Greninja is a large, bipedal, frog-like Pokémon. Its body and legs are dark blue, with single large white bubbles on its legs and arms and white spots over its eyes. On the sides of each of its upper thighs is a light blue, four-pointed star, which resembles a shuriken. Its back feet have two toes, while its front feet have three toes. Its feet are webbed, and it has a yellow chest and a yellow-and-blue face. It has eyes with white sclera, red irises, and white pupils. A large, projecting dark blue stripe runs down the middle of its head, with projecting light blue stripes in between its large, yellow ears. Its mouth is hidden behind a large, pink tongue that wraps around Greninja's neck and extends outward behind its head.
Greninja moves with the speed and grace of a ninja, using swift movements to confuse its enemies while it slices them up with throwing stars made of compressed water; these throwing stars are sharp enough to split metal. Greninja is the only known Pokémon capable of learning Mat Block.
It appears and vanishes with a ninja’s grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water.
It appears and vanishes with a ninja’s grace. It toys with its enemies using swift movements, while slicing them with throwing stars of sharpest water.
Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
Greninja has the highest base Speed of all Water-type Pokémon and all fully-evolved starter Pokémon.
Greninja shares its category with Ninjask. They are both known as the Ninja Pokémon.
Origin
Greninja is based on a frog, and may have been inspired by horned frogs from the generaMegophrys and Ceratophrys due to the spiked protrusions above its eyes. Its coloration and body shape is similar to the splendid leaf frog. The bubble-like protrusions on its body may be based on a toad's parotoid glands, possibly referencing the traditional myth of toads causing warts, though they may also be remnants of Froakie and Frogadier's frog foam. As its species name implies, Greninja is also based on a ninja. Japanese culture associates frogs and toads with ninjas based on the folk story "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya" (児雷也豪傑物語 Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari) about a ninja who can shapeshift into a large toad.
Name origin
Greninja is a combination of grenouille (French for frog) and ninja.
Gekkouga is a combination of げこっ geko (croak) and 甲賀流 Kōga-ryū. It may also derive from 月光 gekkō (moonlight), in reference to a popular conception of ninja running through the night or to Greninja's Dark typing, or a combination of both.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.