Greninja

Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon. It creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two. 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.

Overview

The second of the Unrivaled raids and also coasting on popularity power, Greninja makes a triumphant return to Generation 9. Greninja’s superb speed already draws attention, outspeeding the vast majority of opposition and balanced attacking stats make Greninja a potent threat on either side of the attacking spectrum. But the true star of the show is Protean. Protean in conjunction with a movepool as varied as the arsenal of ninjas of yore is what gives Greninja its potent power, hitting hard with whatever coverage move it has to great effect. And fantastic support options including Spikes, Switcheroo and U-Turn further lend to the mind games that Greninja can pull.

However, the generational shift has not been kind to our froggy friend. Protean’s nerf severely cuts down on the mind games Greninja was able to pull off in the past, no longer able to switch to the right resistance or immunity on a whim. Additionally, not having guaranteed Protean on coverage really exposes Greninja’s merely decent attacking stats when not attacking with STAB. The new Terastalization often runs counter to the flexibility Protean provides and enables opponents to play mind games with Greninja. Which is unfortunate considering Greninja treads a narrow line with its lackluster defenses ensuring it either gets its job done or is KO’d in short order. With proper positioning and prediction, Greninja has all the tools it needs to tear through its opposition..
Positives
Base 122 Speed is amazing usually ensuring it will attack and change types before the opposition will.
Balanced attacking stats, absurdly wide coverage and Protean all come together turning Greninja into an effective assassin always able to hit a weak point while having numerous moveset variations.
Solid Support movepool including Spikes, Toxic Spikes, U-Turn, Switcheroo increases the roles Greninja can fill, giving it a place on most teams.

Negatives
Protean’s Nerf means Greninja isn’t always attacking with STAB, making its lack of power more apparent
Poor defenses ensures that even resisted attacks will sting and limiting switch in opportunities
Protean does not mesh well with Terastalizing
Battle Bond is Unavailable AND got nerfed

Movesets

Ninjutsu Master

-Ice Beam
-Dark Pulse
-Surf
-Spikes
Ability: Protean
Item: Life Orb
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk /252 Spe
Timid Nature

Greninja takes advantage of its higher Special Attack and blistering speed as an effective revenge killer and offensive attacker. Ice Beam is the Star of the show, as a speedy Ice type attacker is wholly invaluable, given Ice’s fantastic coverage and being able to land attacks before your opponent helps make up for Ice’s horrid defensive profile. Surf offers impressive coverage, especially given how many Water weak targets have lackluster Special Defense, up to, but not limited to Garganacl, Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Skeledirge. Dark Pulse provides further STAB coverage, especially against the near omnipresent Gholdengo. Spikes rounds out the set, punishing switches that are trying to predict Greninja and piling on even more damage to make it easier for Greninja to reach KOs.

Tera Types:
Terastalization is not recommended on Greninja. It relies on Protean too much to benefit from Terastalization in most cases. If out of Super Effective targets, Tera Water and Tera Dark are recommended due to the double STAB being invaluable for breaking through bulkier targets.

EVs and Items:
Standard Sweeper array of Max Special Attack and Speed to ensure Greninja hits hard and fast. Speed boosting natures are heavily recommended for Greninja -it thrives getting the jump on the opposition. Dropping from Timid to Modest opens Greninja up to be outsped by Positive Speed Natured Base Speed 107 and up Pokémon including Cinderace, Iron Moth, Iron Valient and Walking Wake. Life Orb balances power and flexibility, making Greninja more unpredictable, but Choice Specs works well considering the Protean nerf, giving Greninja some badly needed power. If running mixed, swapping out Timid for Hasty or Naďve can be consider so that Greninja can still hit appreciably hard if need be. Choice Scarf is also worth mention, turning Greninja into an incredible revenge killer against opposing Scarf Users and nominally faster targets.

Partners:
With Greninja’s constant switching Hazard Control is precious to keep Greninja from dying too quickly. Great Tusk is great for this role, clearing with Rapid Spin, setting Stealth Rock and pivoting into Electric and Rock attacks while Greninja answers opposing Grass and Psychic types rather easily. Kingambit makes for a great partner for Greninja, appreciating the hazards and Greninja eliminating opposing Fire and Ground types while Kingambit is an excellent check for Dragapult and Meowscarada, some of the few Pokémon that naturally outspeed Greninja. Gholdengo is also great, keeping Greninja’s hazards up and reliably pivoting into Fighting, Grass and Fairy moves that often trouble Greninja who’s Fire and Ground elimination capabilities helping improve Gholdengo’s longevity.

