Sneasel is a bipedal Pokémon that resembles both cats and weasels. It is primarily bluish black with three bright red feathers for its tail and a single one on its left ear. The ear feather is shorter on the female than on the male. The other ear is short and pointed, and it has narrow red eyes. On its forehead and chest are yellow, oval markings. It has red eyes with black eyelash-like markings on the edges. It has long limbs with two large, retractable claws on its hands and feet.
Sneasel is a notoriously vicious Pokémon, which is perfectly capable of using its claws to do substantial damage. The claws are also used for climbing trees in its forest home. Sneasel steals eggs from unattended Pidgey nests. Sneasel has been known to form pairs to hunt. One will lure the parents away from the nest, while the other steals the eggs. Its former signature move, Beat Up, allows it to call on its teammates to attack its opponent.
Sneasel also made an appearance in Hail to the Chef under the ownership of Rhoda, a girl that lives outside of Saffron City who was competing with her sister, who owned a Mr. Mime, for the ownership of her father's restaurant.
Sneasel's most predominant role is as one of Silver's Pokémon which he first appeared in Who Gives a Hoothoot?, probably his first Pokémon as he was the Pokémon he used during his training under the Masked Man, and the only one seen with him in flashbacks of his childhood prior to being kidnapped. He is a dexterous and crafty fighter that fully utilizes his speed and attacks of both the Dark type and the Ice type. After many years, he evolved into a Weavile with his Murkrow in Lance's hidden Whirl Islands chamber.
Sneasel has the highest base Speed of all Pokémon that can evolve.
In Pokémon Gold and Silver, Sneasel's skin was brown and it had turquoise feathers. This was rectified to match the original artwork in Crystal.
Sneasel can be seen as a parallel to Gligar. Both of them are dual-types, have the same base stat total, evolve into Pokémon thatwere introduced in Generation IV, and do so by leveling up at night while holding itemsbothcontaining the word razor.
Origin
Sneasel appears to be based on the kamaitachi, weasel demons with sickles on their front legs. Its Ice typing may also be a nod to the kamaitachi's association with ice and snow. It also shares similar traits with cats and weasels, from unusually cruel behaviors to even superstition, from cat demons or black cats of Western witchcraft, to Japanese superstition of weasels, being known in their respective cultures for being sneaky and associated with "evil" and misfortune. Its eye markings are similar to that of ones in Egyptian style, possibly Horus's.
Name origin
Sneasel is a combination of sneaky and weasel. It may also derive from sneeze, an action associated with having a cold or being cold, referring to its Ice-type.
Nyula may be a combination of 潜入 sennyū (sneaking in) and 鼬 yū (weasel, an alternate reading of itachi). Alternatively, it may be a combination of new and 野良 nora (stray, as in a stray cat, as strays are usually violent and tricky). Nyu itself may be a combination of ニャー nya (the sound a cat makes) and 鼬 yū.
Quick Claw (8%)
Grip Claw (50%)
For other sprites and images, please see Sneasel images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
