Greninja
WaterDark
Best attacking moveset: Water Shuriken and Hydro Cannon, worth 14.1 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Greninja can learn 18 combinations. Water Shuriken with Hydro Cannon does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Hydro Cannon is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Greninja you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Bubble and Brutal Swing, worth 12.7 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble | Water | 10 | 1.0s | +12 |
| Feint Attack | Dark | 11 | 1.0s | +10 |
| Water Shuriken | Water | 9 | 1.0s | +14 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial Ace | 55 | 2.5s | -33 | |
| Brutal Swing | Dark | 65 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Hydro Pump | Water | 135 | 3.5s | -100 |
| Night Slash | Dark | 45 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Surf | Water | 60 | 1.5s | -50 |
| Hydro Cannon Legacy | Water | 90 | 2.0s | -50 |
Best moveset against each type
Greninja does not have one best moveset, it has 2. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Ground, Rock, Fire.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 22.7 |
| Rock | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 22.7 |
| Fire | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 22.7 |
| Ghost | Feint Attack + Brutal Swing | 19.9 |
| Psychic | Feint Attack + Brutal Swing | 19.9 |
| Normal | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Fighting | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 | |
| Poison | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Bug | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Steel | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Electric | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Ice | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Dark | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Fairy | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon | 14.1 |
| Water | Feint Attack + Brutal Swing | 12.1 |
| Grass | Feint Attack + Brutal Swing | 12.1 |
| Dragon | Feint Attack + Brutal Swing | 12.1 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Greninja is actually for.
Counters: what beats Greninja
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock OnThunder CageLegacy | 41.3 |
 Lucario | FightingSteel | Force PalmAura SphereLegacy | 37.0 |
 Pheromosa | BugFighting | Bug BiteFocus Blast | 35.9 |
 Kartana | GrassSteel | Fury CutterLeaf Blade | 35.7 |
 Zeraora | Electric | Volt SwitchPlasma Fists | 35.5 |
Ranked by damage per second against Greninja's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family. Twelve deep, with what Greninja is weak to.
Type matchups
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Greninja has been released. Players have found it from: wild, research, evolution, photobomb.
Other forms
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 3,001 at level 50, 2,654 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,516 CP at level 20, or 1,896 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,443 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 223 attack · 152 defense · 176 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 10,000 Stardust and 25 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 3 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy |
| Size | 1.5 m and 40 kg |