barraskewda #847
Type Matchups
Weak to (2x damage):
Resistant to (½x damage):
barraskewda
Generation VIII · #0847 — Skewer Pokémon
Barraskewda is a Water-type Pokémon introduced in Generation VIII, standing as the final evolution in a two-stage line beginning with Arrokuda. Known as the Skewer Pokémon due to its devastating predatory nature, Barraskewda earns its fearsome reputation through a combination of incredible speed and lethal offensive capabilities. With a base stat total of 490, this lean predator prioritizes raw physical attack power (123) and lightning-fast speed (136), making it one of the swiftest Water-type Pokémon available. Despite its relatively modest defensive statistics, Barraskewda compensates through its dual abilities—Swift Swim, which doubles its speed during rain conditions, and the hidden ability Propeller Tail, which allows it to ignore moves and abilities that would draw in attacks. These capabilities combine to create a specialized hunter perfectly adapted to both calm waters and tempestuous weather.
Base Stats
Height
1.3m
Weight
30.0kg
Category
Skewer Pokémon
Gender
Male 50% / Female 50%
Color
brown
Shape
fish
Abilities
Doubles Speed during rain.
Ignores moves and abilities that draw in moves.
Barraskewda Biology & Physical Characteristics
Barraskewda is a distinctly piscine Pokémon with a streamlined body designed for aquatic predation. Its head features a characteristic brown coloration with a pronounced underbite displaying two visible teeth on each side of its lower jaw. Striking dark spiral markings adorn the corners of its mouth, while four spiky protrusions extend from each side of its head, creating an intimidating silhouette. The creature's tan-colored main body is decorated with white branching lines resembling fish bones running along its midsection, complemented by similar brown markings along its dorsal side. Four propeller-like tail fins, colored red and attached to a white hub, enable the creature to achieve its extraordinary speeds. Additional ventral and dorsal fins, also sporting red coloration with brown spines, complete its hydrodynamic design. The Pokédex entries emphasize that Barraskewda possesses jaws "as sharp as a spear and as strong as steel," making it a genuinely dangerous apex predator despite its relatively modest size of 1.3 meters and weight of 30 kilograms.
Pokedex Numbers
Training
Breeding
Barraskewda Breeding, Gender Ratio & Egg Groups
Barraskewda exhibits a perfectly balanced gender ratio of 50% male to 50% female, reflecting typical sexual dimorphism distribution patterns seen in many Pokémon species. As a member of the Water 2 egg group, Barraskewda can only breed with compatible Pokémon within this classification, restricting its breeding pool to specific aquatic and semi-aquatic Pokémon species. The species has a notably slow growth rate, requiring more experience points to reach higher levels compared to Pokémon with standard or fast growth rates. Breeding mechanics are facilitated through a 20-egg-cycle hatch time, translating to approximately 4,884 to 5,140 steps before an Arrokuda egg hatches, rewarding patient trainers with offspring. The base friendship value of 50 indicates a neutral starting relationship between trainer and newly captured or hatched specimens, requiring positive interaction to develop stronger bonds. Through breeding, trainers can potentially obtain Arrokuda with egg moves including Acupressure, Night Slash, Slash, and Thrash—moves unavailable through normal level-up progression. These breeding mechanics provide dedicated trainers with opportunities to develop Barraskewda with customized movesets and optimized individual values for competitive purposes.
Sprites
TMs & HMs
tm03
ruby sapphire
tm03
platinum
tm03
firered leafgreen
tm03
heartgold soulsilver
tm03
diamond pearl
tm03
emerald
tm03
xd
tm03
colosseum
tm05
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm07
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm08
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm08
sword shield
tm09
yellow
tm09
red blue
tm09
sword shield
tm98
sun moon
hm03
ruby sapphire
hm03
platinum
hm03
omega ruby alpha sapphire
tr05
sword shield
+371 more TMs/HMs
barraskewda's Evolution Chain
Barraskewda Evolution, Mega Evolution & Special Forms
Barraskewda evolves from Arrokuda upon reaching level 26, representing the maturation of this line's predatory potential. The evolution process dramatically enhances physical capabilities, with the evolved form gaining substantially improved base attack (increasing to 123 from Arrokuda's lower base), speed (reaching 136), and overall stat distribution skewing heavily toward offensive specialization. This evolutionary leap transforms Arrokuda from a moderately fast water-type into a legitimate speedster capable of functioning as a physical sweeper in competitive contexts. The biological changes accompanying evolution appear subtle visually, with Barraskewda retaining the fundamental body plan of its pre-evolution while achieving greater size and musculature. Notably, both Barraskewda and Arrokuda share the unique ability to access Propeller Tail as a hidden ability, making them the sole Pokémon species capable of possessing this ability—a distinction that defines their evolutionary line. Currently, no Mega Evolution or further evolution exists for this line, leaving Barraskewda as the terminal stage of development.
