Rock Head (Ability)

If you were looking for the Rock Head Pokémon, see Bagon.

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Rock Head	いしあたま
	Rock Head
Flavor text Generation III Prevents recoil damage. Generation IV Protects the Pokémon from recoil damage. Generation V Protects the Pokémon from recoil damage. Generation VI Protects the Pokémon from recoil damage. Generation VII Currently unknown Generation VIII Currently unknown Generation IX Currently unknown

Rock Head (Japanese: いしあたま Rock Head) is an Ability introduced in Generation III.

Effect

In battle

Rock Head prevents recoil damage from moves (except Struggle), but not from use of a Life Orb, Jaboca Berry, or Rowap Berry. Crash damage is still received if Jump Kick or High Jump Kick misses.

If Rock Head is lost in a turn due to using a recoil-inducing contact move on a Pokémon with Mummy, the HP loss from recoil will occur that turn.

In Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon with this Ability still receive recoil damage from Shadow Rush. In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Pokémon with this Ability still receive recoil damage from Shadow End.

Affected moves

The Ability affects the following moves:

Move Type Cat. Pokémon learned by* Brave Bird  Flying  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Double-Edge  Normal  Physical *** {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Flare Blitz  Fire  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Head Charge  Normal  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Head Smash  Rock  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Light of Ruin  Fairy  Special {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Submission  Fighting  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Take Down  Normal  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Volt Tackle  Electric  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Wood Hammer  Grass  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}} Wild Charge  Electric  Physical {{{4}}} {{{5}}} {{{6}}}

Outside of battle

Rock Head has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Rock Head

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0074		Geodude	Rock	Ground	Rock Head	Sturdy	Sand Veil
0075		Graveler	Rock	Ground	Rock Head	Sturdy	Sand Veil
0076		Golem	Rock	Ground	Rock Head	Sturdy	Sand Veil
0095		Onix	Rock	Ground	Rock Head	Sturdy	Weak Armor
0104		Cubone	Ground		Ground	Rock Head	Lightning Rod	Battle Armor
0105		Marowak	Ground		Ground	Rock Head	Lightning Rod	Battle Armor
0111		Rhyhorn	Ground	Rock	Lightning Rod	Rock Head	Reckless
0112		Rhydon	Ground	Rock	Lightning Rod	Rock Head	Reckless
0142		Aerodactyl	Rock	Flying	Rock Head	Pressure	Unnerve
0185		Sudowoodo	Rock		Rock	Sturdy	Rock Head	Rattled
0208		Steelix	Steel	Ground	Rock Head	Sturdy	Sheer Force
0304		Aron	Steel	Rock	Sturdy	Rock Head	Heavy Metal
0305		Lairon	Steel	Rock	Sturdy	Rock Head	Heavy Metal
0306		Aggron	Steel	Rock	Sturdy	Rock Head	Heavy Metal
0369		Relicanth	Water	Rock	Swift Swim	Rock Head	Sturdy
0371		Bagon	Dragon		Dragon	Rock Head	None	Sheer Force
0372		Shelgon	Dragon		Dragon	Rock Head	None	Overcoat
0438		Bonsly	Rock		Rock	Sturdy	Rock Head	Rattled
550B	Basculin	Basculin	Water		Water	Rock Head	Adaptability	Mold Breaker
0697		Tyrantrum	Rock	Dragon	Strong Jaw	None	Rock Head
Please note that abilities marked with a superscript are only available in the stated generation or later. For Generation III and IV games, ignore Hidden Abilities.

• In Pokémon Black and White, Blue-Striped Basculin have Reckless as their second standard Ability; however, a Blue-Striped Basculin with Rock Head can be obtained from an in-game trade in White. In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, wild Blue-Striped Basculin have Rock Head as their second standard Ability, but Blue-Striped Basculin bred in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 have Reckless as their second standard Ability. In Generation VI, Blue-Striped Basculin have Rock Head as their second standard Ability, and Blue-Striped Basculin with Reckless transferred to Pokémon Bank have their Ability changed to Rock Head.

In the anime

Aggron Sudowoodo Onix Bonsly
When the Pokémon uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	When Bonsly uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Brock's Bonsly	From Cradle to Save		Debut
	When Sudowoodo uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Brock's Sudowoodo	Leave it to Brocko!		None
	When Onix uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Roark's Onix	Shapes of Things to Come!		None
	When Aggron uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Paul's Aggron	Familiarity Breeds Strategy!		None

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Onix Aerodactyl Golem
When the Pokémon uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	When Aerodactyl uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Red's Aero	Double Dealing with Deoxys		Debut
	When Golem uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
The Battle Factory's Golem	Pinsir Me, I Must Be Dreaming		None
	When Onix uses an attack that inflicts recoil damage, it doesn't get hit with recoil.
Roark's Onix	A Conk on Cranidos's Cranium		None

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 石頭 Shí​tou​ Dutch Steenkop Finnish Kivipää French Tête de Roc German Steinhaupt Indonesian Kepala Batu Italian Testadura Korean 돌머리 Dol Meori Polish Skalna Głowa Portuguese Cabeça de Pedra Romanian Capul de Piatră Spanish Cabeza Roca Vietnamese Đầu đá

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.