In commemoration of Nintendo’s 135ᵗʰ anniversary, September 20 to 30 is NIWA Cross-Wiki Week. Click here for event details and the possibility to win a $20/€20 Nintendo eShop gift card. Please remember to follow the manual of style and code of conduct at all times. Check the Bulbagarden home page for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Whirlipede is an insectoid Pokémon encased in a hard, segmented shell. It has two pairs of gray, horn-like feelers with dark gray stripes, with one pair extended upward from its front and the other pointing downward from its lower rear. Two poisonous barbs flank either side of each segment of its shell. The shell itself is gray, with red rings in the middle of each segment and a darker gray border circling its open center. Whirlipede's eyes can be seen within the center, and have slitted pupils, yellow sclerae, and thick, gray eyelids. Whirlipede remains motionless while storing energy for evolution, but will move to stab approaching predators with its poisonous spikes. If attacked, it can quickly spin its body like a wheel and crash furiously into opponents. It can move to about the speed of 60 mph.
Like Spinda, its base stat total might be based on the fact that it and Spinda usually spin in circles, which are 360 degrees.
Despite the Scolipede and Centiskorch evolutionary families living in different parts of the Galarregion, both Venipede and Scolipede's Pokédex entries speak of their hostile relationship with the latter family.
Whirlipede and its evolutionary relatives were designed by Tomohiro Kitakaze.[1]
Whirlipede may be based on centipedes and curled up pill millipedes, roly poly-like arthropods that curl up into a ball when in danger. It also resembles a rubber tire.
Name origin
Whirlipede is a combination of whirl and centipede or millipede.
Wheega is a combination of wheel and 毬 iga (sphere).
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.