Pokémon Sword and Shield: All Abilities and Hidden Abilities

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Pokemon Sword and Shield Abilities

Pokemon Sword and Shield Abilities (Image credit: iMore)

In general, Abilities and Hidden Abilities are helpful effects that automatically happen in battle and sometimes in the overworld. However, some Abilities and Hidden Abilities are not useful. Here are all of the Abilities and Hidden Abilitie from I through M.

Ice Body

When it's hailing, a Pokémon with Ice Body regains 1/16 of its maximum HP at the end of each turn instead of being damaged by the hail.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Snorunt
  • Glalie
  • Vanillite
  • Vanillish
  • Vanilluxe
  • Bergmite
  • Avalugg
  • Arctovish

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Mr. Mime
  • Mr. Rime
  • Glaceon

Ice Face

When Eiscue is in its Ice Face form, it won't take damage if it gets hit with a physical move, and then it will turn into its Noice face form.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Eiscue (Ice Face)
  • Eiscue (Noice Face)

Ice Scales

A Pokémon with Ice Scales only receives half the damage when hit with special moves.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Snom
  • Frosmoth

Illuminate

This Ability has no effect in the Overworld.

Overworld effect: If a Pokémon with this Ability is the first one in your party, your Pokémon encounter rate increases by 100%.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Chinchou
  • Lanturn
  • Morelull
  • Shiinotic

Immunity

This Ability prevents a Pokémon from being poisoned.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Snorlax

Imposter

A Pokémon with this Ability immediately transforms into its opponent when it comes into battle.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Ditto

Infiltrator

The moves of a Pokémon with Infiltrator aren't affected by an opponent's use of Reflect, Light Screen, Safeguard, Aurora Veil, or Mist.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Cottonee
  • Whimsicott
  • Espurr
  • Meowstic (Male)
  • Meowstic (Female)
  • Noibat
  • Noivern
  • Dreepy
  • Drakloak
  • Dragapult

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Ninjask
  • Litwick
  • Lampent
  • Chandelure
  • Inkay
  • Malamar

Innards Out

If a Pokémon with Innards Out is knocked out by an opponent, the amount of HP it had left before fainting is taken from the foe.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Pyukumuku

Inner Focus

This Ability prevents a Pokémon from flinching. However, if an opposing Pokémon knows Mold Breaker, the Pokémon that knows Inner Focus can still flinch.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Farfetch'd
  • Sneasel
  • Snorunt
  • Glalie
  • Riolu
  • Lucario
  • Throh
  • Sawk
  • Pawniard
  • Bisharp
  • Oranguru
  • Indeedee (male)

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Hitmonchan
  • Umbreon
  • Darumaka
  • Mudbray
  • Mudsdale

Insomnia

Pokémon that know Insomnia won't be affected by the moves Sleep or Yawn.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Hoothoot
  • Noctowl

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Delibird
  • Pumpkaboo
  • Gourgeist

Intimidate

When a Pokémon that knows this Ability enters a battle, the Attack stat of all adjacent opponents is lowered by one stage. This Ability doesn't affect Pokémon who know Inner Focus, Oblivious, Scrappy, or Own Tempo.

Overworld effect: If the first Pokémon in your party knows Intimidate, there is a 50% chance it will prevent a random encounter.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Growlithe
  • Arcanine
  • Gyarados
  • Hitmontop
  • Mawile

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Scraggy
  • Scrafty

Overgrow

When a Pokemon with Overgrow has 1/3 HP or less remaining, its Grass-type moves have an increased attack power by 50%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Grookey
  • Thwackey
  • Rillaboom

Intrepid Sword

When a Pokémon with Intrepid Sword enters a battle, its Attack stat increases by one stage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Zacian

Iron Barbs

When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a move that makes contact, the opponent takes 1/8 damage of its total HP.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Ferroseed
  • Ferrothorn
  • Togedemaru

Iron Fist

This Ability makes the power of affected punching moves increase by 20%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Hitmonchan
  • Golette
  • Golurk
  • Pancham
  • Pangoro
  • Melmetal

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Timburr
  • Gurdurr
  • Conkeldurr

Justified

When a Dark-type move hits a Pokémon that knows Justified, it's Attack is increased by one stage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Growlithe
  • Arcanine
  • Lucario
  • Gallade

Keen Eye

A Pokémon that knows Keen Eye cannot have its accuracy stats lowered by an opposing Pokémon.

Overworld effect: If the first Pokémon in your party knows Keen Eye, there is a 50% chance it will prevent a random wild encounter.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Farfetch'd
  • Hitmonchan
  • Hoothoot
  • Noctowl
  • Sneasel
  • Wingull
  • Pelipper
  • Sableye
  • Rufflet
  • Braviary
  • Espurr
  • Meowstic (Male)
  • Meowstic (Female)
  • Rookidee
  • Corvisquire

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Stunky
  • Skuntank
  • Skorupi
  • Drapion

Klutz

This Ability prevents a Pokémon from feeling the effects of a held item. This doesn't apply to some items like the Amulet Coin, Lucky Egg, Power Weight, Everstone, Scarves, Cleanse Tag, or Soothe Bell.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Woobat
  • Swoobat
  • Golett
  • Golurk
  • Stufful
  • Bewear