Other Options:
Grass Knot -Hits Dondozo very hard and works decently well against most other Water types.
U-Turn -the usefulness of pivoting cannot be understated and the sheer utility and chip of the move is worth considering even on Special sets
Switcheroo -punishes walls who think they can sit on Greninja
Toxic Spikes -if you already have a Spikes setter, Toxic Spikes does just fine.
Hydro Pump -more power for poorer accuracy. Considering Greninja is KO’d if it misses or fails to reach a KO, the choice can be hard.

Frog Ops

-Low Kick
-Rock Slide
-Gunk Shot
-U-Turn
Ability: Protean
Item: Choice Band
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Physical Greninja is no less a threat compared to its special variants, punishing Special Walls that think they can sit on Greninja while still hitting a wide variety of threats. STAB Low Kick has superb coverage, hitting targets like Garganacl, Kingambit, Chien-Pao, Iron Treads, Orthworm, Roaring Moon, Ting-lu, Tera Steel targets, etc. Rock Slide has incredibly complimentary coverage with Low Kick, hitting many fighting resistant Pokémon for Super Effecitve, if not neutral. Gunk Shot is incredibly powerful, turning the tables on Grass and Fairy types that normally trouble Greninja. U-Turn rounds out the set, punishing predicted switch-ins and keeping momentum in your favor while dealing considerable damage to whatever is currently in.

Tera Types:
Terastalization and Protean do not mix well and Greninja is never a recommended Terastalization target. That being said, Tera Electric provides incredible coverage against Corviknight, Toxapex and Dondozo who often trouble physical Greninja.

EVs and Items:
Max Attack and Max Speed for Greninja to hit as hard as possible. Speed boosting natures are heavily recommended for Greninja -it thrives getting the jump on the opposition. Dropping from Jolly to Adamant opens Greninja up to be outsped by Positive Speed Natured Base Speed 107 and up Pokémon including Cinderace, Iron Moth, Iron Valient and Walking Wake. Protean’s nerf causes Greninja to synergize quite well with Choice Band, bolstering its power to impressive levels while the flexibility of Life Orb is gives more play against predicted switch ins. Choice Scarf is also worth mention, turning Greninja into an incredible revenge killer against opposing Scarf Users and nominally faster targets.

Partners:
Given Physical Greninja’s slightly lower power, hazard support is even more crucial. Glimmora’s efficacy at setting up hazards and complimentary offense synergizes well with physical Greninja. Hydreigon can also work as a passible Stealth Rock setter while still having complimentary coverage and pressure to synergize with Greninja. Armarouge and Ceruledge enjoy physical Greninja’s ability to eliminate/weaken opposing Rock and Dark types enabling Sweeps from them later on.

Other Options:
Ice Beam -as stated before a Speedy Ice type is invaluable and many Ice weak targets have either a Quadruple weakness or poor Special Defense, making this worth consideration on Physical sets.
Spikes -like U-Turn, punishes predicted switch ins and applies pressure to the opposing team.

Countering Greninja

Protean Greninja is incredibly difficult to play against. Balanced Offenses, Protean giving STAB and an absurdly wide movepool gives it a move for every situation and every Pokémon. However, Greninja cannot fit every move it desires and there are always gaps in its coverage.

More physically oriented sets struggle vs physical defensive targets like Corviknight, Toxapex and Dondozo who can tank even banded Low Kicks/Rock Slides fairly well and quickly down Greninja in turn. Defensive Clodsire fares well against Greninja not carrying Ice Punch or Liquidation, but Low Kick can easily eat up several Recover PP, as does Annihilape.

Blissey is a hard wall to Special sets who lack the muscle to break through, though any physical coverage is worrisome and Switcheroo is agonizing. Assault Vest Azumarill also does well when Greninja lacks Grass Knot while Assault Vest Iron Hands excels against sets lacking Extrasensory.

Once Greninja locks itself into a type, it is far easier to play around as its coverage moves (if it can switch) will be much less threatening, though recklessly pivoting in can lead to punishment by Spikes and U-Turn.

Locations in Games

Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game

Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game

Colosseum/XD:
Not in game

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game

Black/White:
Not in game

Black 2/White 2:
Not in game

X/Y:
Evolve Frogadier

Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y

Sun/Moon:
Trade from Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon

Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Poni Wilds

Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game

Sword/Shield:
Not in game

Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Not in game

Legends: Arceus:
Not in game

Scarlet/Violet:
Transfer from HOME / Event

Anime Appearences

Greninja has had a few appearances in the anime. Most notably, Ash used one during his Kalos adventures which could turn into a special form known as Ash-Greninja.

