Introduced in generation five with the Pokemon Black and White games, Deino is a dual type dark and dragon Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Hydreigon, a pseudo legendary dragon Pokemon, and as such it has become a very desirable Pokemon in both casual and competitive play. But since its introduction in generation five, Deino has not made frequent appearances on the screen when compared to other Pokemon. This guide will showcase Deino’s appearances in the anime, its capabilities in battle, as well as other general facts about Deino.
About Deino
As the base evolution of a pseudo legendary Pokemon, Deino requires quite a bit of investment in order to get any payoff. It will evolve into Zweilous at level 50, and then into Hydreigon at level 64. It first made an on-screen appearance in the black and white season of the anime in the episode The Lonely Deino!. The Pokedex states that they are blind and will bump into or eat anything they wander into.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series Black and White The Lonely Deino! |
| First appearance in-game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Hydreigon evolves into Zweilous |
| 1st Evo level | 50 |
| 2nd Evo level | 64 |
| Pokedex Entry | They cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn about their surroundings. Their bodies are covered in wounds. |
Deino Base Stats
| HP | 52 |
| ATTACK | 65 |
| DEFENCE | 50 |
| SP. ATTACK | 45 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 50 |
| SPEED | 38 |
| TOTAL | 300 |
Appearance
Deino is a small quadrupedal dinosaur-like Pokemon. Its body is mostly blue with some black fur around its head and neck. Despite being a dragon/dinosaur Pokemon, it is only 2 feet and 7 inches, or 0.8 meters tall. It has one black horn sticking out of its head although, curiously, its mouth is toothless. The Pokedex states that it is often covered in bruises which likely explains its short stubby tail as perhaps it was bitten off or ripped off without a care.
Behavior
The Pokedex states that the life of Deino is quite arduous. It is naturally blind and thus bumps into anything and everything but it is also constantly biting and eating things in its path. Despite being toothless and rather small, Deino is difficult to approach as it will likely bite you without knowing what you are. Regardless of its rather difficult adolescence, it is almost always depicted with a smile on its face.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Deino’s biggest selling point is the fact that it eventually evolves into Hydreigon, the pseudo-legendary representative of generation five. Other than a relatively early access to the move Dragon Rage, there is not much reason to run Deino over it’s incredibly powerful final evolution. Deino’s base stats are what you would expect out of a base evolution, in that they are not very impressive. Since Deino is a dual type dark and dragon type Pokemon, any fighting, bug, ice, dragon, and fairy moves will deal sufficient damage to Deino.
Shiny Deino
For the generation five pseudo-legendary line, Shiny Deino is unfortunately a lime green shiny. It swaps Deino’s blue colors for green and this color palette remains constant through the evolution line. Luckily the lime green color palette does not seem absurd for Shiny Deino and almost fits its design well. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Deino gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
Unlike most base evolutions, Deino is a popular pick for LC (Little Cup) competitive bracket battling. With access to the ability Hustle, it is more than capable of performing a sweeper role even without an absurd statline. With a Choice Scarf as the held item, Deino becomes a menace for any team that you encounter. For a decent moveset consider running Outrage, Crunch, Superpower, and Zen Headbutt. Outrage and Crunch both benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) while Superpower and Zen Headbutt exist for type coverage. Since Choice Scarf locks you into a move, you will need to carefully consider which move to try and wipe the opposing team with.
| Outrage | Crunch |
| Superpower | Zen Headbutt |
How to Catch Deino in Pokemon Go
If you want to obtain a Deino in Pokemon Go, all the very best because it is incredibly rare to find one in the wild. Your best bet of finding a Deino is to wait until you find one in a Pokemon Gym raid battle. Deino has appeared as a tier two raid boss in the past so keep your eyes peeled on your nearby gyms. You can also find Deino by hatching 12 km eggs. Of course they do spawn in the wild and, as a dark and dragon type Pokemon, they will spawn more frequently in parks, large city districts, and in windy weather. It is still quite a rare spawn so it is more likely you will find them through raids or a lucky 12km egg. It will take 25 candies to evolve your Deino into Zweilous and another 100 to evolve it into Hydreigon.
Explainer Video
Trivia
- Deino’s final evolution is the latest level threshold of all Pokemon in the game at level 64.
- Deino and its next evolution Zweilous are the only Pokemon with access to the ability Hustle.
- The name Deino is likely a combination of the dino, shortened from dinosaur, and ein German for one.
FAQs
Q. Is Deino Rare in Pokemon Go?
Deino is particularly rare in Pokemon Go as it is very difficult to find it in the wild but while it is still possible it is far less likely to appear as compared to other spawns. Luckily it does appear in tier two raid battles, so if you see a Pokemon Gym with a tier two raid spawning soon, consider keeping an eye on it.
Q. Why is Deino so Rare?
Deino is the pseudo-legendary representative of the generation five games. To add to this exclusivity, it is a rarer spawn as compared to other Pokemon in both the mainline games and Pokemon Go. This adds to its desirability and makes it much more rewarding to actually obtain a Deino for yourself.
Q. Is Deino a Good Pokemon?
Deino gives you access to Hydreigon so that alone makes it a good Pokemon. Luckily it is also a monster in LC (Little Cup) competitive brackets, so just about everything about Deino is good. The only arguments against Deino are its rather low base evolution stats (which is rather understandable), and its high level threshold in order to evolve into Hydreigon.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this irate Pokemon. Since Deino’s inclusion it has made quite an impact on competitive Pokemon battling as well as other Pokemon media. Its rarity makes it desirable in Pokemon Go and its pseudo-legendary status makes it memorable in terms of casual or competitive environments. While Deino is just the base evolution of a much more powerful Hydreigon, it has become a very memorable Pokemon throughout the franchise’s history.
