Perrserker
Perrserker is a Steel-type Pokémon, the Viking Pokémon, number 863 (#0863) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 8 and comes from the Galar region. It is 0.8 m tall and weighs 28 kg.
Perrserker is the Viking Pokémon, a Steel-type cat in a horned helmet that is really its own hardened hair. Epic tales praise its courage, though it also has a habit of leaving rubbish all over its home.
How to pronounce Perrserker
Perrserker is pronounced pur-SUR-ker. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Perrserker said out loud:
In Japanese it is ニャイキング (Nyaiking).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Perrserker is a bipedal cat, 0.8 m tall and 28 kg. Unlike Persian, it keeps the body shape it had as a Meowth, but its hair has hardened into natural armour, and the helmet over its head even incorporates its coin. After many battles its claws grew long and hard enough to come together into daggers when extended.
Behaviour
Perrserker lives for the thrill of battle and is violent and barbaric. Bulbapedia says its relationship with Persian is one of mutual disdain, since Persian's refined manners clash with its own rough nature.
Habitat
Neither the Pokédex nor Bulbapedia names a habitat for it. In Galar it turns up on Routes 7 and 9, at Giant's Mirror and at the Lake of Outrage.
Powers
Perrserker fights with Iron Head, Metal Claw, Fury Swipes, Slash and Thrash, and can harden up with Iron Defense and sharpen its claws with Hone Claws. Its Abilities are Battle Armor, which protects it from critical hits, Tough Claws, which boosts contact moves, and the hidden Steely Spirit. With base Attack 110 and Defense 100 but only 50 Speed, it is a slow, sturdy bruiser.
Name origin
Perrserker may combine 'purr', 'Persian' and 'berserker'. The Japanese name is Nyaiking (ニャイキング), possibly nyā (the cat sound) with 'Viking' and 'king'.
Design inspiration
Perrserker seems to combine a cat with the stereotypical Viking, with its behaviour borrowed from the berserker. Bulbapedia notes it may also recall Freyja's cats, Bygul and Trjegul, whose names mean 'honey' and 'amber' and could match its regular and Shiny colours. The Norwegian forest cat and the Cheshire Cat's grin are other possible influences. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Perrserker evolves from Galarian Meowth at level 28, while Kantonian and Alolan Meowth become Persian.
In the games
Players get Perrserker in Scarlet and Violet only by evolving a Galarian Meowth, as it cannot be found wild there; it was introduced in Sword and Shield. In Legends: Z-A it appears in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose.
In the anime
Perrserker's first appearance in the animated series was 'Just a Scone's Throw From Here!', where it led a group of Galarian Meowth.
Fun facts
- According to Bulbapedia, Steely Spirit, Perrserker's hidden Ability, belongs to no other known Pokémon.
- Among the Steel types introduced in Generation VIII, the game data shows Perrserker as both the lightest and the shortest.
- Bulbapedia says that before Scarlet and Violet's 2.0.1 update Perrserker could not learn Aerial Ace or Flash Cannon by TM, although Galarian Meowth could.
Base stats
- HP: 70
- Attack: 110
- Defense: 100
- Sp. Atk: 50
- Sp. Def: 60
- Speed: 50
Perrserker’s base stat total is 440. Its highest stat is Attack.
Type matchups
What is Perrserker weak to?
Perrserker takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Fighting (2×), Ground (2×) moves.
It resists Normal (½×), Grass (½×), Ice (½×), Flying (½×), Psychic (½×), Bug (½×), Rock (½×), Dragon (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Poison moves.
Evolution
What does Perrserker evolve from?
Perrserker evolves from Meowth (Galarian Meowth: Level 28).
Perrserker is the final stage of its evolution family.
The whole family: Meowth, Persian, Perrserker.
Abilities
- Battle Armor: Protects against critical hits.
- Tough Claws: Strengthens moves that make contact to 1.33× their power.
- Steely Spirit (hidden ability): Powers up ally Pokémon's Steel-type moves.
Moves
Moves Perrserker learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo | Iron Head | Steel | Physical | 80 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Fake Out | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — |
| 1 | Metal Burst | Steel | Physical | — |
| 1 | Hone Claws | Dark | Status | — |
| 12 | Pay Day | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 16 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 |
| 20 | Taunt | Dark | Status | — |
| 24 | Swagger | Normal | Status | — |
| 31 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 |
| 36 | Screech | Normal | Status | — |
| 42 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 |
| 48 | Metal Sound | Steel | Status | — |
| 54 | Thrash | Normal | Physical | 120 |
“Evo” means Perrserker learns the move the moment it evolves: Iron Head.
TM moves (58)
Perrserker can learn 58 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Fake Tears, Protect, Thief, Trailblaze, Chilling Water, Facade, Metal Claw, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Dig, False Swipe, Brick Break, U-turn, Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Metronome, Rest, Taunt, Swords Dance, Dark Pulse, Iron Head, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Iron Defense, X-Scissor, Crunch, Shadow Ball, Stealth Rock, Hyper Voice, Heavy Slam, Thunderbolt, Play Rough, Amnesia, Helping Hand, Baton Pass, Nasty Plot, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Close Combat, Steel Beam, Tera Blast, Spite, Gyro Ball, Knock Off, Lash Out, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Throat Chop, Metal Sound, Curse.
Egg moves (6), which Meowth can hatch knowing:Covet, Flail, Hypnosis, Last Resort, Spite, Tail Whip.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Field.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 90 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: 154.
Pokédex entries
After many battles, it evolved dangerous claws that come together to form daggers when extended. (Shield)
What appears to be an iron helmet is actually hardened hair. This Pokémon lives for the thrill of battle. (Sword)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ニャイキング |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Nyaiking |
| French | Berserkatt |
| German | Mauzinger |
| Spanish | Perrserker |
| Italian | Perrserker |
| Korean | 나이킹 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 喵头目 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 喵頭目 |
Trivia
- Lightest Steel type in Gen 8: 28 kg.
- Shortest Steel type in Gen 8: 0.8 m.
- Taller than 39% of all Pokémon (0.8 m).
- Heavier than 49% of all Pokémon (28 kg).
- Base stat total 440, ranked #527 of 1,025.
- One of 65 Steel-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 147 brown Pokémon.
- Number 54 of 96 Pokémon introduced in Generation 8 (Galar).
- Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
- Can learn 74 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 90: about 11.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 2 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: Perrserker (Pokémon), Serebii: Perrserker (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (pur-SUR-ker): 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
Steel-type Pokémon · Galar region guide · Battle Armor ability · Tough Claws ability · Steely Spirit ability · Compare Perrserker · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 8 Steel-type Pokémon · Gen 8 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Cat Pokémon