Where to Find
Location data not available for this Pokémon in the database.
Barraskewda Behaviour and Natural Habitat
Barraskewda exhibits the aggressive predatory behavior characteristic of apex aquatic hunters, actively pursuing and engaging in fierce competition with other species for food resources. According to Pokédex entries, it maintains notable rivalries with Finizen, battling in pods over prey territories. This Pokémon demonstrates remarkable hunting prowess by spinning its tail fins to achieve speeds exceeding 100 knots (approximately 185 kilometers per hour), allowing it to launch devastating ramming attacks with sufficient force to penetrate its quarry. Particularly impressive is its documented ability to leap from the water and snatch Wingull flying near the surface using its formidable jaws. Barraskewda thrives in aquatic environments where it can fully utilize its speed advantages, making rain-based habitats particularly favorable for specimens possessing the Swift Swim ability. The predatory lifestyle and resource competition suggest these Pokémon inhabit marine regions with abundant fish populations, establishing themselves as apex predators within their ecosystem. Interestingly, despite their fearsome reputation, Pokédex entries note that Barraskewda's flesh is "surprisingly tasty," indicating they themselves may fall prey to larger predators or human hunters.
Pokedex Entries
Generation VIII
This Pokémon has a jaw that’s as sharp as a spear and as strong as steel. Apparently Barraskewda’s flesh is surprisingly tasty, too.
It spins its tail fins to propel itself, surging forward at speeds of over 100 knots before ramming prey and spearing into them.
Barraskewda Name Origin & Design Inspiration
Barraskewda's name derives from a clever linguistic combination that reflects its biological inspiration and behavioral characteristics. The name combines "barracuda," the fierce predatory fish family known for speed and aggressive hunting, with "skewer," referencing both its spear-like jaw structure and its hunting methodology of penetrating prey. The Japanese name, Kamasujaw, similarly references the kamasu (Japanese barracuda) while incorporating "jaw" to emphasize its most dangerous feature. This nomenclature perfectly encapsulates the Pokémon's dual identity as both a reference to real-world aquatic predators and a fantastical evolution of the earlier Arrokuda. The design itself clearly draws inspiration from actual barracuda fish, particularly their distinctive elongated bodies, prominent teeth, and reputation as apex hunters. The addition of propeller-like tail fins adds a fantastical mechanical element that distinguishes it from simple fish-based designs while reinforcing its incredible speed capabilities. The red coloration of its fins and the brown-tan body scheme provide natural camouflage for aquatic environments while creating visual contrast that makes the creature visually distinctive and immediately recognizable as a dangerous predator within Pokémon's visual language.
