One of the original Pokemon of the Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Beedrill is a dual type bug and poison Pokemon. As it has been in the games throughout the entirety of Pokemon history, Beedrill has made many appearances throughout the anime’s history. This wasp-like Pokemon is the counterpart to Butterfree as they both set the standard of a three stage bug type Pokemon that appears throughout almost every Pokemon game. This guide will showcase Beedrill’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Beedrill.
About Beedrill
Beedrill has been around as long as Pokemon has, almost 25 years at this point in time. This bug and poison type Pokemon made its first appearance as early as episode three in the original anime series at the end of Ash Catches a Pokemon. Beedrill is the final evolution of Weedle and evolves from Kakuna. Like Butterfree, it set the standard of quick evolving bug type Pokemon that can be encountered early in the games. The Pokedex states that their behavior is similar to wasps or bees in real life and they will swarm their enemies to jab with poison.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon Original Series Ash Catches a Pokemon |
| First appearance in game | Red/Green (Japan) Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Weedle, evolves from Kakuna |
| 1st Evo level | 7 |
| 2nd Evo level | 10 |
| Pokedex Entry | It has 3 poisonous stingers on its forelegs and its tail. They are used to jab its enemy repeatedly. |
Beedrill Base Stats
Beedrill’s stats were changed after generation five in order to keep it relevant alongside the new generation of Pokemons. While only its attack stat was changed, it also received a mega evolution in generation six.
(Generation one - Generation five)
| HP | 65 |
| ATTACK | 80 |
| DEFENCE | 40 |
| SP. ATTACK | 45 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 80 |
| SPEED | 75 |
| TOTAL | 385 |
(Generation 6 onward)
| HP | 65 |
| ATTACK | 90 |
| DEFENCE | 40 |
| SP. ATTACK | 45 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 80 |
| SPEED | 75 |
| TOTAL | 395 |
Appearance
Like many of the other original 151 Pokemon, the design of Beedrill was very similar to their real-life counterparts. Beedrill is modeled after a wasp, but it only has four legs instead of the six found in real life wasps. It has two red eyes, two antennae, and three large stingers. Two of these stingers end from its first two arms, and the last stinger is found on its base. Like wasps in real life, it is yellow with black stripes and has two pairs of rounded veiny wings.
Behavior
In the early episodes of the anime, swarms of Beedrill functioned similarly to wasps in real life as they would attack those who intruded on its territory. While a Beedrill hive has yet to be seen, Beedrill’s behavior largely resembles wasps in real life. The protagonists of the anime have often had to flee from swarms of Beedrill or battle them in order to keep themselves safe. The Pokedex states that its poison is quite powerful and it will take its victims back to its nest for food.
Strengths and Weaknesses
With its inclusion in generation one, it was one of the only Pokemon with access to a bug type move for psychic type Pokemon. However, it has not aged well with the addition of newer generations or Pokemon’s stat lines. Thankfully, it received a much needed mega evolution in generation six giving it a much more powerful statline and therefore better usability. There is not much about Beedrill that warrants special consideration, other than its mega evolution. You can use flying, rock, fire, or psychic type moves to defeat a Beedrill easily.
Mega Beedrill
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, and relatively weak even at generation one standards, Mega Beedrill was a welcome addition to the game to keep this Pokemon relevant. Not only did Mega Beedrill receive the 100 total stat bonus that most mega evolutions receive, its statline received a serious change in its distributions. Mega Beedrill becomes a very fast physical attacking Pokemon while sacrificing some of its already weak stats in order to complement this offensive statline. In terms of design and it’s appearance, Mega Beedrill’s wings are split into three pairs, it gains another pair of stingers, and its general appearance gives it a more aggressive look.
Shiny Beedrill
Shiny Beedrill is not the most impressive shiny, as it’s part of the lime green shinies that exist within the game. Regular Beedrill’s yellow is replaced by Shiny Beedrill’s green, and other than its eyes, no other color is touched by the change in it’s color palette. Shiny Beedrill’s eyes change from red to blue, but it is not the most striking shiny in the game. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Beedrill gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
In competitive Pokemon, there is almost no reason to run a regular Beedrill. However, with Mega Beedrill’s inclusion in generation six, it gains some relevance in competitive battling. For all intents and purposes, if Mega Beedrill is available in the competitive bracket, you ought to run Mega Beedrill. This does mean that it holds items that are reserved for Beedrillite, but the trade off is well worth the cost. For moves consider running U-turn, Protect, Poison Jab, and Knock Off/Drill Run. U-Turn benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) while giving you an efficient switch out, Protect allows your Beedrill to survive as its bulk is abysmally low, Poison Jab also benefits from STAB and functions as Beedrill’s primary source of damage, and Knock Off and Drill Run are interchangeable as type coverage options.
| U-Turn | Protect |
| Poison Jab | Knock Off/Drill Run |
How to Catch Beedrill in Pokemon Go
If you want to obtain a Beedrill in Pokemon Go, you will want to obtain as many Weedles as you possibly can. Weedle will spawn more often near grassy areas and they are a fairly common spawn so you should not have much trouble locating them. Like most final evolution Pokemon, it is much easier to obtain its pre evolutions and evolve it than it is to find its final evolution in the wild. As Beedrill has not appeared in the past as a raid boss, your best bet is to evolve a Weedle. To evolve your Weedle, it will take 12 Weedle candies to evolve into Kakuna, another 50 to evolve into Beedrill, and another 100 to evolve it into Mega Beedrill.
Trivia
- Beedrill shares many similarities with Butterfree, both being final stage evolutions of Pokemon that evolve at level 7 and level 10, both have a base stat total of 395, and are exclusive to mirrored games.
- A Mega Beedrill has the highest attack and speed stats of any poison type Pokemon in the entire game.
- Mega Beedrill is the only mega evolution that has a lower special attack than its regular base form.
FAQ
Is Beedrill or Butterfree better?
Generally in casual play, psychic type moves are more powerful than a poison type. As both Butterfree and Beedrill both have similar base stat totals, Butterfree is more popular among casual players. In competitive play, Beedrill’s mega evolution is considered to be at a higher value than Gigantamax Butterfree’s.
Why is Beedrill so bad?
Regular Beedrill suffers from being an entry-level Pokemon even for casual players. Its statline is not impressive and even with the additional stat boosts in generation six, it is still fairly weak. Mega Beedrill throws much of this out the window and functions as a powerful offensive Pokemon.
Is Beedrill a good Pokemon?
You would be hard pressed to find a worse final evolution Pokemon than regular Beedrill. Regular Beedrill does not present much value for your team, but Mega Beedrill is a different choice altogether. Thanks to its mega evolution presented in generation six, Beedrill can be considered a good Pokemon.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this poison bee Pokemon. Beedrill was one of the original 151 Pokemon that has not aged well. However, with the inclusion of its mega evolution, it has returned to relevant status. While its roles in the anime have been mostly a swarm of Beedrills acting as a thorn in the sides of the protagonists, fans of the franchise look back fondly at Beedrill’s design. Thanks to its mega evolution in generation six, Beedrill will likely remain a strong choice for fans of bug type Pokemon.
