Snivy is one of the three Pokemon starters available in Pokemon Black and White. Snivy is the grass-type starter and is shown in its introduction to be clever and calm. It evolves into Servine at level 17 and evolves into Serperior at level 36. Snivy was inspired by a variety of green vine snake species who also share its signature pointed snout. Given the fan-made moniker, "Smugleaf", Snivy is an exceptionally charming starter Pokemon which made it popular among fans for its apparent personality.
About Snivy
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black & White |
| First appearance in game | Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | -->Servine --> Serperior |
| 1st Evo level | 17 |
| 2nd Evo level | 36 |
| Pokedex Entry | It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter. They photosynthesize by bathing their tails in sunlight. When they are not feeling well, their tails droop. |
Snivy Base stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 45 |
| DEFENCE | 55 |
| SP. ATTACK | 45 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 55 |
| SPEED | 63 |
| TOTAL | 308 |
Appearance
Snivy has a green, reptilian body with a cream underbelly. Snivy has a yellow stripe which runs down its back and tail, along with yellow markings surrounding Snivy’s large brown eyes. Snivy has two protrusions which resemble yellow leaves or small wings from its shoulders. Snivy has a slender, snake-like build, with flat, three-fingered arms. Snivy has a palmate leaf as a tail tip, with this leaf being about the same size as Snivy’s head.
Behavior
Snivy is known to be a very intelligent Pokemon, with a calm and smug attitude. The palmate tail Snivy has is capable of photosynthesis, the source of Snivy’s energy and swiftness. This tail will droop when Snivy is low on energy. Snivy is repeatedly shown to be pretentious in its inspiration from French nobility and it has a name inspired by the words snide, sly, snark, or snicker
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a starter Pokemon, Snivy is pretty well balanced, with its special defense, defense and speed stats being its highest stats. As a grass-type Pokemon, Snivy is weak to flying, poison, bug, fire, and ice-type attacks and Snivy is strong against ground, water, and rock-type Pokemon.
Shiny Snivy
Shiny Snivy is a version of Snivy which has a darker teal tint rather than the traditional green shade of Snivy. The main way to get a Shiny Snivy is to continuously breed either Snivys or its evolutions until getting a Shiny Snivy.
Best moveset
While Snivy is usually evolved in order to reach its full potential, it can still function as a powerful Pokemon on its own. Leaf Storm is a powerful STAB (same-type attack bonus) move to deal damage, while the move Synthesis allows Snivy to heal itself during battle. Knock Off serves to cripple defensive switch-ins to help teammates to break through them. Finally, Hidden Power Ice serves as great type coverage.
| Leaf Storm | Synthesis |
| Knock Off | Hidden Power Ice |
How to catch Snivy in Pokemon Go?
Snivy can be found in areas with lots of flora, just like any other grass-type Pokemon. These mostly apply to forests and wooded areas, though lawns can still work, though less effectively.
Video Guide
Trivia
- Snivy was inspired by a variety of green vine snake species, notably Oxybelis fulgidus, Ahaetulla nasuta, and Ahaetulla prasina
- Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawatt were originally revealed as silhouettes in an episode of Pokemon Sunday, until they were fully revealed in an issue of CoroCoro.
- Snivy received the fan-made moniker, "Smugleaf" which was later on Kotaku blog as well as an issue of Official Nintendo Magazine
- Snivy is the only grass-type starter Pokemon that is not listed as the first Pokemon in its regional Pokedex due to the inclusion of Victini as #000
- Snivy has the lowest base stat total of any grass-type starter Pokemon
- Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, has the lowest experience yield of all Pokemon in Pokemon Black and White, with a base value of 28
- Snivy is a combination of the words snake and ivy, along with potentially being inspired by the words snide, sly, snark, or snicker
- Snivy was designed by Reiko Tanoue
- Snivy and its evolutions were inspired by the anime The Rose of Versailles and French nobility in general
FAQs
What are Snivy moves?
Up until its level 17 evolution into Servine, Snivy is able to learn: Tackle, Leer, Vine Whip, Wrap, Growth, and Leaf Tornado alongside teachable moves using TMs and Egg moves learnable when training a bred Snivy.
Is Snivy a good starter?
As a starter Pokemon, Snivy is pretty well balanced, with its special defense, defense and speed stats being its highest stats, especially when compared to its starter counterparts. Despite this, Snivy has the weakest HP stat of the group, though that is a small price to pay.
What is Snivy's weakness?
As a grass-type Pokemon, Snivy is weak to flying, poison, bug, fire, and ice-type attacks.
What color is Shiny Snivy?
Shiny Snivy is a version of Snivy which has a darker teal tint rather than the traditional green shade of Snivy.
What animal is Snivy based on?
Snivy was inspired by a variety of green vine snake species, notably Oxybelis fulgidus, Ahaetulla nasuta, and Ahaetulla prasina.
Conclusion
Snivy, the fan-named “Smugleaf” Pokemon is likely the best choice for an Unova starter with its high special defense, defense and speed stats giving Snivy an edge over its starter counterparts. This along with its interest personality help make Snivy a fan favorite starter that serves its purpose very well.
