oshawott
Generation V · #0501 — Sea Otter Pokémon
Oshawott, known as the Sea Otter Pokémon and bearing the National Pokédex number 501, is a Water-type Pokémon introduced in Generation V that represents one of the three iconic starter choices in the Unova region. Alongside Snivy and Tepig, Oshawott is one of the first partner Pokémon available to players beginning their journey in Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2, making it a foundational member of many trainers' teams. This small but spirited Pokémon has also earned its place as a starter option in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it takes on new significance in the Hisui region's historical setting. With a base stat total of 308 and a focus on Special Attack at 63, Oshawott establishes itself as an early-game water specialist capable of learning diverse moves to handle various opponents.
Base Stats
Height
0.5m
Weight
5.9kg
Category
Sea Otter Pokémon
Gender
Male 87.5% / Female 12.5%
Color
blue
Shape
upright
Abilities
Strengthens water moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Protects against critical hits.
Oshawott Biology & Physical Characteristics
Oshawott is a bipedal sea otter-like Pokémon characterized by its distinctive spherical white head adorned with small triangular dark blue ears and a dark orange oval nose. Its body is covered in turquoise fur that forms bubble-like shapes around its neck, creating a cheerful and approachable appearance that belies its combative nature. The Pokémon's white rounded arms contrast with its dark blue feet, each possessing three toes, and it possesses a rudder-like dark blue tail that aids in aquatic navigation. Most notably, Oshawott features a cream-colored scalchop on its stomach—a shell-like appendage made from the same elemental composition as claws that serves as both a primary weapon and a versatile tool. Standing at merely 0.5 meters (1'08") tall and weighing only 5.9 kilograms (13.0 lbs), Oshawott is among the smaller starter Pokémon, though its compact size belies surprising combat effectiveness. The Pokémon's freckles on its cheeks and visible pointed teeth when its mouth opens give it distinctive character, while its overall proportions perfectly capture the essence of a young, curious sea otter.
Pokedex Numbers
Training
Breeding
Oshawott Breeding, Gender Ratio & Egg Groups
Oshawott exhibits a significant gender skew in its population distribution, with approximately 87.5 percent of individuals being male and only 12.5 percent being female, a ratio that reflects traditional Pokémon breeding patterns. This gender distribution has implications for breeding strategies, as trainers seeking female Oshawott for competitive breeding projects or specific team compositions face considerably lower encounter rates. The species belongs to the Field Egg Group, which encompasses diverse Pokémon that breed readily with compatible partners, allowing Oshawott to produce offspring through established breeding mechanics. With a hatch counter of 20 cycles, corresponding to approximately 4,884 to 5,140 steps required for an egg to hatch, Oshawott represents a moderately fast hatching time that enables players to obtain multiple specimens without excessive grinding. The species maintains a base happiness value of 70, suggesting that freshly hatched Oshawott begins with moderate affection toward their trainer, which can be increased through care, battle experience, and item usage to strengthen bonds and potentially unlock special move sets or stat bonuses.
Sprites
TMs & HMs
tm01
ultra sun ultra moon
tm01
sun moon
tm02
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm03
yellow
tm03
ruby sapphire
tm03
red blue
tm03
platinum
tm03
firered leafgreen
tm03
heartgold soulsilver
tm03
diamond pearl
tm03
emerald
tm03
xd
tm03
colosseum
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
+636 more TMs/HMs
oshawott's Evolution Chain
Oshawott Evolution, Mega Evolution & Special Forms
Oshawott follows a three-stage evolutionary line that transforms it into an increasingly formidable Water-type warrior. Beginning at level 17, Oshawott evolves into Dewott, a bipedal form that further emphasizes the samurai warrior aesthetic introduced by the scalchop weapon. This evolution marks a significant stat increase, particularly in Attack and Special Attack, allowing the young trainer's companion to handle mid-game challenges with substantially greater power. The final evolutionary stage occurs at level 36 when Dewott becomes Samurott, a majestic and powerful Pokémon that fully realizes the samurai theme. In the Hisui region featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the evolution path takes a divergent route when Dewott evolves into Hisuian Samurott, a Water and Dark-type hybrid that represents a more aggressive, battle-hardened interpretation of the final form. This regional variant offers trainers a distinct strategic alternative, blending Oshawott's water heritage with dark-type advantages. Across all evolutionary paths, the scalchop remains a central feature, evolving alongside the Pokémon and becoming an increasingly prominent and devastating weapon as the creature matures.
