Biology
Greninja is a bipedal, frog-like Pokémon. It is mostly dark blue with a yellow chest, a white triangular marking over each eye, a light blue four-pointed star on each thigh, and yellow on the lower half of its face. It has red eyes with white pupils and its mouth is hidden behind a large, pink tongue that wraps around its neck and extends outward behind its head. Running down the middle of its head is a fin-like extension, and there is a similar fin on each side of its head. Light blue webbing connects its head fins. There is a large, white bubble-like bump on each elbow and knee. Its back feet have two toes, while its front feet have three toes. Each digit has a bulbous tip and yellow webbing.
Greninja moves with the speed and grace of a ninja. It uses swift movements to confuse its enemies while it slices them up with throwing stars made of compressed water. These throwing stars are sharp enough to split metal. In the past, Water Shuriken and Mat Block were its signature moves.
Through a transformation called Bond Phenomenon, Ash's Greninja in the anime and any Greninja with the Ability Battle Bond in Generation VII can change into an alternate form called Ash-Greninja. In this form, Greninja's skin turns a lighter shade of blue, while its face gains red stripes and its cheeks and side fins turn black, changing shape to resemble Ash's hair. Its legs are stronger in this form, and it gains the ability to form large Water Shurikens on its back.
In the anime
Ash-Greninja in the anime
Major appearances
Ash's Frogadier evolved into a Greninja in A Festival of Decisions! while battling Heidayu's Bisharp. It soon gained the ability to transform into Ash-Greninja.
A Greninja appeared in A Stealthy Challenge!, under the ownership of Sanpei. It reappeared in The Legend of the Ninja Hero! and A Festival of Decisions!. It was mostly seen outside of its Poké Ball.
Other
Greninja debuted in A Rush of Ninja Wisdom!, under the ownership of Ippei, but only in a fantasy. His Greninja made its physical debut in The Legend of the Ninja Hero!, later reappearing in the next episode.
A Greninja appeared in Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, under the ownership of Riot. It was his main Pokémon, used to assist him in his thievery.
Minor appearances
A Greninja appeared in the opening sequence of Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, when it evolved from Froakie and Frogadier.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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XY052
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Greninja
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Ash's Pokédex
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Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon, and the evolved form of Frogadier. Greninja's swift movements confound its opponents, and it can compress water into sharp-edged throwing stars.
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XY100
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Greninja
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Ash's Pokédex
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Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Froakie. Greninja can compress water into sharp-edged throwing stars. With the grace of a ninja, it slips in and out of sight to attack from the shadows.
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In the mangaIn the TCGOther appearancesGame data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
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Generation VI
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Kalos Central #009
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Hoenn #—
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X
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It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two.
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Y
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It appears and vanishes with a ninja’s grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water.
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Omega Ruby
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It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two.
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Alpha Sapphire
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It appears and vanishes with a ninja’s grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water.
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Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
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In side games
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
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In events
In-game events
Games
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Event
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Region
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Location
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Level
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Distribution period
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SM
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Ash's Greninja
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All
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hide
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37
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November 18, 2016 onwards
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Held items
Stats
Base stats
Greninja
Stat
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Range
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At Lv. 50
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At Lv. 100
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72
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132 - 179
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254 - 348
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95
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90 - 161
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175 - 317
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67
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64 - 130
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125 - 256
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103
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97 - 170
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189 - 335
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71
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68 - 135
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132 - 265
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122
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114 - 191
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224 - 377
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Total: 530
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Other Pokémon with this total
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- Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature.
- Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.
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Ash-Greninja
Stat
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Range
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At Lv. 50
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At Lv. 100
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72
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132 - 179
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254 - 348
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145
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135 - 216
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265 - 427
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67
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64 - 130
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125 - 256
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153
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142 - 225
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279 - 445
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71
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68 - 135
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132 - 265
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132
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123 - 202
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242 - 399
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Total: 640
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Other Pokémon with this total
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- Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature.
- Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.
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Type effectiveness
Under normal battle conditions in Generation IX, this Pokémon is:
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Learnset
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Greninja
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Greninja
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Greninja
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Greninja
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- Moves marked with an asterisk (*) must be chain bred onto Greninja in Generation VII
- Moves marked with a double dagger (‡) can only be bred from a Pokémon who learned the move in an earlier generation.
- Moves marked with a superscript game abbreviation can only be bred onto Greninja in that game.
- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Greninja
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Greninja
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- A black or white abbreviation in a colored box indicates that Greninja can be tutored the move in that game
- A colored abbreviation in a white box indicates that Greninja cannot be tutored the move in that game
- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Greninja
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Greninja
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Greninja
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Greninja
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Special moves
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- A superscript level indicates that Greninja can learn this move normally in Generation VII
- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Greninja
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Greninja
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see moves from other generations
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Side game data
Ash-Greninja
Evolution
Forms
Sprites
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
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Trivia
- Greninja has the highest base Speed stat of all fully evolved starter Pokémon.
- Ash-Greninja has the highest base Speed stat of all Dark-type Pokémon.
- Greninja is the only starter Pokémon that has more than two possible Abilities, and the only Pokémon with an event-exclusive Ability.
- Ash-Greninja has the highest base stat total of all fully evolved starter Pokémon.
- Greninja shares its category with Ninjask. They are both known as the Ninja Pokémon.
- Greninja won first place in the Japanese Pokémon general election 720 (Japanese: ポケモン総選挙720) poll to decide what Pokémon would be distributed at showings of Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel in Japan.
- Greninja, Ash-Greninja, Alolan Sandshrew, Clefable, Latias, Gurdurr, and Meteor Form Minior are all the same weight as Ethan.
- It was revealed that Greninja was added into Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U before Pokémon X and Y was even released. Masahiro Sakurai knew that a Generation VI Pokémon was going to be a playable fighter in that game, so when Greninja was decided, all they had to go on in terms of design was concept art, similar to Roy during the development of Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Origin
Greninja is based on a frog, and may have been inspired by horned frogs from the genera Megophrys and Ceratophrys due to the spiked protrusions above its eyes. Its coloration and body shape is similar to the splendid leaf frog. The bubble-like protrusions on its body may be based on a toad's parotoid glands, possibly referencing the traditional myth of toads causing warts, though they may also be remnants of Froakie and Frogadier's frubbles. As its species name implies, Greninja is also based on a ninja. Japanese culture associates frogs and toads with ninjas based on the folk story "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya" (児雷也豪傑物語 Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari) about a ninja who can shapeshift into a large toad. Greninja and its pre-evolutions may also draw inspiration from the thief or rogue class as they often rely on speed and stealth and are often seen as nimble or ranged combatants while tending to focus more on dodging attacks rather than withstanding damage.
Ash-Greninja's appearance is based on Ash's attire in the XY series.
Name origin
Greninja is a combination of grenouille (French for frog) and ninja.
Gekkouga is a combination of げこっ geko (croak) and 甲賀流 Kōga-ryū. It may also derive from 月光 gekkō (moonlight), in reference to a popular conception of ninja running through the night or to Greninja's Dark typing, or a combination of both.
In other languagesRelated articlesExternal links
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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
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