may combine 'excavate' and 'drill'. The Japanese name is Doryuzu (ドリュウズ), possibly from doriru (drill), doryū (mole) and uzu (swirl).
Design inspiration
Excadrill seems to blend a mole with digging tools such as shovels. Folded up, its claws and horn resemble the cutting head of a roadheader, a tunnelling machine, and its English category may nod to subterrenes, drilling vehicles nicknamed battle moles. Mega Excadrill leans harder into the drill idea, and its flames may echo how drill bits heat up.
Evolution notes
Evolves from Drilbur at level 31.
In the games
Excadrill is the signature Pokémon of Clay, the Driftveil City Gym Leader, from its debut in Black and White, and his daughter Lacey uses one as her ace in Scarlet and Violet. Wild ones appear in The Indigo Disk and in its 5-star and 6-star Tera Raid Battles. In Legends: Z-A it lives in Wild Zone 14 and in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose, and Mega Excadrill debuted in that game.
In the anime
Iris's Excadrill debuted in 'The Bloom Is on Axew!', powerful but disobedient until 'Iris and Excadrill Against the Dragon Buster!' found the cause; she has had it since it was a Drilbur. Clay used an Excadrill against Ash in a Gym battle in 'Battling the King of the Mines!' and it beat Snivy.
Fun facts
- Bulbapedia says no other Pokémon learns two one-hit knockout moves by levelling up, as Excadrill does with Horn Drill and Fissure.
- Mega Excadrill's base stat total of 608 is shared with no other Pokémon, Bulbapedia notes.
- Early Black and White promotional videos showed Excadrill with mirrored marks across its middle and a different colour scheme.
Base stats
- HP: 110
- Attack: 135
- Defense: 60
- Sp. Atk: 50
- Sp. Def: 65
- Speed: 88
Excadrill’s base stat total is 508. Its highest stat is Attack.
Type matchups
What is Excadrill weak to?
Excadrill takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Water (2×), Fighting (2×), Ground (2×) moves.
It resists Rock (¼×), Normal (½×), Flying (½×), Psychic (½×), Bug (½×), Dragon (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Electric, Poison moves.
Evolution
What does Excadrill evolve from?
Excadrill evolves from Drilbur at level 31.
Excadrill is the final stage of its evolution family.
The whole family: Drilbur, Excadrill.
Forms
- Mega Excadrill (Mega): Ground/Steel-type, base stat total 608 (HP 110, Attack 165, Defense 100, Sp. Atk 65, Sp. Def 65, Speed 103). Ability: Piercing Drill.
Abilities
- Sand Rush: Doubles Speed during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
- Sand Force: Strengthens Rock, Ground, and Steel moves to 1.3× their power during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
- Mold Breaker (hidden ability): Bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent a move.
Moves
Moves Excadrill learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo | Horn Drill | Normal | Physical | — |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 |
| 1 | Rapid Spin | Normal | Physical | 50 |
| 1 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — |
| 12 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 |
| 16 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 |
| 20 | Sandstorm | Rock | Status | — |
| 24 | Crush Claw | Normal | Physical | 75 |
| 28 | Rock Slide | Rock | Physical | 75 |
| 34 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 |
| 40 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — |
| 46 | Drill Run | Ground | Physical | 80 |
| 52 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 |
| 58 | Fissure | Ground | Physical | — |
“Evo” means Excadrill learns the move the moment it evolves: Horn Drill.
TM moves (47)
Excadrill can learn 47 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Facade, Aerial Ace, Bulldoze, Metal Claw, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Sandstorm, Smart Strike, Dig, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Rock Blast, Poison Jab, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Iron Head, Substitute, Iron Defense, X-Scissor, Drill Run, Stealth Rock, Helping Hand, Earth Power, Earthquake, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Steel Beam, Tera Blast, Sand Tomb, High Horsepower, Double-Edge, Scorching Sands, Throat Chop, Metal Sound, Curse.
Egg moves (2):Metal Sound, Slash.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Field.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 60 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: 178.
Pokédex entries
Known as the Drill King, this Pokémon can tunnel through the terrain at speeds of over 90 mph. (Shield)
It's not uncommon for tunnels that appear to have formed naturally to actually be a result of Excadrill's rampant digging. (Sword)
More than 300 feet below the surface, they build mazelike nests. Their activity can be destructive to subway tunnels. (White, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
It can help in tunnel construction. Its drill has evolved into steel strong enough to bore through iron plates. (Black, X, Omega Ruby)
Forming a drill with its steel claws and head, it can bore through a steel plate, no matter how thick it is. (Black 2, White 2)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ドリュウズ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Doryuzu |
| French | Minotaupe |
| German | Stalobor |
| Spanish | Excadrill |
| Italian | Excadrill |
| Korean | 몰드류 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 龙头地鼠 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 龍頭地鼠 |
Trivia
- Highest HP among Ground types in Gen 5: 110.
- Highest Attack among Ground types in Gen 5: 135.
- Highest HP among Steel types in Gen 5: 110.
- Highest Attack among Steel types in Gen 5: 135, shared with 1 other.
- Taller than 34% of all Pokémon (0.7 m).
- Heavier than 62% of all Pokémon (40.4 kg).
- Base stat total 508, ranked #256 of 1,025.
- Its best stat is Attack, ranked #23 of 1,025.
- One of 3 Pokémon that are both Ground and Steel.
- One of 107 gray Pokémon.
- Number 37 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 55 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Has 1 alternate form.
- Appears in 5 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: Excadrill (Pokémon), Serebii: Excadrill (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (EKS-kuh-dril): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Ground-type Pokémon · Steel-type Pokémon · Ground/Steel weaknesses and matchups · Excadrill vs Garchomp · Unova region guide · Sand Rush ability · Sand Force ability · Mold Breaker ability · Compare Excadrill · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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