Where to Find
nuvema town
unova
aspertia city
unova
hoenn route 101
hoenn
Oshawott Behaviour and Natural Habitat
Oshawott demonstrates an aggressive and immediately responsive combat style, as documented across multiple Pokédex entries that emphasize its tendency to retaliate instantly when attacked. The scalchop on its stomach serves dual purposes in its daily life: while primarily utilized as a formidable blade for battle, this remarkable appendage is equally important for practical survival tasks such as breaking open hard berry shells for sustenance. This versatility reveals Oshawott to be a resourceful and adaptable Pokémon that has evolved hunting and foraging techniques suited to its aquatic lifestyle. Despite its aggressive battle tendencies, Oshawott maintains a base happiness value of 70, suggesting it forms genuine bonds with trainers who treat it well and can develop deep loyalty over time. The Pokémon's natural habitat centers around water environments where it can utilize its swimming prowess and leverage its connection to moisture-rich ecosystems, though as a starter Pokémon, it adapts readily to diverse terrains and climates when traveling alongside its trainer.
Pokedex Entries
It fights using the scalchop on its stomach. In response to an attack, it retaliates immediately by slashing.
The scalchop on its stomach isn’t just used for battle--it can be used to break open hard berries as well.
The scalchop on its stomach is made from the same elements as claws. It detaches the scalchop for use as a blade.
The scalchop on its stomach isn’t just used for battle--it can be used to break open hard berries as well.
It fights using the scalchop on its stomach. In response to an attack, it retaliates immediately by slashing.
The scalchop on its stomach isn’t just used for battle—it can be used to break open hard berries as well.
It fights using the scalchop on its stomach. In response to an attack, it retaliates immediately by slashing.
This Pokémon from the Unova region uses the shell on its belly as a weapon to cut down its foes. Thus, I've conferred upon this shell the name ”scalchop”.
Oshawott Name Origin & Design Inspiration
Oshawott's name emerges from a combination of 'otter' and 'squirt,' reflecting its identity as a water-type sea otter Pokémon, while its Japanese name Mijumaru derives from 'mizu' (water) and 'maru' (circle or round), capturing the character's spherical head design. The design philosophy draws heavily from real-world sea otters, particularly their tool-use behavior in nature, which informed the creation of the scalchop as both a realistic biological adaptation and a fantastical weapon system. The scalchop itself represents an ingenious design choice that merges organic biology with combat functionality, reminiscent of how real sea otters use rocks as tools to crack open shellfish. The progression from Oshawott to Dewott to Samurott follows a deliberate narrative arc rooted in Japanese samurai culture and warrior aesthetics, transforming a cute otter into an honorable blade-wielding warrior. This thematic evolution, combined with Oshawott's cheerful demeanor and the contrast between its innocent appearance and aggressive combat style, creates a compelling character arc that resonates with players throughout their journey in Unova.
Learnable Moves
Oshawott can learn 78 moves:
Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aerial ace | flying | Physical | 60 | — | 20 |
| air slash | flying | Special | 75 | 95 | 15 |
| aqua cutter | water | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| aqua jet | water | Physical | 40 | 100 | 20 |
| aqua tail | water | Physical | 90 | 90 | 10 |
| assurance | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| attract | normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| avalanche | ice | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| blizzard | ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 |
| brine | water | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| chilling water | water | Special | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| confide | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| copycat | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| covet | normal | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| cut | normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| detect | fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| dig | ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| dive | water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| double team | normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| encore | normal | Status | — | 100 | 5 |
| endure | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| facade | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| false swipe | normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 40 |
| fling | dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| flip turn | water | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| focus energy | normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| frustration | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| fury cutter | bug | Physical | 40 | 95 | 20 |
| grass knot | grass | Special | — | 100 | 20 |
| hail | ice | Status | — | — | 10 |
| helping hand | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| hidden power | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| hydro pump | water | Special | 110 | 80 | 5 |
| ice beam | ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| icy wind | ice | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 |
| iron tail | steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| knock off | dark | Physical | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| liquidation | water | Physical | 85 | 100 | 10 |
| night slash | dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| protect | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| rain dance | water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| razor shell | water | Physical | 75 | 95 | 10 |
| rest | psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| retaliate | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 |
| return | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| revenge | fighting | Physical | 60 | 100 | 10 |
