Characteristic

Characteristics (Japanese: 個性 individuality) are a feature in the Pokémon games, introduced in Generation IV. A Pokémon's Characteristic indicates which stat contains a Pokémon's highest IV. It is displayed on the Pokémon's summary screen where its Nature, date met, place met, and flavor preferenceDPPt are shown.

A Pokémon's Characteristic is determined by the remainder of its highest IV divided by 5 (known as modulo operation in programming). Since it is built this way, Pokémon transferred from the games of Generation III via Pal Park have a Characteristic without their stats being changed.

List of Characteristics

Possible Individual Values HP Attack Defense Special Attack Special Defense Speed
0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 Loves to eat Proud of its power Sturdy body Highly curious Strong willed Likes to run
1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31 Takes plenty of siestasVI+
Often dozes offIV-V
Likes to thrash about Capable of taking hits Mischievous Somewhat vain Alert to sounds
2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27 Nods off a lotVI+
Often scatters thingsIV-V
A little quick tempered Highly persistent Thoroughly cunning Strongly defiant Impetuous and silly
3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28 Scatters things often Likes to fight Good endurance Often lost in thought Hates to lose Somewhat of a clown
4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29 Likes to relax Quick tempered Good perseverance Very finicky Somewhat stubborn Quick to flee

Note that having a certain Characteristic does not necessarily imply that the highest possible value for an IV is present. A Pokémon with an "Alert to sounds" Characteristic could have a 6 in Speed (and thus very low IVs across all of its stats since none could be higher than 6) instead of a 31 in Speed.

Mistranslations

In Generations IV and V, two of the Characteristics were not properly translated from the Japanese releases. The HP Characteristics corresponding to IVs of 1 and 2 were accidentally replaced by the Characteristics corresponding to IVs of 2 and 3, respectively. So, rather than the HP Characteristics being ordered "Takes plenty of siestas", "Nods off a lot" (i.e., "Often dozes off"), and "Scatters things often" as they should have been, they were ordered "Often dozes off", "Often scatters things", "Scatters things often" (note that the last two are different, but only trivially).

Ties

In the event of a tie in highest IVs, the IV that determines the Pokémon's Characteristic is decided in the following manner:

Start with the Pokémon's personality value (Generation IV and V) or encryption constant (Generation VI). Take that value modulo 6. The result is an index number of a stat in this order: HP, Attack, Defense, Speed, Special Attack, Special Defense. In the event of a tie in IVs, the first IV checked is the IV corresponding to that index number. If that IV is not part of the tie, the game moves on to the next index number in the aforementioned order. If it goes past 5 (Special Defense), it wraps around back to 0 (HP). When the game finds an IV that is part of the tie, that is the IV that will determine the Characteristic displayed.

Because of this ordered method of checking the IVs, if two tied stats are directly next to each other in the index (for example Attack (1) and Defense (2)), the one with the lower index number (Attack in this case) determines the Pokémon’s Characteristic for 5/6 of all personality values/encryption constants, because if the modulo value lands on any other index number, it will always tick around to the lower index number first.

  • Due to the wraparound, Special Defense behaves the same way with HP.
  • The possible Characteristics are only weighted equally if the tied stats are spaced evenly across the stat index:
    • For two tied stats, the tied stats must be 3 apart, for example HP (0) and Speed (3).
    • For three tied stats, the tied stats must be 2 apart, for example Attack (1), Speed (3) and Special Defense (5).
    • For four or five tied stats, it is impossible for the possible Characteristics to be weighted equally.
    • For six tied stats, the possible Characteristics are always weighted equally.

Examples

A Mudkip has the following IVs:

  Hit Points Attack Defense Speed Sp. Attack Sp. Defense
24 18 17 29 24 27

Since its highest IV is 29 in Speed, its Characteristic will be "Quick to flee."

A Ditto has the following IVs and a personality value of 1467750821 in base 10:

  Hit Points Attack Defense Speed Sp. Attack Sp. Defense
8 0 0 17 17 10

Since its highest IV is 17 in both Speed and Special Attack, the result of 1467750821 mod 6, or 5, is used to check against the IV in Special Defense. Since the Special Defense is not part of the tie, the game moves on and wraps back until it reaches Speed, which is part of the tie. Its Characteristic will be "Impetuous and silly."

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Since the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, the Characteristics of each Pokédex holder's Pokémon have been visible on their bios.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 個性 Gosing
Mandarin 個性 / 个性 Gèxìng
  French Caractéristique
  German Persönlichkeit
  Italian Tratti unici
  Korean 개성 Gaeseong
Portuguese   Brazil Personalidade
  Portugal Personalidade*
  Spanish Personalidad

