Whirlipede Guide: Take This Bug Pokemon For a Whirl

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Callum Marshall

Callum is POK Universe's Managing Editor and a long-time-fan of the Pokémon series. He's a Gen-One kid at heart with a huge bias towards the first three generations. However, after reengaging with Pokémon XY, he has caught up with the pack and has absorbed all there is to know with regards to Pokémon, including some very interesting fan-made ROM Hacks!

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When we think of Pokemon, it is almost a natural reaction to think of the originals that made the series what it is today. You have the starters, Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. You have your favorite fans like Gengar, Gyarados, Chansey, Jigglypuff and Lapras. You have incredible legendary Pokemon like Mew, Mewtwo, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. Or, of course, you have the Pokemon Pinup, Pikachu.

All of these Pokemon have led the line for the series and paved the way for generations of Pokemon to follow. However, after eight Pokemon generations and almost one thousand Pokemon to choose from. It can be quite difficult to commit all their unique qualities and quirks to memory.

That’s where we come in. We have created a series of Pokemon guides that will give you all the information you could possibly need about any Pokemon that you choose.

In this guide, we take a look at a Poison/bug dual-type Pokemon called Whirlipede. This Generation V Pokemon is the middle child of Venipede and Scolipede and while it’s not a fully grown Pokemon, it still packs quite a punch. So without further delay, here is our essential Whirlipede and Pokemon handbook.

What is Whirlipede?

Whirlipede is a bug and poison dual-type Pokemon that was first introduced to the series in generation V. In the space between the casing, you can see a glowing yellow eye on each side. The shell itself is segmented with sharp ridges and two horns protruding from the front. The Pokemon is primarily purple and black but has red circular markings which cover the midsection of the shell.

In terms of this Pokemon’s natural behavior, it is not one to go looking for trouble. This is essentially this Pokemon’s cacoon stage and it will often remain completely motionless, preserving energy for their evolution. However, when this Pokemon senses danger, it has the potential to use its poisonous spikes to stab and protect itself from predators.

The Pokemon can also charge up an attack where they spin like a wheel and crash into enemies. When the Pokemon does this, it can reach speeds up to sixty miles per hour. This Pokemon is number 544 in the Pokedex, is 1.2 meters in height, weighs a hefty 58.5 kilograms, has a medium/slow growth rate and has a catch rate of 24.9%

Here is a video of this Pokemon in action so you can see exactly what this Pokemon has to offer:

Does Whirlipede Appear in the Anime?

Whirlipede has made several major appearances within the anime, allowing the Pokemon to have its time in the spotlight. However, the Pokemon has never been used as a cameo Pokemon.

This Pokemon made its anime series debut in the episode, Battling For The Love of Bug-Types! In this episode, the Pokemon Gym leader Burgh uses his Whirliped in a battle against Ash. However, Ash promptly sees this challenge with his newly evolved.

Whirlipede also features in the episode titled A Restoration Confrontation! Part 2. During this episode, a group of Whirlipede attacks Ash, Ferris and Tirtouga. Thankfully, the trio manages to make it out of this unscathed encounter. Then as well as this, Whirliped also made a brief appearance in the episode Meowth, Colress and Team Rivalry!

Does Whirlipede Appear in Any Pokemon Movies?

Yes, Whirliped does make an appearance within a Pokemon movie, all be it a minor one. In the movie, Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice the Whirliped was mentioned within the legend of The Sword of Justice. However, aside from this brief mention, the Pokemon is yet to have its moment on the silver screen. This is a formidable bug Pokemon and it’s likely that we will see it feature in some capacity again.

However, we do wonder if the moment for this Pokemon to play a larger role has passed. We suppose only time will tell.

How Good is Whirlipede’s Pokemon Trading Card?

Whirlipede has been around since the fifth Pokemon generation and since then, the creature has warranted an inclusion in six different Pokemon TCG cards.

As a lot of these cards are very similar, we will spare you the details for each and every card. Instead, give you the rundown on how the original card looked upon release and also give you our opinion on which card is the best of the bunch.

Beginning with the original Whirlipede card, this card debuted in the Black & White expansion packs and is a stage one darkness type. This card has 90 HP, has a standard attack called poison sting which does twenty damage and poisons the opposition Pokemon.

Then as a special attack, this Whirliped card can use rollout which does fifty damage. In terms of this cards effectiveness in matchups, it’s not a bad card. It can hit reasonably hard and the ability to poison Pokemon is a bonus. However, it isn’t the best Whirlipede card available.

In our opinion, that honor falls to the Emerging Powers expansion Whirlipede. This Pokemon has a standard move called Venoshock which does ten damage but has the potential to deal fifty damage if the opposing Pokemon is poisoned.

Then this cards special attack Steamroller does forty damage, however, the benefit of this attack is that it ignores all resistances, making it a more viable option no matter who you are up against.

Ultimately, Whilipede is a card that players will use as a vehicle to play Scolipede. However, if you use this card correctly, it can be a powerful asset.

Whirlipede In The Pokemon Video Games

Whirlipede was first introduced in the fifth Pokemon generation, therefore making its debut in the Pokemon Black and White titles. However, since this debut, the Pokemon has gone on to star in several other main Pokemon games as well as some spin-off titles.

