Weedle
Weedle is a Bug/Poison-type Pokémon, the Hairy Bug Pokémon, number 13 (#0013) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 3.2 kg.
Weedle is the Hairy Bug Pokémon, a caterpillar with a poisonous barb on its head and a big red nose that can tell its favourite leaves from the ones it dislikes. The Pokédex's advice is to beware of that barb.
How to pronounce Weedle
Weedle is pronounced WEE-dul. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Weedle said out loud:
In Japanese it is ビードル (Beedle).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Weedle is a larval insect whose segmented body runs from yellow to reddish-brown, 0.3 m tall and 3.2 kg, with two small round feet on each spherical segment. Its bright red and yellow colouring warns predators that it is poisonous. A venomous barb about 5 cm (2 inches) long sticks out of its head, and a second stinger sits on its tail.
Behaviour
Weedle lurks in grass and bushes, often beneath the leaves it eats. It avoids trouble but defends itself with the barb on its head, and Bulbapedia says it will hit back at anything that steps on it.
Habitat
The Pokédex says forests and grasslands, and Bulbapedia says temperate forests. In Legends: Z-A it can be found in every district of Lumiose City.
Diet
Leaves: the Pokédex says it eats its own weight in them every day.
Powers
Its attacks are Poison Sting, String Shot and, from level 9, Bug Bite. Shield Dust blocks the extra effects of incoming moves, and the hidden Ability Run Away guarantees escape from wild battles. All of its base stats are 50 or below, with Speed highest, so it is a stepping stone to Beedrill.
Name origin
Weedle may combine 'worm' and 'needle'. The Japanese name is Beedle (ビードル), which may combine 'bee' and 'needle'.
Design inspiration
Atsuko Nishida designed Weedle and its evolutions, according to a Game Freak interview that Bulbapedia cites. It looks like a wasp or bee larva with stingers added, and its Japanese category may also hint at stinging caterpillars.
Evolution notes
Weedle evolves into Kakuna at level 7, and Kakuna into Beedrill at level 10, exactly the levels of Caterpie's line.
In the games
In Red, Blue, FireRed and LeafGreen, an old man in Viridian City shows how to catch Pokémon by catching a Weedle. The species first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), is in the base game of Legends: Z-A (Lumiose Pokédex number 18), and the Mega Dimension DLC adds it to Hyperspace Lumiose. Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet.
In the anime
Multiple Weedle debuted in 'Challenge of the Samurai', where Ash nearly caught one; it escaped, warned the others, and together they tried to take revenge. Casey caught a Weedle in 'The Bug Stops Here' and released it under the contest rules.
Fun facts
- Game Freak's Japanese website shows an early design of Weedle called Kokana.
- A wasp species, Stentorceps weedlei, was named after Weedle because both have a spike centred on the head.
- Weedle could not legitimately know any Normal-type move until Legends: Z-A, where Facade arrives as a TM; Bulbapedia says it was the only Pokémon in that position.
Base stats
- HP: 40
- Attack: 35
- Defense: 30
- Sp. Atk: 20
- Sp. Def: 20
- Speed: 50
Weedle’s base stat total is 195. Its highest stat is Speed.
Type matchups
What is Weedle weak to?
Weedle 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 Weedle evolve?
Weedle evolves into Kakuna at level 7.
The whole family: Weedle, Kakuna, Beedrill.
Abilities
- Shield Dust: Protects against incoming moves' extra effects.
- Run Away (hidden ability): Ensures success fleeing from wild battles.
Moves
Moves Weedle learns by level up in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poison Sting | Poison | Physical | 15 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — |
| 9 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 |
Move tutor moves (2): Bug Bite, Electroweb.
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 (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
- Base experience yield: 39.
Pokédex entries
Beware of the sharp stinger on its head. It hides in grass and bushes where it eats leaves. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)
Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis (nose). (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)
Its poison stinger is very powerful. Its bright-colored body is intended to warn off its enemies. (Gold, HeartGold, Y)
Often found in forests and grasslands. It has a sharp, toxic barb of around two inches on top of its head. (FireRed, X)
It eats its weight in leaves every day. It fends off attackers with the needle on its head. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)
It attacks using a two-inch poison barb on its head. It can usually be found under the leaves it eats. (Silver, SoulSilver)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ビードル |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Beedle |
| French | Aspicot |
| German | Hornliu |
| Spanish | Weedle |
| Italian | Weedle |
| Korean | 뿔충이 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 独角虫 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 獨角蟲 |
Trivia
- Lowest base stat total among Poison types: 195.
- Lowest base stat total among Gen 1 Pokémon: 195, shared with 1 other.
- Shortest Poison type in Gen 1: 0.3 m.
- Lowest base stat total among Poison types in Gen 1: 195.
- Shortest Bug type in Gen 1: 0.3 m, shared with 2 others.
- Lowest base stat total among Bug types in Gen 1: 195, shared with 1 other.
- Taller than 4% of all Pokémon (0.3 m).
- Heavier than 11% of all Pokémon (3.2 kg).
- Base stat total 195, ranked #1017 of 1,025.
- One of 12 Pokémon that are both Bug and Poison.
- One of 147 brown Pokémon.
- Number 13 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
- Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
- Can learn 4 different moves in Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon.
- Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 10 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: Weedle (Pokémon), Serebii: Weedle (Scarlet/Violet and Legends: Z-A Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (WEE-dul): 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 · Kanto region guide · Shield Dust ability · Run Away ability · Compare Weedle · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 1 Bug-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Bug egg group · Pokémon that start with W · Bug Pokémon · Bee and Wasp Pokémon
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