Sneasel is a bipedal Pokémon that resembles both a cat and a weasel. 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 boreal or sub-alpine forests. It can also bring out its claws to startle foes that attacked it. Sneasel steals Eggs from unattended Pidgey nests. Sneasel has been known to form pairs to hunt. Sneasel can blend well into the night in order to ambush their prey. One will lure the parents away from the nest, while the other steals the eggs. It then uses its claws to poke a hole in the egg before slurping the contents out. As a result, Sneasel are despised and considered a scourge by Breeders to the point where they try to drive away or eradicate the former. Sneasel preys on AlolanSandshrew, but its skin is so hard that it can cause Sneasel's claws to snap off. Its former signature move, Beat Up, allows it to call on its teammates to attack its opponent. It shares roots from its Hisuian counterpart yet is more spiteful. This behavior likely stems from the water and ground of the environment that it lives in.
In Hisui, Sneasel has a similar appearance to its Johtonian counterpart due to the living environment on the cliffside. It has a white and purple body with its left ear colored light purple. The face, shoulders, and chest have dark purple spots and there is a yellow gem on both its head and chest. The two toes on each foot are closed, and it has rounder eyes than its Johtonian form. Like Johtonian Sneasel, the ear feather is shorter on the female than on the male.
Hisuian Sneasel's sturdy and curved claws allow it to climb and travel through the precipitous walls and cliffs where it lives. The venom from the tips of Hisuian Sneasel's claws is capable of invading the nervous system of any prey it scratches. It prefers to be alone and not in packs like the Johtonian Sneasel. As a result of the environment, it evolves into Sneasler instead of Weavile.
Sneasel's most predominant role is as one of Silver's Pokémon. He first appeared in Who Gives a Hoothoot?. It is his first Pokémon as he was the Pokémon that 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 in Lance's hidden Whirl Islands chamber.
In My, My, My Mimic, a Sneasel was captured by Carr, who wanted to ambush Red and Blue. However, it is frozen and beaten by the newly arrived Lorelei.
Sneasel scales trees by punching its hooked claws into the bark. This Pokémon seeks out unguarded nests and steals eggs for food while the parents are away.
Sneasel scales trees by punching its hooked claws into the bark. This Pokémon seeks out unguarded nests and steals eggs for food while the parents are away.
This Pokémon shares roots with the Sneasel of Hisui, but unlike that species, this one is spiteful in personality. I hypothesize that water and earth can affect Sneasel's mind and body.
Its sturdy, curved claws are ideal for traversing precipitous cliffs. From the tips of these claws drips a venom that infiltrates the nerves of any prey caught in Sneasel's grasp.
Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
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.
Hisuian Sneasel
Hisuian Sneasel has the same base stats as Johtonian Sneasel. Due to the different way stats are calculated in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, exact minimum and maximum stats are not shown in this table.
No other Pokémon has the same typecombination as Johtonian Sneasel and its evolved form.
Sneasel can be seen as a counterpart to Gligar. Both of them have two types which cause them to have a quadruple weakness to another type, have the same base stat total, evolve into Pokémon that were introduced in Generation IV (Weavile and Gliscor), and do so by leveling up at night while holding Evolution item whose name includes the word razor (Razor Claw and Razor Fang).
Sneasel has the highest base Speed stat of all Pokémon that are capable of evolving.
Despite Sneasel being based on the kamaitachi, which has the same Japanese name as Razor Wind, Sneasel cannot learn this move.
Sneasel may be based on the kamaitachi, a type of yōkai often represented as weasel demons with sickles on their front legs and sometimes understood as the cause of mysterious cuts on the skin, especially in cold weather. It also resembles black cats. It may also draw inspiration from the viverrids, weasel-like mammals with half-retractable claws that are sometimes mistaken for cats; its "feathers" perhaps represent the dorsal crest seen on some species. 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, or sneesl (Scots for to begin to rain or snow) — both of which refer 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, ニャー nya (the sound a cat makes), and 野良 nora (stray, as in a stray cat, as strays are usually violent and tricky).
Quick Claw (2%)
Grip Claw (50%)
For other sprites and images, please see Sneasel images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