Learnable Moves
Barraskewda can learn 47 moves:
Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| agility | psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| aqua jet | water | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| assurance | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| attract | normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| bite | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| blizzard | ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 |
| bounce | flying | Physical | 85 | 85 | 5 |
| brick break | fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| chilling water | water | Special | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| close combat | fighting | Physical | 120 | 100 | 5 |
| crunch | dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| dive | water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| double edge | normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| drill run | ground | Physical | 80 | 95 | 10 |
| endure | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| facade | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| flip turn | water | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| focus energy | normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| fury attack | normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 20 |
| giga impact | normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| hydro pump | water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| hyper beam | normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| ice beam | ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| ice fang | ice | Physical | 65 | 95 | 15 |
| laser focus | normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| liquidation | water | Physical | 85 | 100 | 10 |
| peck | flying | Physical | 35 | 100 | 35 |
| poison jab | poison | Physical | 80 | 100 | 20 |
| protect | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| psychic fangs | psychic | Physical | 85 | 100 | 10 |
| rain dance | water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| rest | psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| round | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| scald | water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| scale shot | dragon | Physical | 25 | 90 | 20 |
| scary face | normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| sleep talk | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| snore | normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| substitute | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| surf | water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| swift | normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| take down | normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| tera blast | normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| throat chop | dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| water pulse | water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| waterfall | water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| whirlpool | water | Special | 35 | 85 | 15 |
Barraskewda Competitive Battle Guide
In competitive Pokémon battles, Barraskewda functions as a specialized physical sweeper capable of executing rapid hit-and-run strategies. Its exceptional base speed of 136 positions it favorably against numerous threats, allowing it to move first in most offensive matchups without requiring speed-boosting moves or items. The base attack stat of 123 provides respectable damage output, particularly when holding offensive items like Life Orb or Choice Band, though the lack of special attack investment (base 60) limits its utility to physical movesets exclusively. Barraskewda learns the signature move Aqua Jet at level 1, providing priority water-type coverage that operates independently of speed statistics, enabling it to overcome faster threats. Additional moves like Liquidation (base 85 power) and Crunch (base 80 power) provide physical attacking options across different type coverages. The ability Swift Swim creates weather-dependent strategies where rain support transforms Barraskewda into an unstoppable physical attacker with doubled speed, enabling sweep potential in rain-based team structures. Conversely, the hidden ability Propeller Tail proves useful against forced-switch mechanics employed by opponents using abilities like Dragon's Tail or moves like Roar, allowing Barraskewda to maintain momentum. However, modest defensive capabilities (defense base 60, special defense base 50) render Barraskewda vulnerable to priority moves beyond Aqua Jet, creating vulnerability windows that experienced opponents can exploit.
Commonly Asked Questions About Barraskewda
What type is Barraskewda?
Barraskewda is a water type Pokemon.
What does Barraskewda evolve from?
Barraskewda evolved from arrokuda.
What are Barraskewda's weaknesses?
Barraskewda is weak to grass and electric type moves.
Barraskewda Cultural Impact & Franchise History
Barraskewda has established itself as a notable fixture within the Pokémon competitive community, particularly among players specializing in rain-based team compositions. Its unique combination of speed and physical power creates distinctive strategic niches that differentiate it from other water-type options, generating dedicated player bases interested in optimizing its potential. The Pokémon has received consistent representation in official Pokémon media, including notable appearances in the main anime series where its aggressive hunting behavior and impressive speed capabilities are depicted dramatically. The exclusivity of the Propeller Tail ability to Barraskewda and Arrokuda has made these Pokémon subjects of special interest for ability-based discussions within competitive communities. In trading card game circles, Barraskewda has received artwork and card implementations that emphasize its predatory nature and speed, appealing to collectors interested in Generation VIII content. The species represents an evolutionary expansion of water-type diversity, offering an alternative to traditional bulky defensive water-types by embracing a glass-cannon archetype. Social media communities frequently discuss optimal sets for Barraskewda across various game formats, contributing to ongoing dialogue about competitive viability and team construction strategies.
Where to Find Barraskewda in Every Pokémon Game
Barraskewda first became available in Pokémon Sword and Shield, where it inhabits aquatic routes and marine areas throughout the Galar region. Players encounter its pre-evolution Arrokuda in various water routes and can facilitate evolution through standard level-based progression. In subsequent games, Barraskewda appears in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, where it inhabits expanded aquatic environments and maintains similar availability patterns. The creature was also accessible in The Isle of Armor DLC for Sword and Shield, extending its distribution within Generation VIII content. More recent appearances in The Teal Mask DLC further secured its presence in expanded Galar-based content. Barraskewda's capture rate of 60 presents moderate difficulty when attempting to capture wild specimens, requiring standard Poké Ball engagement or specialized conditions like lowered health or status conditions to optimize capture probability. The species' availability across multiple contemporary Pokémon games ensures trainers have consistent opportunities to obtain Barraskewda for team construction and competitive participation. Its presence in both mainline and supplementary game releases underscores its value within the Generation VIII Pokédex and modern Pokémon game design.