# -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics
820 A Rush of Ninja Wisdom Froakie VS Frogadier! Ninja Battle! Pics
M17 Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction The Cocoon of Destruction and Diancie Pics
855 A Stealthy Challenge! Ninja Art Showdown! Frogadier VS Barbarcle!! Pics
895 Cloudy Fate, Bright Future! A Kalos Crisis! Battle of the Giant Sundial! Pics
896 All Eyes on the Future! Double Battle at the Anistar Gym! Olympia's Future Sight!! Pics
902 The Legend of the Ninja Hero! Welcome to the Ninja Village! The Legend of the Hero Greninja!! Pics
903 A Festival of Decisions! Decisive Battle in the Ninja Village! Frogadier VS Bisharp!! Pics
905 Meeting at Terminus Cave! Terminus Cave! The Mystery of Z is Set in Motion!! Pics
906 A Cellular Connection! Bonnie & Squishy! Pics
907 A Windswept Encounter Noibat and Floette! An Encounter in the Wind!! Pics
909 A Meeting of Two Journeys The Strongest Mega Battle! Greninja VS Mega Charizard!! Pics
911 A Watershed Moment! A Chesnaught from the Wilderness! The Tree-planting Robon!! Pics
912 Master Class Choices! The Master Class Trial! What Will You Do, Serena!? Pics
914 Unlocking Some Respect! Left and Right! The Indecisive Binacle!! Pics
918 Battling at Full Volume! Serena Becomes Ash! The Ultimate Pikachu Showdown!! Pics
919 The Synchronicity Test! Ash and Alain! Greninja VS Mega Charizard Once Again!! Pics
921 Championing a Research Battle! Ash VS Champion Diantha! VS Mega Gardevoir!! Pics
922 A Full-Strength Battle Surprise! Rival Showdown! Ash VS Sawyer!! Pics
923 All Hail the Ice Battlefield! Snowbelle Gym Match! A Battlefield of Ice!! Pics
924 Seeing the Forest for the Trees! The Winding Woods...The Dawn of Evolution! Pics
925 A Real Icebreaker! Ash-Greninja VS Mega Abomasnow! The Giant Water Shuriken Triggers!! Pics
926 A Diamond in the Rough! Find Carbink! Goodra and Dedenne!! Pics
928 A League of His Own! The Kalos League Begins! Mega Charizard Showdown: X VS Y!! Pics
929 Valuable Experience for All! Mega Sceptile VS Raichu! I Received Some EXP!! Pics
M19 Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel Volcanion & The Ingenious Magearna Pics
930 Analysis Versus Passion! Semifinal Full Battle! Ash VS Sawyer!! Pics
931 A Riveting Rivalry! Fierce Rival Battle! Ash-Greninja VS Mega Sceptile Pics
932 Kalos League Passion With a Certain Flare! Fierce Fighting at the Kalos League! Gather, All of My Passion!! Pics
933 Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted! The Finals! Ash VS Alain!! Pics
934 Down to the Fiery Finish Kalos League Victory! Ash's Ultimate Match!! Pics
935 A Towering Takeover! Team Flare Attacks! The Zygarde at the Prism Tower!! Pics
936 Coming Apart at the Dreams! The Shocking Zygarde VS Zygarde! The Breaking World!! Pics
937 The Right Hero for the Right Job! Attack on Lumiose Gym! The Clembot Forever!! Pics
938 Rocking Kalos Defenses! The Megalith Advances! A Fight to Protect Kalos!! Pics
939 Forming a More Perfect Union! Zygarde Fights Back! The Final Battle for Kalos!! Pics
940 Battling With a Clean Slate! We Start at Zero! Clemont's Decision!! Pics
941 The First Day of the Rest of Your Life! One Last Battle with Ash! Serena's Choice!! Pics
942 Facing the Needs of the Many Farewell, Ash-Greninja! Xerosic Strikes Back!! Pics
943 Till We Compete Again A Zero With No End! Till the Day We Meet Again!! Pics
XYZS1 To be confirmed The Legend of XYZ Pics
1197 Catching the Aura of Fate! Lucario & Greninja! The Aura of Fate!! Pics
1198 Aim for the Eight! VS Raihan! A Fight with Masters Eight on the Line!! Pics
1214 Whittle While You Work! The Semifinals IV: Impact Pics
1221 Partners in Time! The Finals IV: Partner Pics
1224 Heroes Unite! Pokémon! I Am Glad I Got To Meet You Pics