#0592 · Unova · Generation 5

Frillish

Floating Pokémon · Water/Ghost-type

Frillish is a Water/Ghost-type Pokémon, the Floating Pokémon, number 592 (#0592) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 33 kg.

Frillish is the Floating Pokémon, a jellyfish dressed like young royalty that, the Pokédex says, wraps up its prey and drags it down into the dark. Legend says Frillish used to be the people of an ancient city that sank beneath the sea.

How to pronounce Frillish

Frillish is pronounced FRIL-ish. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Frillish said out loud:

In Japanese it is プルリル (Pururill).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Frillish is 1.2 m tall and 33 kg, with a round head topped by a crown-like tuft, a collar and five limbs shaped like tentacles: two work as arms and three form the lower body. Males are blue with a triangular crown and a wavy collar; females are pink with a round crown and a frilled collar. The Pokédex says its veil-like arms and legs hold invisible poison spikes.

Behaviour

Frillish floats gently in the waves until it can strike. It wraps its veil-like arms around prey, numbs it with poison and sinks with it; the Pokédex says anything taken this way is never seen again. Bulbapedia adds that it copes with extremely dark, highly pressurised water.

Habitat

The Pokédex places its lair 8 km (5 miles) below the surface of the ocean. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet or in Legends: Z-A.

Diet

Bulbapedia says it is a carnivore that preys on Magikarp and Lanturn.

Powers

Frillish has Water Absorb, which heals it from Water moves, or Cursed Body, which can disable a move that hits it, with Damp hidden. It learns Night Shade, Hex and Destiny Bond, and its base Special Defense of 85 helps it take special hits better than it deals them.

Name origin

Frillish may combine 'frill' and 'jellyfish'. The Japanese name is Pururill (プルリル), possibly from purupuru (jiggling) and 'frill'.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia, citing an interview, says the design draws on princes and princesses, perhaps in Victorian-style royal dress. It may also borrow from the Nurarihyon, a jellyfish-like yōkai in fine clothes, and from the giant phantom jelly, a rarely seen deep-sea jellyfish whose arms look like fabric. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Frillish evolves into Jellicent at level 40.

In the games

Surfing around Routes 4, 17 and 18 turns up wild Frillish in Black and White, where it debuted. It returns in Sword and Shield's Wild Area lakes and has an entry in the Basin Pokédex of Pokémon Pokopia.

In the anime

Jessie's female Frillish debuted in 'New Places... Familiar Faces!' and was given to Giovanni alongside James's Amoonguss, later returning in 'Rocket Revengers!'. In 'A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!' a female Frillish took a liking to Ash.

Fun facts

• Frillish and Jellicent began as pure Water types; Ghost was added for balance, and Ken Sugimori noted that the designer was disappointed they ended up as scary Pokémon.
• Its Japanese prototype name was Purunsu.
• Bulbapedia says that whatever gender a Frillish or Jellicent had, the Global Link showed it with the male artwork once it was uploaded.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Frillish (Pokémon) · Serebii: Frillish (Sword/Shield Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 55
• Attack: 40
• Defense: 50
• Sp. Atk: 65
• Sp. Def: 85
• Speed: 40

Frillish’s base stat total is 335. Its highest stat is Sp. Def.

Type matchups

What is Frillish weak to?

Frillish takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Poison (½×), Bug (½×), Steel (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.

Evolution

How does Frillish evolve?

Frillish evolves into Jellicent at level 40.

The whole family: Frillish, Jellicent.

Abilities

• Water Absorb: Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
• Cursed Body: Has a 30% chance of Disabling any move that hits the Pokémon.
• Damp (hidden ability): Prevents Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.

Moves

Moves Frillish learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (36)

Frillish can learn 36 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Safeguard, Rest, Snore, Protect, Icy Wind, Giga Drain, Attract, Rain Dance, Hail, Whirlpool, Will-O-Wisp, Facade, Imprison, Dive, Brine, Trick Room, Round, Hex, Hydro Pump, Surf, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Psychic, Waterfall, Substitute, Sludge Bomb, Endure, Sleep Talk, Shadow Ball, Taunt, Trick, Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, Sludge Wave, Scald, Dazzling Gleam.

Egg moves (6):Acid Armor, Bubble Beam, Confuse Ray, Mist, Pain Split, Strength Sap.

Move tutor moves (1): Poltergeist.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Sp. Def effort value.
• Base experience yield: 67.

Pokédex entries

Legend has it that the residents of a sunken ancient city changed into these Pokémon. (Shield)

It envelops its prey in its veillike arms and draws it down to the deeps, five miles below the ocean's surface. (Sword)

Using the invisible poison spikes on its veillike arms and legs, it paralyzes its enemies and causes them to drown. (Ultra Moon)

It wraps its veillike arms and legs around prey swimming by and drags them down to the depths of the ocean. (Ultra Sun)

If its veil-like arms stun and wrap a foe, that foe will be dragged miles below the surface, never to return. (Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

They paralyze prey with poison, then drag them down to their lairs, five miles below the surface. (White, X, Omega Ruby)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 58% of all Pokémon (1.2 m).
• Heavier than 55% of all Pokémon (33 kg).
• Base stat total 335, ranked #731 of 1,025.
• One of 3 Pokémon that are both Water and Ghost.
• One of 88 white Pokémon.
• Number 99 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 51 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 7 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: Frillish (Pokémon), Serebii: Frillish (Sword/Shield Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (FRIL-ish): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

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

Explore

Water-type Pokémon · Ghost-type Pokémon · Water/Ghost weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Water Absorb ability · Cursed Body ability · Damp ability · Compare Frillish · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 5 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · White Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with F · Jellyfish Pokémon

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