excadrill
Generation V · #0530 — Subterrene Pokémon
Excadrill, known as the Subterrene Pokémon, is a dual-type Ground and Steel Pokémon introduced in Generation V that represents the ultimate evolution of Drilbur. As National Pokédex entry #530, Excadrill stands at 0.7 meters tall and weighs 40.4 kilograms, making it a compact but formidable underground specialist. This Pokémon is renowned for its incredible drilling ability, having evolved steel-reinforced claws and a hardened cranial structure capable of boring through iron plates with ease. With a base stat total of 508, Excadrill boasts exceptional Attack power at 135, complemented by solid HP at 110 and respectable Speed at 88, making it a well-rounded physical attacker despite its defensive vulnerabilities. The creature's moderate catch rate of 60 and medium-fast growth rate make it an accessible yet rewarding addition to any trainer's team.
Base Stats
Height
0.7m
Weight
40.4kg
Category
Subterrene Pokémon
Gender
Male 50% / Female 50%
Color
gray
Shape
humanoid
Abilities
Doubles Speed during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Strengthens rock, ground, and steel moves to 1.3× their power during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent a move.
Excadrill Biology & Physical Characteristics
Excadrill is a bipedal, mole-like Pokémon featuring a predominantly dark-brown body adorned with distinctive diagonal red splotches that serve as visual markers of its power and identity. Its long, thin face is crowned by a remarkable oversized blade structure extending from its forehead, with two smaller fin-like blades adorning the top—this arrangement creates the characteristic drilling apparatus the species is famous for. The Pokémon's most striking features are its thick arms, each terminated by three large blade-like projections in place of traditional fingers, with additional smaller blades positioned on the middle digits. These metallic appendages are the result of evolution's refinement; Drilbur's organic claws transform into tempered steel during the evolution process at level 31, dramatically increasing their penetrative capacity and durability. Red spotting appears strategically along Excadrill's body—on its knees, along its arms, and just behind where its forehead meets its narrow face—with thin red stripes positioned beneath its backward-set eyes. This compact frame houses tremendous subterranean engineering capability, as Excadrill can contract its entire body and spin with tremendous velocity, functioning as a living drill capable of constructing or destructing tunnel networks.
Pokedex Numbers
Training
Breeding
Excadrill Breeding, Gender Ratio & Egg Groups
Excadrill exhibits a perfectly balanced gender ratio of 50% male to 50% female, ensuring that trainers have equal opportunity to encounter either sex in the wild or breed for desired characteristics. As a member of the Field egg group, Excadrill can breed with a diverse array of compatible Pokémon, contributing genetic diversity to breeding projects aimed at developing optimal offspring with desired natures, abilities, and moves. The species has a base happiness value of 70, indicating a moderate ease of training and a reasonable capacity for affection-based bonding with its trainer, which influences experience growth and move learning through happiness-based mechanics in various games. Excadrill eggs require 20 cycles to hatch, translating to approximately 4,884 to 5,140 steps of travel while carrying the egg, placing it in the moderate hatching timeframe that rewards dedicated trainers without excessive grinding. The breeding process allows trainers to produce Excadrill with specific movesets through egg move inheritance, and careful IV and nature breeding can maximize competitive potential. The Field egg group classification suggests terrestrial origin and affinity, which aligns perfectly with Excadrill's subterranean lifestyle and burrowing specialization, making the breeding mechanics thematically consistent with the species' established design.
