Recoil

Recoil is damage a Pokémon can receive upon using a damaging move. Life Orb causes damage similar to recoil when its holder uses a damaging attacking move; however, this damage is not considered recoil by game mechanics. The moves Jump Kick and Hi Jump Kick have recoil known as crash damage. The recoil on these moves is only dealt if the move misses, rather than upon inflicting damage to an opposing Pokémon.

In Pokémon Stadium, if a recoil move knocks out the opponent, then the user will not take recoil damage.

The Ability Magic Guard prevents most forms of indirect damage, including both recoil and the damage taken from Life Orb. The Ability Rock Head prevents only recoil damage; it does not prevent damage taken from Life Orb. Neither Ability prevents recoil from Struggle or Shadow Rush.

The Ability Reckless increases the power of moves with recoil by 20%, except Struggle. Reckless does not increase the amount of recoil taken directly, but the user will also take 20% more recoil than normal because of the damage increase. Reckless does not increase the bonus or damage taken from Life Orb.

Since recoil is a primary effect, it is not negated by Sheer Force. However, since the damage taken from Life Orb is a secondary effect that activates after the attack is executed, Sheer Force will prevent it.

Moves with recoil damage

Name Type Category Power Accuracy Notes Take Down Normal Physical 90 85% User receives 1/4 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Double-Edge Normal Physical 120 100% User receives 1/3 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Submission Fighting Physical 80 80% User receives 1/4 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Struggle Normal Physical 50 100% User always loses 1/4 maximum HP as recoil damage; hits Ghost-type Pokémon. Volt Tackle Electric Physical 120 100% User receives 1/3 of damage dealt as recoil damage; 10% chance of paralyzing the target. Flare Blitz Fire Physical 120 100% User receives 1/3 of damage dealt as recoil damage; 10% chance of burning the target. Brave Bird Flying Physical 120 100% User receives 1/3 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Wood Hammer Grass Physical 120 100% User receives 1/3 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Head Smash Rock Physical 150 80% User receives 1/2 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Wild Charge Electric Physical 90 100% User receives 1/4 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Head Charge Normal Physical 120 100% User receives 1/4 of damage dealt as recoil damage. Shadow Rush* ------ Physical 90 100% User receives 1/4 of damage dealt as recoil damage; more likely to have a critical hit when the Pokémon is in Hyper Mode.

Moves with crash damage

Name Type Category Power Accuracy Notes Jump Kick Fighting Physical 100 95% If the move misses, the user receives damage equal to half of its max HP rounded down. Hi Jump Kick Fighting Physical 130 90% If the move misses, the user receives damage equal to half of its max HP rounded down.

In the anime

Infernape damaged

A number of times in the anime, recoil has been noted. The most notable is Pikachu's Volt Tackle. Brock has stated many times that Volt Tackle causes recoil and is very risky.

Another time in the anime is the fight between Greta and Ash. When Greta's Medicham used Hi Jump Kick on Ash's Snorlax, Snorlax dodged the attack and Greta's Medicham was injured because it missed.

Ash's Staraptor and Reggie's Staraptor both know Brave Bird, which was stated to do recoil damage, making it a very risky move. The same goes for Flint's Infernape and Ash's Infernape, who both know Flare Blitz.

Take Down is referred to as a risky move numerous times in the anime, along with Double-Edge. However, in some cases such as The Battle of the Badge, where Ash's Pidgeotto used Double-Edge it took no recoil damage. However a case like that is mostly only in the earlier series.

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.