However, you may be wondering which ones this Pokemon managed to feature in. Well, here is a complete list of all the Pokemon video games that Whirlipede has appeared in:

• Pokemon Black
• Pokemon White
• Pokemon White II
• Pokemon Black II
• Pokemon X
• Pokemon Y
• Pokemon Omega Ruby
• Alpha Sapphire Pokemon
• Pokemon Sun
• pokemon moon
• Pokemon Ultra Sun
• Pokemon Ultra Moon
• Pokemon Sword
• Pokemon Shield
• Pokemon Rumble Blast
• Pokepark 2
• Pokemon Rumble U
• Pokemon Battle Trozei
• Pokemon Shuffle
• Pokemon Rumble World
• Pokemon Rumble Rush
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon GTI
• Pokemon Conquest
• Pokemon Masters EX

What Moves Can Whirlipede Learn?

Whirlipede is primarily a Poison and bug-type Pokemon. So a lot of the moves in their arsenal will fall into this category. However, this Pokemon also has access to several very strong physical moves, some grass-type moves, and a handful of other moves that can make your next move unpredictable in battle.

However, you may be wondering which moves you have to choose from. Well, here is a rundown of every single move that Whirliped can use in the Pokemon video game series:

Learned Moves 

• Iron Defense
• Poison sting
• Defense curl
• Rollout
• Protect
• Poison tail
• Screech
• Big bite
• Venoshock
• Take down
• Agility
• Toxic
• Venom drench
• Double edge

Taught Moves

• Pin missile
• Solar beam
• Screech
• Rest
• Snore
• Protect
• Attract
• Sunny day
• FFacade
• Payback
• Venoshock
• Round
• Hex
• Agility
• Substitute
• Sludge bomb
• Spikes
• Harden
• Sleep talk
• Iron defense
• Gyro ball
• Toxic spikes
• Poison jab
• Venom drench

Breeding Moves 

• Fury cutter
• Bit

What is the Best Moveset For Whirlipede?

As you can see, there are quite a few tactical options and approaches that one can employ when training and battling with a Whirlipede. The abundance of considerations and moves are available to cause quite a headache.

However, we aim to make your training and battling process with this Pokemon as straightforward as possible. So here is a rundown of the best moves to teach this Pokemon and the optional moveset for battle:

• Sludge Bomb
• Venoshock
• Agility
• Facade

What is Whirlipede Weak/Strong Against?

The Whirlipede is a dual-type Pokemon that includes a bug type, it means that this Pokemon has quite a few weaknesses and resistances. This Pokemon fairs worst when it is paired up against fire, Psychic, flying or rock type Pokemon.

However, this Pokemon thrives when it comes up against any other poison and bug types, as well as fighting, grass and fairy Pokemon. Here is a complete rundown of all the immunities, weaknesses and resistances that this Pokemon has:

Weaknesses

• Fire
• Psychic
• Rock
• Flying

Resistances

• Bug
• Poison
• Grass
• Fairy
• Fighting

Immunities

• AT

How to Catch Whirliped in The Pokemon Games

Whirlipede in principle is not that tricky of a Pokemon to catch. The monster has a catch rate of 24.9% and is available within Pokemon Black and White via a random encounter. Plus, you can acquire a Ventipede in Pokemon Sun and Moon, so you just have to train and evolve that Pokemon.

However, aside from these games in the series, it may be rather difficult to get your hands on one of these Pokemon.

In games like Sword and Shield, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon or Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, players will have to trade to get their hands on this Pokemon. Then in Pokemon X and Y, this Pokemon is only available via the friend safari.

In short, this Pokemon isn’t always available through natural play, meaning you may have to jump through some hoops to add this one to your collection. So with this in mind, we would argue that this is a relatively rare Pokemon.

Does Whirlipede Evolve?

Yes, Whirlipede is the middle Pokemon in a three-stage evolutionary ladder. This Pokemon begins life as a Ventipede, then evolves in Whirlipede before finishing off in its final form as a Scolipede.

Ventipede will evolve when it is trained to reach level twenty-two. Then Whirlipede will evolve into Scolipede when it reaches level thirty. This Pokemon reaches its final evolutionary stage rather swiftly and can make this Pokemon a great ally when navigating the middle stages of Pokemon games.

What Are Whirlipede’s Base Stats?

Whirlipede has a strong outer shell, allowing this Pokemon to rely on its defensive capabilities. So these stats are very high but it is also worth stating that the physical attack stats are nothing to be sniffed at either.

Where this Pokemon falls down is in the speed department as well as the Pokemon’s overall hit points. This Pokemon can sure take a hit but if it comes up against a Pokemon that can be guaranteed amount of damage, like the dragon rage move for example, then this monster will struggle.

Here is a complete rundown of Whirlipede’s base stats:

• HP: 40
• Attack: 55
• Defense: 99
• SP Attack: 40
• SP Defense: 79
• Speed: 47

What Does A Shiny Whirlipede Look Like?

A shiny Whirliped offers a subtle but welcome change to the standard Pokemon model. The original model is purple with black accents and then red markings around the shell. The shiny model maintains most of this design. However, the red markings are swapped for neon green circular markings instead. Not everyone wants a shiny Pokemon that looks completely alien compared to the original.

So if you are a shiny hunter that likes something a little more muted and dignified, then a shiny Whirliped might be exactly what you are looking for.

A Whirlwind in Battle

As you can see from the above information, Whirliped is a strong defensive Pokemon that can be a real asset to players, especially if you use its poison status effect moves to good effect.

Admittedly, this Pokemon doesn’t stand a chance against the more popular competitive bug and poison type Pokemon. However, it’s certainly a great option to have and if you like shiny hunting, this Pokemon has a lovely shiny model. So be sure to add Whirliped to your Pokedex today.

FAQs

Conclusion

So That Is Our Essential Pokemon Handbook Giving You All The Info You Could Possibly Need About The Pokemon, Whirlipede. What did you make of this guide? Was this helpful and informative? Are there any other Pokemon you would love to see a guide for? Let us know in the comments section below and as always, thank you for reading.