Needle Arm (move)

Move data

Type Grass
Category Physical  Physical
Power 60
Accuracy 100
PP 15  (max. 24)
Makes contact? Yes
Introduced Generation 3

Effects

Needle Arm deals damage and has a 30% chance of causing the target to flinch (if the target has not yet moved).

Pokémon with the ability Inner Focus or those behind a Substitute cannot be made to flinch.

Changes

  • In Generation 3, Needle Arm is categorized as Special.
  • In Generation 3 if the target has used Minimize, Needle Arm deals double damage.

Z-Move effects

When a Pokémon is holding Grassium Z and uses its Z-Power, Needle Arm turns into Bloom Doom and has base power 120.

Move target

Foe
Foe
Foe
User
Ally
Ally

Targets a single adjacent Pokémon.

Other languages

English Needle Arm
Japanese ニードルアーム (Needle Arm)
German Nietenranke
French Poing Dard
Italian Pugnospine
Spanish Brazo Pincho
Korean 바늘팔
Chinese (Simplified) 尖刺臂
Chinese (Traditional) 尖刺臂

Game descriptions

Ruby​/​Sapphire
Emerald
Attacks with thorny arms. May cause flinching.
FireRed​/​LeafGreen An attack using thorny arms. It may make the foe flinch.
Diamond​/​Pearl
Platinum
HeartGold​/​SoulSilver
The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. It may also make the target flinch.
Black​/​White
Black 2​/​White 2
The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. It may also make the target flinch.
X​/​Y
O.Ruby​/​A.Sapphire
The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. This may also make the target flinch.
Sun​/​Moon
Ultra Sun​/​Ultra Moon
The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. This may also make the target flinch.
Sword​/​Shield
B.Diamond​/​S.Pearl
This move can’t be used. It’s recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can’t be remembered.
Scarlet​/​Violet This move can’t be used. It’s recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can’t be remembered.

Learnt by level up

These Pokémon learn Needle Arm at the level specified. The numbers given are for Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon and may vary in other games; check the respective Pokédex pages for details.

Cacnea Cacnea
#0331 / Grass
Level 16
Cacturne Cacturne
#0332 / Grass · Dark
Level 16
Maractus Maractus
#0556 / Grass
Level 22
Quilladin Quilladin
#0651 / Grass
Level 1
Chesnaught Chesnaught
#0652 / Grass · Fighting
Level 1

Learnt upon evolution

Quilladin Quilladin
#0651 / Grass