Sprites
TMs & HMs
tm01
black white
tm01
black 2 white 2
tm01
omega ruby alpha sapphire
tm01
x y
tm03
yellow
tm03
crystal
tm03
gold silver
tm03
red blue
tm03
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm03
blue japan
tm03
red green japan
tm05
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm06
yellow
tm06
gold silver
tm06
red blue
tm06
crystal
tm06
emerald
tm06
firered leafgreen
tm06
diamond pearl
tm06
platinum
+652 more TMs/HMs
excadrill's Evolution Chain
Excadrill Evolution, Mega Evolution & Special Forms
Excadrill evolves from Drilbur through a straightforward level-up evolution at level 31, representing a dramatic transformation in both power and capability as the Pokémon's organic claws crystallize into tempered steel. Upon evolution, Excadrill's base Attack increases from Drilbur's 92 to an impressive 135, while its HP jumps from 68 to a robust 110, fundamentally reshaping its role from a speedy striker into a heavyweight physical attacker. Additionally, Excadrill can undergo Mega Evolution into Mega Excadrill using the Excadrite, though this form was not introduced until Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Mega Excadrill represents a significant power spike, with its Attack stat increasing to 165 and its Speed climbing to 103, while its Defense improves substantially to 100, creating a much more balanced and dangerous offensive threat. The Mega Evolution also increases Excadrill's height to 0.9 meters and weight to 60 kilograms, emphasizing its transformation into a more imposing subterranean force. This evolution chain demonstrates the concept of progressive refinement, where the initial evolution establishes Excadrill's physical superiority, and Mega Evolution pushes those advantages to competitive extremes.
Where to Find
challengers cave
unova
+69 more
unova victory road
unova
+357 more
giant chasm
unova
+57 more
trial chamber
unova
+21 more
wellspring cave
unova
+21 more
twist mountain
unova
+6 more
unova victory road 2
unova
+74 more
reversal mountain
unova
+243 more
glacier room
unova
+15 more
iron room
unova
+15 more
seaside cave
unova
+45 more
clay tunnel
unova
+14 more
underground ruins
unova
+6 more
rocky mountain room
unova
+15 more
Excadrill Behaviour and Natural Habitat
More than 300 feet below the surface of the earth, Excadrill constructs elaborate mazelike tunnel networks that serve as both shelter and hunting grounds, though their tireless excavation activities occasionally prove destructive to human subway tunnel infrastructure. These territorial Pokémon are primarily found in underground environments where soil and rock are plentiful, and they demonstrate remarkable engineering instincts when burrowing. Excadrill can assist in legitimate tunnel construction projects, making them valuable allies in industrial settings, though their natural destructive capacity requires careful management. The species is nocturnal by preference, emerging from their deep burrows primarily during nighttime hours to forage and maintain their extensive underground domains. Despite their solitary nature and territorial behavior, Excadrill displays a base happiness value of 70, suggesting they respond well to proper training and companionship. Their aggressive drilling behavior and constant burrowing activities reflect their biological imperative to expand and maintain their underground territories, with some individuals becoming problematic pests in urban areas built atop their preferred habitat depths.
Pokedex Entries
It can help in tunnel construction. Its drill has evolved into steel strong enough to bore through iron plates.
Forming a drill with its steel claws and head, it can bore through a steel plate, no matter how thick it is.
More than 300 feet below the surface, they build mazelike nests. Their activity can be destructive to subway tunnels.
It can help in tunnel construction. Its drill has evolved into steel strong enough to bore through iron plates.
More than 300 feet below the surface, they build mazelike nests. Their activity can be destructive to subway tunnels.
It can help in tunnel construction. Its drill has evolved into steel strong enough to bore through iron plates.
More than 300 feet below the surface, they build mazelike nests. Their activity can be destructive to subway tunnels.
It’s not uncommon for tunnels that appear to have formed naturally to actually be a result of Excadrill’s rampant digging.
Known as the Drill King, this Pokémon can tunnel through the terrain at speeds of over 90 mph.