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Toxel

Leaf Guard

During harsh sunlight, this Ability prevents a Pokémon from non-volatile status conditions and Yawn. It has no effect on any status changes that took place before the weather becomes harsh sunlight.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Leafeon
  • Bounsweet
  • Steenee
  • Tsareena

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Roselia
  • Budew

Levitate

A Pokémon with Levitate won't be affected by Ground-type moves.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Gastly
  • Haunter
  • Koffing
  • Weezing (Galarian Form)
  • Lunatone
  • Solrock
  • Duskull
  • Bronzor
  • Bronzong
  • Rotom
  • Rotom (Heat Rotom)
  • Rotom (Mow Rotom)
  • Rotom (Fan Rotom)
  • Rotom (Frost Rotom)
  • Rotom (Wash Rotom)
  • Vikavolt

Libero

Right before using a move, the Pokémon that knows Libero will change it's type to the type of the move it's using.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Scorbunny
  • Raboot
  • Cinderace

Light Metal

Light Metal makes the Pokémon that knows this Ability half as heavy.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Duraludon

Lightning Rod

This Ability forces all of your opponent's single-target Electric-type moves to strike the Pokémon that knows Lightning Rod.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Electrike
  • Manectric
  • Rhyhorn
  • Rhydon
  • Rhyperior
  • Togedemary
  • Pinchurchin

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Pichu
  • Pikachu
  • Raichu
  • Goldeen
  • Seaking

Limber

This Ability prevents the Pokémon that knows it from being affected by paralysis.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Persian
  • Hitmonlee
  • Ditto
  • Hawlucha
  • Mareanie
  • Toxapex
  • Clobbopus
  • Grapploct

Magic Bounce

Magic Bounce makes all stat-lowering, status moves, status condition-inducing moves, and entry hazard moves back onto the Pokémon who made the attack.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Natu
  • Xatu
  • Espeon
  • Hatenna
  • Hattrem
  • Hatterene

Magic Guard

This Ability prevents the Pokémon that knows it from receiving indirect damage via weather, poison, burns, Curse, Leech Seed, Recoil, and Mind Blown. However, it doesn't prevent status conditions.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Cleffa
  • Clefairy
  • Clefable
  • Sigilyph
  • Solosis
  • Duosion
  • Reuniclus

Magnet Pull

If a Pokémon knows Magnet Pull, then Steel-type opponents are unable to run away from them during battle.

Overworld effect: If the first Pokémon in your party knows Magnet Pull, there is a 50% chance you'll encounter a Steel-type Pokémon.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Meltan

Marvel Scale

If a Pokémon that knows Marvel Scale is affected by a status condition, its defense goes up by 50%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Milotic

Merciless

When facing off against an opponent who is poisoned, Pokémon that know Merciless will always land critical hits.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Mareanie
  • Toxapex

Mimicry

A Pokémon with Mimicry will change type based on its terrain.

  • Electric Terrain 🠂 Electric-type
  • Grassy Terrain 🠂 Grass-type
  • Misty Terrain 🠂 Fairy-type
  • Psychic Terrain 🠂 Psychic-type

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Stunfisk (Galarian Form)

Minus

When a Pokémon with Minus enters a battle with an ally that knows Plus or Minus, the Special Attack stat of the Pokémon with Minus is increased by 50%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Klink
  • Klang
  • Klinklang
  • Toxtricity (Low Key Form)

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Electrike
  • Manectric

Mirror Armor

If a Pokémon with Mirror Armor is attacked with a stat-lowering move, the effect hits the attacker instead.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Corviknight

Misty Surge

The ground becomes Misty Terrain whenever a Pokémon with Misty Surge comes into battle.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Weezing (Galarian Form)

Mold Breaker

Mold Breaker allows the user to ignore Ability effects that might otherwise not affect the opponent. For instance, a Pokémon that knows Mold Breaker can hit opponents that know Levitate with Earthquake.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Axew
  • Fraxure
  • Haxorus
  • Pancham
  • Pangoro

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Drilbur
  • Excadrill
  • Throh
  • Sawk
  • Basculin (Red-Striped Form)
  • Basculin (Blue-Striped Form)
  • Hawlucha

Moody

A Pokémon that knows Moody will automatically have one randomly selected stat raised by two stages, and another randomly selected stat decreased by one stage at the end of each turn.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Remoraid
  • Octillery
  • Snorunt
  • Glalie

Moxie

If a Pokémon that knows Moxies uses a damaging attack that causes another Pokémon to faint, its Attack increases by one stage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Scraggy
  • Scrafty

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Gyarados

Mummy

When a Pokémon hits a Pokemon that knows Mummy, the attacking Pokemon's Ability changes to Mummy. Mummy doesn't have any additional effects.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Yamask
  • Cofagrigus
Rebecca Spear
Rebecca Spear
Gaming Editor

Gaming aficionado Rebecca Spear is iMore's dedicated gaming editor with a focus on Nintendo Switch and iOS gaming. You’ll never catch her without her Switch or her iPad Air handy. If you’ve got a question about Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, or just about any other Nintendo series check out her guides to help you out. Rebecca has written thousands of articles in the last six years including hundreds of extensive gaming guides, previews, and reviews for both Switch and Apple Arcade. She also loves checking out new gaming accessories like iPhone controllers and has her ear to the ground when it comes to covering the next big trend.