Needle Arm (move)

	Needle Arm; ニードルアーム Needle Arm
Type	Grass
Category	Physical
PP	15 (max. 24)
Power	60
Accuracy	100%
Priority	0
	Makes contact; Affected by Protect; Not affected by Magic Coat; Not affected by Snatch; Affected by Mirror Move; Not affected by King's Rock;
	Normal: May affect anyone adjacent to the user
Introduced	Generation III
	Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.;
Condition	Clever
Appeal	1 ♥
Jam	4 ♥♥♥♥
	Badly startles the Pokémon in front.
Condition	Clever
Appeal	3 ♥♥♥
	A basic performance using a move known by the Pokémon.
Condition	Clever
Appeal	4 ♥♥♥♥
Jamming	0
	Quite an appealing move.
	On Smogon's Movedex: Generation III; Generation IV; Generation V; Generation VI; Generation VII; Generation VIII; Generation IX; ;

Needle Arm (Japanese: ニードルアーム Needle Arm) is a damage-dealing Grass-type move introduced in Generation III. Prior to Generation V, it was the signature move of Cacnea and Cacturne.

Effect

Generation III to VII

Needle Arm inflicts damage and has a 30% chance of causing the target to flinch. In Generation III only, Needle Arm will deal double the damage if its target had previously used Minimize.

Generation VIII onwards

Needle Arm cannot be selected in a battle.

Description

Games	Description
RS EColoXD	Attacks with thorny arms. May cause flinching.
FRLG	An attack using thorny arms. It may make the foe flinch.
DP Pt HGSSPBR BW B2W2	The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. It may also make the target flinch.
XY ORAS SM USUM PE	The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. This may also make the target flinch.
SwSh BDSP LA SV	This move can't be used. It's recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can't be remembered.

Learnset

By leveling up

#		Egg Groups		Level
				III	IV	V	VI	VII
								SM USUM
0331	Cacnea	Grass	Human-Like	37	45	45	45^XY 16^ORAS	16
0332	Cacturne	Grass	Human-Like	41	53	53	53^XY 16^ORAS	16
0556	Maractus	Grass		Grass			22	22	22
0651	Quilladin	Field		Field				26	1, Evo.
0652	Chesnaught	Field		Field				26	1
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose Evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Needle Arm deals damage and may cause the enemy to flinch.

Game	Base Power	Max Power	Base PP	Max PP	Base Accuracy	Max Accuracy	Range	Target	Cuts corners
MDRB	12	-	11	-	88%	-	Front	Enemy	No
MDTD	12	-	11	-	88%	-	Front	Enemy	No
MDS	36	-	11	-	88%	-	Front	Enemy	No
BSL	36	-	11	-	88%	-	Front	Enemy	No
SMD	8	99	20	40	95%	98%	Front	Enemy	No
With some exceptions, Pokémon learnsets match those from the core series games: MD Rescue Team = Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. MD Time and Darkness = Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. MD Sky = Pokémon Platinum. MD Adventure Squad = Pokémon Platinum. Super Mystery Dungeon = Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. MD Rescue Team DX = Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Pokémon Rumble Rush

Needle Arm

★★★
Attack power	33.04546
Charge time	0.54 seconds
Range type	Melee (straight)
Number of hits	1
Number of projectiles	1
Critical hit rate	1.5%
Additional effect	May flinch the foe

Pokémon Masters EX

Name	Category	State	Base power	Max power	Target	Effect tag	Description	Playable sync pair
Sync move
Thorny Needle Arm	Physical	Default 6★ EX	250	300	An opponent	—	No additional effect. The sync buff is doubled the first time a sync move is used.	Shauna & Chesnaught

Description

Games	Description
MDRB	Inflicts damage on the target. It may also cause the target to cringe, making it incapable of action.
MDTD S	Inflicts damage on the target. It may also afflict the targeted enemy with a Cringe status condition, which makes its actions fail.
BSL	てきポケモンにダメージをあたえるしかもいっていのかくりつでひるみじょうたいにしてわざやこうげきをだせなくする
MDGtI	UNUSED
SMD	It damages an enemy. It could also cause the enemy to flinch.

In animation

Pokémon animated series

Pokémon	Method
Cacnea Cacturne Mime Jr. Quilladin
The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms.
User	First Used In	Notes
	One of Cacnea's arms glows white. It then swings its arm and hits the opponent with it.
James's Cacnea	A Mudkip Mission	Debut
	The dark green patches on Cacturne's arms and legs glow white and grow into huge needles.
Harley's Cacturne	A Hurdle for Squirtle	None
	The ball on top of Mime Jr's head glows white, and both of its arms glow white as well. It then hits the opponent with one of its arms.
James's Mime Jr.	Dawn's Early Night!	Used via Mimic
	A light green orb of energy with four spikes on it forms around both of Quilladin's arms. It then hits the opponent with its arms.
A wild Quilladin	Love Strikes! Eevee, Yikes!	None

In the manga

Let's Play the Pokémon Card Game XY!

Pokémon	Method
Chesnaught
The user stabs the opponent with its needle-like fingers.
User	First Chapter Used In	Notes
	Chesnaught stabs the opponent with its needle-like fingers.
Hiroshi's Chesnaught	CXY01	Debut

Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon	Method
Cacturne
The user releases long needles from its arm at the opponent.
User	First Chapter Used In	Notes
	Cacturne reaches out one of its arms and releases multiple long needles from its hand, stabbing the opponent with them.
Wally's Cacturne	Talk About Timing, Treecko	Debut

In other generations

Core series games

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	SV	Legends: Z-A	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Time and Darkness	MD: Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX	Champions

Side series games

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	SV	Legends: Z-A	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Time and Darkness	MD: Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX	Champions

Spin-off series games

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	SV	Legends: Z-A	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Time and Darkness	MD: Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX	Champions

Trivia

In Generations III-V, Secret Power has the animation of Needle Arm if used in tall grass. In Orre, Secret Power always uses the animation of Needle Arm, regardless of the environment.
Needle Arm is the only Grass-type move capable of making the target flinch.
Despite Needle Arm depicting an animation with a fist, it is not boosted by Iron Fist.

In other languages


Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	尖刺臂 Jīmchi Bei * 針葉暗器 Jāmyihp Amhei *
Chinese	Mandarin	尖刺臂 Jiāncì Bì * 針葉暗器 / 针叶暗器 Zhēnyè Ànqì *
Dutch		Naaldarm
Finnish		Piikki-isku (S06; S08) Neulamäjäys (S07)
French		Poing Dard
German		Nietenranke
Greek		Βελονογροθιά
Hindi		सुइओं की बाहें Suion Ki Baahein
Italian		Pugnospine
Korean		바늘 팔 Baneul Pal
Polish		Igłoramię
Portuguese	Brazil	Braço de Agulha (Pokémon the Series: XY-present, TCG, manga) Braço Agulha
Portuguese	Portugal	Braço Agulha
Serbian		Bodljikava ruka
Spanish	Latin America	Brazo Aguja
Spanish	Spain	Brazo Pincho
Vietnamese		Cánh Tay Kim Châm

Variations of the move Needle Arm

Needle Arm • Force Palm

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.