Excadrill Name Origin & Design Inspiration
The name Excadrill is a portmanteau combining "excavate" and "drill," directly referencing the Pokémon's primary characteristic and function as a living boring machine. The Japanese name Doryuzu (ドリュウズ) similarly blends "drill" (doriru) with an onomatopoetic element suggesting forceful action, reflecting the species' aggressive drilling behavior. Design-wise, Excadrill draws heavy inspiration from real-world moles, particularly in its body structure, small legs, and burrowing specialization, though the addition of metallic drilling apparatus and blade-like claws elevates it into a fantastical mechanical-organic hybrid. The prominent forehead drill and claw formations echo industrial drilling equipment and tunneling machinery, creating visual synergy between the Pokémon's utility in construction and its fierce combat prowess. The red diagonal splotches across Excadrill's body serve both aesthetic and functional purposes, creating a dynamic visual pattern that suggests movement and energy, while also differentiating it visually from its pre-evolution. The evolution from Drilbur to Excadrill is marked by the crystallization and hardening of organic structures into steel, symbolizing the maturation process and the Pokemon's ascension to greater strength through natural evolution.
Learnable Moves
Excadrill can learn 74 moves:
Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aerial ace | flying | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| attract | normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| body slam | normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| brick break | fighting | Physical | 75 | 100 | 15 |
| brutal swing | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| bulldoze | ground | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| confide | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| crush claw | normal | Physical | 75 | 95 | 10 |
| curse | ghost | Status | — | — | 10 |
| cut | normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| dig | ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| double team | normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| double edge | normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| drill run | ground | Physical | 80 | 95 | 10 |
| earth power | ground | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| earthquake | ground | Physical | 100 | 100 | 10 |
| endure | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| facade | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| fissure | ground | Physical | — | 30 | 5 |
| fling | dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| focus blast | fighting | Special | 120 | 70 | 5 |
| frustration | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| fury swipes | normal | Physical | 18 | 80 | 15 |
| giga impact | normal | Physical | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| helping hand | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| hidden power | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| high horsepower | ground | Physical | 95 | 95 | 10 |
| hone claws | dark | Status | — | — | 15 |
| horn drill | normal | Physical | — | 30 | 5 |
| hyper beam | normal | Special | 150 | 90 | 5 |
| iron defense | steel | Status | — | — | 15 |
| iron head | steel | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| magnet rise | electric | Status | — | — | 10 |
| metal claw | steel | Physical | 50 | 95 | 35 |
| metal sound | steel | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| mud shot | ground | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| mud sport | ground | Status | — | — | 15 |
| mud slap | ground | Special | 20 | 100 | 10 |
| poison jab | poison | Physical | 80 | 100 | 20 |
| protect | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| rapid spin | normal | Physical | 50 | 100 | 40 |
| rest | psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| return | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| rock blast | rock | Physical | 25 | 90 | 10 |
| rock slide | rock | Physical | 75 | 90 | 10 |
| rock smash | fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| rock tomb | rock | Physical | 60 | 95 | 15 |
| rototiller | ground | Status | — | — | 10 |
| round | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| sand tomb | ground | Physical | 35 | 85 | 15 |
| sandstorm | rock | Status | — | — | 10 |
| scary face | normal | Status | — | 100 | 10 |
| scorching sands | ground | Special | 70 | 100 | 10 |
| scratch | normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| secret power | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| shadow claw | ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| slash | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| sleep talk | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| sludge bomb | poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| smart strike | steel | Physical | 70 | — | 10 |
| snore | normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| stealth rock | rock | Status | — | — | 20 |
| steel beam | steel | Special | 140 | 95 | 5 |
| stomping tantrum | ground | Physical | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| strength | normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| substitute | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| sunny day | fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| swagger | normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| swords dance | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| take down | normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| tera blast | normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| throat chop | dark | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| toxic | poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| x scissor | bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
Excadrill Competitive Battle Guide
In competitive Pokémon battling, Excadrill is a formidable physical attacker whose base 135 Attack stat forms the cornerstone of its offensive strategy, though its modest special bulk (65 Special Defense) and weak special stats make it vulnerable to special attackers like Alakazam or Gengar. Its three ability options provide strategic flexibility: Sand Rush doubles Speed in sandstorm conditions, allowing it to outpace many threats and sweep unprepared teams; Sand Force boosts Rock, Ground, and Steel moves to 1.3× power during sandstorm, enhancing its damage output with signature moves like Earthquake and Stone Edge; and the hidden ability Mold Breaker bypasses opponent abilities, allowing it to ignore defensive abilities like Flash Fire or Water Absorb that would normally counteract its coverage moves. With a base Speed of 88, Excadrill requires external speed support to function optimally, which explains its prominence in sandstorm teams where Sand Rush variants can reach threatening speeds. Common competitive movesets include Earthquake, Stone Edge, Swords Dance, and X-Scissor or Stealth Rock, with Rock Polish sometimes substituting for Swords Dance to boost speed during sandstorm turns. Its vulnerability to Water-type moves (taking 4× damage) and Fire-type moves (taking 2× damage) necessitates careful team construction, though Excadrill's Dragon Dance potential in sandstorm weather allows it to cover its speed deficits. Mega Excadrill represents a significant competitive upgrade with marginally improved attack power and substantially improved defensive stats, making it a more physically bulky threat capable of sweeping after setup opportunities.