Specific Characteristics

  English   Kana   Rōmaji   French   German   Italian   Spanish   Hangul   Romanized   Hànzì   Romanized
A little quick tempered ちょっと 怒りっぽい Chotto okorippoi Un peu coléreux Besitzt Temperament Si arrabbia facilmente A veces se enfada 약간 화를 잘 내는 성미임 Yaggan hwareul jal naen-eun seongmi-im 有點容易生氣 / 有点容易生气 Yǒudiǎn róngyì shēngqì / Yáuhdím yùhngyih sāanghei
Alert to sounds 物音に 敏感 Mono'oto ni binkan Attentif aux sons Achtet auf Geräusche Fa attenzione ai suoni Siempre tiene el oído alerta 주위 소리에 민감함 Juwi sorie mingamham 對聲音敏感 / 对声音敏感 Duì shēngyīn mǐngǎn / Deui sēngyām máhngám
Capable of taking hits 打たれ強い Utare zuyoi Sait encaisser les coups Kann Treffer gut verkraften Incassa bene i colpi Es un buen fajador 맷집이 강함 Maesjip-i gangham 抗打能力強 / 抗打能力强 Kàng dǎ nénglì qiáng / Kong dā nàhnglihk geuhng
Good endurance 辛抱強い Shinbō zuyoi Bonne endurance Hat eine gute Ausdauer È molto paziente Se caracteriza por ser muy resistente 인내심이 강함 Innaesim-i gangham 能吃苦耐勞 / 能吃苦耐劳 Néng chīkǔ nàiláo / Nàhng gātfú noihlòuh
Good perseverance 我慢強い Gaman zuyoi Persévérant Ist beharrlich È molto tenace Es muy perseverante 잘 참음 Jal cham-eum 善於忍耐 / 善于忍耐 Shànyú rěnnài / Sihnyū yánnoih
Hates to lose 負けず嫌い Makezu girai A horreur de perdre Hasst Niederlagen Non sopporta perdere Odia perder 지기 싫어함 Jigi sir-eoham 不服輸 / 不服输 Bù fúshū / Bāt fuhksyū
Highly curious 好奇心が 強い Kōkishin ga tsuyoi Extrêmement curieux Ist sehr neugierig È un grande ficcanaso Es extremadamente curioso 호기심이 강함 Hogisim-i gangham 好奇心強 / 好奇心强 Hàoqí xīnqiáng / Hóugēi sāmgeuhng
Highly persistent 粘り強い Nebari zuyoi Très obstiné Ist äußerst ausdauernd È molto ostinato Es muy persistente 끈질김 Kkeunjilgim 頑強不屈 / 顽强不屈 Wánqiáng bùqū / Wàahngeuhng bātwāt
Impetuous and silly おっちょこちょい Otchokochoi Bête et impulsif Ist ungestüm und einfältig È irruente e semplice Resulta algo impetuoso y bobo 촐랑대는 성격임 Chollangdaeneun seonggyeok-im 冒冒失失 Màomàoshīshī / Mahkmahksātsāt
Likes to fight ケンカを するのが 好き Kenka o suru no ga suki Aime combattre Liebt Kämpfe Adora lottare Le gusta luchar 싸움을 좋아함 Ssaum-eul jo-aham 喜歡打架 / 喜欢打架 Xǐhuān dǎjià / Héifūn dāgá
Likes to relax のんびりするのが 好き Nonbiri suru no ga suki Aime se détendre Mag es, sich zu entspannen Adora rilassarsi Le gusta relajarse 유유자적함을 좋아함 Yuyujajeokham-eul jo-aham 喜歡悠然自在 / 喜欢悠然自在 Xǐhuān yōurán zìzài / Héifūn yàuhyìhn jihjoih
Likes to run 駆けっこが 好き Kakekko ga suki Aime courir Liebt es zu rennen Adora correre Le gusta correr 약간 우쭐쟁이임 Yaggan ujjuljaeng-iim 喜歡比誰跑得快 / 喜欢比谁跑得快 Xǐhuān bǐ shuí pǎo dé kuài / Héifūn béi sèuih páau dāk faai
Likes to thrash about 暴れることが 好き Abareru koto ga suki Aime se démener Prügelt sich gern Adora dimenarsi Le gusta revolverse 난동부리기를 좋아함 Nandong buligileul jo-aham 喜歡胡鬧 / 喜欢胡闹 Xǐhuān húnào / Héifūn wùhnaauh
Loves to eat 食べるのが 大好き Taberu no ga daisuki Adore manger Liebt es zu essen Adora mangiare Le encanta comer 먹는 것을 제일 좋아함 Meogneun geos-eul je-il jo-aham 非常喜歡吃東西 / 非常喜欢吃东西 Fēicháng xǐhuān chī dōngxī / Fēisèuhng héifūn gāt dūngsāi
Mischievous イタズラが 好き Itazura ga suki Coquin Ist hinterhältig È alquanto vivace Le gusta hacer travesuras 장난을 좋아함 Jangnan-eul joaham 喜歡惡作劇 / 喜欢恶作剧 Xǐhuān èzuòjù / Héifūn ngokjokkehk
Nods off a lot 居眠りが 多い Inemuri ga ōi Dort beaucoup Schläft gern Dorme a lungo Duerme mucho 말뚝잠이 많음 Malttugjam-i man-eum 常常打瞌睡 Chángcháng dǎ kēshuì / Sèuhngsèuhng dā hahpseuih
