Tentacruel

Introduced in the original games of generation one with Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green, Tentacruel is a dual type water and poison Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Tentacool and does not evolve any further. Tentacruel is classified by the Pokedex as the “Jellyfish Pokemon” which may be a nod to its general design. This guide will showcase Tentacruel’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Tentacruel

About Tentacruel

As one of the original 151 Pokemon of generation one, Tentacruel first appeared in the original series in the episode Tentacool & Tentacruel. This episode featured both Tentacruel and its pre-evolution attacking the city of Porta Vista. The Pokedex mentions that Tentacruel is capable of unleashing ultrasonic blasts that can cause rough waves around it.

Tentacruel Base Stats

Appearance

Tentacruel is a large, blue, jellyfish-like Pokemon with two large red glowing orbs on top of its head that could resemble eyes, and a smaller glowing red orb in between the other orbs. These orbs will glow whenever Tentacruel is excited or agitated. There are multiple tentacles coming out of Tentacruel’s black body and you can see Tentacruel’s two eyes and a large beak stemming from its body. Tentacruel is a large Pokemon at 5 feet and 3 inches, or 1.6 meters, tall.

Behavior

Tentacruel are social Pokemon and are often seen in groups with other Tentacruel or Tentacool. Their large and numerous tentacles can help it ensnare prey in a net before immobilizing it with poison. Most Tentacruel will inhabit underwater rock formations that can be found throughout the ocean. The Pokedex mentions that their 80 tentacles will not release a prey no matter what. It also mentions the orbs on top of Tentacruel’s head and how they will glow before it lashes out.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Tentacruel is a surprisingly fast Pokemon with a good amount of special defense. Its health pool is average, but its speed and special defense can make for a good stalling Pokemon. Its physical attack and defense are the weakest of its stats, but it can function well as a defensive or disruptive Pokemon. As a dual type poison and water Pokemon, Tentacruel takes 2x damage from ground, electric, and psychic type moves. It is immune to no types, but is resistant to fighting, poison, bug, steel, fire, water, ice, and fairy type moves.

Best Moveset

Since its introduction in generation one, Tentacruel has proven its versatility time and time again. In recent brackets of competitive play, Tentacruel has remained near the top of competitive tier lists thanks to its utility. It can function as a way to remove hazards, provide its own powerful hazards, and efficiently counters its own grass type weakness with the Liquid Ooze ability. Consider running Rapid Spin, Scald, Toxic Spikes, and Haze/Acid Spray. Rapid Spin will remove any hazards from your side of the field, Scald benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) while also having a small chance to burn, Toxic Spikes will inflict poison on any Pokemon switching in, and Haze can slow down enemy sweepers while Acid Spray can shut down other stalling strategies.

How to Catch Tentacruel in Pokemon Go

If you would like to obtain a Tentacruel in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Tentacool to eventually evolve into Tentacruel. Like most final evolutions, its base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter in the wild. Thus you can find Tentacool spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near harbors, rivers, oceans, docks, and other watery areas. Tentacool can also be hatched from 5 km eggs but while Tentacool has not appeared as a raid boss in the past, you can find Tentacruel as a tier three raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. In order to evolve Tentacool into a Tentacruel you will need 50 candies.

Trivia

1. The original name for Tentacruel was going to be Manowar after the Portuguese man o'war jellyfish.
2. The inspiration for Tentacruel’s design is likely based on a jellyfish, specifically the Portuguese man o’ war.
3. The name Tentacruel is a combination of the words tentacle and cruel.

Explainer Video

FAQ

Is Tentacruel a Squid?

Given that Tentacruel’s Pokedex classification labels it as the “Jellyfish Pokemon” it is much more likely that Tentacruel is based on a jellyfish rather than a squid. While squids also have tentacles and has a similar beak-like appendage, Tentacruel is known to have poisonous tentacles that will wrap around its prey.

Why was Tentacruel so big?

In Tentacruel’s first appearance in the anime, there was a massive Tentacruel that was beyond regular Tentacruel sizes. There was no official answer for why this Tentacruel was much larger than others, but Misty eventually calmed it down.

Is Tentacruel legendary?

Tentacruel is not a legendary Pokemon. In order for a Pokemon to be classified as a legendary Pokemon, it needs to fulfill a few conditions. A legendary Pokemon cannot be bred, are typically only encountered once per game, and its catch rate needs to be one of the lowest in the game. Tentacruel does not fulfill any of these conditions, therefore, it is not a legendary Pokemon.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Jellyfish Pokemon”. Tentacruel has managed to remain relevant in competitive play since its introduction in the original generation one games. It is a formidable Pokemon that can cover a wide variety of strategies and can function as a supportive, disruptive, or even a stalling Pokemon. Reserve a slot on your team for Tentacruel if you want a water and poison type Pokemon that is capable of many different functions.