#0073 · Kanto · Generation 1

Tentacruel

Jellyfish Pokémon · Water/Poison-type

Tentacruel is a Water/Poison-type Pokémon, the Jellyfish Pokémon, number 73 (#0073) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.6 m tall and weighs 55 kg.

Tentacruel is the Jellyfish Pokémon with 80 tentacles, according to the Pokédex, though its own artwork never shows more than 14. When a large group gathers, every fish Pokémon in the area vanishes.

How to pronounce Tentacruel

Tentacruel is pronounced TEN-tuh-kroo-ul. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Tentacruel said out loud:

In Japanese it is ドククラゲ (Dokukurage).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Tentacruel is 1.6 m tall and weighs 55 kg. Its light blue body blends into the sea, with a large red orb on each side of its head and a smaller one in the middle, and a black lower body. The orbs glow when it is excited or agitated, and it uses the flashes to talk to others of its kind or to warn them of danger. They can also store sunlight and fire ultrasonic waves.

Behaviour

Tentacruel keeps its tentacles short until it hunts, then stretches them into a net that traps prey before poison weakens it. Pokédex entries say the tentacles can soak up water to stretch further, and that an older Tentacruel has fewer of them. It is rarely seen, but when many gather the local fish Pokémon flee.

Habitat

It lives in rocky formations on the sea floor and across the open ocean.

Powers

Tentacruel has the same Abilities as Tentacool: Clear Body, Liquid Ooze and the hidden Rain Dish. It follows its Pokédex entries with Wrap, Poison Jab, Acid and Sludge Bomb, and confuses foes with Supersonic. Its base Speed of 100 makes it fast for a defender.

Name origin

Tentacruel may combine 'tentacle' and 'cruel'. The Japanese name is Dokukurage (ドククラゲ), likely doku ('poison') plus kurage ('jellyfish').

Design inspiration

Tentacruel seems to borrow from jellyfish in general and from the Portuguese man o' war, which fits its category. It also shares features with squid, and its saucer-like body and head-gem lasers recall the alien invaders of 1950s B-movies. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Tentacruel evolves from Tentacool at level 30 and does not evolve further.

In the games

A Generation I original, Tentacruel belongs to Team Constrictor in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. In Scarlet and Violet it can be traded in, and The Indigo Disk adds it to the Coastal Biome of Blueberry Academy's Terarium. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Tentacruel debuted in 'Tentacool & Tentacruel' as a rampaging giant at Porta Vista, calmed by Ash's Pikachu and Misty. In 'Mewtwo Strikes Back', Mewtwo captures and clones Fergus's Tentacruel.

Fun facts

• In the anime, Ash's Pokédex calls Tentacruel 'The Gangster of the Sea'.
• In a fantasy in 'Who Gets to Keep Togepi?', Misty hoped the Egg might hatch into a Tentacruel.
• Its base Special Defense of 120 is the highest of any Water or Poison type in Generation I.

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

Base stats

• HP: 80
• Attack: 70
• Defense: 65
• Sp. Atk: 80
• Sp. Def: 120
• Speed: 100

Tentacruel’s base stat total is 515. Its highest stat is Sp. Def.

Type matchups

What is Tentacruel weak to?

Tentacruel takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Ground (2×), Psychic (2×) moves.

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

Evolution

What does Tentacruel evolve from?

Tentacruel evolves from Tentacool at level 30.

Tentacruel is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Tentacool, Tentacruel.

Abilities

• Clear Body: Prevents stats from being lowered by other Pokémon.
• Liquid Ooze: Damages opponents using leeching moves for as much as they would heal.
• Rain Dish (hidden ability): Heals for 1/16 max HP after each turn during rain.

Moves

Moves Tentacruel learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (44)

Tentacruel can learn 44 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Scary Face, Protect, Water Pulse, Acid Spray, Confuse Ray, Thief, Pounce, Chilling Water, Facade, Hex, Swift, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Venoshock, Endure, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Dazzling Gleam, Poison Jab, Rest, Swords Dance, Toxic Spikes, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Liquidation, Giga Drain, Surf, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Haze, Toxic, Knock Off, Weather Ball, Flip Turn, Whirlpool, Muddy Water, Sludge Wave, Skitter Smack, Throat Chop.

Egg moves (9):Acupressure, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam, Confuse Ray, Haze, Knock Off, Mirror Coat, Rapid Spin, Tickle.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 3.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Def effort values.
• Base experience yield: 180.

Pokédex entries

It has 80 tentacles, each with a venomous tip. These tentacles are also extendible, lengthening when Tentacruel attempts to catch prey. Use caution. (Legends: Arceus)

Its 80 tentacles can stretch and shrink freely. Tentacruel ensnares prey in a net of spread-out tentacles, delivering venomous stings to its catch. (Shield)

When the red orbs on Tentacruel's head glow brightly, watch out. The Pokémon is about to fire off a burst of ultrasonic waves. (Sword)

Its 80 tentacles can stretch and contract freely. They wrap around prey and weaken it with poison. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

It communicates with others of its kind by lighting up the red orbs on its head. When the orbs are blinking, it's a warning sign. (Ultra Moon)

It fires off ultrasonic waves from its red orbs to weaken its prey, and then it wraps them up in its 80 tentacles. (Ultra Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Sp. Def among Water types in Gen 1: 120.
• Highest Sp. Def among Poison types in Gen 1: 120.
• Taller than 77% of all Pokémon (1.6 m).
• Heavier than 68% of all Pokémon (55 kg).
• Base stat total 515, ranked #226 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Def, ranked #40 of 1,025.
• One of 6 Pokémon that are both Water and Poison.
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 73 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 59 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 19 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: Tentacruel (Pokémon), Serebii: Tentacruel (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (TEN-tuh-kroo-ul): 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

Water-type Pokémon · Poison-type Pokémon · Water/Poison weaknesses and matchups · Kanto region guide · Clear Body ability · Liquid Ooze ability · Rain Dish ability · Compare Tentacruel · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Water 3 egg group · Pokémon that start with T · Jellyfish Pokémon

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