Venipede
Venipede is a Bug/Poison-type Pokémon, the Centipede Pokémon, number 543 (#0543) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 5.3 kg.
Venipede is the Centipede Pokémon, a Bug and Poison pest whose bite, the Pokédex says, can paralyse even big bird Pokémon that attempt to eat it. Small as it is, the Pokédex calls it brutally aggressive.
How to pronounce Venipede
Venipede is pronounced VEN-ih-peed. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Venipede said out loud:
In Japanese it is フシデ (Fushide).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Venipede is an insect-like centipede that measures 0.4 m and weighs 5.3 kg. It has a magenta head and thorax with black markings, a hump on its upper body, a segmented dark green abdomen and four pairs of stubby black legs. Its fangs are highly venomous. Feelers at both ends of its body sense vibrations in the air, telling it where its prey is and what condition it is in.
Behaviour
Venipede attacks any prey that it believes it can eat, without weighing up the risk, according to the Shield Pokédex. It often fights Sizzlipede, a similar species from Galar, and the Sword Pokédex says a huge fight breaks out whenever the two meet.
Habitat
In the anime, Burgh says Venipede traditionally live in Unova's Desert Resort. In the games it is found in forests, such as Pinwheel Forest and Lostlorn Forest in Black and White.
Diet
Any prey it thinks it can eat, according to the Shield Pokédex.
Powers
Venipede's Abilities are Poison Point, which can poison attackers that touch it, and Swarm; the hidden Ability Speed Boost raises its Speed every turn. It stabs with Poison Sting and Poison Tail and learns Venoshock, Toxic and Venom Drench. Defense of 59 is its best base stat.
Name origin
Venipede may combine 'venom' with 'centipede' or 'millipede'. The Japanese name is Fushide (フシデ), possibly from fushi ('joint' or 'segment') and mukade ('centipede').
Design inspiration
Tomohiro Kitakaze designed Venipede and its evolutions. Bulbapedia says the line seems to draw on centipedes and millipedes, and Venipede may play on pill millipedes, mixing myriapod and woodlouse features. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Venipede evolves into Whirlipede at level 22, which evolves into Scolipede at level 30.
In the games
Venipede first appears in Black and White, where it lives in Pinwheel Forest and Lostlorn Forest, and in Sword and Shield the Isle of Armor has it in the Forest of Focus. It is unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet. In Legends: Z-A it is in the Bleu District's Wild Zone 5 and, in the Mega Dimension DLC, Hyperspace Lumiose.
In the anime
Swarms of Venipede debuted in 'A Venipede Stampede!', when a mysterious force drove them out of the Desert Resort and into Castelia City. Burgh led them into Central Plaza with his Bug Flute after Nurse Joy's Audino healed their leader.
Fun facts
- Its base stat total of 260 is the lowest of any Bug type or Poison type in Generation V.
- Bulbapedia notes that its base HP of 30 ties with Gastly for the lowest of any Poison type.
- Bulbapedia points out that although several Pokédex entries mention its venomous fangs, Venipede cannot learn Poison Fang.
Base stats
- HP: 30
- Attack: 45
- Defense: 59
- Sp. Atk: 30
- Sp. Def: 39
- Speed: 57
Venipede’s base stat total is 260. Its highest stat is Defense.
Type matchups
What is Venipede weak to?
Venipede takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Flying (2×), Psychic (2×), Rock (2×) moves.
It resists Grass (¼×), Fighting (¼×), Poison (½×), Bug (½×), Fairy (½×).
Evolution
How does Venipede evolve?
Venipede evolves into Whirlipede at level 22.
The whole family: Venipede, Whirlipede, Scolipede.
- Whirlipede evolves into Scolipede at level 30.
Abilities
- Poison Point: Has a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.
- Swarm: Strengthens Bug moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
- Speed Boost (hidden ability): Raises Speed one stage after each turn.
Moves
Moves Venipede learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poison Sting | Poison | Physical | 15 |
| 1 | Defense Curl | Normal | Status | — |
| 4 | Rollout | Rock | Physical | 30 |
| 8 | Protect | Normal | Status | — |
| 12 | Poison Tail | Poison | Physical | 50 |
| 16 | Screech | Normal | Status | — |
| 20 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 |
| 24 | Venoshock | Poison | Special | 65 |
| 28 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 |
| 32 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — |
| 36 | Toxic | Poison | Status | — |
| 40 | Venom Drench | Poison | Status | — |
| 44 | Double-Edge | Normal | Physical | 120 |
TM moves (24)
Venipede can learn 24 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Pin Missile, Solar Beam, Screech, Rest, Snore, Protect, Attract, Sunny Day, Facade, Payback, Venoshock, Round, Hex, Agility, Substitute, Sludge Bomb, Spikes, Endure, Sleep Talk, Iron Defense, Gyro Ball, Toxic Spikes, Poison Jab, Venom Drench.
Egg moves (2):Bite, Fury Cutter.
Move tutor moves (2): Skitter Smack, Steel Roller.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Bug.
- Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
- Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Defense effort value.
- Base experience yield: 52.
Pokédex entries
Its fangs are highly venomous. If this Pokémon finds prey it thinks it can eat, it leaps for them without any thought of how things might turn out. (Shield)
Venipede and Sizzlipede are similar species, but when the two meet, a huge fight ensues. (Sword)
Its bite injects a potent poison, enough to paralyze large bird Pokémon that try to prey on it. (Black, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
It discovers what is going on around it by using the feelers on its head and tail. It is brutally aggressive. (White, X, Omega Ruby)
Using the feelers on its head and tail, it picks up vibrations in the air to determine its prey's location and state. (Black 2, White 2)
Names around the world
| Japanese | フシデ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Fushide |
| French | Venipatte |
| German | Toxiped |
| Spanish | Venipede |
| Italian | Venipede |
| Korean | 마디네 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 百足蜈蚣 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 百足蜈蚣 |
Trivia
- Lowest base stat total among Poison types in Gen 5: 260.
- Lowest base stat total among Bug types in Gen 5: 260.
- Taller than 11% of all Pokémon (0.4 m).
- Heavier than 16% of all Pokémon (5.3 kg).
- Base stat total 260, ranked #955 of 1,025.
- One of 12 Pokémon that are both Bug and Poison.
- One of 97 red Pokémon.
- Number 50 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
- Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
- Can learn 36 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 5 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: Venipede (Pokémon), Serebii: Venipede (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex), Bulbapedia: Burgh.
- Pronunciation (VEN-ih-peed): 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
Bug-type Pokémon · Poison-type Pokémon · Bug/Poison weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Poison Point ability · Swarm ability · Speed Boost ability · Compare Venipede · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 5 Bug-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Bug egg group · Pokémon that start with V · Bug Pokémon
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