| rock smash | fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| round | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| sacred sword | fighting | Physical | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| scald | water | Special | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| screech | normal | Status | — | 85 | 40 |
| secret power | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| slash | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| sleep talk | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| snore | normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| snowscape | ice | Status | 0 | — | 10 |
| soak | water | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| substitute | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| surf | water | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| swagger | normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| swift | normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| swords dance | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| tackle | normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| tail whip | normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 |
| take down | normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| taunt | dark | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| tera blast | normal | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| thief | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| toxic | poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| trump card | normal | Special | — | — | 5 |
| water gun | water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| water pledge | water | Special | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| water pulse | water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
| water sport | water | Status | — | — | 15 |
| waterfall | water | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| whirlpool | water | Special | 35 | 85 | 15 |
| work up | normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| x scissor | bug | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
Oshawott Competitive Battle Guide
In competitive Pokémon battles, Oshawott serves primarily as an early-game water-type option that excels in the opening stages of playthroughs rather than in high-level competitive formats. The base stat distribution reveals a slight lean toward Special Attack at 63, with all other offensive and defensive stats languishing at 45 to 55, resulting in the relatively low total of 308 that limits its viability in competitive play once opponents' Pokémon reach higher levels. However, Oshawott's ability Torrent provides a crucial advantage by increasing the power of Water-type moves to 1.5 times their normal damage when the Pokémon's health drops to one-third of its maximum or below, encouraging aggressive play and comeback mechanics in desperate situations. The hidden ability Shell Armor offers defensive utility by protecting against critical hits, mitigating a common threat in competitive scenarios where high Critical Hit ratio moves might otherwise overwhelm defensive strategies. For trainers seeking competitive viability, the evolutionary lines of Dewott and especially Samurott provide substantially superior stat distributions and access to powerful moves that make them genuinely threatening on competitive stages, though base-form Oshawott remains valuable for casual play and narrative-driven campaigns.
Commonly Asked Questions About Oshawott
What type is Oshawott?
Oshawott is a water type Pokemon.
What does Oshawott evolve into?
Oshawott evolves into dewott, then into samurott.
What are Oshawott's weaknesses?
Oshawott is weak to grass and electric type moves.
Where can I find Oshawott?
Oshawott can be found in nuvema town (unova), aspertia city (unova) and hoenn route 101 (hoenn).
Oshawott Cultural Impact & Franchise History
Oshawott has secured a prominent place in Pokémon culture since its introduction in Generation V, particularly through its representation in the anime series where Ash famously caught an Oshawott that developed a significant character arc throughout Black and White. This individual Oshawott's journey from a timid, scalchop-wielding starter to a confident battler resonated with audiences and introduced countless viewers to the species' potential and charm. The character design's appeal extends across merchandise, trading cards, and digital media, with Oshawott consistently ranking among popular starter Pokémon in fan polls and community discussions. Its appearance in Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced the species to a new generation of players while providing historical context for its role in the Hisui region's development, further enriching its narrative significance within the franchise. The scalchop weapon design has inspired creative fan interpretations and artwork celebrating the species' unique combat style, while its journey to becoming Samurott represents a compelling thematic evolution that appeals to players seeking character development alongside gameplay progression.
Where to Find Oshawott in Every Pokémon Game
Oshawott is most readily available at the beginning of Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 as a starter selection, making it one of the first Pokémon that players encounter in these games. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Oshawott returns as a starter option alongside Rowlet and Cyndaquil, allowing players in that historical setting to begin their adventure with this beloved companion. Beyond starter selections, Oshawott can be obtained through breeding Dewott or Samurott in games that permit such mechanics, though the significantly skewed gender ratio means breeding for female Oshawott requires patience and potentially competitive breeding techniques. The species has appeared in various Pokémon games throughout subsequent generations as a Pokédex entry or through the National Dex, though wild encounters remain limited to specific games and regions. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk DLC, Oshawott is available as a starter option, providing modern-generation players access to this classic water-type. Trading with other players and utilizing Pokémon Bank or Pokémon Home systems enables collection across multiple game generations, allowing dedicated trainers to assemble Oshawott specimens from different eras and regions to commemorate their journey alongside this cherished starter Pokémon.