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's movements are swift, rapid and graceful, akin to those of ninja. It uses this speed to confound enemies while slicing them up. It can compress water into various weapons to slice up enemies, most commonly in the form of its Water Shuriken, though it has been shown creating water katana and water kunai in both the anime and the Super Smash Bros. series. It can also create shuriken from the mucus it excretes from its thighs for sharp projectiles that can split through metal. Although this is only seen in the anime, Greninja's tongue is extremely long and many times its own height, and strong enough to catch and hold an average human. However, it usually keeps its tongue wrapped around its neck like a scarf. Doing so exposes its tongue to air movements, allowing Greninja to detect enemies it otherwise could not see.
In Generation VI, Mat Block was its signature move. In Generation IX, Water Shuriken is its signature move.
Greninja throw stars made of compressed water
Greninja extending its tongue
Forms
Concept art of Ash-Greninja from Sun/Moon
Greninja has an alternate form: Ash-Greninja.
Through a process called the Bond Phenomenon, certain Greninja, such as Ash's Greninja in the anime, 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. Ash-Greninja is always male.
As Ash-Greninja, its speed and power far outpace those of a normal Greninja. Its legs are strengthened, increasing its speed to a point where it becomes highly difficult to see and enabling it to dispatch enemies in a flash. It gains the ability to form even larger Water Shurikens on its back and launch them in rapid succession. Ash-Greninja is described as a form used in battle in order to break through Greninja's limits.[1]
Ash-Greninja is the only known Pokémon that can have Battle Bond as an Ability.
Evolution
Greninja evolves from Frogadier and is the final form of Froakie.
(For specifics on this Pokémon's evolution in the games, refer to Game data→Evolution data.)
Game 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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Generation IX
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Paldea #—
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Kitakami #—
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Blueberry #217
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Scarlet
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The movement of air against the long tongue Greninja keeps wrapped around its neck allows it to sense enemies it can’t see.
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Violet
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It makes shuriken out of mucus excreted from its thighs. These shuriken can cut cleanly through steel cables.
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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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Generation VIII
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This Pokémon is unavailable in Generation VIII side games.
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In events
Greninja
In-game events
Battle Bond Greninja
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
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see level-up moves from other generations
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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 or an alternate form of Greninja
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see TM moves from other generations
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Greninja
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- Moves marked with an asterisk (*) must be chain bred onto Greninja
- 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 Egg moves from other generations
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Battle Bond Greninja
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- Moves marked with an asterisk (*) must be chain bred onto Greninja
- 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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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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Battle Bond 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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Side game data
Greninja
Ash-Greninja
Form data
In the XY&Z arc of the anime's Pokémon the Series: XY, Ash's Greninja gained the ability to transform into a stronger form known as "Ash-Greninja" through an occurrence referred to as the Bond Phenomenon. This form was introduced to the core series games in Pokémon Sun and Moon.
In the Generation VII games, a Greninja with the Ability Battle Bond will transform into Ash-Greninja after it directly causes an opponent to faint without ending the battle. It will remain in this form until either it faints or the battle ends; in the former case, this prevents it from changing back into Ash-Greninja for the remainder of the battle. Ash-Greninja has different base stats than regular Greninja, with increased Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Additionally, the move Water Shuriken will be more powerful, having 20 power instead of 15, and will always hit 3 times, instead of varying between 2-5 hits. Ash-Greninja has been removed from the core series in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet due to Battle Bond having its effect changed.
Internally, standard Greninja with Battle Bond are considered to be a separate form to Greninja with Torrent or Protean. These Greninja are always male, cannot breed, and, like Special Pokémon, are banned from the Battle Spot. A Greninja with Battle Bond can be transferred to Pokémon Sun and Moon from the Special Demo Version. This is the only way to obtain it, so it is no longer obtainable for players who did not download the demo before the discontinuation of the 3DS Nintendo eShop on March 27, 2023.
Evolution data
Battle Bond Greninja
Sprites
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
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This Pokémon is unavailable in Generation VIII.
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In the animeIn the mangaIn the TCGOther appearances
- Main article: Greninja (Super Smash Bros.)
Five Greninja appeared in POKÉMON Detective Pikachu. They were genetically modified and put in chambers. They were later used to chase after Harry Goodman, and also Tim and Lucy when they broke into Howard's facility.
Greninja in Pokémon UNITE
- Main article: Greninja (UNITE)
Greninja is playable through obtaining a Unite License. It is a ranged attacker that starts as Froakie and evolves into Frogadier at level 5, which evolves into Greninja at level 7.
Trivia
Origin
Greninja's overall appearance is based on a frog,[2] and it may have been inspired by horned frogs from the genera Megophrys and Ceratophrys due to the spiked protrusions above its eyes. Its color scheme and body shape is similar to that of 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 (Japanese: 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 character class in role-playing games, which are generally ranged combatants that often rely on speed and stealth, focusing more on dodging attacks rather than withstanding damage.
Ash-Greninja's appearance is based on Ash's attire in Pokémon the Series: XY and hair. On its back it is wearing a shuriken, a ninja star, made out of water.
Name origin
Greninja may be a combination of grenouille (French for frog) and ninja.
Gekkouga may be a combination of げこっ geko (croak) or 月光 gekkō (moonlight, in reference to a popular conception of ninja running through the night or to Greninja's Dark typing) and 甲賀流 Kōga-ryū.
In other languagesSee alsoReferencesExternal 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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