#0008 · Kanto · Generation 1 · starter

Wartortle

Turtle Pokémon · Water-type

Wartortle is a Water-type Pokémon, the Turtle Pokémon, number 8 (#0008) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1 m tall and weighs 22.5 kg.

Wartortle is the Turtle Pokémon, a mid-sized Water type with feathery ears and a thick furry tail that will not fit inside its shell. The Pokédex calls that tail a symbol of long life and says Wartortle can live for 10,000 years.

How to pronounce Wartortle

Wartortle is pronounced wor-TOR-tul. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Wartortle said out loud:

In Japanese it is カメール (Kameil).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Wartortle is an indigo turtle-like Pokémon with two sharp upper teeth and a dark blue streak under each eye. Feathery ears covered in pale blue fur sit on either side of its head, and a wavy furred tail pokes from its brown shell. The fur darkens with age, and very old ones carry scratches and algae on their shells. It is 1.0 m tall and weighs 22.5 kg.

Behaviour

Wartortle steers with its ears and tail like rudders when swimming fast, and stores air in its fur for long dives. It hides underwater and ambushes prey. Older people prize its tail as a good-luck charm. Even asleep inside its shell it leaves the tail tip poking out to feel for danger.

Habitat

Water's edge, according to the Pokédex habitat list: freshwater ponds and lakes. The anime shows colonies living on islands.

Powers

Wartortle fires Water Gun, spins with Rapid Spin, bites, and later learns Aqua Tail. It keeps Torrent, with Rain Dish hidden. Base Defense and Special Defense of 80 make it a bulky mid-stage Water type.

Name origin

Wartortle may combine 'war' or 'warrior', 'water', 'tortoise' and 'turtle'. The Japanese name Kameil (カメール) may join kame ('turtle') with 'tail'.

Design inspiration

Atsuko Nishida designed it. It appears to be a stylised turtle, and the feathery tail refers to the minogame of Japanese legend, a turtle that reached the age of 10,000 years and sprouted a tail of seaweed. Storing air in its tail fur may echo real turtles that can breathe through their rear ends.

Evolution notes

Evolves from Squirtle at level 16 and into Blastoise at level 36.

In the games

The rival Blue's Squirtle becomes a Wartortle that he uses on the S.S. Anne and in Pokémon Tower, in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), where the species first appeared. In Scarlet and Violet and Legends: Z-A you get one by evolving Squirtle.

In the anime

A troop of Wartortle and Squirtle in 'Beach Blank-Out Blastoise' cannot wake their Blastoise leader. In 'Judgment Day', Jimmy's Wartortle evolves into a Blastoise mid-capture to break free from Team Rocket.

Fun facts

• Tap a Wartortle on the head and it pulls the head in, but its tail still sticks out a little.
• In a POKÉTOON short, one moss-covered Wartortle turns out to have played with a boy, his father and his grandmother, each when they were children.
• An official anime promo image accidentally coloured Wartortle's ears the same as its skin.

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

Base stats

• HP: 59
• Attack: 63
• Defense: 80
• Sp. Atk: 65
• Sp. Def: 80
• Speed: 58

Wartortle’s base stat total is 405. Its highest stat is Defense and Sp. Def.

Type matchups

What is Wartortle weak to?

Wartortle takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

What does Wartortle evolve from?

Wartortle evolves from Squirtle at level 16.

How does Wartortle evolve?

Wartortle evolves into Blastoise at level 36.

The whole family: Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise.

Abilities

• Torrent: Strengthens Water moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
• Rain Dish (hidden ability): Heals for 1/16 max HP after each turn during rain.

Moves

Moves Wartortle learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (36)

Wartortle can learn 36 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Protect, Water Pulse, Chilling Water, Facade, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Fling, Endure, Rain Dance, Dig, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Rest, Substitute, Iron Defense, Liquidation, Surf, Ice Spinner, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Water Pledge, Tera Blast, Haze, Gyro Ball, Focus Punch, Weather Ball, Flip Turn, Double-Edge, Whirlpool, Muddy Water.

Egg moves (9):Aqua Jet, Aqua Ring, Fake Out, Flail, Life Dew, Mirror Coat, Mist, Water Spout, Yawn.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 87.5% male, 12.5% female.
• Egg groups: Monster, Water 1.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 45 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 and 1 Sp. Def effort values.
• Base experience yield: 142.

Pokédex entries

It cleverly controls its furry ears and tail to maintain its balance while swimming. (Silver, SoulSilver, Shield)

It is recognized as a symbol of longevity. If its shell has algae on it, that Wartortle is very old. (Gold, Sword)

When tapped on its head, this Pokémon will pull it in, but its tail will still stick out a little bit. (Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

Its tail is large and covered with a rich, thick fur. The tail becomes increasingly deeper in color as Wartortle ages. The scratches on its shell are evidence of this Pokémon's toughness as a battler. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

It is said to live 10,000 years. Its furry tail is popular as a symbol of longevity. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Y)

When tapped, this Pokémon will pull in its head, but its tail will still stick out a little bit. (Yellow, X)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 47% of all Pokémon (1 m).
• Heavier than 45% of all Pokémon (22.5 kg).
• Base stat total 405, ranked #605 of 1,025.
• One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 8 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 54 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 12 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: Wartortle (Pokémon), Serebii: Wartortle (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (wor-TOR-tul): 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 · Kanto region guide · Torrent ability · Rain Dish ability · Compare Wartortle · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Monster egg group · Water 1 egg group · Pokémon that start with W · Turtle Pokémon

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