#0641 · Unova · Generation 5 · legendary

Tornadus

Cyclone Pokémon · Flying-type

Tornadus is a Flying-type Pokémon, the Cyclone Pokémon, number 641 (#0641) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 1.5 m tall and weighs 63 kg.

Tornadus is the Cyclone Pokémon, a genie-like storm spirit said to turn the seasons by whipping up the air. It has two Formes, and a Legends: Arceus entry suspects that its eagle-like Therian Forme is its true shape.

How to pronounce Tornadus

Tornadus is pronounced tor-NAY-dus. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Tornadus said out loud:

In Japanese it is トルネロス (Tornelos).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

In its Incarnate Forme, this green, muscular, genie-like Pokémon stands 1.5 m tall and weighs 63 kg. It is male only, with wavy white hair, a spiky white moustache, two long purple horns and purple spots across its chest. Its lower body trails off into a cloud and a curling tail, and the Pokédex says it flies at about 320 km/h (200 mph).

Behaviour

Tornadus expels huge energy from its tail and causes storms strong enough to blow houses away, the Pokédex says. Bulbapedia adds that people fear and resent it for its ferocious gales, that it has clashed with Thundurus since the beginning of time, and that it can spin up small icy whirlwinds and wrap itself in a shield of wind.

Habitat

Bulbapedia says Tornadus roams the sky, mostly above snowy lands, and that in Therian Forme it crosses the oceans looking for a region to settle in and is said to live in the Interdream Zone. In Scarlet and Violet it is available only by transfer from Pokémon HOME or by event, and it is unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Tornadus turns wind into weapons with Hurricane, Air Slash, Hammer Arm and Bleakwind Storm, a move only it can learn. In Incarnate Forme its Abilities are Prankster, which gives status moves priority, and, hidden, Defiant. Using the Reveal Glass changes it to Therian Forme, with the single Ability Regenerator and a shift from offence to bulk and speed: Defense 80, Special Defense 90 and Speed 121. Incarnate Forme has base Special Attack 125 and Speed 111.

Name origin

Tornadus and Tornelos may combine 'tornado' with Aeolus, the Greek ruler of the winds. The Japanese name is Tornelos (トルネロス).

Design inspiration

Incarnate Forme is based on Fūjin, the Japanese kami of wind, and may also draw on djinn or the Anemoi, such as Boreas, the north wind that brings winter, which would suit its signature move Bleakwind Storm. Junichi Masuda said the Therian Formes started from comparable mythological creatures rather than the Four Symbols of Chinese myth, with Tornadus's matching the Vermilion Bird. Therian Forme resembles an eagle or other bird of prey.

In the games

In Legends: Arceus, a single Tornadus waits in the Bonechill Wastes during a blizzard. It first appeared in Black and White, roaming Unova in Black, and its Therian Forme arrived in Black 2 and White 2. In the Battle Maison of the Generation VI games Battle Chatelaine Nita uses one.

In the anime

Tornadus made its series debut in 'Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 1', as part of Milos Island's legend, fighting Thundurus before Landorus calmed it in Part 2. In 'Unova's Survival Crisis!' it appeared in both Formes, and Meloetta freed it.

Fun facts

• Ken Sugimori told Nintendo Dream that Tornadus was meant to be red to pair with blue Thundurus, but the pair looked too much like Throh and Sawk.
• Tornadus was the first Pokémon whose default form is pure Flying; only Arceus's Flying-type form came before it.
• When Tornadus appears on Route 7 in Pokémon Black, Bulbapedia says Thundurus's cry is heard.
• In Black 2 and White 2, a Therian Forme Tornadus cannot be traded, so that it cannot reach the original Black and White, where that Forme does not exist.

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

Base stats

• HP: 79
• Attack: 115
• Defense: 70
• Sp. Atk: 125
• Sp. Def: 80
• Speed: 111

Tornadus’s base stat total is 580. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Tornadus weak to?

Tornadus takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Ice (2×), Rock (2×) moves.

It resists Grass (½×), Fighting (½×), Bug (½×).

It is immune to Ground moves.

Evolution

Tornadus does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Forms

• Therian Tornadus (Forme): Flying-type, base stat total 580 (HP 79, Attack 100, Defense 80, Sp. Atk 110, Sp. Def 90, Speed 121). Ability: Regenerator.

Abilities

• Prankster: Raises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.
• Defiant (hidden ability): Raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered.

Moves

Moves Tornadus learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (48)

Tornadus can learn 48 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Scary Face, Protect, Acrobatics, Thief, Chilling Water, Facade, Icy Wind, Air Cutter, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Snowscape, Brick Break, U-turn, Foul Play, Bulk Up, Air Slash, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Metronome, Grass Knot, Rest, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Fly, Substitute, Crunch, Tailwind, Heat Wave, Psychic, Reversal, Nasty Plot, Sludge Bomb, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Hurricane, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Smack Down, Knock Off, Uproar, Weather Ball, Lash Out, Sludge Wave.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 100% male, 0% female.
• Egg groups: Undiscovered.
• Egg cycles: 120 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 15,360).
• Catch rate: 3 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 90.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 3 Attack effort values.
• Base experience yield: 261.

Pokédex entries

This storm-stirring Pokémon is said to cause the seasons to turn by whipping up the air. I suspect its humanlike form to be a false one. (Legends: Arceus)

Tornadus expels massive energy from its tail, causing severe storms. Its power is great enough to blow houses away. (White, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

The lower half of its body is wrapped in a cloud of energy. It zooms through the sky at 200 mph. (Black, X, Omega Ruby)

In every direction it flies, creating winds so powerful, they blow everything away. (Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Sp. Atk among Flying types in Gen 5: 125, shared with 1 other.
• Taller than 72% of all Pokémon (1.5 m).
• Heavier than 73% of all Pokémon (63 kg).
• Base stat total 580, ranked #69 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #52 of 1,025.
• One of 109 Flying-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 130 green Pokémon.
• Number 148 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Can learn 57 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 3: about 0.4% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 4 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: Tornadus (Pokémon), Serebii: Tornadus (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (tor-NAY-dus): 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

Flying-type Pokémon · Tornadus vs Thundurus · Tornadus vs Landorus · Unova region guide · Prankster ability · Defiant ability · Compare Tornadus · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 5 Flying-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Green Pokémon list · No Eggs Discovered egg group · Pokémon that start with T

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