Commonly Asked Questions About Excadrill
What type is Excadrill?
Excadrill is a ground and steel type Pokemon.
What does Excadrill evolve from?
Excadrill evolved from drilbur.
What are Excadrill's weaknesses?
Excadrill is weak to fighting, ground, fire and water type moves.
Where can I find Excadrill?
Excadrill can be found in challengers cave (unova), unova victory road (unova) and giant chasm (unova) and 11 other locations.
Excadrill Cultural Impact & Franchise History
Excadrill has become iconic within the Pokémon community for its dramatic visual design and impressive competitive viability, establishing itself as a favorite among players who appreciate physical attackers with distinctive mechanics. The species received significant exposure through major characters in the Pokémon animated series, particularly Iris's Excadrill, which played a crucial role in her gym leader battles and subsequent championship tournament appearances, and Clay's Excadrill, featuring prominently in the fifth generation anime as a showcase of the Gym Leader's team composition. These anime appearances cemented Excadrill as a culturally recognizable Pokémon despite being relatively new at the time, contributing to its popularity across multiple fan communities and merchandise lines. Excadrill has featured in multiple trading card game sets, manga appearances across various continuities, and has become a regular fixture in competitive Pokémon tournaments where sandstorm-based team compositions maintain relevance across multiple game generations. The Pokémon's status as an archetypal Ground-type has made it a staple in themed team discussions, and its dual-type Steel classification has established it as a representative of Generation V's sophistication in type combinations. Fan art and creative works frequently feature Excadrill in drilling or construction-themed scenarios that play on its design concept, and the species has enjoyed increased attention following the introduction of Mega Evolution and subsequent competitive resurgences.
Where to Find Excadrill in Every Pokémon Game
Excadrill is available across numerous Pokémon games, with Drilbur typically appearing in early-game underground areas and caves, allowing players to catch it as a wild Pokémon and evolve it at level 31 to obtain Excadrill relatively early in their adventure. In Pokémon Black and White, Excadrill was assigned local Pokédex number 0036, making it a notable Unova-region representative, while in subsequent games like Black 2 and White 2, it received local number 0077, maintaining its prominence in the region where it was introduced. More recent entries including Sword and Shield position Excadrill at local number 0167, demonstrating its continued availability in modern games, while Pokémon Legends: Z-A has assigned it local number 0121, suggesting its presence in the upcoming generation. The Pokédex entries consistently emphasize its tunnel-construction utility and capacity for subway destruction, providing narrative justification for its presence across diverse game environments where underground infrastructure exists. Trainers seeking Excadrill can typically locate Drilbur in designated mining areas, sandstorm-afflicted regions, or underground caverns, though specific locations vary by game generation and version exclusivity mechanics. The relatively modest catch rate of 60 means that capturing Drilbur requires moderate preparation but remains accessible to players with appropriate Poké Balls and weakening tactics, and evolution through leveling presents no additional barriers beyond time investment.