#0185 · Johto · Generation 2

Sudowoodo

Imitation Pokémon · Rock-type

Sudowoodo is a Rock-type Pokémon, the Imitation Pokémon, number 185 (#0185) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 38 kg.

Sudowoodo is the Imitation Pokémon: a pure Rock type that pretends to be a tree. The Pokédex says it fools nobody, not even children, and that it flees at the first drop of rain.

How to pronounce Sudowoodo

Sudowoodo is pronounced soo-doh-WUU-doh. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Sudowoodo said out loud:

In Japanese it is ウソッキー (Usokkie).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Sudowoodo has a brown body shaped like a log and dotted with yellow, short toeless legs and thin arms ending in three green spheres. It is 1.2 m tall and weighs 38 kg. The forked 'branch' on its head is shorter on females. The Pokédex says its body is closer to rock than tree bark.

Behaviour

Sudowoodo waits beside paths posing as a tree, and Bulbapedia says it keeps this up even in its sleep. The disguise fails in winter, when its arms stay green, and it hates water so much that rain makes it vanish.

Habitat

The Pokédex lists forests, and Bulbapedia says it sometimes shares a forest with Trevenant. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in Paldea and Kitakami; it is not available in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Sturdy keeps it on 1 HP if it would be knocked out from full health, Rock Head prevents recoil, and the hidden Rattled raises Speed when a Bug, Ghost or Dark move hits it. In Generation II its signature move was Mimic, though others could inherit it by breeding. It also uses Wood Hammer and Head Smash. With 100 Attack and 115 Defense it is tough but slow.

Name origin

Sudowoodo is a corruption of 'pseudo' (false) and 'wood'. The Japanese name is Usokkie (ウソッキー), from uso ('false' or 'lie') and possibly ki ('tree'), and it may nod to usotsuki ('liar').

Design inspiration

Ken Sugimori designed it as an obstacle for the overworld, and Sudowoodo seems modelled on a small tree and petrified wood, a plant turned to mineral, which would explain its pure Rock type. Bulbapedia also suggests the mimicry of stick insects, as its forked horn resembles antennae. Those two ideas are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Sudowoodo evolves from Bonsly when Bonsly is levelled up while knowing Mimic.

In the games

In Gold, Silver and Crystal a single Sudowoodo blocks Route 36 until you squirt it with the SquirtBottle, and Emerald repeats the trick with the Wailmer Pail. In Scarlet and Violet, Gym Leader Brassius uses one with a Grass Tera Type, and it is also wild in Legends: Arceus.

In the anime

In 'Leave It To Brocko!', Brock's Bonsly turned into a Sudowoodo and proved a strong, reliable partner. In Pokémon Horizons, Brassius's Sudowoodo Terastallizes into a Grass type to beat Roy's Fuecoco in 'Nemona and Brassius and...'.

Fun facts

• Pokédex entries in Moon and Ultra Sun say older people love it: collectors prize larger green parts, and a fan magazine obsesses over its arm length and angle.
• Bulbapedia says Brassius calls his Grass-type Terastallized Sudowoodo 'Truleewoodo', echoing the Japanese for 'truth from lies'.
• In 'All That Glitters is Not Golden!', Keenan tries to make his Sudowoodo resist Water Pokémon, but it turns golden and is unhappy until changed back.

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

Base stats

• HP: 70
• Attack: 100
• Defense: 115
• Sp. Atk: 30
• Sp. Def: 65
• Speed: 30

Sudowoodo’s base stat total is 410. Its highest stat is Defense.

Type matchups

What is Sudowoodo weak to?

Sudowoodo takes extra damage from Water (2×), Grass (2×), Fighting (2×), Ground (2×), Steel (2×) moves.

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

Evolution

What does Sudowoodo evolve from?

Sudowoodo evolves from Bonsly (Level up, knowing Mimic).

Sudowoodo is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Bonsly, Sudowoodo.

Abilities

• Sturdy: Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
• Rock Head: Protects against recoil damage.
• Rattled (hidden ability): Raises Speed one stage upon being hit by a Dark, Ghost, or Bug move.

Moves

Moves Sudowoodo learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Sudowoodo learns the move the moment it evolves: Slam.

TM moves (54)

Sudowoodo can learn 54 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Fake Tears, Mud-Slap, Protect, Low Kick, Thief, Trailblaze, Facade, Bulldoze, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Low Sweep, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Sandstorm, Dig, Brick Break, Foul Play, Body Slam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Drain Punch, Rock Blast, Grass Knot, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Body Press, Spikes, Power Gem, Substitute, Iron Defense, Stealth Rock, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Earth Power, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Sand Tomb, Smack Down, High Horsepower, Focus Punch, Psych Up, Double-Edge, Endeavor, Meteor Beam, Curse.

Egg moves (6), which Bonsly can hatch knowing:Curse, Defense Curl, Harden, Headbutt, Rock Polish, Rollout.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Mineral.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 65 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 Defense effort values.
• Base experience yield: 144.

Pokédex entries

Though it pretends to be a tree, it fails to fool even children. To the touch, its body feels more like rock than tree bark. Sudowoodo's extreme aversion to water merits special note. (Legends: Arceus)

It disguises itself as a tree to avoid attack. It hates water, so it will disappear if it starts raining. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, Y, Shield)

If a tree branch shakes when there is no wind, it's a Sudowoodo, not a tree. It hides from the rain. (Crystal, Sword)

The result of its holding the same pose all the time is arms that have become supple yet strong. (Ultra Moon)

It's so popular with the elderly that there's a magazine devoted to this Pokémon. Fans obsess over the particular length and angle of its arms. (Ultra Sun)

Apparently, the larger the green parts of this Pokémon, the more collectors value it. It's a particular favorite among elderly people. (Moon)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 58% of all Pokémon (1.2 m).
• Heavier than 59% of all Pokémon (38 kg).
• Base stat total 410, ranked #590 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Defense, ranked #79 of 1,025.
• One of 74 Rock-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 34 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 71 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 65: about 8.5% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 15 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: Sudowoodo (Pokémon), Serebii: Sudowoodo (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (soo-doh-WUU-doh): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Rock-type Pokémon · Johto region guide · Sturdy ability · Rock Head ability · Rattled ability · Compare Sudowoodo · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 2 Rock-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Mineral egg group · Pokémon that start with S

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