Diglett vs Wiglett: Which is better in Pokemon GO?

With Pokemon GO's introduction of Wiglett on April 22, 2024, it was only natural for trainers to make comparisons to its ecologically similar counterpart, Diglett. While both Pokemon are distinct species, they share more than a few similarities and differences, but which is better in the context of stats and moves within Niantic's title? Most indications still point to Diglett.

There are a few reasons for this analysis. Even though Wiglett has a different type, its base stats pale in comparison to Diglett. Things get interesting when Diglett and Wiglett evolve into Dugtrio and Wugtrio, respectively, but if the comparison is simply between Diglett and Wiglett in Pokemon GO, Diglett remains the better choice for players to use in a hypothetical battle.

NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.

Breaking down why Diglett is better than Wiglett in Pokemon GO

Diglett has a small advantage over Wiglett in Pokemon GO. (Image via The Pokemon Company)

To begin an analysis of Diglett and Wiglett in Pokemon GO, it's best to take a look at their individual CP limitations and base stats:

Diglett Base Stats:

Max CP - 764
Attack - 109
Defense - 78
Stamina - 67

Wiglett Base Stats:

Max CP - 648
Attack - 109
Defense - 52
Stamina - 67

By these metrics, Diglett has the superior max CP and Defense in Pokemon GO when compared to its Water-type Pokemon counterpart. Moreover, Wiglett gains no additional Attack or Stamina as a trade-off to its lower Defense, making it less likely to survive consistent damage dealt to it. Diglett may only have a little more Defense and max CP, but an advantage is an advantage.

Then there are the types of each creature and their learnable moves to consider, which can be found below as they pertain to Pokemon GO:

Diglett:

Type - Ground
Learnable Moves (Fast) - Mud Slap, Scratch, Mud Shot
Learnable Moves (Charged) - Dig, Mud Bomb, Rock Tomb

Wiglett:

Type - Water
Learnable Moves (Fast) - Water Gun, Mud Slap
Learnable Moves (Charged) - Liquidation, Dig, Surf

Based on this information, while Wiglett has access to Water-type moves compared to Diglett, it only has two Ground-type moves (Mud Slap and Dig) that give it any additional type coverage, and both are moves that Diglett can learn on its own. Additionally, as a Ground-type Pokemon, Diglett naturally deals more damage with these moves thanks to the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB).

In addition to those factors, Diglett retains a neutral damage option with Scratch, which won't deal super effective damage to opponents, but it can damage targets that are resistant to Diglett's other moves, something that Wiglett can't claim. However, Wiglett does have a slight edge in type weaknesses, as it only has two (Grass, Electric) compared to Diglett's three (Grass, Ice, Water).

Verdict

Diglett beats out Wiglett in Pokemon GO utility when their evolutions aren't accounted for. (Image via The Pokemon Company)

If this comparison were between Dugtrio or Wugtrio in Pokemon GO, the latter would likely be the better option for use in battle overall. However, from a pure Diglett vs Wiglett comparison, Diglett's increased durability and neutral damage options give it an advantage over the Water-type creature from Paldea that shares similarities with it.

While Wiglett does have solid moves, it lacks the Defense stats to brush off attacks and therefore lacks reliable access to its Charged Moves. Diglett's Defense may not be better by leaps and bounds, but it is better, giving Diglett more time to power up and fire off its Charged Attacks on average. Moreover, even with its additional weakness, Diglett can counter a wider range of opponents.

Most trainers won't see a situation where they'll need to use Diglett or Wiglett in battles instead of their evolutions, but from an objective stance of comparison regarding stats, movesets, and elemental types, Diglett takes a small advantage over its newly-arrived counterpart.