Often lost in thought 考え事が 多い Kangae goto ga ōi Souvent dans la lune Ist oft in Gedanken Si perde nel suo mondo A menudo está en Babia 걱정거리가 많음 Geogjeong-georiga man-eum 經常思考 / 经常思考 Jīngcháng sīkǎo / Gīngsèuhng sīháau
Proud of its power 力が 自慢 Chikara ga jiman Est fier de sa puissance Ist stolz auf seine Stärke La forza è il suo vanto Está orgulloso de su fuerza 힘자랑이 특기임 Himjalang-i teug-giim 以力氣大為傲 / 以力气大为傲 Yǐ lìqì dà wéi'ào / Yíh lihkhei daaih wàih'ngouh
Quick tempered 血の気が 多い Chinoke ga ōi S'emporte facilement Ist impulsiv È facilmente irritabile Tiene mal genio 혈기가 왕성함 Hyeolgiga wangseongham 血氣方剛 / 血气方刚 Xuèqì fānggāng / Hyuthei fōnggōng
Quick to flee 逃げるのが はやい Nigeru no ga hayai Fuit rapidement Flüchtet schnell Sa fuggire velocemente Huye rápido 도망에는 선수임 Domang-eneun seonsu-im 逃得快 Táo dé kuài / Tòuh dāk faai
Scatters things often ものを よく 散らかす Mono o yokuchira kasu Éparpille des choses Macht oft Unordnung Lascia cose in giro Suele desordenar cosas 물건을 잘 어지름 Mulgeon-eul jal eojireum 經常亂扔東西 / 经常乱扔东西 Jīngcháng luànrēng dōngxī / Gīngsèuhng lyuhnyìhng dūngsāi
Somewhat of a clown すこし お調子者 Sukoshi otchōshimono Aime faire le pitre Ist ein bisschen albern È una specie di buffone Es un poco payaso 약간 우쭐쟁이임 Yag-gan u-jjuljaeng-iim 有點容易得意忘形 / 有点容易得意忘形 Yǒudiǎn róngyì déyìwàngxíng / Yáuhdím yùhngyih dākyimòhngyìhng
Somewhat stubborn ちょっぴり 強情 Choppiri gōjō Assez entêté Ist dickköpfig È un po' testardo Es un poco cabezota 조금 고집통이임 Jogeum gojibtong-iim 有一點點固執 / 有一点点固执 Yǒu yīdiǎndiǎn gùzhí / Yáuh yātdímdím gujāp
Somewhat vain ちょっぴり みえっぱり Choppiri mieppari Un peu vaniteux Ist etwas eitel È abbastanza superficiale Es algo orgulloso 조금 겉치레를 좋아함 Jogeum geotchirereul jo-aham 有一點點愛慕虛榮 / 有一点点爱慕虚荣 Yǒu yīdiǎndiǎn àimùxūróng / Yáuh yātdímdím ngoimouhhēuiwìhng
Strong willed 気が 強い Ki ga tsuyoi Très volontaire Besitzt einen starken Willen Sa il fatto suo Se distingue por ser muy voluntarioso 기가 센 성격임 Giga sen seong-gyeog-im 性格強勢 / 性格强势 Xìnggé qiángshì / Singgaak geuhngsai
Strongly defiant 負けん気が 強い Makenki ga tsuyoi Esprit rebelle Ist sehr aufsässig È molto insolente Es muy insolente 오기가 센 성격임 Ogiga sen seong-gyeog-im 爭強好勝 / 争强好胜 Zhēng qiáng hàoshèng / Chāang geuhng hóusīng
Sturdy body 体が 丈夫 Karada ga jōbu Corps robuste Hat einen robusten Körper Ha un corpo robusto Se caracteriza por su cuerpo resistente 몸이 튼튼함 Mom-i teunteunham 身體強壯 / 身体强壮 Shēntǐ qiángzhuàng / Gyūntái geuhngjong
Takes plenty of siestas 昼寝を よくする Hirune o yoku suru S'assoupit souvent Nickt oft ein Si addormenta spesso A menudo se duerme 낮잠을 잘 잠 Naj-jam-eul jal jam 經常睡午覺 / 经常睡午觉 Jīngcháng shuì wǔjiào / Gīngsèuhng seuih nghgaau
Thoroughly cunning 抜け目が ない Nukeme ga nai Très astucieux Ist äußerst gerissen È estremamente sagace Es muy astuto 빈틈이 없음 Binteum-i eobs-eum 做事萬無一失 / 做事万无一失 Zuòshì wànwúyīshī / Jouhsih maahnmòuhyātsāt
Very finicky とても きちょうめん Totemo kichōmen Très particulier Ist sehr pedantisch È molto esigente Es muy melindroso 매우 꼼꼼함 Maeu kkomkkomham 一絲不苟 / 一丝不苟 Yīsībùgǒu / Yātsībātgáu



Pokémon individuality
LevelStatsFriendshipGenderAbility (Hidden Ability) • NatureCharacteristic
Effort valuesIndividual valuesGo PowerEffort level
ConditionPerformanceAffectionMemory


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